AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Owner's Circles => Selah Audio Owners => Topic started by: AvFan on 21 Sep 2014, 01:21 am
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In early June I ordered the Ottavo with cherry veneer and edging from Rick. They arrived in late July and I've been enjoying them immensely ever since. This is my second Selah purchase as Rick did a custom MTM design for me a few years back, but I wanted to go with a full range design this time. As many have noted Rick provided exceptional customer service through the entire process. He was kind enough to give me contact information for four other Ottavo owners so I could quiz them on their speakers. All responded enthusiastically about the Ottavo and I now know why. I thought my MTMs were good (and they are!) but the Ottavo is in another league. The Ottavo, like my MTMs, have RAAL tweeters and I enjoy their accuracy without harshness at the top end. I'd been using stereo subs with my MTMs and I never really got them right. The Ottavo's bass is articulate and deep when needed without any hint of boominess. But where the Ottavo easily bests my MTM is in the mid-range which is probably attributable to the Accuton mid. Vocals are simply captivating. I now understand when someone says it was like the singer was in the room with them!
Lastly, we've all heard the horror stories of shippers damaging fragile electronics. That simply can't happen with Rick's packing. Both shipments (the speakers themselves and a separate box with the bases, spikes, etc) were bombproof. The speakers were in custom wooden crates with clear directions how to unpack them to avoid any damage. Just excellent and really appreciated.
Here are some photos to show the quality of the work done by Rick's cabinetmaker. The cabinets are finished with a satin conversion varnish that is tough but feels nice to the touch. I make furniture occasionally and I can tell you the craftsmanship of the cabinets is top notch.
I expect to enjoy these speakers for many, many years. Thanks, Rick!
Bill
aka AvFan
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/AvFan_photos/DSC_0611_zps4815de39.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/user/AvFan_photos/media/DSC_0611_zps4815de39.jpg.html)
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/AvFan_photos/DSC_0613_zpsa8ec57f3.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/user/AvFan_photos/media/DSC_0613_zpsa8ec57f3.jpg.html)
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/AvFan_photos/DSC_0616_zps58701739.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/user/AvFan_photos/media/DSC_0616_zps58701739.jpg.html)
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/AvFan_photos/DSC_0623_zpsb3cfdb35.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/user/AvFan_photos/media/DSC_0623_zpsb3cfdb35.jpg.html)
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Bill, they look great. Rick recommended them to me. They sound like a winner. Paul
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Excellent! Congratulations.....and after a few months, report back with your impressions. I know from personal experience that new speakers (assuming they're high quality) always sound amazing in the beginning, but sometimes lose some shine after a spell (not suggesting this is the case here, okay?). I'd really like to know your thoughts 6 months from now. I may be in the market for new speakers in Summer 2015.
Best,
Michael
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Thanks for the kind words! You may be suggesting my impressions are based upon a "newness factor". I suppose that could be true but I waited six weeks and many hours of listening before posting my impressions of the Ottavo. Also, I've had Selah MTM speakers with RAAL tweeters for a few years so I'm pretty comfortable identifying the steps up in performance between the MTM and Ottavo. Regardless, I'm happy to report back in a few months.
I will say I've recently read a lot about speaker placement and there is much more to learn. Geez, just getting out a tape measure and carefully locating the speakers to my listening position made a huge difference. My stereo is in my living room with couches, a piano, coffee table, sloped ceiling, open to other rooms, etc. All those factors influence the sound from the Ottavo. So far I've focused on taming first reflection points to reduce smear and making sure the speakers are placed in as symmetrical (to a bay window and adjacent walls) position as possible. I enjoy the process and will continue to adjust placement to get the most from the Ottavo under the circumstances. Who knows, I may rearrange the entire living room to see if that helps the sound. Its all fun!
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Congrats on your new speakers, they look great and no doubt sound fantantic. I second your experience with working with Rick, first class all the way.
What amp are you using to drive the Ottavo? Is the Accuton mid a 5 in driver?
Enjoy!
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Congratulations, wonderful looking speakers. I can also attest to Rick's customer service, design expertise, and quality work. No doubt you will enjoy immensely.
--Bob
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Excellent! Congratulations.....and after a few months, report back with your impressions. I know from personal experience that new speakers (assuming they're high quality) always sound amazing in the beginning, but sometimes lose some shine after a spell (not suggesting this is the case here, okay?). I'd really like to know your thoughts 6 months from now. I may be in the market for new speakers in Summer 2015.
Best,
Michael
I know that this comment was not intentionally negative but shit like this gets into people's head and can damage the love affair with the product. I think it's best to just be supportive when someone shells out big money and buys a great product like this. By the way I find that speakers just get better after 6 months.
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Yes, the midrange is a 5" Accuton. It is a very impressive driver and Rick blends it so well with the RAAL! I'm using a Pioneer Series 20 A-27 integrated amp to power the Ottavo. It is about 180 watts per channel at 4 ohms and the first 3 are Class A. Pioneer built the TOTL Series 20 in 1978 and 1979 and when I bought the amp I had the main and phono (always runs Class A) power supplies rebuilt. Class A heat and components age dictated this work. The combo of the A-27 and Ottavo are working well together!
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Congrats.
Lovely speakers.
The cherry veneer on
this & your previous MTM
speakers are they similar?
Or are the Pictures in your Gallery
of the cherry veneer after some sun
exposure?
have you drawn any opinions of MTM VS MT
arrangement?
I have some Selah MTM speakers over a Powered
Aurasound bass Bin.
And yes, Rich has always been a pleasant man to deal with.
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The Ottavos have a really nice, and wide, single piece of cherry veneer that wraps from side to top to side and they should darken naturally with light exposure. Early on I verified with Rick that the conversion varnish finish didn't have any UV inhibitors that would prevent the cherry from turning that lovely brown/red color over time. I built my MTMs with walnut veneer with a rubbed out satin polyurethane finish so they started out dark.
One of the reasons I chose the MTM a few years ago is I thought they'd be in a relatively small room with 8' ceilings and the potential for hardwood floors. I wanted to minimize floor and ceiling interactions and MTMs do that very well. However, when I moved my system to my carpeted living room with vaulted ceilings it was sort of annoying to loose the highs when I stood up and moved around the room. So I gravitated to a more traditional full range design with tweeter-mid-woofer. I really like the Tempesta but I wanted a floor stander and then the Ottavo came along. It was good timing!
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The Ottavo, being a full range speaker, would be hard to beat considering the quality of the drivers used and the integration of the X - overs done by Rick.
I can also say, you are right on the cherry finish turning deeper color tones over time, I have the Tempesta Towers done in Cat's Paw cherry and over the last few years, that I have had them , they have turned into a much richer more elegant color. It's a nice contrast to the black colored components.
The bass on the Tempesta's is quite nice, full, weighted I would expect the Ottavo to one/two up that easily. And as you said, there is that real feeling of the singer being front and center thanks to the excellent Accuton midrange driver.
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The Ottavo, being a full range speaker, would be hard to beat considering the quality of the drivers used and the integration of the X - overs done by Rick.
I think this has to be the best value on the market today for a full range high end speaker, much as the Tempesta is for premium stand mounted speakers.
At a lower price point my little Selah RAAL/Scanspeak 2 ways (kind of like a smaller Verita) continue to knock off all comers for small room speakers, the latest being PSB M2 Platinums That's now 8 highly regarded $2-5k standmount speakers they have outperformed in my office in the last 2 years. Names - PSB Platinum M2, Volent Paragon VL-2, Totem Model 1 signature, Merlin tsm-mme, GMA Rio, Event Opal, Escalante Juniper, Thiel PCS. I've used another 20 models or so at this price point in this room previously, and the Selahs outperform all of them as well.
My hat is off to Rick for offering world class performance along with great customer support at prices well below any competition I'm aware of.
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I think this has to be the best value on the market today for a full range high end speaker...
Maybe.
Dennis Murphy offer its phil 3 for a lot less and uses Raal tweet, bg mid and Scanspeak revelator woofer in a transmission line tunning. Not bad for what he is asking.
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Maybe.
Dennis Murphy offer its phil 3 for a lot less and uses Raal tweet, bg mid and Scanspeak revelator woofer in a transmission line tunning. Not bad for what he is asking.
I agree that is a high value speaker, but I've owned speakers using the BG mid and it is not quite up to the Accuton, IMO, and dual 8" woofer array as Rick uses them offer real advantages over a single larger woofer, so from a design standpoint I'd lean heavily toward Selah. The cabinetry Rick offers is also much nicer, and that is worth a lot to me when spending this kind of $.
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PMAT,
"I know that this comment was not intentionally negative but shit like this gets into people's head and can damage the love affair with the product. I think it's best to just be supportive when someone shells out big money and buys a great product like this. By the way I find that speakers just get better after 6 months."
Sigh. You are correct. I did not put much thought into what I typed when I posted my comment. I meant well, but I just typed whatever popped into my mind and hit the post button without any sort of revision. I PMed the OP to apologize and, hopefully, better explain what was in my mind. If I could remove my comment, I would. Perhaps I can use this as a learning experience and be more careful of what I post in the future. Thank you for calling me out on it.
Best regards,
Michael
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Thanks for your feedback on the sound Bill. Here's a picture of the Ottavo that a customer in Ohio built from a kit.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=106138)
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Nice! Very nice!
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So I've ordered a Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum 100wpc integrated tube amp to replace my vintage SS integrated. I auditioned the amp and it sounded fantastic with my Ottavo. One thing I forgot to check was whether it was on the 4 or 8 ohm speaker taps. I looked at the Ottavo impedence graph and it dips below 4 ohms but is well above that for much of the frequency range. Should I use 4 or 8 ohm taps?
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Hey guys, could you tell me what woofers are being used in the ottavo. Thanks, Paul
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Hey guys, could you tell me what woofers are being used in the ottavo. Thanks, Paul
They are made by an OEM that supplies drivers to some very well-known companies.
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Hi Rick,
Does the OEM company that produces the woofers for the Ottavo also market a 10'' version?
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Hi Rick,
Does the OEM company that produces the woofers for the Ottavo also market a 10'' version?
[/quote
This would be very interesting Ottavo configuration! Lets hope it can be done.
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Hi Rick,
Does the OEM company that produces the woofers for the Ottavo also market a 10'' version?
What do you have in mind? Your current speakers?
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Is it possible to build the ottavo with one 10 inich driver as a standmount like the Eve SC3010 studio monitors ? thanks.
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''What do you have in mind? Your current speakers?''
Rick, actually I was looking down the road to a future 5.0 home theater/multichannel audio build, and was thinking along the lines of a modded RC5 platform with 5'' illuminators and Raal tweet as the MTM portion, and dual 10'' woofers from the same family as the Ottavo 8'' as fronts, Ottavos as currently configured but switching out the Accuton 5'' mid with a 5'' illuminator as surrounds, and a center channel using those same drivers, but in a cabinet with dimensions as close to the Magnifico as possible (due to space constraints in the rack below the TV). I know you don't see too many centers with dual 8'' drivers, but I like the idea of a center and surrounds with matching drivers. I just don't want to deal with subs, and I know this setup wouldn't require one, but it hinges on whether the company that makes the 8'' woofers in the Ottavo also have a 10'' model to accomplish a voice-matched 5.0 speaker array, and of course, whether the drivers and speaker cabinets as specified would work well in combination.
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Is it possible to build the ottavo with one 10 inich driver as a standmount like the Eve SC3010 studio monitors ? thanks.
Yes we could do a custom design in that format.
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''What do you have in mind? Your current speakers?''
Rick, actually I was looking down the road to a future 5.0 home theater/multichannel audio build, and was thinking along the lines of a modded RC5 platform with 5'' illuminators and Raal tweet as the MTM portion, and dual 10'' woofers from the same family as the Ottavo 8'' as fronts, Ottavos as currently configured but switching out the Accuton 5'' mid with a 5'' illuminator as surrounds, and a center channel using those same drivers, but in a cabinet with dimensions as close to the Magnifico as possible (due to space constraints in the rack below the TV). I know you don't see too many centers with dual 8'' drivers, but I like the idea of a center and surrounds with matching drivers. I just don't want to deal with subs, and I know this setup wouldn't require one, but it hinges on whether the company that makes the 8'' woofers in the Ottavo also have a 10'' model to accomplish a voice-matched 5.0 speaker array, and of course, whether the drivers and speaker cabinets as specified would work well in combination.
Thanks for the additional information. The 5" Illuminator would work well with a 10" woofer and it is possible to match the whole system.
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Yes we could do a custom design in that format.
Any cost in completed form or kit form for this build if available ? thank you.
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Any cost in completed form or kit form for this build if available ? thank you.
It really depends on what your objectives are for bass extension and sensitivity.
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I really depends on what your objectives are for bass extension and sensitivity.
possibly 35hz and 85db sensivity or more?
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possibly 35hz and 85db sensivity or more?
To keep the cabinet size realistic it would need to be a sealed box with active equalization. 85db or greater sensitivity is possible with the right woofer.
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Thanks for the additional information. The 5" Illuminator would work well with a 10" woofer and it is possible to match the whole system.
Thanks, Rick. My prayer is that you will remain healthy and stay in business long enough so that one day soon you'll answer the phone and it will be me on the other end, asking you to build these speakers for me. In the words of another fine gentleman, ''live long and prosper.'' :)
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Well if the Ottavo were to be built with 10" woofers, would it be able to extend down to the mid 20Hz range with full clean weighted bass? Or is there another Selah model that can achieve this without reinventing the wheel....Thanks!
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personally I think one would find it hard to distinguished anything below 25. If you like to go that low, an alternative power subs in a two way is a good option.
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Well if the Ottavo were to be built with 10" woofers, would it be able to extend down to the mid 20Hz range with full clean weighted bass? Or is there another Selah model that can achieve this without reinventing the wheel....Thanks!
My question to Rick was in regard to the company that markets the Ottavo 8'' woofer and whether they also made a 10''version of the woofer that could be used in lieu of the 10'' AuraSound woofers in one of Rick's remarkable legacy designs, the RC5--imagine an Ottavo on steroids. :D
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Well if the Ottavo were to be built with 10" woofers, would it be able to extend down to the mid 20Hz range with full clean weighted bass? Or is there another Selah model that can achieve this without reinventing the wheel....Thanks!
Yes, it's possible to do that with dual 10" drivers. When selecting the 8" woofers for the Ottavo I looked at a few alternatives. One was a woofer that another speaker company was using and the numbers on it look good; however, further testing revealed some real limitations. I chose better sensitivity and bass quality / clarity over having a lower -3db point.
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Thanks Rick on the clarification. I'm sure the Ottavo would perform very well in my space and exceed my expectations . . . the jury is still out on subs tho.
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I've had my Ottavos for several months I don't feel a need to add a subwoofer to a stereo setup. If the bass is present these speakers reproduce it very well. I have experimented with adding a sub for music that simply does not have much bass to begin with and found improvement in the overall sound. However, this was only when playing certain bass-shy vinyl records and I never engaged the sub with any CD, high resolution digital file, and the vast majority of records. The hassle of the sub isn't worth it for the very rare occasion I play a record where the bass isn't part of the mix. That is just how the record was mastered.
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Sorry I wasn't implying that the Ottavo needed sub-woofer's, the comment was in reference to some emails that Rick and I exchanged in reference to adding subs to my two pairs of Selah's speakers. . . since I have moved into a larger dedicated space.
I am not a fan of subs in two channel systems, and Rick advised that I would be well served by adding subs, I have borrowed a NHT 10' sub, and altho its okay, I'm not thrilled with it. . . so that's was why I said the jury is still out on using sub's. I may get a pair of Ottavo's but now is not the time so I am trying different things to hold me over. I have no complaints with my existing Selah's and would be elated to have the Ottavo front and center!
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It amazes me that I have been enjoying my Ottavo for more than three years now. I play records most of the time and I've been upgrading turntables, cartridges and phono preamps, even my preamp and amp, but the constant have been these amazing speakers. In an effort to fine tune my system I have gotten as precise as possible with speaker placement that my living room will allow and I have a UMIK-1 and REW in the wings that I hope will allow me to understand how my listening environment behaves. I'll then make changes that improve the linearity of the speaker/room with a miniDSP 2x4HD.
But every once in a while, well pretty often really, I get a dope slap on something pretty basic. I slouch in my listening chair so that my ears are probably around 30" to 32" off the floor. The center of the Ottavo's mid-range and tweeter are 34" and 39" respectively off the floor with the mid-point at 37". I sit about 8 feet from each speaker just beyond the top of an equilateral triangle. So I sat at different heights and above the tweeter provided more detail and it seemed to me that there was less tweeter the lower my ears. I have a pair of Rick's MTMs and the listening height needs to be at the center of the tweeter but what about the Ottavo? Is there an optimal listening height based upon the crossover design? Is it between the tweeter and mid-range? I think I'm going to be looking for a new chair!
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The listening axis is typically 7 degrees up or down from the center of the tweeter. Let me know what you think.
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My ears at my listening position are 100" from the tweeter so if I've done the trig correctly, seven degrees down would be just over 12" or 27" off the floor. So maybe slouching with my ears at 30" isn't a big deal? But I swore it sounded better when my ears were higher at the level between the mid and tweeter at 37". Clearer highs and better soundstage. Maybe it was my imagination.
I know MTMs don't sound good if your ears are up or down too much from the level of the tweeter. Does the mid-range of the Ottavo interfere with the sound from the tweeter when my ears are below the tweeter? Do the little two foam pieces on the front of the tweeter have any impact on the sound above or below the tweeter?
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My ears at my listening position are 100" from the tweeter so if I've done the trig correctly, seven degrees down would be just over 12" or 27" off the floor. So maybe slouching with my ears at 30" isn't a big deal? But I swore it sounded better when my ears were higher at the level between the mid and tweeter at 37". Clearer highs and better soundstage. Maybe it was my imagination.
I know MTMs don't sound good if your ears are up or down too much from the level of the tweeter. Does the mid-range of the Ottavo interfere with the sound from the tweeter when my ears are below the tweeter? Do the little two foam pieces on the front of the tweeter have any impact on the sound above or below the tweeter?
Hmm... that doesn't sound right as the center of the tweeter would be at zero degrees. The midpoint of the tweeter and mid is a good axis. The foam pieces make the vertical coverage more uniform.
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OK we don't want to get too precise here but I put a pillow in my listening chair and raised my ears to about 37" above the floor. With the tweeter at 39" the angle would be about 1.2 degrees down to my ears. It sounded wonderful with my ears at that height. Well, the Ottavo sound wonderful all the time but like I said it seemed there was more clarity and better soundstage when I sat higher and closer to the height of the tweeter.
Remind me: How many of the little sharks teeth above and below the center of the tweeter are the foam pieces supposed to go? I thought it was six; three up and three down.
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OK we don't want to get too precise here but I put a pillow in my listening chair and raised my ears to about 37" above the floor. With the tweeter at 39" the angle would be about 1.2 degrees down to my ears. It sounded wonderful with my ears at that height. Well, the Ottavo sound wonderful all the time but like I said it seemed there was more clarity and better soundstage when I sat higher and closer to the height of the tweeter.
Remind me: How many of the little sharks teeth above and below the center of the tweeter are the foam pieces supposed to go? I thought it was six; three up and three down.
6-7 teeth :)
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6-7 teeth :)
Sometimes its the basics. I thought I was having trouble with the anti-skate adjustment on my turntable when the highs from the left speaker where muted compared to the right. However, digital music was the same so I exercised the gain pots on my amp, the balance control on my preamp and checked all the connections. No change. Then I remembered the teeth. I carefully adjusted the foam pieces on the RAAL tweeter and, Bingo!, everything evened out. :duh: I'm happy I could actually hear the difference!