Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status

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yo2tup

Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #40 on: 18 Oct 2007, 11:18 pm »
great!  do you have a time estimate of when they will be ready to ship?

Aether Audio

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Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #41 on: 26 Oct 2007, 11:11 pm »
Friends,

The Minis are coming along a little better now - should be shipping the first pairs by the end of next week.  As I said before...they'll be a few of the cherry ones first - sorry about that.

Also, as a little "consolation"... I'm wiring them with my new wire design too.  That wasn't part of the original $1,349.00/pair price, but I figured I had to do something to make it up to you a little.  I know it's not much, but that's about the best I can do. 

Besides, it's "more" than you might think.  The engineer in me still can't get over how much difference a damn little piece of wire can make. :scratch: - even if it is my design.  (I think) I understand the theory (my own), but it's still hard to imagine that it can have that much of an audible effect.  From an engineering standpoint, I'm not sure I "like" who I am "becoming." :o

Oh... as further evidence to the "deal" you got on these puppies, check here: http://show.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fdm.pl?0&1&adlr&Sp_pres&home

See... I told you things at SP Tech would be changing.  This is just the beginning. :green:

-Bob

Double Ugly

Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #42 on: 27 Oct 2007, 12:40 am »
Oh... as further evidence to the "deal" you got on these puppies, check here: http://show.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fdm.pl?0&1&adlr&Sp_pres&home

See... I told you things at SP Tech would be changing.  This is just the beginning. :green:

Wow... very nice, Bob. 

Congrats.  :thumb:

lonewolfny42

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Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #43 on: 27 Oct 2007, 12:45 am »
Impedance 8-Ohms
Sensitivity 87dB@1W/1M
Frequency Response (anechoic) 42Hz-22KHz +/- 2dB
-3dB Points (anechoic) 40Hz & 24KHz
Bass Alignment Proprietary 4th order Hybrid Reflex
Power Handling (Long Term) 100 Watts (I.E.C. 268-5)
Power Handling (Short Term) 250 Watts (I.E.C. 268-5)
Dimensions 16.5"H x 9.5"W x 12.75"D
Weight 38 lbs. Each

phoenix_rising

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Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #44 on: 28 Oct 2007, 11:25 am »
Friends,

The Minis are coming along a little better now - should be shipping the first pairs by the end of next week.  As I said before...they'll be a few of the cherry ones first - sorry about that.

Also, as a little "consolation"... I'm wiring them with my new wire design too.  That wasn't part of the original $1,349.00/pair price, but I figured I had to do something to make it up to you a little.  I know it's not much, but that's about the best I can do. 

Besides, it's "more" than you might think.  The engineer in me still can't get over how much difference a damn little piece of wire can make. :scratch: - even if it is my design.  (I think) I understand the theory (my own), but it's still hard to imagine that it can have that much of an audible effect.  From an engineering standpoint, I'm not sure I "like" who I am "becoming." :o

Oh... as further evidence to the "deal" you got on these puppies, check here: http://show.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fdm.pl?0&1&adlr&Sp_pres&home

See... I told you things at SP Tech would be changing.  This is just the beginning. :green:

-Bob

Hi Bob,

You are missing the most important piece of information from the information on audiogon and that is the cross over point. Most of these people are very experienced audio people and understand how much value a low crossover point can add to the experience along with the waveguide. You should definitely be advertising it prominently.

Just my 2c worth

cheers
Alan



Double Ugly

Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #45 on: 28 Oct 2007, 05:40 pm »
Hi Bob,

You are missing the most important piece of information from the information on audiogon and that is the cross over point. Most of these people are very experienced audio people and understand how much value a low crossover point can add to the experience along with the waveguide. You should definitely be advertising it prominently.

Just my 2c worth

cheers
Alan

Wow... great point!  How'd I not catch that?!?

I think Alan is right, Bob.  The crossover point is perhaps *the* thing to pique potential customer's interest.  Without it, IMO there's no way the crossover would sound as seamless as is now the case.

AdamM

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Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #46 on: 29 Oct 2007, 12:36 pm »
So   (and please say this isn't true...)

Is the deal on the Minis....    'over'  ?

Is the price for those next in line $2495?   

Did i just miss out, in a massive way?   :cry:

/A

mcullinan

Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #47 on: 29 Oct 2007, 01:56 pm »
Let me tell you, I heard the Timepiece 2.0 this weekend, my first SP Tech experience ( They are 3 generations old) and well you missed out on a bargain of the century!! But you can still get them, just pay a bit more. They are worth it.
Mike

Double Ugly

Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #48 on: 29 Oct 2007, 04:24 pm »
Did i just miss out, in a massive way?   :cry:

Unfortunately, I believe the answer is yes.  :(

You can try to work something out with Bob, but I think the introductory price has come and gone.

Double Ugly

Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #49 on: 30 Oct 2007, 05:14 am »
Adam-

Let me tell you, I heard the Timepiece 2.0 this weekend, my first SP Tech experience ( They are 3 generations old) and well you missed out on a bargain of the century!! But you can still get them, just pay a bit more. They are worth it.
Mike

And as I told Mike in a PM, the latest crossover components have taken all Bob's speakers to a whole 'nother level.

The Timepiece 2.1s I own are significantly better than the 2.0s (I own them, too :D ), but the new crossovers in the 3.0s (and the rest of the line, including the Minis) are clearly a cut above. 

Those of us who attended the Denver get-together got to hear the new crossovers in a pair of Revelations, and even I was surprised at the performance gains.

On another positive note, it appears Bob added the crossover point to the Audiogon ad:D

phoenix_rising

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Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #50 on: 30 Oct 2007, 09:32 am »

On another positive note, it appears Bob added the crossover point to the Audiogon ad:D

Hi Double,

Saw that on the gong. I think it will certainly help. Most of us know what a lower cross over can do especially for voices. I think that the promotion he has done with the Mini will pay dividends long term, it takes time but all the people who got the deal I am sure will be prolific in voicing what they think of them. Another thing he should try is another version of the mini aimed at the lower end of the market as a way of getting people introduced to Sp Tech. Once people are happy with the cheaper version and know the gains that can be made from the more expensive lines they tend to trust the manufacturer and just buy them and of course the higher end versions have more margin in them. They need to be cheap to make and give a good idea of what they can expect in the fully blown versions. When I get mine I will put a dollar value on what I think they are worth compared to other gear I have owned like the Meridian 5500's they were very nice but were clinical and not as involving as they should have been.

My mini's will hopefully tide me over till I get back on my feet financially after which it will be revelation time or maybe the grand if the room is large enough.

I hope Bob goes on to make a very good living from Sp Tech, not much more you can ask from life but to do something you really enjoy and gives other people so much pleasure.

cheers



Double Ugly

Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #51 on: 30 Oct 2007, 03:20 pm »
Hi Phoenix,

Most of us know what a lower cross over can do especially for voices. I think that the promotion he has done with the Mini will pay dividends long term, it takes time but all the people who got the deal I am sure will be prolific in voicing what they think of them.

I hope you're right.


Another thing he should try is another version of the mini aimed at the lower end of the market as a way of getting people introduced to Sp Tech. Once people are happy with the cheaper version and know the gains that can be made from the more expensive lines they tend to trust the manufacturer and just buy them and of course the higher end versions have more margin in them. They need to be cheap to make and give a good idea of what they can expect in the fully blown versions.

I agree, and Bob may have plans to do something like that down the road. 


When I get mine I will put a dollar value on what I think they are worth compared to other gear I have owned like the Meridian 5500's they were very nice but were clinical and not as involving as they should have been.

I'd have ordered a pair of Minis, too, had they been sealed.  I really need a sealed version for my intended application (bedroom system), but I was sorely tempted.

I wish Bob had been able to figure out how to do solid wood front panels earlier, meaning at the earlier pricing scheme.  What I would really like to see is Bob take what he's learned (wood front panels, new crossover parts, internal wiring) into a time machine, go back about 4 years and then compare the two versions of the company at this juncture.  I think the differences between now and the time machine-amended version of "now" in terms of growth and acceptance would be startling.  I'm not sure how they couldn't be.


My mini's will hopefully tide me over till I get back on my feet financially after which it will be revelation time or maybe the grand if the room is large enough.

What's the grand / grand master?  I haven't discussed it with Bob... didn't know a different Revelation was in the works.  I had to go to the SP Tech website to see what you were referring to.

If you haven't heard the 'standard' Revelations, you may reconsider seeking more after doing so.  I was haunted by their sound for 3 years after hearing them at the 2004 RMAF, and what I heard this year was even better.  I understand different things can be done to allow for even more power handling, greater sound reinforcement, etc., but from the perspective of tone, dynamics (macro and micro, as well as visceral), and musicality (defined by me as realism), the Revelations stand alone among the speakers I've heard.  That's especially true at anything approaching their price point.

There were a few truly exceptional speakers in Denver; for instance, the Acapella Triolon Excalibur loudspeakers were amazing IMHO.  But they were also $170,500 a pair, and as was/is the case with every other speaker I've heard, the bass didn't have the authenticity afforded by the Revelation's proprietary T-line.

Judging by their size, they probably require a room the size of a basketball court to sound their best, too.  Not likely a problem if you can afford $170k speakers, but I don't fit that description.

I may be wrong about this (self study isn't my long suit), but I still maintain I'm not a bass freak, at least not by my definition.  That said, it's bass that serves as the foundation upon which the rest of the aural spectrum is built.  The more real the bass sounds, the greater the odds the rest of the presentation will be life-like.  Consequently, when you combine the accuracy of the Revelation's T-line from the lowest octave through the lower mids with the seamlessness of Bob's crossover, you're left with a sonic picture of unprecedented accuracy IMHO.

I believe that's precisely what moved renowned speaker-hater Jim Merod to tears while listening to one of his own BluePort Jazz label CDs.


I hope Bob goes on to make a very good living from Sp Tech, not much more you can ask from life but to do something you really enjoy and gives other people so much pleasure.

I couldn't agree more.  For now, all the rest of us can do is sit back and enjoy the show... and sounds.  :D

phoenix_rising

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Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #52 on: 31 Oct 2007, 09:48 am »
Hi Double,

If you wanted them sealed all you have to do is stuff the port. I will be running the mini's with 2 Rythmik sealed subs and will test them sealed (port stuffed) and ported. The subs will be front firing and will serve as stands for two of the mini's that way I can take them as high as 100hz f required but i think the mini's even sealed will go down to 80hz.

I saw reference to a revelation with 2 10" drivers instead of the 8" drivers in the current Revelation. It would go a few Hz lower.

With regard to bass it is the foundation of all music and there are very few speakers that can actually reproduce it properly. The best bass I have heard is open baffle bass. It sounds larger due to the wave pattern produced due to it being open baffle, unfortunately it cannot produce it at realistic levels without having around 4 15" drivers which would equal a single 12" sealed sub.

If you get a chance have a listen to some open baffle bass. The next best bass I have heard is Infinite Baffle bass but that requires a large room or open space connected to the main listening room and this is what I will probably end up with once I get another home.

cheers
phoenix


Double Ugly

Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #53 on: 31 Oct 2007, 02:31 pm »
Hi Phoenix,

Yeah, I could've stuffed the ports, but I want sealed speakers.  I'll get 'em eventually, after Bob gets around to building them and making whatever adjustments are required.

I don't recall discussing the 2x10" Revelation with Bob, but chances are excellent that I have.  My memory ain't what it used to be, especially coming out of anesthesia (minor surgical procedure yesterday).  :oops:

Seems you and I are in agreement with our perception of bass and it's relationship to the rest of the aural spectrum, but you didn't mention whether you've heard the Revs.

I've heard a number of open baffle designs and sealed subs, but I've not heard an Infinite Baffle sub.  Having heard the Revs, though, I've already decided to go with one or two Infra-Wave subs to compliment the Revelation's T-line.  I won't need it for anything except the deepest organ tracks or HT, but it's nice to have it available when the program material requires it.
« Last Edit: 1 Nov 2007, 01:07 am by Double Ugly »

BRIAN DK

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Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #54 on: 31 Oct 2007, 10:55 pm »

Hi


I totally agree with Double Ugly. Once you hear these speakers there is no turning back.


I heard the Continuum's at an audio show in Denmark in 2005. I entered the room and immediately I heard that this was special. The sound was just so right, exactly what I have tried to obtain all these years.
This experience to hear the sound that until now only had existed in my mind blew me away.


I have been reading here on AC since June its fantastic to witness the same enthusiastic fascination of these speakers. The descriptions are very familiar to what I experienced the first time I heard the SP`s.
By reading the SP homepage it appeared to me why these speakers worked so well. Fantastic intelligent design.


This summer I decided to switch to a Notebook based front-end and bought an Orpheus One DAC from Karsten. He was so kind to play on his fantastic sounding system including SP Revelation.
This was even better. Some weeks later I went back and listened for five hours and that was it. I had to own speakers like that. Now I am waiting for a pair of Revelations with top Mundorf external x-overs.


I am looking forward to listen to the minis one day, I am sure they sound grate using the same philosophy as the bigger once.


From here on consider me as one more SP Tech ambassador.


Thanks,
Brian

Denmark

mcullinan

Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #55 on: 31 Oct 2007, 11:20 pm »
hi bob,
:)
mike

Aether Audio

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Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #56 on: 31 Oct 2007, 11:36 pm »
Guys,

Here we go...they'll be coming soon and pretty fast now.

The First Cherry Units


Next batch - Cherry & Walnut Mixed



BRIAN DK,

THANKS!  :thumb:  We're working on 'em. :wink:

-Bob

TomS

Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #57 on: 31 Oct 2007, 11:38 pm »
That's a beautiful thing Bob.  Congratulations!  Tom

lonewolfny42

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Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #58 on: 31 Oct 2007, 11:40 pm »
N-I-C-E Bob !!!!   :dance:

Quote
From here on consider me as one more SP Tech ambassador.
Welcome Brian..... :thumb:


mcullinan

Re: Timepiece Mini 1st Production Run Status
« Reply #59 on: 31 Oct 2007, 11:44 pm »
is it wrong to look at those pics with your pants down?
mike
an enthused person