AudioCircle

Other Stuff => Archived Manufacturer Circles => Aether Audio => Topic started by: Chuck_M on 23 Feb 2012, 03:40 am

Title: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Chuck_M on 23 Feb 2012, 03:40 am
I have had my Aether Audio Timepiece Minis for well over a year now.

You'll have to go to my gallery to view the long overdue pictures.  When I try to use the "insert image" macro button I keep getting error messages.  Sorry.

I am still loving these amazing magical boxes.  I have had them for a year and four months, so my assessment of their performance doesn't occur during the "honeymoon" period.

If you look at the pictures and think that the Minis are too close to the front wall - I agree.  That is where they are parked during the day so grand kids don't run into them during their visits; and to keep my wife happy.  I pull them forward at night for my listening sessions.

The room is acoustically untreated but well furnished so it is not overly lively.  Also, when I pull the speakers away from the front wall, I am almost sitting in the nearfield position.  At moderate volumes, room interactions don't seem to be an issue.

I have owned Von Schweikert, VMPS, Odyssey Lorelei, Nightingale, DeCapo Reference 3A, and other well regarded speakers over the years.  I eventually got bothered by some minor compromise that I did not like about those various speakers (excellent as they are).

After a year + honeymoon, I am still loving these Minis.  I have found NOTHING objectionable about their honest presentation of the recorded material.  Gobs of detail; but presented delicately, naturally, in a top-to-bottom balanced way. 

Excellent soundstaging and image specificity.  Tons and tons of subtle nuance and micro-dynamics.  They maintain their balance and detail at very low volumes and remain composed at very high volumes.  Vocals are hauntingly real. 

The Minis also serve up audio for movies in my setup.  They have excellent slam and impact.  My son was watching Captain America the other day and I could feel the visceral impact of the bass from the adjacent room.  I am amazed these small monitors have that kind of reach and taught power in the bass region.

These speakers are a pure joy to listen to.  Are they finally my "last" set of speakers?

Ha, ha!  Only if I get hit by a bus tonight!  I am an audio hobbyist and never keep a component for more than two years.  Eventually I will succumb to the urge to try something different.

But I can honestly say that I find absolutely no fault with the Minis, and haven't gotten upgraditis since I have had them.  That is a new personal record for me by a VERY LARGE margin.

Thanks Bob...wonderful speaker!

P.S.  Now go look at them in my gallery...I tried to embed the pictures here for convenience but couldn't make it work.

I have to go summon The Who or Zeppelin or Norah Jones to my listening room now...
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: konut on 23 Feb 2012, 03:47 am
Nice write up Chuck! Give them another year or two to break in and you probably will want to keep them.  :green:
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: saisunil on 23 Feb 2012, 03:53 am
http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=58386 (http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=58386)

Nice ...
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Charles Xavier on 23 Feb 2012, 12:39 pm
Nice
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Chuck_M on 24 Feb 2012, 02:55 am
Thanks guys.  Thanks for the link saisunil.

My brief review is very restrained after heavy editing on my part. 

I really wanted to say how the Minis ooze passion.

I wanted to say how their precision and attention to detail conjure images of Bob working well into the night, obsessing over the tiniest detail of the crossover network like Antonio Stradivari obsessing over the finest details of his stringed instruments.

I wanted to say they were glorious, superlative, exquisite, masterpieces that I will always treasure. 

I really wanted to say how they breathe life into music like I have never before known.

But I was afraid that I would sound like I was gushing, and that's just not dignifide. :wink:

Experienced audiophiles might suggest, "never buy an audio component that you haven't auditioned at length in your own listening environment."

However, I read somewhere that you don't know what you don't know.  Life is full of risks.  I am VERY glad I finally took a chance and purchased the Minis.  Now I know (at least in part) what I didn't know.  These speakers are truly special and remarkable.

Thanks again, Bob.

With love and respect.
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: lonewolfny42 on 24 Feb 2012, 04:45 am
Quote
I am an audio hobbyist and never keep a component for more than two years.  Eventually I will succumb to the urge to try something different.

And when you do....simple...just move "up the line" (http://aetheraudio.com/timepiece_3.0.html).....gets even better. :wink:
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: doug s. on 25 Feb 2012, 06:18 am
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=58386)

doug s.
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Chuck_M on 25 Feb 2012, 06:38 pm
Thanks Doug.  I went back a couple of times to edit the post and add the pics, but with the same result each time...it locks up like it's stuck in an infinite loop.  I guess I am not tech savvy. 
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: DeadFan on 26 Feb 2012, 10:44 am
Hi Chuck.

Love your write up. Like you I have taken a punt with Bob's speakers. (Have a pair of Rev's going through the finishing touches)

Not really much of a punt I must admit, as many well repected AC'ers (Lonewolf, ted_b, konut etc) have had an ongoing love affair with Bob's
speakers and have given many glowing endorsements over the years.

However it is super encouraging (and mouth watering) to see more critical acclaim.

My amps (TRL Samson's), preamp (TRL The Dude) and modded (TRL) Marantz SA8001 have all recently arrived so I am itching to marry them all up
with the Revelation's. (nudge, nudge Bob).

Thanks again for the review Chuck.

Regards
Graham
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: lonewolfny42 on 26 Feb 2012, 12:12 pm
Revelation's.....NICE Graham !!!! 8)

Quote
My amps (TRL Samson's), preamp (TRL The Dude) and modded (TRL) Marantz SA8001 have all recently arrived so I am itching to marry them all up
with the Revelation's. (nudge, nudge Bob).

Good system.... :thumb:

You'll be "rockin' the house" for sure !!!

Enjoy..... :beer:
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: konut on 26 Feb 2012, 05:19 pm
My amps (TRL Samson's), preamp (TRL The Dude) and modded (TRL) Marantz SA8001 have all recently arrived so I am itching to marry them all up
with the Revelation's. (nudge, nudge Bob).

 
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=58596)

 :drool:
That should sound amazing. Be patient. Perfection takes a little longer.   
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Chuck_M on 27 Feb 2012, 05:39 pm
Hi DeadFan,

Bob told me four weeks but it took almost eight months.  In fairness to Bob, he called and told me about some upgrades he was experimenting with and I agreed to try them out.  That's why there are phase plugs utilized in the tweeters of my Minis; and why they took much longer.  Bob was tuning and perfecting the crossovers to the new tweeters. (BTW - If Bob suggests some new tweeks - ALWAYS say yes!)

I know the wait is tough but I have to believe your patience in this case will pay off - BIG.

Everything about the sound of the Minis exudes obsessive passion, on a level of precision one might associate with BMW or the finest Swiss watches.

(And I ONLY have the Minis.  I can't even imagine how good the Revs must be).


konut - not sure if you were kidding about two more years of break-in, but I went back through some of the same recordings I used to audition the Minis when I first got them.  I am still hearing clear improvement (more layers of even finer detail - at the same time, presented with more ease - nothing clinical or analytical about the sound to my ears - just glorious music).

So I will take your advice.   :eyebrows:  Heck, I haven't really even gotten them optimized yet.  I am still shopping better speaker stands (suggestions accepted - I have carpet over concrete - so something good at draining vibrations away from the speaker cabinets and dissipating them).

Thanks everyone.  Hang in there DeadFan...hopefully Christmas will come early this year for you!
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Big Red Machine on 27 Feb 2012, 05:56 pm
Holy Shiznit, that will be awesome.  Are you breaking the TRL gear in now on anything you can connect?  Better after 100 hours and by 400 you're golden.

Hi Chuck.

Love your write up. Like you I have taken a punt with Bob's speakers. (Have a pair of Rev's going through the finishing touches)

Not really much of a punt I must admit, as many well repected AC'ers (Lonewolf, ted_b, konut etc) have had an ongoing love affair with Bob's
speakers and have given many glowing endorsements over the years.

However it is super encouraging (and mouth watering) to see more critical acclaim.

My amps (TRL Samson's), preamp (TRL The Dude) and modded (TRL) Marantz SA8001 have all recently arrived so I am itching to marry them all up
with the Revelation's. (nudge, nudge Bob).

Thanks again for the review Chuck.

Regards
Graham
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Charles Xavier on 27 Feb 2012, 07:20 pm

  Bob was tuning and perfecting the crossovers to the new tweeters. (BTW - If Bob suggests some new tweeks - ALWAYS say yes!)

 



I didn't listen to him in the beginning. When he shipped my Spirit 1's he tweaked the xover and it wasn't what I heard on his tour model , so through his guidence I put the xovers back to the way I first heard them. 1.5 years later I decided to put the xovers back the way he shipped them and I immediately heard what he kept telling me they should sound like. Flat response and lots of air. :duh: Amazing . I guess I was too impatient to let them break in.
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: stlrman on 27 Feb 2012, 10:13 pm
Stop!!Your making me very sorry I sold my Minis !! :duh:
Todd
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Charles Xavier on 27 Feb 2012, 10:18 pm
Stop!!Your making me very sorry I sold my Minis !! :duh:
Todd

I think you are already sorry  :thumb:

Not to derail the thread but what are you using now ?
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Old timer on 27 Feb 2012, 10:32 pm
My amps (TRL Samson's), preamp (TRL The Dude) and modded (TRL) Marantz SA8001 have all recently arrived so I am itching to marry them all up
with the Revelation's. (nudge, nudge Bob)

That's a beautiful sounding combination! Congratulations,
Old Timer
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: stlrman on 27 Feb 2012, 10:49 pm
Charles,
I am awaiting Vapor Breeze in Redwood Burl with matching stands! :thumb:
I am thinking about driving out to Detroit to hear them set up in one of the Vapor rooms at Akfest!!
How's that for motivation for a road trip.
Todd
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Big Red Machine on 28 Feb 2012, 01:29 am
Look me up if you come out.

Charles,
I am awaiting Vapor Breeze in Redwood Burl with matching stands! :thumb:
I am thinking about driving out to Detroit to hear them set up in one of the Vapor rooms at Akfest!!
How's that for motivation for a road trip.
Todd
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: ted_b on 28 Feb 2012, 01:42 am
Hi Chuck.

Love your write up. Like you I have taken a punt with Bob's speakers. (Have a pair of Rev's going through the finishing touches)

Not really much of a punt I must admit, as many well repected AC'ers (Lonewolf, ted_b, konut etc) have had an ongoing love affair with Bob's
speakers and have given many glowing endorsements over the years.

However it is super encouraging (and mouth watering) to see more critical acclaim.

My amps (TRL Samson's), preamp (TRL The Dude) and modded (TRL) Marantz SA8001 have all recently arrived so I am itching to marry them all up
with the Revelation's. (nudge, nudge Bob).

Thanks again for the review Chuck.

Regards
Graham

Graham, I saw your Revs the last time I was at Bob's place.  You'll love them; mine keep getting better and better.    :thumb:
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Chuck_M on 3 Mar 2012, 01:23 am
Charles,

Quote
I didn't listen to him in the beginning. When he shipped my Spirit 1's he tweaked the xover and it wasn't what I heard on his tour model , so through his guidence I put the xovers back to the way I first heard them. 1.5 years later I decided to put the xovers back the way he shipped them and I immediately heard what he kept telling me they should sound like. Flat response and lots of air. Amazing . I guess I was too impatient to let them break in.

 :lol:  :duh:  At least you had plenty of time to get familiar with the old sound so you could more clearly hear the differences the crossover tweaks made.  :wink:

Bob may be a mad scientist, but when it comes to painstakingly perfecting his speakers;  that's a good thing!   :D :D :D
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Chuck_M on 3 Mar 2012, 01:39 am
lonewolf,

Quote
And when you do....simple...just move "up the line".....gets even better.

 :thumb:

Been trying to save to "finish" my current system.  Need better stands and a decent source (since cd's are fading fast in favor of digital downloads).  But my furnace gave out and had to be replaced, followed by garage door opener, followed by unanticipated medical expenses (like my house, I'm getting oldish).  :?

Quandary:  Should I be saving for the 3.0s?  Or optimize existing system first?  :scratch:
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: stlrman on 3 Mar 2012, 02:39 am
I say optimize your system. I used a sub with the Minis. You may not need all the bass of the 3.0
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Chuck_M on 3 Mar 2012, 03:50 am
Quote
I say optimize your system.

 :thumb:  Agreed.

I got the Minis intending to add a sub later (at least for movies).  So far I haven't felt the need.  My room isn't very large and I don't listen to much bass-heavy music.  Given their size, the Minis perform admirably in their lowest registers, and surprise me with their impact during movie playback.
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Pez on 3 Mar 2012, 04:25 am
Quote
The room is acoustically untreated but well furnished so it is not overly lively.  Also, when I pull the speakers away from the front wall, I am almost sitting in the nearfield position.  At moderate volumes, room interactions don't seem to be an issue.

Sorry to say it but you're kidding yourself. An untreated room is always a bad thing. Whether it's really annoying like some or just mediocre it will always bottle neck your system. Do yourself a favor and give Brian with GIK a call. Their room treatments changed my life.
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Chuck_M on 3 Mar 2012, 03:11 pm
Hi Pez  -  Good point,

I put up some inexpensive acoustic foam at the first reflection points (side walls, ceiling) once many years ago.

When my wife got home from work, she was not happy (I don't have a dedicated listening room).  She did not like big foam panels in our family room.   :nono:

I have a spare bedroom upstairs I can use as a dedicated listening room, but it is so small (think large elevator), that I fear that it's size would cause more problems than acoustic treatments would solve.?

I know my room would benefit greatly from bass control too.  That may be another reason I haven't bothered with adding a sub with this new setup.  I have learned from past systems that bass response in my room is very uneven.  I have a lot of problems with larger floorstanding speakers and/or subwoofers in my room.

Since I didn't get away with the acoustic foam panels, I never dared trying to sneak bass traps into the room.  :nono:  :lol:

My best compromise til now is listen in the near/midfield position away from all room bounderies at low to moderate volumes.   :(

But thank you for the advice.  I have no doubt that you are right.  In many rooms, acoustic treatments can often return the biggest system improvements for the money spent.

Oh...I have seen absorptive panels "disguised" as paintings.  Very clever.  I can't get away with hanging one on the ceiling though. 

Also I have learned that plants behind the speakers can help with dispersion.  That's an old "trick" - but a good one.

If anyone knows "sneaky" (visually aesthetic) ways to tame bass, please pass them on.  My room would definitely benefit from bass control.
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Pez on 3 Mar 2012, 09:14 pm
The best solution for WAF that I have found to date:

(http://www.photo-librarian.com/img/life/foreplay/foreplay04.jpg)

If your wife objects to this then your best bet is to try this one.

(http://www.featurepics.com/FI/Thumb300/20100528/Woman-Tied-Mouth-1552025.jpg)

That usually will do the trick. :thumb:
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: roscoeiii on 3 Mar 2012, 10:58 pm
Hi Chuck,

I grabbed stlrman's Minis and am loving them as much as you are.

I have found that Skylan stands (filled with clay kitty litter work great).

And for that bass below 40 Hz, I highly recommend a REL subwoofer using the speaker level Speakon cable from the amp. The Storm III hooked up that way integrates wonderfully. Well worth auditioning a REL.
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: Chuck_M on 4 Mar 2012, 09:14 pm
Pez,

 :lol: :lol: :lol:


roscoeiii,

Thanks for the help - gonna Google Skylan now.
Title: Re: Well, the honeymoon is over...
Post by: roscoeiii on 4 Mar 2012, 09:35 pm
Think you will like them. Loads of discussion on what to fill them with, but when I called the company the clay kitty litter was what the company suggested.

Sound Anchors are also very well thought of, but are considerably more expensive.