(I posted some of my thoughts about my awesome new speakers over at the critics corner but thought I would post it here as well in case some people don't happen to hit on that post. I also wanted to thank Jason again for taking the time and effort to bring these to me and making sure that I heard what they can really do! The guy has an amazing ear, and a pretty incredible brain stuffed in between. He definately inherited his dad's knack for engineering - and thinking outside the box!)
I am the proud new owner of a pair of SP Tech Continuums and I'd just like to say they are nothing short of phenomenal. Really, it is impossible to describe - you have to experience it. I have played music for many years in many situations - both live in everything from small clubs to large concert halls and in recording studios and have never before heard sound reproduction this accurate to the real thing. I just got these so it has been a revelation, and I am going back through my collection playing stuff I hadn't listened to in a long time. For example right now I am listening to The David Grisman Quintet. When I close my eyes they are RIGHT here in the room with me playing, David just in front and to my right, Tony Rice in the middle, Darol to his left and a little behind - you get the idea.
Jason Smith, the owner's son and the companies cabinet maker personally delivered these. When he first cranked them up he played the Sheffield drum test disc - (I have a very nice drum kit in my music room) - and I swear I thought my drummer was here playing his kit! All the timbers, decays, attack - right there. I love these speakers. Jason set these up for me with his rig first, which was his laptop playing .wav files out to a hagusb to an Orpheus DAC then to Nuforce amps. We switched in my amp - (Hafler DH-500 modded by John Hillig of Musical Concepts) and it still sounded great, but my CDP and Preamp (Rega Planet and B&K Pro10MC) are not giving me quite what we had before so I am looking at DAC's.
And I had been holding off a bit on submitting my impressions of these speakers because of that but a little while ago I remembered I have a preamp with a direct bypass (couple years newer version of the B&K Pro10MC) - so I hooked it up and WOW, what a difference, not quite back to the sound Jason had but way better than the other B&K. The clarity, presence, detail are... amazing. Jason did tell me that preamps sometimes choke the sound - and it was - though it still sounded way good. Where it really shows is in percussion instruments, acoustic instruments, and voice. I have always depended on in ear monitors and headphones for critical listening since I have never heard a speaker that can make acoustic instruments and voice sound the way they sound in person (until now!!!). When they sound real - with all the nuances - its in your face you are there with the players in the room, and that's what I have got, finally.
I really lucked into these, I had been considering various other speakers and somehow stumbled onto reviews of these here and on other boards, did a lot of reading, exchanged e-mails with some people, and decided to take the plunge. I must say it was a good decision and well worth it. And the kicker is my wife loves them too. When Jason was here we had her sit in the sweet spot after we had been listening a while and her face lit up - she left and came back with a pile of her favorite cd's -and she insisted on listening to one after another! She loves music like I do and has a great ear but she has never done that before. She usually makes fun of me for sitting with my eyes shut just listening but not anymore!
The other thing important to know here is that the speakers I bought are the original Continuums (Jason's personal speakers - he is building some new ones for himself) about four years old I guess - and they have the original Vifa tweeter and xovers. These speakers are two(? - or more) generations removed from the current design. Jason says the current design sounds considerably better (wow!) I plan to upgrade to the new scanspeak tweeter and Mundorf xover after I have some more listening time in with these, but its hard to imagine that they will sound even better.
So now I'm listening to Timeline with Gary Willis, Sebstiaan Cornelissen, and Lale Larson. Sebastiaan is an amazing drummer with a very distinctive style and sound. I have never heard his playing / kit sound like this - even my in-ear-monitors and headphones don't come close to this. And Willis's bass - man, I could go on and on but I'm just going to shut my eyes now, put my feet up, and listen.
