Recently discovered AC, and happy to see the conversations happening here.
Current 2.0 rig:
Marantz 4300, Rega P3, Spatial Audio M3 Triode Master, Schiit Modi 3 DAC, Schiit Mani phono pre.
Headphone rig:
Sennheiser HD800 SDR, Schiit Valhalla 2, Schiit Modi 2 Uber DAC
I figured my first post should have some substance, so here's my review of my M3 Triode Masters. Please let me know if I should be posting this elsewhere.
I’ve had my Spatial M3 Triode Master speakers for a few months now, so I feel like i’ve developed enough of an impression for a proper write-up.
I originally bought the M3 Turbo S a little over a year ago, and decided to pull the trigger on the $1K upgrade to the Triode Masters. The Turbo S is amazing, but I wanted that sweet, sweet dipole tweeter for better highs.
I would never have described the Turbo S as ‘dull sounding in the highs’ but the Triode upgrade was immediately noticeable and impressive.
Clayton calls these speakers ‘holograms’ and while the OB design definitely creates a huge soundstage, adding the dipole tweeter is like going from 2-D to 3-D from a imaging perspective. Its wild. The first few tracks of Four Tet’s Pause album were shockingly good. Sound everywhere, but extremely precise imaging and soundstage. These speakers make the mix so much more engaging because they are so transparent. I’ve never paid so much attention to different production/engineering approaches as I have with the Triodes.
They are easy to power. I don’t pretend to understand the mathzz, but going from 4ohms to 12ohms has made the Spatials even easier to drive. I have had to get used to barely turning up my 4300 because 25% of the dial gets to 100dB levels. The upgraded wiring is sexy, and that new tweeter looks real cool.
Overall the Triode Master is tighter, bigger, and clearer than the Turbo S. It did take a few weeks of loud listening to open them up post-upgrade, but the improvement over the Turbo S was immediately noticeable.
Its also hard to describe/compare the bass on these speakers. Cohesive is the best way I can relate it. Never boomy, super fast and tight, the 4, 15-in drivers move a LOT of air and slam unlike any other speaker I’ve heard. I previously ran a 2.1 system, but I no longer have a need for a sub with the M3’s. Kanye’s 808 sounds amazing, as does SBTRKT’s first album, and The Knife’s Silent Shout, as does taiko drumming--they cover all the bass bases really well. I’ve also been happy with them for HT purposes. Blade Runner 2049 sounds killer on these things. Same with the GoT season--looking forward to the battle scenes.
All in all, I couldn’t be happier. Also, I don’t see an onset of ‘upgraditus’ any time soon. Best sounding track that i’ve heard on the M3’s is Bach’s Cello Suite by Yo Yo Ma. Its realistic AF. Seriously hard to describe.
I’ll probably have more to say later, but that covers my initial impressions. Really looking forward to hearing Clayton’s new X3 and X5 models. Spatial has ruined me--can’t imagine going back to a traditional tower/enclosed speaker ever again. Its like comparing a high-end open back ‘phone vs. closed back--hard to back to closed cans once you’ve heard that immense soundstage in insane detail.
Pics:
https://imgur.com/a/HAYuNBWMore pics pre-upgrade to the TM's:
https://imgur.com/a/gkJ7r