[Freo-1]

Recently was fortunate enough to pick up a pair of Cary Audio Silver Oak Model One speakers for a very reasonable price.  The biggest reason I wanted these was the fact that the drivers are all SEAS Excel drivers, consisting of (2) 6.5 magnesium woofers, and a 1x1 silk dome tweeter.
 
I’ve been after speakers with these driver types for some time now.  I am amazed at just how good these drivers sound.  There seems to be a general lack of distortion with these, less than just about any dynamic drivers I’ve heard.  The low level details with these are remarkable.  What is REALLY noticeable is just how much of a difference one can hear between the electronics connected to them.  After trying several different amps connected to the speakers, the difference in presentation between amplifiers was readily apparent (more so than with most other speakers I’ve heard).
 
It’s easy to see why a number of speaker companies use SEAS Excel drivers in their designs.  I wish more speaker reviews measured distortion values, as it has been a bit of a revelation on how much less distortion is subjectively perceived with drivers such as SEAS Excel units.
 
How many folks have these drivers in their speakers, and what are your listening impressions?

[steve f]

I have them in a dipole speaker system, the Linkwitz Orions. They are as you describe. Low level detail is pretty much electrostatic quick, but with superior image placement. I've also auditioned them in traditional box speakers, by Joseph Audio. I have yet to build anything of my own with them, but I did substitute the Excel tweeters for both Focal, and Vifa units with good results.

[motorcitym3]

I agree whole hardheartedly!   I have Tyler Acoustic Linbrook signatures series which consists of 2 8"'s, 2 7"s, and a millennium tweet in each cabinet.

I'm running a media PC with 2 Tb of lossless bitperfect music thru a highly modded bolder cable EE minimax Dac with Dexa discrete opamps to a modded Modwright preamp.  Amplification is handled by a pair of Bryston 7B-ST mono blocks with Revelation Audio/Nordost heimdall's interconnects/speaker cables.

The sound is as close as I've heard to a live concert.   

[Freo-1]

I agree whole hardheartedly!   I have Tyler Acoustic Linbrook signatures series which consists of 2 8"'s, 2 7"s, and a millennium tweet in each cabinet.

I'm running a media PC with 2 Tb of lossless bitperfect music thru a highly modded bolder cable EE minimax Dac with Dexa discrete opamps to a modded Modwright preamp.  Amplification is handled by a pair of Bryston 7B-ST mono blocks with Revelation Audio/Nordost heimdall's interconnects/speaker cables.

The sound is as close as I've heard to a live concert.   

I bet they do sound close to live.  They look great! 

Mine are a bit more modest sized, which works just fine with the listening room they are set up with.  The bass from the Cary's is very good, as they are a sealed box design.  These are connected to a Modwright Oppo BDP-95 (tube mod), to a Pass Labs X 2.5 preamp, and a Pass Labs XA 30.5 power amp, all via XLR.  Very happy with the sound.

 

[jarcher]

I've wanted to own speakers sporting these drivers since hearing Joseph Audio speakers, but didn't want to pay the JA price.  If anyone has a pair of speakers to demo or sell with these, I'd be interested. Thinking of making my own, but sparing that hassle would be nice.

[Freo-1]

I continue to be most impressed with the Cary speakers.  Most folks I know who have heard speakers with these drivers simply rave about them.  Recently, I moved the Pass Labs gear to the HT rig, as it is better suited for the Legacy Audio speakers.  So, currently using a Conrad Johnson clone preamp  and a First Watt M2 power amp.   The speakers sound even better with these electronics.
 
Next week, I'll be auditioning a TBI Magellen VIII su and TU 200 with the Carys.  I expect that to further improve a already excellent playback capability.

The only issue with them is cost.  They are more expensive than most drivers, but to me, they are worth the investment. 

[WGH]

How many folks have these drivers in their speakers, and what are your listening impressions?

Impressions: Always excellent, either in my own speakers (Salk) or in another brand.



Wayne

[stereocilia]

Remember Hales?  The first pair of good-or-better condition Hales Transcendence One's I find for sale I'm calling dibs.

[PRELUDE]

I've wanted to own speakers sporting these drivers since hearing Joseph Audio speakers, but didn't want to pay the JA price.  If anyone has a pair of speakers to demo or sell with these, I'd be interested. Thinking of making my own, but sparing that hassle would be nice.

You could make this at the most reasonable cost in one weekend.
http://www.madisound.com/loudspeaker_specifications/audioXpress%20Thor%20Review.pdf

[jarcher]

You could make this at the most reasonable cost in one weekend.
http://www.madisound.com/loudspeaker_specifications/audioXpress%20Thor%20Review.pdf

What I had in mind is very similar : the SEAS Delling kit :

http://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/2.5-way-speaker-kits/seas-delling-excel-kit-pair/

A TMM vs MTM design - somewhat smaller cabinet foot print.

Unfortunately madisound doesn't sell the cabinet any longer, but found a guy up in the Baltimore area who would make & assemble the cabinet in a cherry finish for me for $450 (john@diyspeakercabinets.com).  So total spend would be below $2K (allowing for high quality binding posts, damping material, wiring, etc).

Thing is : I've seen those Cary speakers selling for an asking price below $1,700.  Don't know how much the Salks, Linkwitz, and Tyler's below mentioned would go for used.  Yeah, could be fun to make my own, but don't know if I want to risk things w/ over $1K in drivers......when I can be lazy & get em used & pre-assembled for less.

[JerryLove]

Thing is : I've seen those Cary speakers selling for an asking price below $1,700.  Don't know how much the Salks, Linkwitz, and Tyler's below mentioned would go for used.  Yeah, could be fun to make my own, but don't know if I want to risk things w/ over $1K in drivers......when I can be lazy & get em used & pre-assembled for less.

The Salk that uses them (the SuperCharged SongTower) also uses the RAAL ribbon tweeter; and so breaks $3k. The standard SongTower (which is $2k new) uses the Seas ER15RLY midwoofers (part of the "Prestige" line). Those are new prices, but they hold value reasonably well.

[Rclark]

I'm sure they sound amazing but there is something very old fashioned in how they look. White cone, gold phase plug.. not very attractive, imo. I know they perform very well but they look like old man drivers. Grandpa's speakers.

[WGH]

..... they look like old man drivers. Grandpa's speakers.

Young whippersnappers always making fun of our stuff, just wait - you'll be old some day too.

[JerryLove]

Young whippersnappers always making fun of our stuff, just wait - you'll be old some day too.

Not if they keep posting that that. They'll never make it that long

[richidoo]

They have more inner detail at low frequencies because of the inherent stiffness of metal, but the stiffness brings low internal friction, which allows stiff cones to ring at the upper end of it's range. This requires a notch filter, which brings its own sonic penalties. So you have to weigh the cost and sound quality of Excel+notch against less resonant cones that don't need EQ. It is difficult to make a clean notch for excel and I think that is why we see less of them in new designs.

[navin]

There seems to be a general lack of distortion with these, less than just about any dynamic drivers I’ve heard.  The low level details with these are remarkable.
 
How many folks have these drivers in their speakers, and what are your listening impressions?

I am building a version of Selah Audio's Peridot using all Excel woofers. Sort of like their RC4 without the active sub.

I have heard the Excel in many a speaker over the past 12+ years, yes they have been around that long. From 'commercial' products like Jeff Joesph's Pearl to DIY designs such as a variation of Troels's Excel Poor Man Strad using the Founted Neo3CD instead of the SEAS unit used by Troels.

Articulation is what the Excel excels at. It sacrifices outright bass (W22EX compared to Wavecor 223BD and ScanSpeak's 22 W Revelator and even SEAS's cheaper L22) for detail.

In the 7" category maybe the Illuminator offers more but as far as 8" woofers go the SEAS is up there with the best. One can always add a subwoofer or use placement to get a bit more bass but once detail is lost there is no getting it back.

[medium jim]

I'm sure they sound amazing but there is something very old fashioned in how they look. White cone, gold phase plug.. not very attractive, imo. I know they perform very well but they look like old man drivers. Grandpa's speakers.

Pretty funny from someone who has screen doors for speakers!

Jim

[Rclark]

 

(I'm just talking about the Excel drivers themselves, they remind me of an old Buick or Lincoln or something like that. The speakers show here are beautiful, IMO, otherwise).

[navin]

(I'm just talking about the Excel drivers themselves, they remind me of an old Buick or Lincoln or something like that. The speakers show here are beautiful, IMO, otherwise).

I actually quite like their looks. Maybe that's because I am an old man! Seriously, I actually prefer the looks of the Magnesium done Excel to the Nextel drivers also from SEAS. I believe the phase plug is not very effective for mid woofers or woofers (below 1000Hz) but they look cool especially when mated with nice veneer.

[medium jim]

I have some old school SEAS Drivers in my Dynaco Speakers....they don't look anything like the ones here.   I find them (the new ones) to be sexy!

Jim