[newzooreview]

Now that Ryan has a new forum here on AudioCircle it's time for a new owner post. 

I just received my Cirrus Blacks today. They came on a palette from Pilot shipping. I'm glad Ryan suggested it because it seems like a much less risky option than UPS or FedEx. They called to schedule delivery, and the palette contained four boxes, two for the stands (with crossovers in the base) and two for the speakers.

Ryan gave me a call this evening and said that my pair literally only had two hours on them for testing before shipping, so no comments on the sound until they get 200 hours of break in. No qualms at this point though. 

Here's one in its custom-fit padded box:



Here is the pair before unwrapping. The RAAL tweeters are covered with essentially fridge magnets: you slide them up along the front of the speaker to avoid the risk of damaging the ribbons. I imagine it would be a quirk event to try to lift them off rather than sliding and have them smack back down forcefully enough to damage the ribbons with the air pressure, but there is a warning written on there just in case.



Screwing the speakers to the stands. This is the effective technique. Nobody would admit to trying to set the speakers upright on the stands and trying to line up the screw holes that way. I will say, however, that one of the screws (out of eight) did need some courage and elbow grease to seat down all the way. As always, take your time, check alignments, and ease things in. I tightened them by hand to make sure they were hitting the threads ok before using the allen wrench (the supplied one will work in a pinch, but I grabbed a longer one from my set).



The base of one of the stands at the back. I went with Ryan's suggestion on the binding posts. Good big knobs for hand tightening. Very sturdy and the same innards, I understand, as the more pricey WBT posts. I spent the savings on crossover upgrades: Ryan can refresh my recollection on the final component list, but the Jensen caps were one of the choices.



One speaker fully set up under the protection of the monkey goddess. I have some panels to pull out of the basement to go on the rear and side wall. I'll get those in place before commenting on the sound, but the Cirrus don't seem too finicky about the room.



So far so good!

[Vapor Audio]

Cool pics, thanks for sharing.  Your build has amorphous core RAAL, Jensen copper/foil in oil caps, and Dueland resistors. 

Here's my picture of them before shipping



And here's your left and right speaker Frequency Response measurements overlaid, channel matching doesn't get tighter than that!



Enjoy!

[newzooreview]

Thanks, Ryan. The veneered inserts in your photo arrived ok. I do like the cleaner look of the black, but it's good to have the matching veneered ones too.

[Vapor Audio]

Thanks, Ryan. The veneered inserts in your photo arrived ok. I do like the cleaner look of the black, but it's good to have the matching veneered ones too.

Options are good 

[SlushPuppy]

Wow.... nice work Ryan! Congrats newzooreview! Those speakers are gorgeous!

[vortrex]

ok, as a Vapor customer I have to ask this...

why don't you cut the tops of the speaker stands to match the lines of the cabinets?  every time I see Cirrus on stands it drives my eyes crazy!

[Vapor Audio]

ok, as a Vapor customer I have to ask this...

why don't you cut the tops of the speaker stands to match the lines of the cabinets?  every time I see Cirrus on stands it drives my eyes crazy!

So you can get your fingers under it to lift off the stands.  Rear hand goes in the port, front hand goes there.  When you're sitting listening they appear to be even with each other, or the front edge of the stand just disappears in the shadow. 

[Stuart]

WOW they look great, congratulations! I know how you must have felt before receiving these, it is a very exciting experience. Mine should be on their way soon, but have a long travel ahead of them. Let us know how they sound!

Congratulations on your new AudioCircle sub forum Ryan, I must say that its looking really good so far

Stu

[stlrman]

Awesome looking speakers!!!
Is this a redwoodburl veneer?
Congrats! What amp are you going to run with them?

[standub]

Welcome to the club 

[standub]

So you can get your fingers under it to lift off the stands.  Rear hand goes in the port, front hand goes there.  When you're sitting listening they appear to be even with each other, or the front edge of the stand just disappears in the shadow.

As some one who has the older designed stand where the base does match the speakers, I for one welcome this change in design.

[newzooreview]

So you can get your fingers under it to lift off the stands.  Rear hand goes in the port, front hand goes there.  When you're sitting listening they appear to be even with each other, or the front edge of the stand just disappears in the shadow.

Love handles. 

[newzooreview]

Awesome looking speakers!!!
Is this a redwoodburl veneer?
Congrats! What amp are you going to run with them?

I just updated my system details, so you can check out the whole setup.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=systems;area=browse;system=1414

I have a pair of Mono amps: HEED PM. They are made in Hungary and are better known in Europe than the U.S. http://www.heedaudio.hu/en/products/obelisk-line/pm

The veneer is a Sapelle burl with black rubbed in and a red stain applied; satin finish. Ryan might want to elaborate on the details of the finishing.

[newzooreview]

WOW they look great, congratulations! I know how you must have felt before receiving these, it is a very exciting experience. Mine should be on their way soon, but have a long travel ahead of them. Let us know how they sound!

I will definitely write up some impressions of the sound. They only had two hours on them before Ryan shipped them, so I had them running all day while at work. The bass is filling in; things sounding even more organic. I am very happy with how they are sounding. They are clearly an improvement on the Salk HT1-TLs (and in a different price range), but I'll hold off on any more detailed comments because most of the break in is yet to come. Clarity is already exceptional and the best I've had in my room (without being at all fatiguing).

[Rclark]

Wow, those are stunning. Nice wood.

[ricardojoa]

I will definitely write up some impressions of the sound. They only had two hours on them before Ryan shipped them, so I had them running all day while at work. The bass is filling in; things sounding even more organic. I am very happy with how they are sounding. They are clearly an improvement on the Salk HT1-TLs (and in a different price range), but I'll hold off on any more detailed comments because most of the break in is yet to come. Clarity is already exceptional and the best I've had in my room (without being at all fatiguing).

I think there was time that the HT1TL and the blacks were in similar price range. To say that is clearly an improvement over the HT1TL is not a joke and i that needs further discription. But if you are just talking about the looks then i know it too. The blacks looks pretty nice.

[Pete Schumacher]

Wow, those are stunning. Nice wood.

Red/black dyed sapelle.

[newzooreview]

  His pair of Cirrus are probably around 6k like mine. The xvr's may be close to 1k each.

Yes, I should have noted that. My Cirrus Blacks were $6K and the HT1TL was 50% less expensive and did not have the RAAL but the LCY ribbons Jim was using when I bought them.

[Vapor Audio]

Yes, I should have noted that. My Cirrus Blacks were $6K and the HT1TL was 50% less expensive and did not have the RAAL but the LCY ribbons Jim was using when I bought them.

Forgot that you also have silver/gold wire on the RAAL, all the way up from the crossover in the stand base - $5675 to be exact

[sharpsuxx]

Welcome to the club, gorgeous speakers.