Ideal speakers for the little gem

marklivia · « **on:** 2 Mar 2005, 03:36 pm »

This seems like the next most obvious thread to post on Vinnie's forum. Please post your choices that really shine with this amp. Or even one's that worked. Tell us what was great and what wasn't.

Vinnie R. · « **Reply #1 on:** 2 Mar 2005, 03:55 pm »

Quote from: marklivia

This seems like the next most obvious thread to post on Vinnie's forum. Please post your choices that really shine with this amp. Or even one's that worked. Tell us what was great and what wasn't.

Hi Mark,

I'm running a pair of Triangle Titus 202's, which are 90dB 6-ohm speakers (w/ modified crossovers that use point-to-point wiring and upgraded parts of the stock values) and they really shine with the Clari-T-Amp! Lightning fast, 3D soundstaging and imaging, with plenty of micro and macro dynamics

TNT-Audio gave them a rave review here:
http://www.tnt-audio.com/casse/titus202_e.html

and I have agree with their comments.

Of course, they don't give you the low end bass response and punch as a larger speaker, but I tend to like it like this better in smaller room. It allows me to hear and appreciate the beautiful mids and treble.

Regarding other speakers, I hear lots and lots of good things about the single driver Omegas (which I am planning to hear soon), as well as other high efficiency single driver speakers in back-loaded horns.

I did hear the Clari-T-Amp driving a pair of Lowther's (100dB sensitivity) in a big, back-loaded horn enclosure....simply stunning!

I'd also love to hear The Horn Shoppe's "The Horn" speaker in the future.

Thanks for your post. Let's hear what others are using...

byteme · « **Reply #2 on:** 2 Mar 2005, 04:17 pm »

Based on what I've read about the qualities of this amp I'd say that any of the Odyssey speakers would be a great fit. The conveyance of emotion and reality the Odyssey's provide sound like some possible fantastic synergies!

gary · « **Reply #3 on:** 2 Mar 2005, 04:18 pm »

My Onix Ref 1's sounded ungodly good being driven by the Clari-T and the Scott Nixon dac that Vinnie wired up into one of his enclosures for me. They're 4 Ohm speakers and the efficiency is about 88 dB/W.

Gary

jkelly · « **Reply #4 on:** 2 Mar 2005, 04:52 pm »

My lightly modified Klipsch KLF-20's sound spectatcular with the Clari-T.
These speakers have the plumbers putty on the horns and Black Hole 5 lining the cabinets. With these mods they love the detail that the Clari-T is providing. As a matter of fact I didn't really get the name at first (dahh) until I first heard the amp on this system and said to myself what clarity! Ohh Clari-T = clarity. KLF-20's are rated at 100db. I run the volume control at about 9:00 for normal listening levels. Never above 10:30. The Bolder M80 is a great cable with this amp and I also have been trying the Alpha Core M2 which is slightly warmer but less detail. I also have the Athena F2's and Paradox Ones which all sound great but not as complete as the KLF-20's. In this system they are full sounding and totally disappear.
The Clari-T creates more than a soundstage - it creates a sound portal that you want to climb into.

Jeff

Dmason · « **Reply #5 on:** 2 Mar 2005, 05:15 pm »

The amp seems to be able to drive just about anything, I say that after seeing it do more than okay with a pair of Dynaudio Contour 1.8 recently, and that was a shocker.

I would say using a quality driver or driver set, the choices over 92db with a benign 8Ohm load will yield most excellent results, with the higher the sensitivity rating, the better. The more full range the design, the better. It excels with single driver systems, but is by no means intended for this.

I personally lean toward the idea of using high quality pro-audio drivers with a minimal, or digital crossover. The BMS coaxial compression driver is pretty flat down to 300Hz and 118db,

believe it or not, and coupled with a bass unit like a transmission line that can [easily] go that high, or about any decent sealed unit, you would have a World Class Audio set up that I guarantee would slay most of the shi shi crap that is out there. www.assistanceaudio.com can make that dream happen.

For more earthly audiophool solutions, the Omega stuff is obvious. The Elegant Solution, less is more, in audio as in nature. The FE-E single drivers are killer values, and they just get better with use, until they are smooth and wonderful. Look also for the Hempsters, now on the way. These are looming large as a godsend for potent digital amps. Use with a nice fast sub and rip. Nothing can touch the little FE127E in its realm. Louis has this one nailed. If you want to roll your own, there are TONS of designs that work incredibly well. Bob Brine's TL's are getting rave reviews. To view the galaxy of single drivers, www.spectrumaudio.de

For inexpensive, excellent high sensitivity designs, look at the Canadian stuff from Axiom Audio, and Athena. Both these outfits are using some pretty high-minded principles, and have access to R&D resources light years beyond usual private sector business models. They also sound great, and their two ways are, subjectively, almost as good as it gets. The little Axiom M40Ti gets my vote for killer inexpensive two way floor speaker, at 92db, ~38Hz.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #6 on:** 2 Mar 2005, 05:22 pm »

I'm running an unmodified Sonic Impact with some Jordan JX92s in a 12.5 liter BR. Once you hear a full range crossoverless driver with an appropriate amp, I doubt you'll ever go back to anything else. Crossovers don't contribute favorably to sound.

RoadTripper · « **Reply #7 on:** 2 Mar 2005, 10:20 pm »

As noted already, I tried the Clari-T with my huge 240 lb floor standers, the VMPS RM40. The salient feature of those speakers are the ribbon panels which operate from 166 hz up to 10,000 hz. Hence no crossover in the midrange.

The result astounds me - the speed, detail, realism are addicting. I had the dial at 12:30 and I had to turn it down for Willie Nelson's "It Always Will Be". So apparently, 6 WPC is enough for 90dB 4 ohm speakers.

marklivia · « **Reply #8 on:** 2 Mar 2005, 10:48 pm »

I posted on the 2 channel forum also. The ones w/ the port on the front for the Fostex FE127E sound interesting. A 127 down to 50hz sounds great.

http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~hanbei/eng-intro.html

miklorsmith · « **Reply #9 on:** 7 Mar 2005, 10:41 pm »

I don't know if these will be great, as I don't have them. I do have some Fostex 206E project speakers that do some things incredibly well. Vocals and transients are phenomenal. Not so much with rock music. They do put out decent bass, but it is recessed.

In comparison, my expensive speakers sound muffled, though more versatile. I really can't listen to them anymore - it makes me mad. I loved them before, but since hearing what is possible with hi-eff, the spendies must be cleared out and replaced with something lusty.

Decware makes SET amps. They also make speakers for use with SET amps. They have two models, the RL-1.5, and the RL-3. The 1.5 just got a glowing review with the First Watt amp on Positive Feedback. It so happens the RL-3 is the same price I'll be able to sell the other speakers for, so they've been ordered! Listed 94 db into 4 ohms, which should be a cakewalk for the Clari-T. My room is giant, and Steve Deckert (namesake) says the 10 watts will be just enough. He don't know this bugger, eh?

The Decware Forum guys love both models. They don't keep stock, they wait for orders of 6 to 10 to pile up, then make the batch and ship 'em off.

Obviously, this is just a teaser, but another option for those willing to shell out a little cash. The RL-3 is available, factory direct for $2,060 shipped. I think the RL-1.5 is around $1,500.

Dmason · « **Reply #10 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 05:09 am »

Decware Radials, huh? ROund SOund. That should be really interesting in the dark. Those convex cones are interesting, with the extended pole piece. A potential wonder-pairing with the ClariT.

The HiVi ribbon tweeter is outstanding, a masterpiece. I am familiar with it through the Coincident Total Victory, a 99db wonderspeaker.

JLM · « **Reply #11 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 10:53 am »

Windchaser,

A guy from Oz replaced his Jordan 92S with Visaton B200 (8 inch, 96 dB/w/m, 6 ohm, 40 - 18,000 Hz, Qts 0.65, $160 each) and is blown away with his little amp. I believe Dmason is breaking in a pair of B200s now.

Dmason,

Just ordered a Clari-T with two toggles up front (for power and a second set of inputs)!

miklorsmith,

I've heard the old Decware Radial 1.0s (without ribbon tweeter) and an early prototype of the Fostex F206E based Decware HDT speaker. The HDT, 3 dB more efficient and no crossover, should work better with low powered amps. Both sound good, but with no deep bass. Their presentations are also very different as you'd guess.

marklivia,

As Louis has strated, the Fostex FE127E is a remarkable driver for the price. I haven't heard the hemp drivers, but I prefer the "3" series to his other offerings.

Seminarian,

Hopefully the Clari-T can adequately power my floorstanding transmission line speakers that use a Fostex F200A driver (89 dB/w/m, 8 ohm, 30 - 20,000 Hz). With no crossover and easy to drive transmission line design it should be OK. I just love the idea of a hand held amp driving 200 pounds worth of speakers.

gary · « **Reply #12 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 02:49 pm »

My Clari-T is driving these bad boys:

http://www.bastanis.com/diy/prometheus_en.htm
http://www.baulsaudio.com

They're still breaking in and the bass cabinets aren't quite done yet (so I haven't got any useful bass below 100Hz) but for say acoustic guitar they sound pretty phenomenal. Hopefully tonight I'll wire up the helper woofers and I'll be able to hear what they can do going full-range.

Dan said they're they only audiophool speakers out there that could double as a PA system if metallica ever came to my house and he wasn't kidding. Normal listening volume is somewhere between 8 & 9 o'clock on the dial, 10 o'clock is loud as hell and at 11 o'clock the neighbors are calling the cops. Not that I ever play it that loud, but I gotta say it's nice to have the option

.

Gary

Dmason · « **Reply #13 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 03:35 pm »

JLM

Yeah, I have the Visaton B200's mounted in cardboard boxes used for shipping, that tuff waxy cardboard makes great baffles and all you need is a bread knife to saw it. I am so encouraged by the Ciares, that I want to bring a smaller size Uber sonic Open Baffle arrangement for inside, and right outta the box, these things do not disappoint. I too had been reading Decware forums, and had known about the B200 for several months, and kept coming back to it. There will be no need for a tweeter with the B200. It has some serious Xmax, high sensitivity AND high Q, all at the same time! As the field narrows for useable OB drivers, this one has it all. My only alternative from the Ciare was Eminence experimentation, or vintage ElectroVoice. If BMW built drivers, they would look like this thing.

Gary/Panda

I was serious about the PA comment: you could use several hundred watts of pro audio amplification when Metallica come over, and those thngs will eat it all. Now you are having a good comparo with the world of higher sensitivity speakers. 6 watts becomes ALOT, don't it?

I can't wait for my new ClariT all-in-one integrated amp to arrive.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #14 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 05:32 pm »

Quote from: JLM

Windchaser,

A guy from Oz replaced his Jordan 92S with Visaton B200 (8 inch, 96 dB/w/m, 6 ohm, 40 - 18,000 Hz, Qts 0.65, $160 each) and is blown away with his little amp. I believe Dmason is breaking in a pair of B200s now.

Never heard of Visaton. What kind of enclosures work best with it? I will not be looking to replace my Jordans any time soon.

Dmason · « **Reply #15 on:** 8 Mar 2005, 06:29 pm »

www.visaton.de German. There is a tab for English. Apparently heavily into R&D and offer the new B200 to answer the burgeoning interest in open baffle speakers. They hit it out of the ballpark with this one. High level of ClariT, and dynamics to die for. Sounds dangerously like the Hartley 220MSG. I am really impressed and happy with this one.

Best enclosure for the B200 is none at all. High Q of .75 and wants large enclosures. 75L IB for corners looks good. See designs on website.. Very airy and free sounding even in taped up infinite baffle cardboard boxes. Will be pretty easy to use a sub with, goes low enough that dipole sub is not critical, but would be best. Kills the Jordan in the highs, although the JX92S is still one of my all time favourites. www.ejjordan.co.uk Mine are in Greg Monfort's MLTL with the JVC RX-ES1sl, and a perfect load for a 11X11 room.

miklorsmith · « **Reply #16 on:** 22 Mar 2005, 04:46 am »

Heard the RL-3's yesterday at someone's house in Seattle. Very fast and transparent and they have the same problem as the Fostexes I already own. Needless to say, the order's been cancelled.

So, I ordered these:

http://www.zucable.com/druid/index.html

101 db at 8 ohms. Great reviews at Ecoustics. I talked to Sean who is a younger guy and one of the owners and he said he listens to rock all the time and that these sound good loud without straining or the peakiness that seems to plague these full-rangers.

Of course anybody can say anything about any speaker they want (and sell). These have shipping paid for in the asking price (and an excellent pair of speaker cables). No penalty for return either, with a 60 day return period. He said they'd add 30 more days if I couldn't decide. So, a TOTAL price of $85 or so for shipping back to them and that's it if I don't like them. 90 days to decide. No price at all really.

FWIW, he said they've had a total of one pair returned. Hmmm. . .seems Vinnie dropped his return fee when he figured out nobody was returning the amps too.

Anyway, I'll post back. They're supposed to ship tomorrow, so won't be long!

ooheadsoo · « **Reply #17 on:** 22 Mar 2005, 05:07 am »

I've always found the frequency response of the druid to be shocking, but this will be a good test of whether or not you will notice things like this when listening without measurement equipment: http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/measurements/zucable%5Fdruid/

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #18 on:** 22 Mar 2005, 05:09 am »

There's a few members here on AC that have owned or now own a pair of the Zu Druid's.

ooheadsoo · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 Mar 2005, 05:21 am »

There are probably tons of good things about them, just not flat frequency response