X5's in the House

Desertpilot · « **Reply #20 on:** 30 Jul 2021, 05:29 pm »

Quote from: doggie on 30 Jul 2021, 12:08 pm

Time for an update.

With each passing day I am having more difficulty determining where the speakers are ...

LOL! With about 200 hours on my X3s, mine have completely disappeared too. A very nice problem to have in my listening space.

It only gets better from here.

Marcus

franSSS · « **Reply #21 on:** 30 Jul 2021, 05:40 pm »

Quote from: doggie on 30 Jul 2021, 12:08 pm

Time for an update.
In a few more weeks I will have spent a good money for speakers that have dissolved into thin air. What kind of magic was that?

Very spooky...

Now you hear what you dont have

Super cool! better mark those spots exactly before they are moved. Loved your update

Jan_Mc · « **Reply #22 on:** 30 Jul 2021, 11:22 pm »

So how realistic is piano on these things? My goal post for piano music was a pair of Belvedere's way back in the 80s. The piano sounded like it was in the room and I haven't heard that since but I'm thinking these might do the job.

doggie · « **Reply #23 on:** 4 Aug 2021, 02:38 am »

Ok. Probably 20 more hours on them. Perhaps 50 to 70 total. I have been playing big dynamic orchestral pieces and even some drum works from Taiko and Mickey Hart.

Now we are talking! They have become much more focused and have lost most of the edginess that they started with. I also had to turn down the bass a bit today so as to keep it in proper proportion. Do not underestimate the break-in for these speakers or feel disappointed by the first 50 hours. This has been said endlessly here but do not discount it.

They have moved from OK to good to great and are now circling wonderful!

franSSS · « **Reply #24 on:** 4 Aug 2021, 12:21 pm »

Quote from: doggie on 4 Aug 2021, 02:38 am

Ok. Probably 20 more hours on them. Perhaps 50 to 70 total. I have been playing big dynamic orchestral pieces and even some drum works from Taiko and Mickey Hart.

Now we are talking! They have become much more focused and have lost most of the edginess that they started with. I also had to turn down the bass a bit today so as to keep it in proper proportion. Do not underestimate the break-in for these speakers or feel disappointed by the first 50 hours. This has been said endlessly here but do not discount it.

They have moved from OK to good to great and are now circling wonderful!

Aweeeeee!!! THAT IS TRULY UPLIFTING TO HEAR. Comments like these make me very impatient to get mine. Wonder if mine went into production all ready?

doggie · « **Reply #25 on:** 12 Aug 2021, 10:13 pm »

OK. Probably 20 more hours on the X5's. I am guessing that I am approaching 100 hours. I leave music playing in my basement for several ours each day and then check in periodically.

The system has moved to wonderful and entered into spooky good. I would like to say that this is entirely due to the speakers but they are now sounding balanced and allowing my front end to shine.

To reiterate: Do not pay ANY attention to the speakers for 50 hours. They are not broken in. Really and seriously!

In my system they started to sound very good at 75 hours and have now surpassed my delusional audiophool expectations at ~100 hours. These are end game speakers and deserve the best equipment that you can put in front of them.

Desertpilot · « **Reply #26 on:** 12 Aug 2021, 10:23 pm »

Quote from: doggie on 12 Aug 2021, 10:13 pm

...but they are not sounding balanced and allowing my front end to shine.

Not sure what you mean. Get out the SPL meter to check volume equalization? Placement and toe-in?

Otherwise, thank you for the update.

Marcus

doggie · « **Reply #27 on:** 12 Aug 2021, 10:27 pm »

Oops. I am a terrible typist and hit send too fast.

I meant that they are NOW sounding balanced and I mean tonally. They are remarkable!

abomwell · « **Reply #28 on:** 12 Aug 2021, 10:35 pm »

Doggie, you are making me so excited about the X5's I have on order which, hopefully, should be here in another 2-3 weeks! What kind of music do you listen to?

Thanks for the update!

Al

doggie · « **Reply #29 on:** 13 Aug 2021, 02:47 am »

I mainly listen to classical and jazz. I also like some world music. For classical I love the Russian Romantics up through Rachmaninov. I also like choral music. I especially enjoy "classic jazz". I have been subscribing to Qobuz for a couple of years and so an trying to explore more of the unfamiliar.

Best,
Paul

abomwell · « **Reply #30 on:** 13 Aug 2021, 02:57 am »

Thanks. World music...have you heard of Red Baraat?

Al

doggie · « **Reply #31 on:** 23 Aug 2021, 03:56 pm »

Probably 100 hours on the X5's now. Really getting good.

I added some Gaia II feet on Saturday. They are the real deal. Better focus and sound stage placement. Tighter, more realistic low end.

doggie · « **Reply #32 on:** 23 Aug 2021, 03:59 pm »

Quote from: abomwell on 13 Aug 2021, 02:57 am

Thanks. World music...have you heard of Red Baraat?

Not yet but will give them a try. From the photos they look like the Sabri Brothers unchained!

abomwell · « **Reply #33 on:** 23 Aug 2021, 07:26 pm »

My son is playing bari sax on the early CD's.

Al

doggie · « **Reply #34 on:** 11 Sep 2021, 09:12 pm »

I let the smoke out of my LTA Ultralinear Integrated yesterday. Don't ask

I will take it over to LTA this week but in the mean time I hooked up my 1 watt LTA MZ2 headphone amp/preamp/amp to my X5's. I was not expecting much but was really pleased with how well it worked. I could only turn the volume up half way with this flea watt amp and still got great sound. It did not get all of the remarkable detail of the much more expensive Ultralinear but it was really musically satisfying with the 97db X5's.

I played Mickey Hart's Dafos and did not give up much to the 20x more powerful ULi. The Hypex powered LF driver does the heavy lifting.

Downtheline · « **Reply #35 on:** 15 Sep 2021, 03:06 am »

A bird told me some x5s are hitting the used market on usaudiomart.

doggie · « **Reply #36 on:** 15 Sep 2021, 11:54 am »

Sounds like a good opportunity to own a truly great speaker and save a few dollars.

However I only found an M5 Sapphire currently for sale on USAM. There were no X5's, either for sale or marked as sold. Perhaps the "bird" meant M5? That would make sense as folks traded up?

Why not consider starting a new thread as this is a helpful post for someone wanting to save a little money and does not care about a warranty or trial period.

Downtheline · « **Reply #37 on:** 16 Sep 2021, 01:07 am »

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649775208-first-watt-sit-3/

Just an FYI. No relationship to seller, he mentions in his ad he is selling his x5s .

foo_me · « **Reply #38 on:** 16 Sep 2021, 06:43 am »

I am in the market and asked him. He said he’s looking for $6500 shipped. I’ve decided to just buy new directly from Clayton.

doggie · « **Reply #39 on:** 16 Sep 2021, 04:01 pm »

Quote from: Downtheline on 16 Sep 2021, 01:07 am

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649775208-first-watt-sit-3/

Just an FYI. No relationship to seller, he mentions in his ad he is selling his x5s .

Thanks. I guess that the USAM search function only looks at ads, no text.

The guy is in Hawaii. Shipping from Hawaii to the mainland US for two X5's will be epic!