[Bobby]

I have had my Tanzanites for over a month now and I have been enjoying them ever since they arrived.  I have written a very small review about the Tanzanites which I hope will start some discussion about them and to let Rick know how much I appreciate his time and effort.  I will update this review in the near future with more specifics about the Tanzanite sound, but,  I wanted to get the ball rolling
 
Selah Audio
Let me start out by saying that Rick Craig is an absolute pleasure to do business with.  He was more than willing to answer all of my numerous questions and ALWAYS provided detailed feedback in a timely manner.  You can really tell that Rick takes great pride in his work.  

Finish
The speakers are absolutely gorgeous.  Rick's cabinet maker is top notch and the cabinets really turned out beautifully.  I had the speakers veneered in waterfall Bubinga and I am very, very pleased with the finish.  You can see a picture of my speakers on Rick's site.  I can honestly say that the speakers look even better in person than they do in the photographs on Rick's website.

Sound
One of the things that really draws me to Rick's speakers is their ability to image and provide a wide and deep sound stage.  If you have the speakers setup properly in your room, it is very hard to tell exactly where the music is coming from.  When I asked my fiance to listen to the speakers she asked me where the center channel was  I also really like the way Rick voices his speakers.  The frequency response sounds very smooth and there are no peaks/valleys that my ears are drawn to.  I love the three way design Rick uses and the well designed crossover blends the three speakers together seamlessly.  I am also a big fan of the ribbon tweeters that Rick uses.  They sound very detailed and extended without sounding sterile and harsh.  I have owned numerous other speakers and I find that the Tanzanites do almost everything right and I really could not be happier.  

Carnelians versus Tanzanites
I had previously owned a pair of Rick's Carnelians but I recently sold them because of their size.  I was looking for a stand mounted speaker that could be used in a fairly small sized room and the Tanzanites fit the bill perfectly.  I feel that the mids and highs between the two speakers sound very similar (I do feel that the Tanzanites have a bit more sparkle on the top end, but it is subtle).  While the Carnelians have more kick in the low end I find that the Tanzanites provide a satisfying low end response as well (especially in a near field setup).

In Closing
I cannot recommend Rick's speakers enough.  I have owned numerous speakers and I really feel that for me, Rick's speakers are about the best out there.  Sometime down the road I do plan on auditioning a pair of Rick's line arrays

[JoshK]

Rick is a great guy, down to earth and has mucho integrity.  No BS from him, which is more than I can say about some.  His work is top notch, the sound of his designs is top notch (based on the two systems I have heard of his RC3R & Linus3).  His cabinet maker is a woodworking artist, not just a craftsman.

Rick is basically working for next to nothing I presume to get the critical mass and then his business should skyrocket but prices will typically reflect that.  I could quote a list of like competitors that have recently upped their prices significantly because of aforementioned criteria.  Time is of the essense, IMHO, if you want to get in on the ground floor (IPO if you will) with his designs.

[tkp]

Rick is a great guy, down to earth and has mucho integrity.  No BS from him, which is more than I can say about some.  His work is top notch, the sound of his designs is top notch (based on the two systems I have heard of his RC3R & Linus3).  His cabinet maker is a woodworking artist, not just a craftsman.

Rick is basically working for next to nothing I presume to get the critical mass and then his business should skyrocket but prices will typically reflect that.  I could quote a list of like competitor ...

There is a very good reason why I built the RC4 after I built the Incredarray and I am in the process of completing the HT setup for the RC4 which includes the center channel and rear surround speakers.  For the money, I have not found any audio manufacturers that can compete with Selah Audio yet ( especially if one can find some one locally to build the cabinet).  I did all the math prior to placing my orders for the Incredarray and the RC4s, and found out the following.

-  Rick charges pretty much the part cost plus shipping for the kit.

-  The passive crossover came pre-assembled and tested.  I like this the most because it removes any potential built error by amature DIY.  I can built the crossover.  However, I much rather not because all it takes is one minor mistake to blow a woofer, a tweeter, or a line of woofer/tweeter.  You get the picture.

-  I can contract local cabinet maker to build the cabinet to my liking and there is no markup by the middle man.  Rick found the local cabinet maker to build the incredarray cabinet to my specs and I deal with the local cabinet directly on the cost.

I cannot echo enough the value for the money offer by Rick and IMHO his designs compete with the very best out there.  The bottom line is that I am loyal to myself when it comes to spending my hard earn money on audio, and to me, Rick offers the best value (new and/or used) at this time.

[gme109]

I cannot echo enough the value for the money offer by Rick and IMHO his designs compete with the very best out there. The bottom line is that I am loyal to myself when it comes to spending my hard earn money on audio, and to me, Rick offers the best value (new and/or used) at this time....

I cannot echo enough your echoed sediments of the value that Rick's designs offer. Nothing even comes close to the pair of Excelarray's that Rick built for me. Not for what I paid for them, or for that matter even cost no object designs. I feel sorry for all the audiophiles out there spending their hard earned money and getting a whole lot less. I guess it takes a certain kind of person to venture out of the mainstream and into less charted waters. Maybe it's the herd instinct, or ego related. Buying a speaker that some reviewer from Stereophile has hailed as the best, and that many others have bought,  gives one comfort and strokes the ego. Not giving a rat's ass about either one of those emotions has it's advantages.

There, I think I've fanned my ego enough for one night.

[rosconey]

ha- if rick is sooooooo dam good why havent i wanted to build another pair of his speakers-its been over 3 years and i cant find any reason to try another one of his design's-

        i am very happy with my cheap-est design  no reason to try another design yet -yup he is that good