[Meshbro]

My Sapphire XLs have been on order for several weeks, and
I'm eager for the order to work it's way to the top of the
queue so that I can get them and begin learning what they
can do.  (Yes, I'll be patient and give them plenty of
break-in prior to any serious play.)  I have one question,
which I hope isn't too trivial, can anyone provide some
advice on finish-friendly "interfacing" between the
Sapphires and speaker stands?

I'm concerned that either of my typical techniques, "don't
be silly, just place the speaker on the stand" or "tack it
down with poster putty," might mar the glossy black finish
of these beauties.  My speaker stands (Lovan Calibers, quite
serviceable with shot fill) have relatively coarse powder
coat top plates, which I imagine could scratch up the glossy
finish on the Sapphires.  I've found that poster putty can
leave a filmy residue after long contact.  Could this
residue penetrate the Sapphire's finish, resulting in
permanent dulling and discoloration?  I'll probably start
with thin cloth on the stands' top plates to prevent
scratches and such as I experiment with placement.

Perhaps it is silly of me to worry about keeping the bottom
of the speaker in nice condition, but the Sapphires will be
my first speakers with a high-quality finish.  (Currently
I'm using Ascend Acoustic CBM-170s, which don't sound too
bad but will never win a beauty contest.)  So I'm interested
in keeping them looking as well as sounding good.  I'd
appreciate any reasonable pointers on "interfacing"
alternatives or general finish care.

Thanks

[ajayrav]

Aaah.  Interesting!  I too plan on moving up to the XLs from Ascend CBM 170s.  What do you think the primary difference in sound will be?  I also use putty and wonder what the best way to anchor the XLs to stands would be?  Don't really want my dog knocking them over!

[Mike Dzurko]

We used some small rubber "bumpers" with the XLs we had at CES . . . no marking. I THINK something like blue tak will or poster putty will be okay.  . . we'll have to do some experimenting if we ever actually have a pair of XLs in stock for any length of time

It is an automotive type finish, really quite durable. We send a complimentary Microfiber cloth to keep them looking great without using any chemical cleaners . . .

[ajayrav]

Uhhh Mike,

Please feel free to have XLs in stock for an extended length of time AFTER mine ship Not till then please!

Regards, tongue firmly in cheek,

Ajay

[Mike Dzurko]

Uhhh Mike,

Please feel free to have XLs in stock for an extended length of time AFTER mine ship Not till then please!

Regards, tongue firmly in cheek,

Ajay

Ajay:

Have no fear, we'll certainly fill your order before we think about keeping a set here

[Meshbro]

Thanks for the responses to my post.  

I did some research on poster putty to try to learn something about
its compatibility with the Sapphire's finish.  I wasn't able to get a
definitive answer on poster putty's composition but found some hints
that it's oily component is mineral oil, which is a pretty benign
substance.  I don't know the details of the Sapphire's finish but
imagine that exposure to small amounts of mineral oil seeping out of
the poster putty is not a major concern.  I did find some warnings
about poster putty damaging painted walls.  Perhaps flat finishes are
porous enough to soak up some of the mineral oil along with pigments
in the poster putty to leave a stain. I doubt that this is an issue
for a glossy finish.

I like Mike's suggestion to stick some small self adhesive bumpers (or
feet as I call them) to the stands, so I'll try that for starters.
I'll consider the poster putty option if stability on the stands is an
issue, but I doubt that it will be.  My current speakers sit nicely on
my stands without the help of glue.

[Meshbro]

Aaah.  Interesting!  I too plan on moving up to the XLs from Ascend CBM 170s.  What do you think the primary difference in sound will be?  I also use putty and wonder what the best way to anchor the XLs to stands would be?  Don't really want my dog knocking them over!

ajayrav,

Have you ordered your Sapphire's yet or are you waiting for my
comparative review?  The Ascend Acoustic CBM-170s are very nice
speakers, and I've enjoyed them in my system for a couple of years
now.  I've recently moved from Rotel/Parasound/AMC electronics to a
Van Alstine dominated system and experienced dramatic (dare I say
stunning) improvements in the quality of the sound.  These
improvements from electronics set me to wondering what I might be able
to hear from more refined speakers.  Besides, it seems silly to be
using several thousand dollars worth of electronics to drive $330
loudspeakers, so I went shopping.  I have an "intimate" listening
space, so I focused on monitors rather than floorstanders, considering
offerings from Biro, Onix, Mobile Fidelity, Usher and Elac as well as
the Sapphire XLs.  I settled on the Sapphires after getting a sense
from the several reviews available that they're profoundly accurate
and capable of playing anything with ease.  Besides they look great
and are produced by folks who are practically my neighbors.

How will the CBM-170s compare to the Sapphire XLs?  I don't know.
Perhaps there'll be more detail and an ability to handle highly
complex, dynamic, music without becoming a bit muddled as the CBM-170s
do.  The CBM-170s exhibit a surprising amount of cabinet vibration.
At almost twice the weight in a similar sized package, I expect the
Sapphires to be much "stiller."  I don't know what the audible impact
of this difference will be, but one would think that it would favor
the Sapphires.  Looking at the numbers, the Sapphires are somewhat
less efficient, but that's not a problem for me; I've got power to
spare.  This is all speculation, I can hardly wait to begin finding
out what these speakers can do.  I check my email each day, with
fingers crossed, for the news that my Sapphires have been shipped.

[ajayrav]

Hey Meshbro,

I have indeed ordered the XLs already and am anxiously waiting for word that they have shipped.  I got an e-mail from Janis saying that my speakers would ship out within the next few weeks.  I take that to mean that I have squeeked by into receiving the current run and will not have to wait till October for the new cabinets to show up.  What I am looking for is Ascend like sound with a slight treble de-emphasis and a midrange with more gravitas.  In my room (very reflective) the midrange is a little thin.  Notice how I say I would like to change my existing sound slightly- overall I like the Ascend 'house sound'.  Let me know what your thoughts on the sound are after you receive them and I'll do the same.  

PS:  Heard the KEF XQ1s today.  They sounded very good!

Ajay

[thedeskE]

http://www.glubie.com/01_Pages/Blu-Tack.htm

I could be wrong, but this looks like the same Bostic stuff the audio guys sell for 10 bucks.

BTW - My last setup with either the Pano or Sapphire on stands with clear rubber bumbers (3/32 & 1/4 in types) resulted in the bumpers getting smashed over time and actually beginning to slip under the speakers.

They seemed firm at first, but one evening I happened to lean on the top of a Pano & it moved right under my hand (very disconcerting)

E

[lonewolfny42]

I have one question,
which I hope isn't too trivial, can anyone provide some
advice on finish-friendly "interfacing" between the
Sapphires and speaker stands?

I'm concerned that either of my typical techniques, "don't
be silly, just  ...

You might take a look

here.......from a past question about "interfacing". Lots of comments. [/list:u]

[thedeskE]

lonewolfny42

Funny, I never considered the shelf liner. I have lots of it in stock.

E

[lonewolfny42]

lonewolfny42

Funny, I never considered the shelf liner. I have lots of it in stock.

E

Stuff works...get the black liner...thick. Cut to size of the top of stand...and your done. I use it with all my stand mounted speakers, from the light one's to the heavy one's (70lbs.)....and I've had no problems...and they don't slide....anywhere...........