[soundman]

Hi There,

Finally! received my lorelei's this afternoon.  They look great.
A little disapointment; they are not 45" tall, mine are only 41".
I know cones can't be 4".  
I don't want to comment about sound yet, until they are broken
in. Tell you later.

[John151]

Congrats.  From my experience, the change in sound during the first few hours of break in is the most noticible.

Enjoy!

[peter59]

When I spoke to Klaus about the dimensions he told me there was a misprint on the website. should be 40" height not 45". I do not know the height of the cones because I have yet to receive them. I do know this the sound that these speakers put out are getting better, better, better by the hour. I have been running them 24hrs a day since this past thursday. I can't wait to refine  the sound with the cones.. Klaus is right this is his best product that he sells...
Happy listening!!

[bunky]

When I spoke to Klaus about the dimensions he told me there was a misprint on the website. should be 40" height not 45". I do not know the height of the cones because I have yet to receive them. I do know this the sound that these speakers put out are getting better, better, better by the hour. I have been running them 24hrs a day since this past thursday. I can't wait to refine  the sound with the cones.. Klaus is right this is his best product that he sells...
Happy listening!!

the cones are about 1" tall and will tighten up the sound quite a bit.thanks....WCW III

[soundman]

Hi,

Need help,  with the system that i have their are some music tracks that
I can't hear because the bass is too strong coming out the lorelei's.

I know some of you that have the lorelei speakers also have the mono extremes.

I was trying to hear kenny G Breathless cd - the G-Bop track, it's
impossible, the bass is so strong it distorts the sound.

Like i said previously here, I'm planning to buy the mono extremes,
but before I take that step, I would like to know if some of you has heard
this specific track and can tell me how it sounds with Odyssey speakers
and mono extremes.

Thanks.

[jkm]

Hi,

Need help,  with the system that i have their are some music tracks that
I can't hear because the bass is too strong coming out the lorelei's.

I know some of you that have the lorelei speakers also have the mono extremes.

I was trying to hear kenny G Breathless cd - the G-Bop track, it's
impossible, the bass is so strong it distorts the sound.

Like i said previously here, I'm planning to buy the mono extremes,
but before I take that step, I would like to know if some of you has heard ...

While I was waiting for my Extremes upgrade I was using my old HK receiver with my jmLabs. I had just bought some remastered Bob Marley CDs and you know how heavy the bass can be with Reggae? It was horrendous and boomy! With the Extremes (or my previous Stratos) there is no problem with those discs. Everything is nicely balanced.

So what are you using for an amp? My guess is that that is where the problem is.

James

[pugs]

Hi,

Need help,  with the system that i have their are some music tracks that
I can't hear because the bass is too strong coming out the lorelei's.

I know some of you that have the lorelei speakers also have the mono extremes.

I was trying to hear kenny G Breathless cd - the G-Bop track, it's
impossible, the bass is so strong it distorts the sound.

Like i said previously here, I'm planning to buy the mono extremes,
but before I take that step, I would like to know if some of you has heard ...

How far off the wall are they?  You might want to try pulling them out some more.

[Jim N.]

I just got my Lorelei's today and the bass is a bit too prominent but I'm guessing it's most likely 1) my old Adcom GFA-545 (from 1991), 2) placement / room acoustics, 3) break-in issue even though these have 20-30 hours on them already (while not virginal they are still fresh so to speak), 4) it was raining (lots of things alter acoustics), 5) they sound new to me and my brain has not yet acclimated or 6) it's my 53 year old ears that were Zepplined / Purpled / ELP'd / Hendrixed / Sabbathed etc in my youth . Bass is well articulated though, not muddy at all. I have an odd shaped room so placement of such hefty speakers is both crucial and hernia inducing  

They currently rest about two feet in front of a draped picture window with the ports firing directly toward the wall beneath it. I was thinking of getting heavier drapes in the near future anyway and that may absorb some of it. They have the feet on and set atop a hardwood cutting board on carpeting to decouple them.  They are about 6 feet apart and form a rough isosoles triangle to my listening position with slight toe-in. My head is also somewhat close to the back wall when I listen in my recliner (another possible bass issue). Woofers are at ear level.

I played some remastered Return to Forever and then Steely Dan. Top end is wonderful. Cymbals sound like cymbals: splash, resonance  and decay. Mid's are excellent and I am able to better discern the individual voices of harmonized vocals. Piano or brass heavy recordings are much more musical with the associated harshness greatly reduced (my ancient Adcom is probably at fault for the remainder). As mentioned, bass is well articulated as Stanley Clarke's double bass (plucked and bowed) snapped and resonated tightly and clearly but just a bit too powerfully.

Kudos to the indefatigable Klaus, the audio iconoclast, for managing to get these speakers on the market at this price!

Now if I  can just get my Stratos all will be very good  

Jim N in rainy (yes it DOES rain here) So Cal.

Adcom GFA 545 / Monolithic Sound PA-1 w/ HC-1B power supply / Rotel 1072 / Bel Canto DAC2.

[bunky]

Hi,

Need help,  with the system that i have their are some music tracks that
I can't hear because the bass is too strong coming out the lorelei's.

I know some of you that have the lorelei speakers also have the mono extremes.

I was trying to hear kenny G Breathless cd - the G-Bop track, it's
impossible, the bass is so strong it distorts the sound.

Like i said previously here, I'm planning to buy the mono extremes,
but before I take that step, I would like to know if some of you has heard ...

Hey soundman,in my particular setup i have experimented with distances from the rear wall and have found that a minimum distance of 21" from the rear of the Loreleis to the wall was sufficient to preclude the booming bass that you describe. your mileage may vary so feel free to experiment with a tape measure at the ready. Kenny G ? whos that ? thanks....WCW III

[Jim N.]

Soundman, I am (obviously) not the most experienced Lorelei owner on here (duh!) but here are some words of advice (remember they are worth no more than you paid for them). Please don't be offended if I underestimated your knowlege or overestimated my own.

1) The feet make a big difference. If you don't have them yet then put those puppies on as soon as you do. Getting as much of the Loreleis off the floor as much as possible (decoupling) makes a big difference in balancing the bass.

2) Placement is important. "Excessive" bass can come from it reflecting off nearby surfaces.

3) Don't turn up your amp way up to try and bring out the highs and mids over the bass. I don't know what kind of amp you are using but if it is not powerful enough to drive the Lorelei's to the desired level without taking it past "12 o'clock" then you may be driving the amp into clipping which causes major distortion issues. . Don't over EQ the treble if using tone controls as this can make it worse. Cut the bass instead.

4) Some CD's are poorly mastered. Some CD players internal DAC's are mediocre. Don't know about the CD or your player but I upgraded to an external DAC (I have two, a Bel Canto DAC2 and a Modwright CIA) and they are big improvments over stock in most mainstream players (even my Rotel 1072). Cleaned / tightened up the bass quite a bit.

5) Break them in. I leave digital music from my cable system playing at a lower level when I am not directly listening. The output balance keeps improving. I've been using electronica and dance music stations since they are bass heavy. Just keep the volume down if you are unsure if your amp is clipping. Distortion usually comes from the amp being over-driven. Drivers just work with what is sent to them. As long as they (drivers) are not damaged the distortion comes from elsewhere.

Speakers are at the end of the audio chain and they can be ruthless in revealing weaknesses is other parts of your system. Inferior speakers cover up other problem areas in the audio chain. Quality speakers can lay them painfully bare. The old adage about a chain being no stronger than it's weakest link is true in audio systems.

My old Adcom is just 100 WPC into 8 ohms with pretty decent current and it can drive the Lorelei's adequately. I have no doubt that Klaus' own amps can drive them wonderfully even though my Stratos is in transit.  As Klaus has stated, it's all about synergy between the components. He knows his speakers and amps better than anyone on this side of the Atlantic. He assembles them! If anyone can ensure they work in harmony it's him.

If in doubt, call Odyssey. Klaus is the most honestly direct person I have ever dealt with in my 30+ years of buying audio gear.

Jim

PS- If you are getting distortion / breakup then stop playing it until the source is determined. Drivers like distorted signals even less than your brain does! Hope this helps!

[klaus@odyssey]

Thanks guys for the nice words.

Anyway,  I agree with the 3 basics:
1.  amplifier control and speed
2. setup
3. decoupling.

That's all there is to 98 % of the magic in any system,

Klaus

[soundman]

Hi,

The sound of my lorelei's. (review)

First off let me thank, John 151, Peter 59, James k-m, Bunky,
Jim, Pugs and others as well, and of course klaus.

It was said among other things, amp control & speed,
set up and decoupling.  Easier said than done.  BUT.. I did it.

After extensive research and investigation, lots of work, I have
finally completed MY hi fi system.  I bought & Installed corner foam
bass traps, I also built from scratch, including wood frames, cloth and
1" & 1 1/2" rigid fiberglass boards for Hi, Mids, and low bass traps.
A lot of info was acquired for proper location along the listening
area, like corners, where walls and ceiling intersect, STRATEGIC areas
on walls behind and front of the speakers.

To say it simple,  FOR THE OBSOLUTE POSITIVE, WHAT A DIFFERENCE.
Now, back to the lorelei's.

In Germany there is a legend of a maiden named Lorelei,
who after her death in the river Rhine she was transformed into a siren, she could be
heard singing on a rock. Her HYPNOTIC music lured sailors.

These speakers are like:
Sunshine-hearing them is like a source of cheer or happiness, put
a grin on your face and soul.
Pure sound- they take you beyond the range of known senses.
Magnet- they'll magnetize you and everybody who comes to their
range of sonic wonder of magnetism.
mystery- a sound of mysterious power that will spellbound you.
These speakers are magnificent, extraordinary and majestic.  
Bravo to you Klaus, superb.
You know Germany only has one lorelei.  I consider myself very lucky
I have two.
My two sirens are calling me to that sweet spot we all know about,
to be indulged in a sonic marvel.  Bye for now, happy listening.

[Jim N.]

Glad you were able to rein in the bass and get a chance to really hear these beauties! I had similiar struggles with reflected bass and pretty much went the same you as you did, Soundman. Bass trapping ceiling corners and deadening flat wall space that was reflecting bass. My room has an odd shape and smallish size with low 8' ceiling and a lot of draped glass. With the right room treatments it somehow all works. They pump out some serious bass and need more room to "breathe" then I have to give them but the treatments compensate for the lack of physical space. Switching from my old Adcom to a Stereo Extreme made a huge difference.