I've owned a pair of SP Technology Timepiece 2.0s for the past 2-1/2 years, and I've been very pleased with their performance. However, the tweeter in the first generation MRS could be somewhat shouty at times, and I spent the first year or so evaluating components, cables, etc. that would mitigate the occasional harshness without negatively affecting the openness and realness of the Timepieces' presentation. I began talking to Bob about getting a new pair of speakers soon after word broke that he'd gone to a newer, better tweeter and improved crossover. After much thought and deliberation, we ordered a pair of Revelations and a pair of Timepiece 2.1s.
Now to the meat of the post -
I felt like a kid on Christmas morning when my 2.1s arrived last week. The SP Tech crew did an excellent job packing the speakers (pics will eventually follow), and the speakers themselves are very cool looking in our (mine and my wife's) opinion.
However, despite assurances they would take only a few short hours to break in, I've been on a rollercoaster ride.
- They sound great out of the box; mids are just slightly recessed, but no big deal.
- Approximately 6 hours later: the highs seem rolled-off; lower midrange instruments/performers are 30' back from the front of the stage. What happened? 
- I try swapping speaker cables, my logic being that maybe the cables I used to help control the "old" tweeter are having a negative effect on the new one. Now the mids are back to normal, but the highs have a little bit of a bite to them now. Crap!
- So now I replace the sliver umbilical cord that runs from my Bolder Cable Ultimate PS to the SB2 with the original copper one. Midrange is nice now, and the edge is gone from the highs. But now everything seems just a bit less clear...like there's a slight haze or fog between me and the music. 
- Soooooooo...I put the original speaker cables back in and replace the copper umbilical with the silver. Now...things seem more normal. Highs are just about perfect, but lower midrange instruments are waaaaaaaaaaaaaay in the back, and the bass seems just a bit loose.[/list:u]I'm just going to leave it playing 24/7 for a few more days before trying anything else. Right now I don't know of I'm chasing cables or the speaker as it continues to evolve.
IMO, the sound I'm getting now would satisfy the majority of those who hear it. Problem is, I know SP Techs as well as anyone with the possible exception of Bob...and I'd debate that since I've spent more time intently listening to his speakers than he. I know what they're capable of, and am determined to do what I can to maximize their potential.
I have a number of cables arriving next week to audition (Reality, Black Sand, Stealth, Virtual Dynamics), and it will obviously take some time to sort through all of them. I'm in the camp that believes you must leave a cable in for several days before you can determine how it performs in your system, regardless of how good or bad it may initially sound. Swapping 3 or 4 cables in and out in an afternoon is an exercise in frustration IMHO, and resolves nothing.
If...and be advised, at this juncture that’s a
*HUGE* if...some of the issues I hear are system/cable related vs. normal speaker break-in, I think most can be traced back to trying to tame the old tweeter. Now that it's no longer necessary, I may have to replace a few pieces and parts to optimize the system for the new speakers.
But for now, I'm at a standstill. I don't know if the minor issues I'm hearing are related to the speaker, the cabling, or if the presentation of my favorite recordings is going to be that much different through the 2.1s. I have a baseline reference for what they
should sound like, but that reference may or may not reflect reality…it's just what I know. I need time now...time to sort it all out.
But I hasten to say again...the sound I'm getting now is fabulous, and would satisfy the vast majority of listeners IMHO. If nothing were to change or improve from this point forward, few could find much fault with the current presentation. However, my perfectionist nature won't leave well enough alone, and I *will* do everything I can to optimize my system to match to excellence of the speakers.
More to follow...
