[Mondie]

They look abolutely magnificent, Simon.  It's certainly the finish I'd choose (Black is very slimming).  I've upgraded my amplification to TacT 2.2XP RCS and 2150 and I'm still amazed at the improvement it has made.  I don't see myself ever having a system in the future that doesn't include room correction.

Decent speakers are on the agenda when I find the one's I'm after.  The Aslan's are just a bit big to be ideal for my currrent room set-up.  The room's big enough (open plan) but the wall behind the speakers is a bit cluttered with open fireplace, shelving etc.  Smaller, slimmer speakers would work better aesthetically, but my wife's pretty tolerant. Anyway, I'm avidly watching your progress and I must admit that the Aslans look like real value compared to the Avantgardes that are currently high on my shortlist.  I guess I'd be silly to buy any speakers in that sort of price range without looking into the Australs and the (potential) smaller version.

Anyway, i'm not rushing it and the ultimate factor is, of course, the sound.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from you when you get those beauties safely parked in your living room.  Hopefully they'll be everything you expect.  Betcha can't wait til tomorrrow! 

 

G'day Tony,

Andrew is designing a smaller version now to be called the Minstrel that may suit your room if space is an issue. The Australs have quite a small footprint for their size and seem very forgiving of room placement. They have extremely wide dispersion and provide a very satisfying image when listening off axis. IMHO you will not find a better Oz made speaker than these so you will do well to hear them before making a final choice.

Cheers

[Mondie]

Now that l have had a chance to catch up on some sleep  l thought l would write something a little more coherent about the Austral's.

Firstly let me just say that Andrew has been an absolute pleasure to deal with since my initial interest in his speakers which at that stage were still being prototyped. Nothing is too much trouble, his passion and enthusiasm shows in everything he does and of course in the end product. Hates a red wine too.

As can be seen from my poor pictures, the finish of my Austral's is impeccable. Piano Black is a hard finish to pull off and done amateurishly looks horrible. Andrew sub contracted out the finishing to a fellow who runs a Porsche & Ferrari restoration business nearby. The speakers were done in enamel and oven baked l believe, not the traditional spray black with clear top coats. l appreciate Andrews willingness to do this, l am sure not all manufacturers would oblige. The speakers really do look as good as they sound, they are like black mirrors and are very imposing. The angular lines of the Austral's look all class in Black.

My Austral's had several upgrades over Andrews demo pair. Firstly l wasnt going to die wondering on the stereo bass debate so went for an extra plate amp so l can enjoy full stereo bass down to 20hz and below. l chose the 350w amp per side which is overkill but what the heck. To further dampen cabinet resonance l also had Andrew line all internal walls (except for the throat of the TL) with Barium impregnated lining, a safer and more effective form of lead lining. This upped the weight of the speakers to approximately 150kg each. At well over 300lbs each it was a little nerve racking moving them into my listening room that's for sure. Andrew was of the firm opinion that these upgrades made a noticeable improvement but l will let him elaborate further on that aspect.

As for the SQ - l don't know how to convey in words just how stunning these speakers sound without sounding like an Audio wanker. You can use all the adjectives in the book to describe their sound but l would prefer to praise them for their overall qualities. Huge clean bass is a given, more bass than you could ever need for 2ch and with the bonuses of it being active and hence room adjustable, and because it is active, the greater flexibility in amp choice. Naturalness, the most relaxing natural speakers l have ever heard bar none. You can play to ridiculous levels and the sound remains sweet and relaxing, its very easy to get transported into the music. Obviously the drivers and crossover are beautifully matched so all drivers are working in their sweet range without any nasty peaks or harshness. Dynamics are stunning but the speakers are also very enjoyable at low listening levels, so much so that l find myself listing at lower levels a lot of the time because l don't have the urge to wind the wick up for some bass slam or so the sound can truly escape from the boxes. Imaging par excellence.......... l am beginning to sound like an audio wanker now so will stop there. Anybody looking to buy speakers in this price range would be crazy not to audition the Austral's. in fact l would say any nutter looking to spend 50k on speakers would be crazy not to audition the Austral's, these are the best speakers l have ever heard in 20yrs.

Cheers Simon

[jules]

Mondie,

the looks of the speakers say it all and it's not the least bit surprising that they sound magnificent. I particularly like the domes with their related wide dispersion, having never been much of a fan of the "listening chair".

At $14,000 these things look cheap. Nova Utopias what, $150,000? What's the scale of his business? Looks like a labour of love rather than a big production line thing.

Any chance of him appearing on the Pie?

Jules

[Mondie]

Jules, l will see if l can coax Andrew onto the forum.

Austral Acoustics is a one man show, Andrew builds and designs everything himself. Takes him 6-7 days alone to build each cabinet due to the transmission line and anglular shape of the cabinets.

Cheers

[tony_aust]

The Minstrals sound very interesting ,Simon.  Like you, though, I prefer not to to compomise.  So I haven't ruled out the Australs.  Also, we're thinking of building again (26 years after the first effort), which will allow me to design a dedicated room for AV gear.  I'll have to travel to Melbourne or Sydney to do any serious speaker shopping and, when I get to that stage, I'll get in touch with you and see if I can arrange a listen.

At least the TacT stuff will allow me to tailor the in-room "sonic signature" of any speaker to some extent.  A couple of days ago I had an self-styled audiophile acquaintance amazed at how good the Klipsch rf-7's could sound with TacT room correction and amplification.  When I pointed out it was actually the old Wharfedale E50's ($50.00 on ebay) next to the Klipsches that were playing at the time (albeit crossed over at 70Hz to a single sub) he reckoned it was the most amazing demonstration he had heard in 40 years of audio enthusiasm.  A bit of a cheap trick, but I found it very revealing. 

I'm really looking forward to hearing the TacT with really good speakers.  Re your "listening at lower volumes" the new RCS2.2XP has a new innovation in Dynmic Room Correction.  Essentially the same concept as the old "loudness control", but all done in the digital domain and linked to overall volume.  It works very well and I no longer have to turn things up to get some life in the music.

Anyway, have fun with the new Australs.  I think there are a lot of us interested in your ongoing experience with them, especially those of us who live in Oz and can consider them a valid option.

[ajw056]

Hello all,
I must admit I have been hovering here for a few months but until now have not registered.

So yes, Jules and Mondie, It's time to stick my head up out of the sand. I'm glad you like the new toys Simon........a labour of love those two, and not without their teething problems as you're aware.

I'm sure you'll get years of enjoyment out of them, until the inevitable bout of upgraditis rears it's ugly head again.

5 days now, so it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the music, not the speakers.

Andrew 

[Double Ugly]

Welcome to AudioCircle, Andrew. 

I realize you'll likely focus your time and attention on the Aussie circle when you visit, but I hope you'll occasionally offer the benefit of your insight, experience and expertise to other circles as well.

Best regards,

-Jim

[jules]

Hi Andrew and welcome,

You're speakers are just magnificent and it's been quite amazing for such a mature and ingenious design to seemingly pop up out of nowhere. I hope you're feeling justifiably proud of the results after all the effort along the way.

This paricular phrase also appealed to me ...

quote ajw56:

"...... and enjoy the music, not the speakers."

Nice one  .

I'll PM or email you in the next couple of days as I've got some things I'd like to chat to you about.

jules


 

[Mondie]

I'm sure you'll get years of enjoyment out of them, until the inevitable bout of upgraditis rears it's ugly head again.

5 days now, so it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the music, not the speakers.

Andrew 

Upgraditis, thats a scary thought. l dont know what l could possibly upgrade to from here? 

Welcome to the site!

Cheers

[ajw056]

Many thanks for the warm welcome Jim and Jules, and yes I will try and contribute when time permits.

Jules, I look forward to your email.
Jim, I'll respond properly to yours tomorrow morning when the mind is fresh.

Best regards for now,
Andrew

[guest1231]

Mondie,
I have been wondering if you, or Andrew, have tried some kind of felt or similar around the high frequency drivers.  I assume that the cabinet around those drivers would affect the sound, if not the dispersion, and that some kind of padding to ameliorate the reflections would be beneficial.

If I owned the Astrals I would be reluctant to stick anything to the cabinet, so I can understand if you thought the same.

Regards,
Brad.
 

[Mondie]

Brad,

Andrew has been experimenting with felt for several months and says it does make a small difference, mainly improved imaging by helping the speakers to disappear. Trouble has been finding a way of cutting it neatly to suit, once he has nutted out a final design and a way of cutting it he plans on sending some felt for me to experiemnt with.

Cheers

[mynameisplayer]

Any more word on the felt? 

[Mondie]

No, l havent even thought to contact Andrew about it, but will do so. Speakers sound magnificent so felt is the last thing on my mind