[nuforce-casey]

What do you think of how it compares with Linkwitz's excellent Orion speaker system?

We have no idea and can't comment on every speakers in the market. 

[Albireo]

I'll leave it up to Jason & Casey to delete this post if they choose to, but I find it hard to hold back my impressions of the S-9s, which I heard at NuForce over the last couple months. I listened to the speaker with final crossover design, but back when it looked like this instead:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=27827.0

Listening to the S-9 -- driven by Ref 9SE monoblocks -- is an unbelievably stunning experience. There have been only a few very rare instances in the past when I wanted to buy a component the moment I heard it. One was a Wilson WATT Puppy from years past. Another was the NuForce Reference 9s at audiblearts (Thanks, Jeff!). The last was the S-9. Simply realistic -- there is no other way to describe it. The total lack of fatigue was jawdropping in the face of detail that I couldn't even begin to imagine existed at this -- or any! -- price point, with bass (such as it is) that was the full match of the NuForce monoblocks in both power and control. The entire midrange was spot-on, neither forward nor laid-back, and again detailed as all get-out. Dynamics to scare grown men. I promised Casey on the spot that I would start saving to purchase the speaker, as I expected it to be my last.

This is not a speaker to be missed. SP Tech and NuForce are to be congratulated.


Edit: I haven't heard any of SP Tech's speakers, so perhaps I would have the same response to their products. However, given the extra effort that NuForce has gone through to tweak the crossover -- not to mention the very substantial bodywork -- I suspect this will be an improvement over the Continuums, for example.

[Bill Baker]

 Hey guys, any pictures of the external crossover? Matching wood enclosure? Aluminum? I think having the crossover enclosed in a chassis made of the same design as the front panel would be sweet! It's not nice to keep curious people waiting . We love pictures

[reefrus]

Edit: I haven't heard any of SP Tech's speakers, so perhaps I would have the same response to their products. However, given the extra effort that NuForce has gone through to tweak the crossover -- not to mention the very substantial bodywork -- I suspect this will be an improvement over the Continuums, for example.

After living with the Revelation MKII for the last two years, I think my speaker search is OVER. There are simply not many speakers out there that interest me anymore. Glad to see that SP and Nuforce are in collaboration.  Bob is a real genius in speaker design and from an engineering point of view this is a match made in Heaven.

[Aether Audio]

I haven't heard any of SP Tech's speakers, so perhaps I would have the same response to their products. However, given the extra effort that NuForce has gone through to tweak the crossover -- not to mention the very substantial bodywork -- I suspect this will be an improvement over the Continuums, for example.

Not intending to open a debate here...I think we're comparing apples to oranges.  Two considerably different speakers with a considerably different set of design criteria and ultimately...different presentations.  Hearing is knowing - and I know!

-Bob

[PeteG]

Hopefully we can see and hear the S-9 speakers at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest.

Pete

[ooheadsoo]

Any hints on how those backwave horns on the woofers affect the performance?  Looks very interesting.  Too bad the picture was taken down.

[Aether Audio]

Any hints on how those backwave horns on the woofers affect the performance?  Looks very interesting.  Too bad the picture was taken down.

Abe,

They're not "horns."  I can't divulge the details of their operation yet, but I can tell you the effect they have.  They increase the resolution and accuracy of the speaker from about 200Hz up to and a bit beyond the crossover frequency (1.25KHz).

Theory behind their operation is a bit complex and the dimensions are quite critical.  That's all I can say.

Take care,
-Bob

[brj]

Theory behind their operation is a bit complex and the dimensions are quite critical.  That's all I can say.

Oops, there you go, Bob... reminding me of a question I've been meaning to ask you for a while now!

Considering the fact that you are dealing with very short wavelengths and "the dimensions are quite critical", how are your waveguides affected by the fact that wood expands and contracts with humidity and other environmental factors?

[Albireo]

Not intending to open a debate here...I think we're comparing apples to oranges.  Two considerably different speakers with a considerably different set of design criteria and ultimately...different presentations.  Hearing is knowing - and I know!

-Bob

My apologies, I didn't intend my postscript to imply anything other than to ward off questions about whether I had heard your speakers in comparison. In any event, the S-9 is really something; I get this mischievous smile every time I think about them and my eyes go all goggly imagining the day a pair of them resides in my system.

[Aether Audio]

Brian,

how are your waveguides affected by the fact that wood expands and contracts with humidity and other environmental factors?

The throat area right were the tweeter loads into the waveguide is most critical.  Since the wood expands across the whole surface, the amount of variation at the center (where the throat is located) is very small from a percentage standpoint.  Variations of a few .001 inches are very small compared to the wavelength at 20KHz (about 0.5 inch) and therefore have essentially no effect whatsoever.

Albireo,

No sweat man   And thanks!!!

-Bob

[Double Ugly]

Considering the fact that you are dealing with very short wavelengths and "the dimensions are quite critical", how are your waveguides affected by the fact that wood expands and contracts with humidity and other environmental factors?

At some point in years past, I was led to believe the properties inherent to Baltic birch mitigate (all-but eliminate?) the problem of expansion and contraction.  Was I misled?

[Double Ugly]

In contrast to the speculation and outright suspicion some have expressed about the S-9 and it's sound, there is one who's heard it that I know and trust.  His name is Bob Smith, and in my foray into high-end audio, his speakers sound more real than any I've had the privilege of hearing.

According to Bob, the S-9 absolutely rocks, and it images better than anything he's ever heard.  As I know Bob to be hyper-critical of his designs and their sound, and since he has no motivation whatsoever to try and impress me, I believe him...and his ears.

I haven't heard it, but I suspect the comments by those who've posted their impression of the S-9 are probably pretty accurate.  Time will tell, but the SP Tech/NuForce collaboration may prove to be a boon for the budget-conscious audiophile in search of audio nirvana.

In the meantime, I'll not worry about how good it does or doesn't sound...that will become clear soon enough.  Instead, I will ponder how it *might* sound with a well-executed digital crossover bi-amped with two (2) Ref 9SEs per side (you got me thinking about 2007, Jason ).

I hope they have a lot of power-handling capability, gentlemen.

[Christof]

Considering the fact that you are dealing with very short wavelengths and "the dimensions are quite critical", how are your waveguides affected by the fact that wood expands and contracts with humidity and other environmental factors?

At some point in years past, I was led to believe the properties inherent to Baltic birch mitigate (all-but eliminate?) the problem of expansion and contraction.  Was I misled?

Yes and no, expansion and contraction happens more in thickness than on the radial or tangent axis of the ply but not much.  Thus, these speakers should exhibit more of a dimensional change in the depth of the cabinet than in the height or width.  If housed in an environment in which the relative humidity is kept between 40%-60%, which most of our homes are, the movement in service should really not be measurable to more than .01" which, in the case of this cabinet design would cause no problems.  The plywood is free to move from the front to back of the enclosure.
-c

[brj]

At some point in years past, I was led to believe the properties inherent to Baltic birch mitigate (all-but eliminate?) the problem of expansion and contraction.  Was I misled?

I had the been led to believe the same thing based on what I'd scoured from various websites and newsgroups, and thus requested my speakers be built using 3/4" Baltic Birch for that exact reason.  Unfortunately, there was still enough movement of the wood over time to cause significant finish issues. 

Edit (clarification of my above comment after reading Christof's post submitted): The wood in my speakers expanded or contracted in the lateral direction, meaning in the width-wise direction of the lumber.


I do like the look of the new speakers, although I preferred the original, curved-side profile.  I understand that integrating a stand in a stable and visually appealing manner would have been more difficult with that version, but I thought they looked very clean.  I'll be curious to hear them if I ever get the chance.

DU, I have to say that - in terms of power requirements - 2 150W RMS amps per side would almost certainly be massive overkill in a 2-way speaker using an active, electronic crossover.  The active crossover approach effectively doubles the power of each amp.  The tweeter, driven directly, will take very little power to drive (and needs to be carefully protected from any start-up "pops" as a result).  If the mid-range drivers are paralleled and driven directly, they won't take much power either.  I've always liked the concept of active crossovers, and ordered my speakers with outboard crossovers specifically so I could experiment with them someday.  Check out this link for some more background on active vs. passive crossovers.

[Double Ugly]

Thanks for the clarification, Christof...much appreciated.

DU, I have to say that - in terms of power requirements - 2 150W RMS amps per side would almost certainly be massive overkill in a 2-way speaker using an active, electronic crossover. 

Yeah, I know.  But I've always been a sucker for overkill, B.   

There for a while, I actually tried to figure out a way to afford two more Butler Monads so I could bi-amp my Timepieces (and eventually, the Revelations). 

Needless to say, my fiscal situation did not and will not allow for it. 

[rustydoglim]

We must have gone mad by including a high-end speaker cable and external crossover box as shown below with each speaker