Pulled the trigger on a pair of Tanzinites kits

ecramer · « **on:** 7 Sep 2006, 03:50 am »

I emailed Rick a couple of weeks ago about new speakers I would like to build and what kit would be most appropriate for me. With near field listening in a 10 by 12 room and not being a bass head, we decided that a pair of Tanzanites would be the best fit for my room size and listening preferences (Thanks Rick)

I asked Rick if it would be okay to post some Pictures of the build as their is some interest in this kind of thing. While I do mill work for a living and have done quite a bit of Formica work building Kitchen cabinets and counter tops I have only used wood veneer twice before The Fist job was a bar laminated in paper backed Zebra Wood veneer for the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami and the second was a pair of Dayton III speakers that I Am replacing with the Tanzanites. Pretty big step up bet it is going to be like getting out of a vega and into a caddy lol. I first had to get the Stereo rack I have been building for the last month and a half. Twenty hours of overtime milling wood does not usually incourage me to come home and do more wood work in my spare time.

I found a very nice quilted Bubinga veneer at VeneerSupplies.com and a piece of Bubinga lumber from InternetLumber.com to make the real wood edging. Both sites were quick to answer any questions I had and provided quick service. If things go right lol I will post progess reports and a couple of pictures along the way There is the kit and the veneer and lumber.

DSK · « **Reply #1 on:** 7 Sep 2006, 04:04 am »

Wow! That is one gorgeous rack.

The veneer for your Tanzanites is beautiful, please keep us informed of your progress and show some pics of them when completed. I'm sure they'll sound great too. I'm currently building Rick's SSR speakers with a multi-coat oil based enamel finish (lots of painting, sanding, drying/curing time

) and half wish I had gone the veneer path.

Berndt · « **Reply #2 on:** 7 Sep 2006, 06:28 am »

The dome midrange on the Tanzenite is really smooth, I wish I would have had more time with the touring pair.
I see Phase Linear stuff pop up on craigslist, do you have any tweaks done on them? What is your primary source?
I made a set of 22" stands for the time I spent with the Tanzenites, do you have a stand height in mind?

Thebiker · « **Reply #3 on:** 7 Sep 2006, 12:24 pm »

OK, I admit it. I totally lust after your audio rack. Absolutely gorgeous.

The Tanzinites look good too. Having had problems in the past getting a rack to suit me, I appreciate a good one.

ecramer · « **Reply #4 on:** 7 Sep 2006, 08:45 pm »

Quote from: Thebiker on 7 Sep 2006, 12:24 pm

OK, I admit it. I totally lust after your audio rack. Absolutely gorgeous.

The Tanzinites look good too. Having had problems in the past getting a rack to suit me, I appreciate a good one.

I thought it turned out real nice myself but i know where the mistakes are lol. The only real problem is it's weight. about 250-300 pounds and i not able to move it upstairs by myself, so i am waiting for my brother to get home tonight to put it in place.

ecramer · « **Reply #5 on:** 7 Sep 2006, 08:58 pm »

Quote from: Berndt on 7 Sep 2006, 06:28 am

The dome midrange on the Tanzenite is really smooth, I wish I would have had more time with the touring pair.
I see Phase Linear stuff pop up on craigslist, do you have any tweaks done on them? What is your primary source?
I made a set of 22" stands for the time I spent with the Tanzenites, do you have a stand height in mind?

the only mods on the Phase Linear have been new caps in the power supply and replaced the zip cord power cord with 14 gage cord. I have had it since it was new about 25-26 years bought it in spain when i was in the navy.

My primary source is a Consonance cd-120 that i stold. I went down to the local (40 Miles each way) rotel dealer to look at a rotel cdp while i was discusing the rotel and a couple of other brands he sold i mentioned the the consonance was on my short list of cdp's to try. He told me he had taken one in trade when he upgraded this guys system and he didn't like the sound of the cdp and that if i wanted it he would sell it to me for $100 cash so i tok it. if i didn't like i could always ebay it and go back for the rotel. Im still looking for another cdp as i don't beleave one is perfect for all types of music. like headphones they each have thier own style and i like to keep a literal cdp whats thier is what you get and a more forgiving unit for those days when i want to break out an old bad company cd.

ecramer · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 Oct 2006, 01:01 am »

Well its been longer then i thought it would but work must come before play. Finally made some progress on these speakers lots of work If i could have built these at the wood shop where i work i could have done them a lot quicker. they have every tool you could ever want to to do wood work, but im getting the job done lol

now i'm in the process of appling tung oil 6 or 7 coats then a couple of coats of polly for protection and i might even get to hear these wonderful speakers

ecramer · « **Reply #7 on:** 6 Nov 2006, 12:29 am »

First i must say thanks to Rick Craig and Selah Audio for a fantastic sounding speaker. Everything ive played has sounded very good. I have about 12 hours on them im sure they are still breaking in and will be for some time. I started out with some Dayna Kurtz - Postcards from Downtown and Beautiful Yesterday. Then switched to some Dead Can Dance - towords the within and Aion Tried an ecliptic mix today of Godspeed you black Emperior, Tom Waits and The Cowboy Junkies. oh i almost for got, i could not help my self and cranked out some Bad Company are you ready for love when every one else left the house for a while lol. loud very loud these speakers kick major A$$
Thank again to Rick Crag for a great sounding speaker. i have a couple more picks showing the speakers with a couple of coats of tung oil rubed on them and the rose wood baffle covers i maid and then the finished speakers had a good time making them. Learned a lot about real wood laminate. Made a few mistakes and have a better idea about how to go about the job for the next time

those baffle covers were a little tricky to make but worth the effort i think anyway

heres what the finished speakers lookike with a couple of coats of poly on them to protect the wood

Thanks for looking at my project. ps sorry about the lousy photos i am not a pro with a digital camera at all

Rklepl · « **Reply #8 on:** 6 Nov 2006, 10:04 pm »

Wow, those look sweet!

Mind if I ask you a few questions? Have you ever had speakers with a ribbon tweeter? I should be receiving my Tanzinites in a week or so I hope. I have never actually heard a ribbon based speaker so I just wanted to hear a little more about your impressions. How is the soundstage, how do the highs sound, imaging etc. Are they very dynamic?

Also, what are you driving them with?

Thanks!
And again great looking speakers!

ecramer · « **Reply #9 on:** 7 Nov 2006, 02:58 am »

Thanks Okay to answer your qustions as best i can Sound stage and imagine are a very touchy subject so ill tell a little about where i have the speakers and the room and my system First off I have a 10 by 12 room with two bare walls and one wall with a door and book rack ant the other with a stereo rack and a cd rack 1800+ cds so it takes up quite a lot of the wall.
sysytem is a opera Consonance cd120 24 bit up sampling cdp into a rotel rc -1070 pre-amp into a phase Linear 400 series two 2210 wats a side power amp
The only other ribbon tweeter im familure with is the ess heil tweeter which ive owned about 5 diffrent sets 's of speakers over the last twenty some years from the amt -1bs to the performance 8's they all have had outstanding highs along with flabby 70ths bass. Thier really is no comparison though these speakers are just voiced, intigrated its tought to tell whats doing what. they are so super smooth in transition from one to the other.
The highs are sharp and clear like crystal mids are smooth as velvet. Dayna Kurtz and Madelene Peyroux and Leonard Cohens vocals never sounded so clear on any other speaker i have ever owned., but then Black sabaths Ironman nerver sounded this good around here either lol The bass is fast and tight.

Soundstage dont know how to describe that a couple of watts fills my room but i always listen near field about seven feet while which places me about in the first three rows at the concert and i get a good feel. they reaklly widened the stage from my mtm's that i was using the bacround singers are now realy back of mr cohen rather then competing with him for the stage great seperation and imaging. i real am in aww of these spekers i'm afraid it will take a while for me to settle in and realy evaluate them sof far they are simple fantastic with everything i have thrown at them.

hope this helps. when you get yours pm me and let me know what you think
aa

Quote from: Rklepl on 6 Nov 2006, 10:04 pm

Wow, those look sweet!

Mind if I ask you a few questions? Have you ever had speakers with a ribbon tweeter? I should be receiving my Tanzinites in a week or so I hope. I have never actually heard a ribbon based speaker so I just wanted to hear a little more about your impressions. How is the soundstage, how do the highs sound, imaging etc. Are they very dynamic?

Also, what are you driving them with?

Thanks!
And again great looking speakers!

Christof · « **Reply #10 on:** 7 Nov 2006, 03:21 am »

I had a pair of Rick's Tanzanites in my 2-ch system for about 18mos. They are very easy speakers to listen to, Rklepl. My favorite thing about the Fountek tweeter was the percieved speed and accuracy that I picked up on vs. the 1" silk dome that my previous speakers used. I highly recommend Ricks Whomp sub with these speakers. The w18 can hold it's own in the bass dept but adding a 12" Peerless really fills things in.

Rklepl · « **Reply #11 on:** 8 Nov 2006, 12:10 am »

ecramer, thanks for the detailed reply. I can't wait to get them into my system. I also ordered the Sardonyx center. All three versions are sealed, so less bass extension from the Tanzinites but they will intigrate with my sealed sub better. They sound like just what I'm looking for!
Christof, thanks for your input as well. I actually have the new JL Audio f113 (sealed) subwoofer on order which is getting rave reviews. "Out-gunning" the even the DD-18 on SPL (and SQ according to quite a few over at AVS).

Rick Craig · « **Reply #12 on:** 9 Nov 2006, 05:00 am »

Quote from: Rklepl on 8 Nov 2006, 12:10 am

ecramer, thanks for the detailed reply. I can't wait to get them into my system. I also ordered the Sardonyx center. All three versions are sealed, so less bass extension from the Tanzinites but they will intigrate with my sealed sub better. They sound like just what I'm looking for!
Christof, thanks for your input as well. I actually have the new JL Audio f113 (sealed) subwoofer on order which is getting rave reviews. "Out-gunning" the even the DD-18 on SPL (and SQ according to quite a few over at AVS).

They shipped out today

jmpiwonka · « **Reply #13 on:** 9 Nov 2006, 05:11 pm »

i got some tanzanites a while back:

my overall impressions, nice smooth tweeter with response that is different from any dome i've heard, i like it better, i think alot of it has to do with how Rick has these crossed over, i don't think the tweeter plays down very low and the morel dome probably goes up pretty high.
these are well balanced speakers, soundstage has lots of depth and great seperation, the woofer can keep up just fine contrary to my first listening impressions. i now look forward to getting up, grinding my coffee beans and listening to my stereo before i go off to work every morning.
i use a denon dra-635 for these speakers.

other speakers i've listened to alot:
Klipsch Rf-8
Polk Sda, yes, very old, my dad bought them when i was little, i listened to them growing up.
Polk Lsi-9..these are strong in the mids/low mids/bass...probably one reason i thought the woofer was weak in the tanzanites on first listen. i just couldn't hear what the bass was doing on the jazz recordings like coltrane at birdland or the village vangaurd master takes...the village vangaurd cd made it back around, and i have had the setup worked out for a while now. it was absolutely lovely. sounded so great...i'm in love with my stereo.

Rklepl · « **Reply #14 on:** 9 Nov 2006, 11:17 pm »

Quote from: Rick Craig on 9 Nov 2006, 05:00 am

They shipped out today

Very Cool, should have them mid to late next week, sweeeet!!
Thanks Rick!

Thanks for the comments on the Tanzinites jmpiwonka, sounds like they are the real deal!

musicman06 · « **Reply #15 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 12:43 pm »

Good looking build pictures.

I'm about to order the whole "set" Tanzanites, Sardonyx, S7s, and a Whomp! I'll be anxious to get the package in and setup in the new house moving in next Friday. Everything will be sealed and should integrate nicely. I've been waffling between this combo and the SSRs and some other subs and for a bit some other speakers. As another poster mentioned thanks to AudioCircle for turning me onto Selah Audio's website and the amazing deals Rick provides us.

Edit: Order was placed Tuesday afternoon, expected delivery 3-4 weeks. Should be a happy New Year.

ecramer · « **Reply #16 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 11:20 pm »

Wow. That should be a sweet setup. I'm definitely impressed with these speakers. My system never sounded this good be for. Ive been setting an hour aside each night to just grab one of my favorite Cd's and just kick back and listen to it Its like hearing them for the first time again with things i was not able to hear be for i got the Tanzinites. Now i have a can next to my computer with a label that says Peridot where I'm throwing all my change lol

klh · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 Dec 2006, 01:25 am »

Sorry... what is the S7?

musicman06 · « **Reply #18 on:** 10 Dec 2006, 09:43 am »

Quote from: klh on 10 Dec 2006, 01:25 am

Sorry... what is the S7?

That's the little surrounds with the Seas Excel 7" woofer and Fountek ribbon tweeter. They don't have their own web page but are pictured at the bottom of the RC4 page - http://www.selahaudio.com/id67.html.

klh · « **Reply #19 on:** 12 Dec 2006, 07:52 pm »

Thanks!