ACI customer service--Beat this!

ScottyWatty · « **on:** 3 Jan 2007, 08:08 am »

I wrote Mike D over the weekend with a few questions as I was considering buying the XL's and Sound Anchor stands, but wasn't quite ready to "pull the trigger." I actually got an answer on Sunday morning to my questions! Folks I have only received an answer from a "big wig" on a Sunday only one other time--CEO of jetBlue Airways!
Mike...great customer service. In fact, it was your personal response that pulled me away from the Spendor S5e's or ProAc Response One SC's that I was going to buy this week to the ACI XL's! Iplaced my order this afternoon for the XL's (Inlaid Cherry), Sound Anchor stands and cable and interconnects.
I look forward to many happy years as an ACI fan and hope to contribute a review at some time in the future. As a recording musician and performer (I have a day job too) I am hoping the XL's will reproduce the sound we are going for in the studio. Looking forward to it!

Regards,
ScottyWatty

Ross @ ACI · « **Reply #1 on:** 3 Jan 2007, 04:22 pm »

Congratulations Scotty! You won't regret choosing the XLs. Keep us posted with your thoughts once you receive them.

NewBuyer · « **Reply #2 on:** 3 Jan 2007, 04:55 pm »

I too would love to hear your thoughts Scotty on those XL's! What email address did you use to reach Mike?

Mike Dzurko · « **Reply #3 on:** 3 Jan 2007, 06:55 pm »

Quote from: ScottyWatty on 3 Jan 2007, 08:08 am

I wrote Mike D over the weekend with a few questions as I was considering buying the XL's and Sound Anchor stands, but wasn't quite ready to "pull the trigger." I actually got an answer on Sunday morning to my questions! Folks I have only received an answer from a "big wig" on a Sunday only one other time--CEO of jetBlue Airways!
Mike...great customer service. In fact, it was your personal response that pulled me away from the Spendor S5e's or ProAc Response One SC's that I was going to buy this week to the ACI XL's! Iplaced my order this afternoon for the XL's (Inlaid Cherry), Sound Anchor stands and cable and interconnects.
I look forward to many happy years as an ACI fan and hope to contribute a review at some time in the future. As a recording musician and performer (I have a day job too) I am hoping the XL's will reproduce the sound we are going for in the studio. Looking forward to it!

Regards,
ScottyWatty

Thanks Scott, we aim to please

NewBuyer: My email is in my sig line . . . .

NewBuyer · « **Reply #4 on:** 4 Jan 2007, 04:25 am »

Quote from: Mike Dzurko on 3 Jan 2007, 06:55 pm

Thanks Scott, we aim to please

NewBuyer: My email is in my sig line . . . .

Hi Mike! Thanks, yes I asked this only out of pure curiousity, as I tried sending some emails to you at that personal address before, but got no response. I'm sure it was my internet provider's server fault, I later learned they had some "tech diff" at that time!

Looking forward to Scotty's feedback on the XL's...

ScottyWatty · « **Reply #5 on:** 4 Jan 2007, 06:41 am »

New Buyer:
I'm a believer in letting equipment and speakers really break in well before giving a full review, so I'll let it burn in and then hopefully give a meaningful review. I'm not an audiophile, rather a musician, however, after hundreds of hours in recording studios I think I have an idea of what sounds good.

If it helps, I have spent literally hundreds of hours auditioning and researching various speakers, amps and CD players and associated equipment. That qualifies me for absolutely nothing, except that I was able to boil what I wanted down to a very few items on the "short list." ACI Sappire XL's are highly regarded by many industry insiders. Mike is conservative and humble in my view, but the XL is considered a reference speaker now by many. That may or may not be what you are looking for. It is exactly what I'm wanting at this point.

griller · « **Reply #6 on:** 9 Mar 2007, 09:21 pm »

Scotty I'm wondering what you think if you've had the XLs for a bit. Seriously considering for myself and want to hear from as many owners as possible. Thank you!

ajayrav · « **Reply #7 on:** 9 Mar 2007, 11:02 pm »

Oooh Scotty, you are SO going to love the XLs.....They really are one of the most euphonic speakers I have heard.
Enjoy...and please post a review. ACI owners are a real quiet lot- considering how good these speakers are, there really isn't as much buzz as there should be...

WEEZ · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 Mar 2007, 12:17 am »

I don't doubt the excellent customer service.

As for the Sapphire XL's; I listened extensively to these fine speakers last Oct. @ RMAF. They were smooth; detailed; tonally correct; resolving; and nice looking to boot.

I'm trying to talk my 'financially limited' son into giving the Emerald XL's a try. He just might..

WEEZ

griller · « **Reply #9 on:** 12 Mar 2007, 08:27 pm »

Quote from: ajayrav on 9 Mar 2007, 11:02 pm

Oooh Scotty, you are SO going to love the XLs.....They really are one of the most euphonic speakers I have heard.
Enjoy...and please post a review. ACI owners are a real quiet lot- considering how good these speakers are, there really isn't as much buzz as there should be...

Do you think they are more euphonic than neutral? I'm looking for neutral without the typical tipped up top end of so many speakers that use metal domes and some of the ring radiators. But euphonic can mean too sweet in my book, just asking, thanks for any additional insight!

griller · « **Reply #10 on:** 12 Mar 2007, 08:29 pm »

Quote from: WEEZ on 10 Mar 2007, 12:17 am

I don't doubt the excellent customer service.

As for the Sapphire XL's; I listened extensively to these fine speakers last Oct. @ RMAF. They were smooth; detailed; tonally correct; resolving; and nice looking to boot.

I'm trying to talk my 'financially limited' son into giving the Emerald XL's a try. He just might..

WEEZ

Good info. Do you remember about how big the room was? Were they playing alone or with subs? TIA

WEEZ · « **Reply #11 on:** 12 Mar 2007, 09:35 pm »

griller,

Typical hotel room. Someone said the rooms were 13X19. I'd say that's about what they looked to be.

Amplifier was a hybrid integrated. At least 100wpc. Maybe 200wpc. It was plenty.

I did most of my listening before Mike had any sub connected. IMHO, a sub isn't necessary with the Sapphires in a room that size. Others might disagree.

Fine speakers.

WEEZ

griller · « **Reply #12 on:** 13 Mar 2007, 01:59 pm »

Thanks Weez, good info!

bpape · « **Reply #13 on:** 13 Mar 2007, 02:31 pm »

Yup.

We treated that room - about the right size. The Sapphires didn't really need a sub for music. There were maybe a couple of tracks that you could hear the difference with the sub on but they were very few and far between. The Sapphires worked very well in that room size.

Glenn (GIK Owner) liked them so well that he bought the show demo pair and the sub (just for HT usage) from Mike.

Bryan

Eric · « **Reply #14 on:** 13 Mar 2007, 05:05 pm »

Mike is all about customer service.

griller · « **Reply #15 on:** 14 Mar 2007, 10:31 pm »

Thanks Bryan, pretty impressive that Glenn bought the show system. I also found out that the gentleman that wrote the Affordable Audio review also purchased his review set. That these fellows actually laid out their bucks says more in my book than most of the typical reviews. Talk is cheap, but spending the money says something.

Tried to reach ACI by phone today and did't get through?

Mike Dzurko · « **Reply #16 on:** 15 Mar 2007, 12:07 am »

Quote from: griller on 14 Mar 2007, 10:31 pm

Thanks Bryan, pretty impressive that Glenn bought the show system. I also found out that the gentleman that wrote the Affordable Audio review also purchased his review set. That these fellows actually laid out their bucks says more in my book than most of the typical reviews. Talk is cheap, but spending the money says something.

Tried to reach ACI by phone today and did't get through?

Griller:

Sorry you weren't able to get through . . . we do sometimes get backed up on the phones. If you left a message, someone will be getting back to you, probably tomorrow as everyone has gone home now. If you want to talk directly to me, email your phone # and I'll try to get back to you tonight or later tommorow . . .

BTW, I take great pride when a reviewer decides to actually purchase the review samples. In this industry this is pretty rare and we have a very good record of this happening with ACI products over the years.

Lkdog · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Mar 2007, 11:02 pm »

Will second the comments about Customer Service and communication from ACI and Mike.

I have had Sapphire 25th Ann Ed monitors and moved up to the now out of production Jaguars.
I think i got the last pair in the warehouse in 2005. I also have dual Titan subs.

I should also note that I had a driver go out in the Sapphires (no doubt my amp caused it).
I had the driver picked up by UPS at my door and a new one shipped to me immediately with no questions asked.

Great service.

Oh-for the guy who asked about the ACI house sound and concern about a "tipped" top end-that is the last thing you will get from an ACI speaker.
Never too hot and I have owned or heard 4 different models.
Always neutral, detailed, smooth, and ever so slightly warm presentation.

ScottyWatty · « **Reply #18 on:** 21 Mar 2007, 07:48 pm »

ajayrav: I'm buzzing! I'm buzzing! I tell everyone about these speakers.

As for euphonic, audio terms are ambiguous to me in that they are much like trying to describe a color.

Let me just say that I approach my system as a musician. So I ask, what do I want my listeners to hear when they play my music? I want them to hear the nuances of my guitar/mandolin/piano work, I want them to become emotionally involved musically, I want them to be able to listen to the music for hours unfatigued and I want the speaker to disappear (except that's a hard one 'cause I love how my XL's look on their dedicated Sound Anchor stands).

There is no tilting up of sound (high end emphasis) with these speakers...they just represent sound very accurately, very smoothly with almost no (all speakers color to some degree) coloration.

Have you ever heard a studio style JBL monitor? When I began recording in the 60's every recording studio had JBL's it seemed. They were accurate mostly until you got into the highs and then they seemed to sound like nails on a chalkboard. Very tiring, and difficult to listen to for the long mix-downs. Well, the XL's do not sound like that at all, they just play the music faithfully...for better or for worse. If the recording is bad, it's for worse; if it's a good recording, it's for better!

BTW, I think we left the original ACI customer service post a little here. Perhaps I should have put this in some other review oriented post, but I did not want to leave your question unanswered. I hope I helped. Sometimes I can be long-winded...highly recommended for those with insomnia to get to sleep!