[barkerpj]

Any news on when the next batch of Mini's will ship as I'm anxiously awaiting more reviews or news of my maple pair.

Can't wait to hear them.

Paul

[Aether Audio]

Paul et.al,

Looking forward is always harder than looking back.  Every single SP Tech customer will tell you that Bob's estimates of time are about as close to being worthless as you can get.  OK... I admit it... I absolutely suck at being a production manager.  Besides my specialty being design, other than at SP Tech I've never been involved in production management in my previous vocations.  In fact, I've been in design for over the last 20 years in one form or another.  So... I'm a fish out of water, it's that simple.

I will say one thing in my defense though, the damned job would be a lot easier if a guy had even moderately decent working capital.  When you have to drive to the next town to buy just 2 sheets of MDF from Home Depot to build one pair of Timepieces ONLY (instead of a whole batch at once) rather than a whole bundle of MDF because you don't have the $$$, things slow to the crawl of a snail's pace.  I could go on all day with examples from beginning to end of the process, but you get the picture.  Then throw in all the factors of stupid stuff that goes wrong - mostly because of the same "no/low capital" issue.
I'm not whining - I deal with it. 

But how the hell can anybody predict anything in a world of such chaos?  All you DIY guys out there... trust me.  If you're even thinking of starting your own speaker company, don't even consider it unless you have a minimum of $500K to start with.  Otherwise you will be consigning yourself to a... nevermind - sounds like I'm whining again.  Just don't do it.  Enough said.

Well, fast forward to today... things are getting better.  The accountant just finished our year-end taxes yesterday and as it turns out, we ONLY lost $30K this year.  Woohoo!!!  What?  Think that's bad?  You don't even want to know what that number was the two years previous.

As far as the Minis go, we'll be at the point Monday that whatever delay is incurred for a number of you will be Bob's fault entirely.  A number of finished enclosures will be sitting at "my" end of the shop awaiting crossovers, drivers, testing, packing & shipping.  The rate at which they get done will be directly related to the amount of time I spend in the shop/lab.  Or looking at it conversely, the amount of time I manage to stay out of the office and/or off the phone.  Just thought you'd all like to know.  So, for at least about 6 or so pair (with more on their heels), the guy to be directly pissed at will be Bob - no more blaming the enclosure end of the process.  In reality that's very good news for you - just bad news for me.  If I don't answer the phone, please just leave a message.

Thanks!
-Bob

[IronLion]

Thanks for the update Bob! 

[Sonny]

Hi there, lots of rave around here about these minis and cs2 from emerald...
anyone in the bay area have a pair of either of these?  Would love to have an audition!
thanks
Tuan

[konut]

Thanks for the update Bob! 

+1  BACK TO WORK!

[Aether Audio]

OK Folks…

I’m catching hell here for that last post.  Guess I need to clarify a little.  Looking back I reckon I painted things a little more “gloomy” than I suppose they really are – as it is now anyway.  In fact, the conditions I described that we had been working under were more a matter of the past than the actual present or recent past.  I figure I must be a victim of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome or something.  When I look back I tend to remember the bad as though it were just yesterday.  Now, up until late last spring they were as I described…and had been for a long time before that.  In fact, I suppose it had been that way for so long that’s why I’m still dwelling on it.  When you keep getting your ass kicked for months on end, you tend to look over your shoulder a lot and for a long time after the bullies have gone away.

There’s a few of you guys out there that know me pretty well and remember as recent as last RMAF that I had a bit of a “chip” on my shoulder about all the struggles we’d been through.  Well, there I was in the midst of some really good things happening for us at Reefrus’ place and instead of being upbeat, I was cursing life.  This is why I was advising the DIY crowd about not starting their own business – at least not if they are forced to do so such that they have to derive their personal living from it.  Until you go through just how tough it can get (when you’re under funded), there’s really no way you can imagine the stress you’ll be facing.  Had I known what I was in for ahead of time back in late 2004, I would have told a certain “someone” to stick their money “where the moon doesn’t shine” and ran the other way.  Good thing I was ignorant, huh?

Anyway… the facts are (and what I should be focusing on) that in all actuality, 2007 turned out to be the best year yet for SP Tech and not nearly as bad as the previous years.  Sure, we still had struggles aplenty…and still do…but nothing like before.  Looking back I have to say that since late last spring things have been really taking off.  Then when we introduced the Minis they down right exploded.  Then... off the cuff I made mention of the Revelation Grand Masters and who would have guessed it, but (and I won't tell you how many) folks (plural) started signing up for them!  THEN we're being commissioned by a big business entity to design an exclusive product for their (huge) market as well!!  THEN... NuForce is about to launch our jointly designed "S-1" loudspeaker that will be sold in big retail outlets!!!  THEN... new distributors and dealers have been making contact and signing up for their first samples too!!!!    So whaddaya think their response is going to be when they hear them?  

Yeah, life really sucks right now.   Do you suppose that it would hurt me to try and develop a little better spirit of "thankfullness" sometime soon?  Geesh, some people just can't abide prosperity.

Now all of a sudden do we have all of the resources we need on a daily basis?  No… but you never do no matter how well things are going.  But in my case I’ve been so “shell shocked” that every time one damn little thing isn’t right, it sets me off.  I guess Bob could really use a vacation – and some really good drugs.  Yeah… I think that would help. aa

So… I didn’t mean to scare anybody off with the financial hardship report.  Now that I think about it I guess I was doing more reminiscing than reporting the current state of the union.  And… as far as the losses go, I neglected to share the fact that our accounting is set up on the “accrual” method.  I won’t go into what that all means, as I don’t completely get it myself.  All I know is that were it not for that our accountant said we would have showed a profit this year and would have had to actually pay taxes for once.  I won’t tell you how much, but I will say that I’m darned glad that we have the best accounting firm in La Porte County!

-Bob

[react]

do these Mini's have bi-wire posts?
can't seem find a rear pic or spec that mentions it.

[spence]

Good question react. I've been wondering that too. I'm also confused about the grills. Are they removeable or are they installed behind the baffle?

[Double Ugly]

do these Mini's have bi-wire posts?
can't seem find a rear pic or spec that mentions it.

I've assumed they're bi-wire capable, but my assumption is based wholly on the fact that it's true for every other speaker in the SP Tech line.  'Course, there's a first time for everything.

One of the owners may read this thread and answer up, but the surest route to an answer is to (1) begin another thread or (2) send one of the owners a PM.

[opnly bafld]

do these Mini's have bi-wire posts?
can't seem find a rear pic or spec that mentions it.

Mine have only 1 set of binding posts.

Lin

[bhobba]

Mine have only 1 set of binding posts.

Hmmmmm.  I was thinking of powering mine with a panny which evidently sounds its best bi wired.  If it can't be bi-wired I may have to reconsider the amp I was going to use.  Can Bob chime in and confirm if it will be bi-wireable or not?

Thanks
Bill

[IronLion]

I'm sure Bob can configure them to be bi-wireable if you want (he's told me as much) but it may cost a little bit more.  I wonder if getting a pair of Minis that could be bi-amped but powering them with a single amp with jumpers would have any sort of detrimental effect on the sound of the speakers?  I ask because I would be interested in having bi-amping capability for the future but don't think I have the funds for two amplifiers right now and would probably have to make due with one, I just don't know if jumpers impart a sound of their own I guess. 

Also, on the subject of bi-amping, which I know very little about, would I have to use an external crossover of some sort or would the signal that ultimately goes to both the woofer and the tweeter run through the crossover?   

[bhobba]

I'm sure Bob can configure them to be bi-wireable if you want (he's told me as much) but it may cost a little bit more.  I wonder if getting a pair of Minis that could be bi-wired but powering them with a single amp with jumpers would have any sort of detrimental effect on the sound of the speakers? 

Having them as bi-wireable and using jumpers, from my experience, will have zero sonic impact.  I am not a fan of bi wireling - I have noticed zero sonic benefits.  I am however a big fan of bi-amping which has always, to my ears, provided clear sonic improvements.  However, I also have found that spending twice the cost on an amp will usually lead to better improvements than bi-amplification.  So if a speaker is only available with bi-wiring as an option that costs extra, I would tend to not bother and spend the money saved on a better amp.  Of course this is just my experience - others experience may be different.

If bi-amping costs extra, I am tending towards a Van Alstine Omega Star fed directly from a Benchmark DAC as my initial system.

Thanks
Bill

[IronLion]

Bhobba, thanks for responding; what I meant was that I wouldn't mind having the ability to bi-amp the minis in the future, not bi-wire them.  I get those mixed up. 

[Aether Audio]

Guys,

To address your question regarding bi-wiring capability... yes, the Minis can (relatively) easily be modified to have a second set of posts added for that purpose.  We decided to leave that as an option rather than build it into every pair so that we could keep the price down.  Overall, even with our larger models bi-wiring doesn't seem to be used by a high percentage of our customers.

Actually, besides the cost saving issues we (I) didn't consider the Mini to be a design that folks would want to go to that degree with.  Well, that was my thinking before I actually heard the first pair.  Turns out the little suckers are better than I was even anticipating.  After one has designed and built larger systems as we have, one tends to have "lowered expectations" when designing an "economy" model.  Had we the market visibility of some of the big names, I'll bet we could have put the best caps and such in them and charged $10K per pair and easily sold them.  But... that's in retrospect.  I have to say the darn little things surprised the heck out of me.

So... I guess I can see why you guys would want to tweak them to the "nth" degree... now.  It's a good thing I thought ahead enough to leave room on the terminal plates for a second set of posts.  As far as signal flow goes (in a bi-wire mode), each pair of posts sends the full range signal to the input of the High Pass and Low Pass filter sections independently - no need for external crossovers at all.  All of our crossovers are designed as "parallel" filters.  I don't want to start a debate here but I don't go in for series filters.  Everybody has their pet philosophy on the matter and I could most certainly defend mine, but I don't have the time or energy to go into it.  All that really matters is that since I use parallel networks it makes it easy to do a bi-wire option.

As far as recommendations go, I say if you have the bi-wire posts and then don't use them for whatever reason, connect your speaker cable to the tweeter posts and rely on the jumper to get the signal to the woofer section.  Cable issues almost always affect the high frequencies more than the bass - unless you're using super small gauge wire.  So...that's my $0.02 on the matter.

The added cost is $50.00 per speaker or $100.00 per pair.  We offer the grills as options too at the same price.  Don't get me started - we hate making grills.  Since we aren't in a position to out-source them yet, we have to do it all ourselves.  It's a big waste of time to make them for the amount of time it takes and what you can charge for them, but if it helps sell a pair of speakers I guess that has to be factored in.  Since most don't use them or care, we don't build that cost in at the $2,495.00 price either.  But... they are available.

Hope the above info helps.

-Bob

[bhobba]

We decided to leave that as an option rather than build it into every pair so that we could keep the price down. 

Thanks for that Bob.  IMHO that is the way to go - keep the price down and spend the extra on better amps.

Thanks
Bill

[bhobba]

Thanks for that Bob.  IMHO that is the way to go - keep the price down and spend the extra on better amps.

Forgot to add - make mine single wired ie without bi-wiring.  I will spend the difference on getting an Omegastar amp and use the Benchmark DAC-1 as my source instead of an Azur 740C.

Just out of curiosity has anyone any experiences using a DAC-1 on SP speakers?  Or an Omega Star amp?

Thanks
Bill

[bbchem]

    Audigon post>> http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?cspkr&1200766801&read&3&4&

As promised I have continued my post on Audiogon forums since there was a new Speaker Post in the their forum on Waveguide speakers with other people referencing SPTECH. So I had to throw my 2-Cents in as well

 

[spence]

Are the grills removeable from the outside or are they built in? The picture looks like they are behind the baffle.

[bhobba]

Hi All

Drats.  Churned the numbers last night and the Omega star and DAC-1 cost a bit more than I first thought - forgot delivery, exchange rate and GST which adds at least 30% to the price - probably more.  Have to go back to my old idea of the panny and the 740C and ask Bob to make my bi wireable.  Will send Bob a PM.

Thanks
Bill