[byteme]

For anyone who has heard them, obviously the implementation will have an effect but I'm curious about the differences between these three tweeters.  Are the 9700/9900 worth the extra money?  

Context for me is differences between North Creek Borealis and Odyssey Lorelei.  If I would go with the North Creek question is - is the upgrade to the 9900 driver worth the money to do it?

Thanks!

[cryotweaks]

I have owed/heard all of the afore mentioned tweeters, and would recommend the 9700.  The Revelator faceplate oon the 9900, IMHOP, does not make a significant difference in the sound quality.

The 9700/9900 are faster, more detailed, and simply sound better.  Probably due to no ferrofluid in the voice coil gap.  The 9500 is a bit laid back in comparison, as well as less detailed.

Hope that helps.

[JohnR]

This is a confusing question, because the Loreleis are built and the NC is a kit -- aren't they?

I gather the 9900 is an upgrade option to the NC kit. Based on my experience I would go for the 9700 but hey, the tweeters were in different speakers w/ different xovers so that means my experience doesn't mean much. What did George Short say?

[Ears]

I had 9500 tweets in 3 0f 5 speakers at one time and have since upgraded to the revelator in all speakers which required re-routering the boxes.
I hear a lot more detail whith the revelators and a wider deeper soundstage when used in two channel.

I also reccomend Hovland,Aurri caps ect....don't settle for Solen ect, and I reccomend Alpha core inducters and solid silver internal wiring.

Then you are going to hear every weak link in your sonic chain so these speakers could end up costing more than you think

[byteme]

Thanks guys!  

Yes, the NC are a "kit", however, I'd get the cabinets built for me, the crossovers come assembled (I'd be getting the "Ludicrious Speed" Unlimited NC crossover) and all I have to do is mount the crossovers and drivers, no soldering required.  I'd have no problem doing that and in fact would probably get a kick out of it.

As for being more expensive than I think, yes, it could end up that way, however, I've been building the whole front end for a couple years now and the speakers are clearly the weak point in the system.

[LadyDog]

My thoughts having owned speakers with the 9300, 9500, 9700 and 9900 drivers.

I agree the 9700 and 9900 certainly have a more crisp and detailed presentation. The 9300 and 9500 offer a little warmer, fuller, more romantic sound.

Implementation is probably as important as anything but with all that said, I preferred the 9900. I felt the benefits were worth the extra costs.  Imagine there has to be a reason why the revelator costs what it does and why many feel it is one of the top 3 or 4 tweeters made. Maybe it was my justification?  

Playing devil's advocate, I can see how somebody may prefer the lesser expensive models though. All depends on your choice of presentation.      

Speaker choices are never easy but you can take some comfort in that whichever speaker you choose I am sure you will be more than happy with. Only briefly heard the Lorelei but it easily competes in the $4-5k range.

As a side note, Klaus is a great guy, if you want the 9900 tweeter you may ask if he can implement it the Lorelei?

Good luck in your quest!

Regards,
Jeff

[audiojerry]

Hey Byteme,
I have a couple of comments.

First, trying to decide between Odyssey and Northcreek speakers based on tweeter use would be difficult because so many other factors come into play in the implementation of the tweeter. Crossover design, crossover frequency to the tweeter, crossover parts, wire, cabinet volume, cabinet damping, tweeter damping, tweeter matching, (in fact overall QA control and matching of all components), integration of tweeter and woofer, even how the drivers are mounted, will likely have a much greater impact on perceived quality than the actual tweeter itself.

Being able to achieve things like great imaging, soundstage, transparency, and the ability for the speakers to disappear, are the results of lots of R&D, careful matching of components, and a great listening ear by the designer. I'm only guessing on this one, but I'd be willing to bet that the best sounding manufactured speakers are the ones that have been carefully built and listened to before they are boxed and shipped out for sale.  

Building from a kit I think is a bit riskier because you are pinning your hopes that the final product will produce the results you had hoped for. When buying a manufactured speaker, you at least have the opportunity to return it if it doesn't meet your expectations. Does Odyssey have a return policy?

Another consideration, at least for me, is how long I will be content with what I have. That is why I have gone often to the used market for my speakers. I can experiment with a lot of different speakers with the option of selling them down the road without much risk of exposure to lost $$$. This requires patience, buying at a good price, and buying speakers that have high name recognition and resale value. I've seen several Northcreek speakers for sale on the used market, and for the most part the selling prices appear to be far lower than the  buyer's investment.
FWIW, brands like B&W, ProAc, Vandersteen, and Dynaudio seem to have the highest resale value in my experience.

Of course all of this leaves out the fun factor and sense of pride with you DIY    I've done some DIY from kits, and it was fun, but the end result was always  

[byteme]

Again, thanks for the comments.

To clarify, I'm not trying to compare the 9700 (lorelei) and the 9900 (NC) or choose one or the other based on tweeter - my question was more aimed at is the leap to Revelator (either the 9700 or 9900) from the 9300/9500 worth the dough?  Jerry, you're spot on in that the implementation of the tweeter is going to have much more to do with things than simply the tweeter design itself.

Actually, George at NC has told me that he'd suggest the 9500 with the Unlimited crossover every time as compared to the 9900 with a lesser crossover, but the 9900 with the Unlimited crossover tweaked for it is the best thing they offer.  

As for the kit vs. "manufactured" argument, that's the number one reason I'm looking at the Lorelei.  On the other side of that argument, I've had my current Polks since I bought them new in 1988.  To that end, NC has written much that at the time was radical, on the fringe kind of stuff and now is commonplace in speaker manufacture, they claim to be and are respected by some as one of the premier crossover designers/implementers/makers on the planet.  OTOH, the Lorelei is taken from a proven product with years of track record.  I do feel that either will suit me just fine.  And I really don't look at the Borealis as being "kit built" because I'll have actually done nothing other than final assembly and I can guarentee that I'm a lot more careful about final assembly than some $10/hour clown at the XYZ Speaker factory!  

I'm well aware of my limitations Jerry!  And, like you, I fear I'd end up    if I tried to do too much myself!  What I'm trying to do is get close to what I heard from your rig for about 1/2 the price of the speakers.  Realizing of course that your other tweaks and equipment play heavily into what I heard!