[Rocket_Ronny]

Kon:

What happens in 500 hours?


Rocket_Ronny

[stlrman]

Congrats Rocket    ,
Enjoy your new speakers!!! Any pics? What finish are they?
My minis should be here in the next week or so.
Best wishes,
Todd

[konut]

Kon:

What happens in 500 hours?


Rocket_Ronny

The midrange becomes more relaxed.

[Rocket_Ronny]

Hi Stir:

No picts. I think they are Walnut, not sure, dark anyway.


Thanks Kon.


Rocket_Ronny

[topround]

A little Mini review (no pun intended)

Lonewolf was gracious enough to let me have the SP tech mini's for quite some time, my house was a staging ground for others to try the speakers, other audiophiles that live around me.
It seems that audiophiles are a rare unique group but there are more of us than you might think, to some degree or another.
My first experience with the SP Tech speakers was a loan from Chris(LoneWolf) with his SP Tech Timepiece 2.0's. These speakers ,made a big impression on me and my kids , they threw a big soundstage and had great bass, they made my kids dance, but they needed power so I was bi amping. Bi amping was cool but later I decided one good amp was better than two.
This latest version of the SP Tech line is the smallest speaker they make but does share their sonic signature, and with its heritage comes its desire for lots of power.
I first tried the Mini's on my son's system, with his SET music el34 integrated at 30 or 35 watts I knew it would not be enough power, and I was right.
Later I put the Mini's in my system with my QuickSilver amp at 140 watts, this helped a lot, everything fleshed out much better and much better control of the bass.
Here are the Pro's :
This speaker can throw a very big soundstage,while proper setup is required for all speakers this speaker is very forgiving, just get it close and you can hear its potential.
Terrific bass. This little speaker can really make bass.
Cons: I kept hearing a separation of drivers, and the upper mids and highs tended to be a little on the lean side.
I also heard a little roughness to the tweeter that bothered me.

This all changed!

I heard the Mini's at MFsoa's house at the Oct. rave powered by the DAC company Cherry amp.
This was a totally different speaker than the one I heard at my house
It was completely fleshed out at all frequencies, it was full and authoritative and delicious, it had great tone all over the freqs. I loved what I heard it was extremely musical!
The 600 watts of the Cherry amp really made a huge improvement. I always believed that there exists a very important relationship of amp to speakers, A speaker may present a load to an amp that that amp may like or not like, samething with speaker cables, everytime I changed amps I had to change speaker cables.

Last year at RMAF I was lucky enough to go to Steve Changs house in Colorado, he was auditioning the SP Techs Revelations, with a 600 watt Spectron Musician amp, these speakers just had new drivers and crossovers installed the nite before, and they were magic! I heard a smaller version of that magic at the Oct rave from the Mini's.
At first I had a negative view of the Minis's but I no longer do!
They just didn't work in my house and with my gear. My opinion was formed, but it was wrong.

BTW those speakers that I heard in Colorado are for sale here on AC!
If you have the money and the room and the gear, those speakers will blow you away.
I know the economy sucks right know, but someone is gonna get a great deal.

So in the end the Mini's surprised me. They are quite a bargain for what you get.

[Goosepond]

Sometimes, I feel unfortunate in that in many respects, I haven't gone through the trials and tribulations of audio gear that I read about often here at AC.

In stead I just hung around a lot in trying to decide how to assemble my system. Somewhere along the line, the combo of the Spectron amp and some speakers from an outfit called SP Tech kept coming up.

So I went for it and got the Spectron and the SP Tech mini's. So I don't have a lot to compare them to. I just know that what I'm hearing keeps putting smiles on this old fart's face. And I guess that will just have to do. 

Thanks to all who knowingly and unknowingly contributed.

Gene

[topround]

Gene,
My heart goes out to you.
It is a sad thing that you have never felt the frustration involved in this hobby
Consider yourself lucky!

I used to be an avid bowler. Those nites when you where throwing strikes and spares, the worls was good, but those nites when your game was off you just hated bowling and wanted to quit to do something else.

I have felt that frustration with this hobby, but when things go right it is magical and it makes you happy.
Sounds like you hit the magic combo on the first try, consider yourself lucky it is usually not that way.
Some just go threw lots of gear because they like the gear,others to get that magic sound.
Stick with what you like, unless something comes along.....
And if you are smiling then you are there

mike

[Goosepond]

Thanks, Mike.

Of course I'm never going to know just how magical what I've got is, until I change something and either say, Wow! or ohhh God, I just ruined my setup.

Isn't that how this hobby goes? 

As far as bowling, I'll probably never know what could have been. I could never get past a 16 lb ball being too heavy for me but anything lighter didn't fit my fingers. If I had actually bought my own ball, fitted to me, who knows. I really enjoyed the sport but that was many a year ago.

My crowning achievement was back in college when a bunch of us starving students with no money would get together and take advantage of cheap rates, like 3 o'clock in the morning. I bowled quite a bit and one magical night I topped the mighty 200 mark, 204 IIRC.

That goes right up there with any aces I served on the tennis court. 

Gene

[lonewolfny42]

Mike/topround.....
Thanks for posting your comments...

Yes...I agree, at the Oct. Rave, the Minis sounded very good....and with both the DAC Cherry and in Mike's system (mfsoa) with his VAC tube amp (PA100/100). How good....we played the whole "Dark Side Of The Moon" cd ....from start to finish.


Gene/Goosepond....

At RMAF '08, I got to hear the Minis and Spectron combo in the Tweekgeek's room....your set....nothing to worry about...it was an excellent combo. Sit back and enjoy the tunes...

         
                             Chris

[satfrat]

Sometimes, I feel unfortunate in that in many respects, I haven't gone through the trials and tribulations of audio gear that I read about often here at AC.

In stead I just hung around a lot in trying to decide how to assemble my system. Somewhere along the line, the combo of the Spectron amp and some speakers from an outfit called SP Tech kept coming up.

So I went for it and got the Spectron and the SP Tech mini's. So I don't have a lot to compare them to. I just know that what I'm hearing keeps putting smiles on this old fart's face. And I guess that will just have to do. 

Thanks to all who knowingly and unknowingly contributed.

Gene

Hey Gene, I know how you feel. Other than car stereo shops, Sears is the closest thing to home audio gear we have here in Vermont.  If it wasn't for driving 4-5 hours to the NY RAVES, I would still have zero exposer to other high end gear. The 1 thing I like the most about the NY RAVES (other than the people, food, booze, wild women ) is the fact that there's always a lot of mix/matching of gear so everyone gets an idea what may and what may not work. I'm in total agreement with Topround. Up til the Oct RAVE, the 2 times I heard the Mini's had failed to catch my ear. Fortunately that all changed for me as it did for others. It's hard to know what will and will not work in a system. You can only try it out and see.

Cheers,
Robin

[Goosepond]

Hi Chris,

You're probably the only one who can directly compare the minis and the true Timepieces. Have you had the minis at home long enough to comment on such a comparison?

Gene

[Goosepond]

Hi Robin,

Hmmm, "people, foord, booze, wild women". Maybe I'll schedule a flight from Louisiana to NYC next rave. I'm sure one of those guys wouldn't mind putting me up for a weekend. 

JK.

Gene

[lonewolfny42]

Hi Chris,

You're probably the only one who can directly compare the minis and the true Timepieces. Have you had the minis at home long enough to comment on such a comparison?

Gene

Only a short time with the Minis Gene.... when they first arrived....then they were out and about....NY,NJ....for their little tour. I did notice...a smoother crossover than my TP2's (their old). The bass is stronger with the larger speakers....stronger than many speakers that are out there today. Both do shine with...a powerful amp.

When the Minis finally return...in a month or so....I can test them out better....plenty of stuff here.

Speaking of Rave's.....our Holiday/X'mas Rave is always a big hit....thats one you should make...

[satfrat]

Hi Chris,

You're probably the only one who can directly compare the minis and the true Timepieces. Have you had the minis at home long enough to comment on such a comparison?

Gene

I think Chris has heard the mini's more often at the RAVES than he has in his own home.  

[lonewolfny42]

Hi Chris,

You're probably the only one who can directly compare the minis and the true Timepieces. Have you had the minis at home long enough to comment on such a comparison?

Gene

I think Chris has heard the mini's more often at the RAVES than he has in his own home.  

Your right Robin.....

But I look at it this way.....all those that have auditioned the Minis....their not SP Tech owners....so no bias....and I mention to each....tell it like you hear it...good or bad its fine with me.

[satfrat]

Hi Chris,

You're probably the only one who can directly compare the minis and the true Timepieces. Have you had the minis at home long enough to comment on such a comparison?

Gene

I think Chris has heard the mini's more often at the RAVES than he has in his own home.  

Your right Robin.....

But I look at it this way.....all those that have auditioned the Minis....their not SP Tech owners....so no bias....and I mention to each....tell it like you hear it...good or bad its fine with me.

You the man Chris.

[Goosepond]

Hi Chris,

You're probably the only one who can directly compare the minis and the true Timepieces. Have you had the minis at home long enough to comment on such a comparison?

Gene

I think Chris has heard the mini's more often at the RAVES than he has in his own home.  

Your right Robin.....

But I look at it this way.....all those that have auditioned the Minis....their not SP Tech owners....so no bias....and I mention to each....tell it like you hear it...good or bad its fine with me.

Chris,

And another benefit. Once you get them home for good, they will be all broken in! 

Gene

[lonewolfny42]

Thanks Robin...

And.....Gene....your right...they'll be ready to rock and roll...

[konut]

 
 Chris,

And another benefit. Once you get them home for good, they will be all broken in! 

Gene

Do NOT underestimate break-in for the Minis. The word finesse comes to mind, or......my amps are finally broken in......after 9 years. 

[topround]

Gene,
The holiday rave is the one to come to.
You have an open invite to stay at my house, I have a spare bedroom for you and your wife?
Phil hosts the holiday rave and he is close to me
the holiday rave is like going to a small RMAF, lotsa gear and great food, and tons of wine and beer.

and the invite is real.

Mike