[Robert C. Schult]

Well, it's been what?...two, three months since I've posted anything with any relevance here. Finally decided I just needed to "take" some time and touch base and kind of update you with a few things that may be of some interest.

First, please forgive my absence. Because I tend to be a very focused single, maybe double tasked person, I try to do one thing at a time very well. Meanwhile, life keeps rolling and certain things I just have to put aside for a time. I wished I were better at juggling but, as of now, I'm not the juggler I wish to be.

Bob Crump shared once that a friend of his makes a living selling deer pee and he's good at it. I don't know how you could be good at that but I'm sure he's found a way.  (love that Emoticon) Amazing...making a living selling deer pee. It also amazes me that some of us are able to make a living selling toys for grown men (and some women). How fortunate for all of us that in some ways we're still little boys that find intrigue and comfort playing with toys in a world gone too serious much of the time. When I meet new friends and tell them I manufacture and sell Hi-End audio cabling for a living, you’d think I just told them I sell deer pee. I'm amazed at the success of Ridge Street Audio Designs in what seems to me to be such a short period of time. That’s where I’ve been since late last year. We’ve been pretty much buried since late November. For those of you who’ve placed your confidence in us, I really am so grateful and I’m so glad we’ve been able to make a positive difference in your music listening enjoyment. Thank You! seems hardly appropriate. And a free CD just seems to piss certain people off (inside joke a few of you might know about).

And there’s more to come. We have two associates that are seriously committed to their craft. Steve who’s been with me for nearly twenty years and has also served as my early mentor in audio has been working on the Sason Ltd loudspeaker for about the last two years. Sason means to “make merry” or to “dance with merriment”. Reminds me of Lonewolf’s Affliction…also known medically as LA and is a desirable disease! Then there’s Dean who’s been a freak in this hobby since at least the early ‘80s. He’s been working off and now more on on his Accure AC optimization unit for about three years.These two projects will be coming to fruition soon…I trust. I’m waiting anxiously and helping a little where I can. As for cabling, nothing concretely new coming but I have some ideas stirring that I would like to engineer and audition when I get some time. Time…Like Lak’s signature file says “ good things in life take a long time”. How painfully but rewardingly true. And I’m learning that patience is a greater virtue than I first believed. Ridge Street has also acquired a pair of it’s own Pass Labs amps and Reference 3A de Capo i loudspeakers to add to our Auditioning Gear / Test Bed arsenal. I’ll be doing some mods on both of these before I’m settled with them for duty. Ridge Street Audio Designs will be moving into new quarters in I think about a month and the remodeling of our listening / show room should be done then too. Let's Party! (haven't forgotten.)

This coming Friday through Sunday is the  Festival Son & Image of Montreal hi-fi expo in Montreal, Canada. Ridge Street Poiema! cabling will be complimenting the Brinkmann USA room at the Hotel Delta, Montreal, room  615. The Brinkmann Audio USA website is http://www.brinkmann-usa.com and the show website is http://www.hifiexpo.com. If you’re in the area, stop by and meet Lawrence. He’s a great enthusiast and this is his favorite show to be a part of. His room ought to be a hit at the show. System will include the Balance Turntable and the Brinkmann 10.5 tonearm for vinyl duty. The Brinkmann EMT phono cartridge will be driving the Brinkmann Fein phono stage with the Marconi Pre providing preamplification, and the Brinkmann Mono Amplifiers driving the partially granite fabricated, 200 lb Eggelstonworks Andra II loudspeakers. I can’t remember the digital front end but I know it too is world class. Would love to hear this system outside of show conditions but Lawrence told me he took extra effort to get one of the better rooms available to suit this system. Regretfully, I can’t be there this year. I think I need to spend some time giving our website some sorely needed attention before Satfrat completely kills me.

So, all this. Hope it’s been of some interest to you. Oh, BTW, for those of you that we may be new to or to those who have forgotten who we are because of the absence, we make cabling. Some of the finest cabling available in my experience and according to some of our clients who’ve been around the block a few times. We’re not cheap but we are about excellent value. We’ve been running our Winter / Spring 2004 ads over on A’goN. You’re invited to take a look if you’re in the market or if you just want to hear some cool music clips.

Poiema!

Midnight Silver Edition Gen.II

[lonewolfny42]

Hello Robert,

Good to see you back posting again, and to learn you've been good and busy! Looking forward to your new products. And, good luck with your new move.....getting off "Fail Road" ?   [/list:u]

[Steve Rothermel]

Hello AC’ers,

I am the until-now quiet guy cheering on Robert C. Schult "behind the scenes" at Ridge Street Audio Designs. My name is Steve Rothermel and, like Robert said, I have been his audio buddy for a very long time.

I chime in here because of the new loudspeaker soon to be introduced at Ridge Street Audio. The name is the Sason Ltd (meaning “make merry” or to “dance with merriment”). The design is evolutionary (in the context of all loudspeaker designs) and not revolutionary. It is my vision of the best thinking in loudspeaker design currently. This (and I'm sure you've heard this before) is the speaker I've always wanted but did not find available anywhere. Others have been fascinated with what I am doing and stated repeatedly "you are in the wrong career and need to be into this instead." How many of us know they need to follow their passion but are afraid of _____ (your favorite excuse here)? After 14 years of being an engineer in the auto industry, I decided I had better start my career life over now, at 41 years old, instead of at 60 or 70. Robert has been an inspiration and I enjoy telling him I am very proud of his accomplishments.

Bob - I have always known him as "Bob" - and I have a remarkable (in the best sense of the word) relationship. I am the engineer with the artist/innovative side and he is the innovator with the engineering side. Want to see some passionate debates? Just don't get between us! Typically, the result of our sharing our ideas is a new paradigm that no one else is pursuing.

About the Sason Ltd:
The cabinet is the first indicator this is a unique speaker. My own experiences taught me that even the best cabinet materials have a sound signature and the only way to avoid this is to go “exotic” like Rockport has done with their carbon fiber cabinet, or go extreme with more common materials – like granite. I prefer the timeless beauty and familiarity of granite. A note to persons sharing their domestic environment with a partner: I challenge you to find disagreement from your partner when introducing granite loudspeakers to the home - if you offer them the option of making the color choices. They win because they have added something gorgeous to the home and you win on the technical merits of a vibration-free cabinet. The speakers disappear visually as well as acoustically.

The face of this two-way speaker wears formal attire: the 4-inch thick and computer-control machined front baffle is sculpted and decidedly not like a typical speaker. The color is of your choice – your imagination is the limit (again – refer to the note, above). Professional-grade lacquer paint is used for its depth and beauty. To see them will be to need them. The drawing shown is my CAD rendition and obviously cannot do the real product any justice. It does illustrate the concept, however.

I do not wish to turn this into an all-out sales pitch and don’t think this is the place to do so...but I wanted to wet your whistle and will answer any curiosity seekers if so inclined.



Look forward to participating here and hearing back from you.

[Marbles]

Steve,

The Market Square section SHOULD be used as a sales area

If you want to start your own thread, go ahead.

What drivers will you be using, what is your XO like, and what price range are your speakers.

Thanks

[Robert C. Schult]

Hi Lonewolf.

  No, not moving from Fail Road. Just finishing some extensive remodeling and re-arranging. Fortunately, when I started Ridge Street Audio Designs, I didn't have a Fail Road address. Something about Fail Road Audio that just doesn't sound right . When I started Ridge Street Audio, I lived on Ridge Street but still, that's not the main reason why I settled on that name. Another story I'm happy to relate if you want to know the "ins" of it.

[mattybumpkin]

Robert,

When have you ever posted anything of relevance ;>) ?

Good to hear all is well and that business is good.

Still enjoying the Midnight's!

Matty "M"

[Steve Rothermel]

Steve,

The Market Square section SHOULD be used as a sales area

If you want to start your own thread, go ahead.

What drivers will you be using, what is your XO like, and what price range are your speakers.

Thanks

Marbles,

About the Ridge Street Audio Sason Ltd loudspeakers:
I still think the Scan-Speak drivers are the most natural and reproduce all the detail the finest upstream components can throw at them. That said, I am using the 7-inch 18W/8546 Kevlar midwoofer. I still find it amazing how advanced the 8546 is today - especially how Scan-Speak has addressed the typical stiff cone break-up modes on its top end. Kevlar is not easy to tame and other manufacturers have taken extraordinary measures to dampen their cones (see Focal/JM Labs drivers and Eton drivers). Scan-Speak did their homework and forced an asterisk or caveat into every dissertation on the weaknesses of Kevlar used as a speaker cone. I do not care for any other Kevlar driver. Actually, I still believe it tough to beat good 'ole paper. If you want to read a well-respected designer's (Lynn Olson of MTM monitor Olson Ariel loudspeaker fame) thoughts on the topic, go to http://www.nutshellhifi.com/library/speaker-design2.html. I do agree with Lynn's statement that all materials have a unique sonic signature and Kevlar is not an exception. As in everything else in life, make a choice based on your own set of compromises. As I said, I am normally not a lover of Kevlar and yet I find the Scan-Speaks very natural sounding. My priority is in getting the entire midrange right. Then I work on tweeter/crossover issues.

The crossover is tantamount to success/failure. I have thrown away thousands of dollars on parts just to get an acceptable sound. I don't do it any more! It takes a lot of fine test equipment, a lot of time fine tuning (aka "voicing") and, usually, a good amount of advanced schooling on acoustical physics and electro acoustics. Just talk to a world-class designer such as George Short III at North Creek Music Systems (http://www.northcreekmusic.com). I have loved North Creek's designs for years and have the highest regard for George. Here is a man that does what he says and says what he does. Extremely knowledgeable.

The tweeter is new and is better than the highly respected Scan-Speak D2905/9500. The difference is mainly noticeable at the highest frequencies. This 1-inch soft dome is more extended on top and has higher resolution throughout its range. This tweeter is easily competitive in every way with the very best soft domes available today.

The crossover uses a minimum of parts in order to perform its duty and preserve the input signal as much as possible. It is a second order filter for the tweeter electrically. The midwoofer filter is electrically a third order slope. Both translate as a symmetrical third order slope acoustically. Both are connected with positive polarity. The woofer inductor is a massive 10-gauge air core coil. The tweeter series capacitor is a film-and-foil type. The wiring is unique to Ridge Street, utilizing the Ridge Street silver conductors (of course!). As well, we are doing a few other things, like cryo treatment (standard), that few others are doing.

As far as the pricing did you see what the "competition" is asking for a pair of stand-mounted two-ways? I've seen $13,500/pr. There is also a well-known reviewer's fave floor-stander going for $19,000/pr! Again, a two-way. I understand why there are good reasons for these asking prices. The issue is whether or not you can find something in the same product class/category with the same or better sound and for closer to half the price. Depending on your definition of value, this may be something of a steal. I'm betting you will feel that way when you see and hear the production release Sason Ltd. The final pricing is not firm but I hope I have given you an idea of where the pricing will be. I will keep everyone updated here! (A side note: an earlier version Sason now owned by a  customer deterred the buyer from purchasing the B&W Nautilus 802. The customer is still amazed at the sound and has no regrets. )

Thanks for asking, Marbles, and if you or others have more questions let me know!

[Psychicanimal]

Got everything you need ordered?

[Steve Rothermel]

We got yer inventory right here, pal.

Everything is coming along. Thanks for your interest!

[lonewolfny42]

When do you expect to release these speakers ?  

[Anonymous]

The Ridge Street Audio Designs Sason Ltd will be released by mid June with a target date of June 1.

I'd like to point out that the standard offering is a solid surface acrylic granite material [1/2-inch thick. Also known as Corian (tm)/Gibralter (tm)/and others] over precision 3/4-inch thick, 13-layer Birch plywood. The cabinet is heavy, inert, and very well-braced. The crossover is in a separate sub-enclosure.

Once the Sason Ltd is launched, our attention will focus on an even higher performance version, the Sason Ltd Vi (Vi = Version, improved). The upgraded design will incorporate natural granite (and not the 3/4-inch thick granite others use, but the 1 1/4-inch thick granite) for the cabinet. Details of all the enhancements beyond the standard version Sason Ltd will be forthcoming. They are substantial and not based on appearance only, to be sure. The standard Sason Ltd is the choice for those with excellent partnering equipment. The Sason Ltd Vi is for those fortunate to have the most advanced equipment in terms of audio quality. It is not recommended for everyone due to its revealing nature.

We are extremely excited about the Sason Ltd because it assembles all the best thinking from the highest-performance loudspeakers in a manner not seen on any other production design!

Sincerely,

Steve Rothermel

[Steve Rothermel]

O.K. - I just caught it - I somehow became a "guest" on the previous post.

I'll try to tone down my excitement BEFORE I remember to log in!

[theborg]

Whoops my bad I forget to set the permissions to require folks to be logged in to post. Fixed now!