SP technology speakers

[shep]

There's a lot of jumping up and down and hyperbole over at AC about these and the super duper new X'overs being offered (for super duper prices) anyone have any ear-knowlege about these or thoughts? Sounds too good to be true. Haven't we all heard about the Ultimate killer product before? and before that...

[Double Ugly]

There's a lot of jumping up and down and hyperbole over at AC about these and the super duper new X'overs being offered (for super duper prices) anyone have any ear-knowlege about these or thoughts? Sounds too good to be true. Haven't we all heard about the Ultimate killer product before? and before that...

I don't suppose you want to ask me about 'em, huh?  

Seriously, though, only a precious few have heard the new crossover components, but those who have happen to be people I trust.  That puts me in a position unique to most, allowing me to be more confident than ever that my purchase of "Full Monty" Revelations is money well-spent.

FWIW, if you read Scott Black's review of the Revelations, you'll notice he's owned and heard a lot of great speakers, and yet he believes the Revelations are the last speakers he'll ever buy.  Throw in a few choice comments from renowned speaker-hater Jim Merod -

"I despise speakers.  I love microphones ... all microphones, because -- if you know what you're doing --  each microphone,
no matter what, is useful in a set of special applications.
  "I count the number of speakers I've used, heard, and reviewed that earn my complete respect on one hand . . . less than five fingers.
  "I've never heard a speaker that reproduces all the music --
all the ambient information I strive to capture in my recordings
-- until I heard SP TECH's 'Revelation MR-1' . . . I'll not relent until, with their shocking nakedness, they are locked into place as monitoring companions here at BluePort Sound."

...and legendary amp designer Steve McCormack (recently told a perspective purchaser that he'll own a pair of Revelations as soon as he can afford them) and you have to begin to wonder if it might be true.  The Steve McCormack anecdote was offered me by the formerly "prospective" purchaser himself, and since speaking w/ Steve he's ordered a pair of "Full Monty" Revelations, a "Full Monty" Continuum for use as a center channel and a pair of "standard" Continuums as surrounds.  And this by a guy who has never heard an SP Technology speaker!!!  

All I know is that they're the best speakers *for me and my tastes* that I've ever heard, and they've gone through 3 separate improvements since I last heard them.  And that's not including the most recent crossover component changes.  

Anyway, like I said... you probably don't want to ask me.        

-Jim

[shep]

nahh...I knew I didn't have to! This is a serious serious serious problem for the budget conscious amongst us. (read "10 years prison for attempted bank robbery. Senior citizen was apprehended with a soap carved knife at a local bank. The teller related that he was babbling about some obscure fetish object called SP Revelation, with tears streaming down his face. As he was taken in for treatment one witness remarked a light blue tea shirt with the words Audio Nervosa on it. It is not yet know what significance this might have but it is thought to represend some little known cult suspected of similar acts throughout the universe"

[lonewolfny42]

There's a lot of jumping up and down and hyperbole over at AC about these and the super duper new X'overs being offered (for super duper prices) anyone have any ear-knowlege about these or thoughts? Sounds too good to be true. Haven't we all heard about the Ultimate killer product before? and before that...

Hearing is believing....but many never get the chance.

[Nick B]

Well, I have Timepieces ordered (with the old cosmetics, but the new(er?) Mundorf xover). It's not the "full Monty" that Jim is getting, but quality somewhere in between. I'm really looking forward to it and maybe they'll be here in a couple of weeks. I'm hoping to hear a big difference...................
Nick

[richidoo]

Description and prices here.

What's this "full monty" treatment? Is that the same as Premier? Are there any reviews of the Revelation model out yet? Is this active amplification, or passive crossover?

I see a few things that make my warning antennas come up: the words Golden Ratio, Porsche, a buxom babe in the picture, buying without hearing first, shiny piano lacquer finish, and only 2 8" woofers claiming -2dB at 25Hz. Not that any of those things are bad... No Revelation reviews yet. I would be most concerned about tonal accuracy with the horn tweeter and distortion in the low frequencies from smallish drivers.  I will read the reviews of the other models to learn more about his design goals.

I am pretty sceptical, but I respect your opinions Jim and Chris. The Adagios surprised me with their good tone and decent bass response from small drivers, so maybe these will too. I'm always open minded and willing to learn new tricks, but also mindful of the limits of physics and the influence of the market. I hope they come to RMAF.
Rich

[miklorsmith]

One of my nearby audioheads has a pair of Revelations coming soon.  I'm excited to hear them.

[Double Ugly]

The "Full Monty" is my chosen verbiage to describe the crossovers w/ top-of-the-line Mundorf pieces and parts ($$$).  It has nothing to do with the Premier finish. There are no professional reviews of the Revelations yet, and the crossover is passive (external is an option, though).

FWIW, my Timepieces have only a single 8" woofer per side, and are claimed to reach -3dB @ 29Hz.  I doubt anyone who has heard them questions the accuracy of those measurements, but you're more than welcome to come over and check anytime you like.    

With regards to distortion in the low frequencies, I believe you'll find that I, George Hoenninger (zybar), Scott Black (Freejazz) and others have all made statements to the effect that Revelations produce the best bass we've heard from any speaker or subwoofer, regardless of price.  Granted, that and a buck-fifty will get you half-way to a decent cup o' coffee, but it would seem to lend credence to the engineering goals and design philosophy of Bob Smith.  That, or we all really like the distortion they produce!  

As for tonal accuracy, Jim Merod (founder of BluePort Sound recording studio and BluePort Jazz record label, writer for ENJOY THE MUSIC, POSITIVE FEEDBACK, formerly with Stereo Times), Bill Roberts (formerly of ENJOY THE MUSIC) and Bruce Bartlett are all recording engineers, and they certainly didn't have an issue with tonal irregularities or distortion.  Stephen Murphy of Pro Audio Sound "has produced or engineered hundreds of recordings, including Grammy-winning and gold and platinum-selling releases", and he didn't seem to think they were issues either.  In fact, they all say or imply otherwise.  

Bear in mind, too, that all but Jim Merod's review were of the older, since thrice-improved Timepiece 2.0s.  But as Chris says, hearing is believing.

They were at the 2004 RMAF, but I don't know what (if any) plans Bob has for this year.  That's where I heard them, and I've been counting my pennies ever since.

Are they for everyone?  Absolutely not.  Tastes and desires are far too varied for any one speaker to satisfy all.  That said, I honestly doubt anyone who hears a properly set-up and supported (i.e., ancillary equipment) pair will fail to recognize the quality of sound produced whether it meets with their sonic wants/needs/desires or not.

So as always, YMMV...

-Jim

PS - I feel for you, shep.  If you ever find yourself back in the states, you're welcome to stop by and listen as long as you like... or until the wife kicks you out, whichever occurs first.        

-Jim

[Nick B]

What's this "full monty" treatment? Is that the same as Premier? Are there any reviews of the Revelation model out yet? Is this active amplification, or passive crossover?

Over on the "other circle" aka AC, Bob from SP had posted that he is re-doing the standard finsh on the Timepieces. Since he had some old stock around, I am getting the"old finish" at a very nice discount. I did opt for the new Mundorf parts, though. This is all internal and not the super duper external xover that Jim is getting. Whether there is an intermediate Mundorf upgrade between what Jim and I are getting, I don't know.

Because of the nice discount, this is a "no brainer" for me. Also, I trust Jim's judgment and comments based on our PM's and phone discussions.

I should have been much clearer in my post and hope this hasn't cast a bad light in any way on Bob at SPTech. He's very straightforward and a pleasure to deal with.

Nick

[richidoo]

Thanks Jim. You know I would LOVE to hear them. Next summer I will drive out to Indy, maybe I'll take a little longer route and stop in! You'll have them dialed in by then. Maybe sooner at a show.
Rich

[Double Ugly]

Thanks Jim. You know I would LOVE to hear them. Next summer I will drive out to Indy, maybe I'll take a little longer route and stop in! You'll have them dialed in by then. Maybe sooner at a show.
Rich

You're welcome to come anytime, Rich.  However, I have to say that traveling through Mississippi to get to Indy is quite a detour.  But if you're willing, you can bet I am, too!  

I'll add just one other aside that probably won't mean anything to anyone besides me -

My wife, Kandy, is a classically-trained musician (piano, trumpet) who's been going to jazz gigs with her father since she was in middle school.  She's had the pleasure of playing with some of the legends of the business (Thelonious Monk, Maynard Ferguson) and IMO she has a fair idea about how things should sound.  Long story short, she's basically forbidden me from bringing other speakers into the house, and she hasn't even heard the Revelations yet!  

Caveat - she did acquiesce once in the past couple of years when she liked the finish of the Daedalus DA-1s, so I bought 'em.  She occasionally enjoys the very warm, laid-back sound of the DA-1s, but after a while she'll ask me to bring the Timepieces back into the system.  

-Jim

[richidoo]

Oh, gee I guess I need to back to 2nd grade, thought MS was Missouri. In that case I better plan a trip to see my brother in Sandiego. Route 10?  

A musician will have a different sense of what instruments sound like up close and personal. Once they hear a speaker that can make music like THAT, it's all over. That's why I am so devoted to my Legacys. I would hope there would be another talented designer with the same sound in mind. Love to hear another brand that gets it right through whole freq band.

[Double Ugly]

Despite her obvious love of music, Kandy essentially hates everything about audiophilia.  To her, it's about the music, stupid!  (note - "stupid" added for effect; it just sounds right, doesn't it? )

Anyway, she hates all the cable, amp, pre-amp, etc. changes, and just wants to listen to music.  But in a twist not unlike your recent experience, I've sort of won her over through the music she loves so much.  

She's fond of repeating a phrase she made up that reflects her frugal nature ("You can't miss what  you don't know you don't have."), but obviously she couldn't avoid hearing the results of my obsession with re-creating the live event in our home.  Now she will occasionally give me a sideways glance and say, "You've ruined me" and make reference to how happy she was when all she had was a pair of $150 speakers, a cheap multi-channel turner/integrated and a 10-year old Sony 100-disc changer, but she'll quickly (albeit grudgingly) admit to being pleased with the results of my labor.  Once you've heard it, there's no going back... at least not willingly.

From what I've read, I think you'd like 'em, Rich.  But even if you don't, it'd be an educational experience, and there's something to be said for that.  The more I learn, the more I know I don't know.  Who knows... I may stumble across a speaker tomorrow that makes my Timepieces sound like a clock radio.

But I ain't holdin' my breath.  

Take care, and lemme know if/when you begin heading west.

-Jim

[richidoo]

That's funny Jim. My wife's frugal saying is "You gotta do watcha got with" which is still as important to us now as it was in the old days when $20 was serious money. She understands/tolerates the audio quest and appreciates the results by playing her own music. I wanna get her into rhapsody or pandora or something where she can explore all the crazy modern music out there on the system. Squeezebox is not totally effortless for browsing, so a laptop or sonos or something might be easier. Beethoven only wrote 9 symphonies, and unlike me she gets bored with my same old shit all the time. Julie will never let the Legacy's go out the door. Unless I can prove something better coming in. But to her they are plenty good enough so "just buy CDs now."

I will let you know if we head west. I have been thinking about taking the kids on the road on their break, but no plans yet. Thanks for the invite!

[shep]

Jim thanks for the invite. Not sure my heart or my head could take that much pleasure though! "you can't miss what you haven't experienced" I'll just listen from the safe side-lines. I got silly lucky with my 600$ Dutch hand-made TL's (and a rather up-market X'over they have too!). Man's gotta know his limits! years ago I would have done just about anything (including illegal) to get my hands on great gear and it wasn't even that good! Getting wise AND frugal. Who would have thought...