New Speakers Finally!

[harley .guy07]

Well I finally did it. I finally have decided to put my faith in my research and have ordered a Pair of the Spatial Audio M3 Turbo S models. I know several people have offered me to come to their area and look at models that the audio shops offer there and I thank all of you. I have done much research and have decided to try these and take advantage of the 60 day trail offer that Clayton Shaw offers and try them. They are quite different from the norm as being open baffle but I have a plan, I want the best of a box less design without the boxy sound and colorations associated with it, I want a point source that is able to soundstage and image well without being able to tell when one driver crosses over to the other and hopefully this speaker with a crossover point at 800hz well below the midranges most important frequencies will help that. And being that this speaker has a higher end compression driver which I am excited about, I have always liked compression drivers. and even though it would seem over kill being that the speakers have dual 15" woofers per speaker them being open baffle it is about right for proper low end. Well I have bot seen when they will be shipping but hopefully in the nexrt couple weeks as I am sure to let you guys know when I get them and how they sound after break in

[Mr Peabody]

Cool, looking forward to your results.

[blackraven]

Yes, cool looking speakers, congrat's. I am looking forward to your review as I have always been curious about open baffle speakers.

[Mr Peabody]

If the Spacial is like it's blueprint, Emarald Physics, the bass is excellent. It taught me to be open minded on open baffle. Legacy doesn't sound like open baffle either where applicable, however, something about Legacy bass I don't completely like. I thought it might be my friend's room but I noticed the same character at the audio show. I think it may be more to do with voicing than design. The bass on Emerald Physics was just good by any standard.

[harley .guy07]

Yeah since Clayton Shaw was originally with Emerald Physics I think they will share some qualities, The way he pointed it out to me was that he was able to get better performance out of his Spatial designs because of the simplicity and the ability to work with the manufacturer of the drivers in order to make the drivers specifically for the open baffle designs and the compression driver to handle the 800 hz crossover point and be smoother than off the shelf compression drivers. He said doing that is why his Spatial speakers need no DSP like the Emerald Physics speakers do which is what turned me off of Emerald Physics speakers in the first place.

I also think that the design of the M3 is quite simple and elegant in a way as well. I also think it will be fun to have friends over and freak out at the thought of speakers without enclosures and then watch in amazement at how they can't believe at how good they sound.

I am really looking forward to the bass performance of these speakers because from what I have read they have a much more natural true to life aspect to the bass than a lot of other speakers in the fact that a bass drum sounds like one not a boom, or a stand up bass keeps the Full acoustic qualities to it.

[topspeed]

Congrats! Can't wait to hear your impressions of such an unconventional speaker.

[thekid]

Congrats!! Look forward to your impression of them!

[Feanor]

Congrats on your new Spatial speakers; hope you enjoy them a lot.

Do you see any advantages to dynamic drivers over planars in the a dipole design? Being the the owner of a pair myself I don't need to be convinced of the virtues of dipole speakers in general. As you know, mine are Magneplanars.

[harley .guy07]

Congrats on your new Spatial speakers; hope you enjoy them a lot.

Do you see any advantages to dynamic drivers over planars in the a dipole design? Being the the owner of a pair myself I don't need to be convinced of the virtues of dipole speakers in general. As you know, mine are Magneplanars.

Honestly I will see how they compare to the Magneplanars I've heard over the years but the only thing I would say is that they might do the scaling a little better and possibly dynamics but there might be other areas that the Magneplanars could do better but I am real excited to see how they do after break in. I will try to hear next week when they plan to ship

[Hyfi]

Very cool, what Color? Red I hope, they look better than black or white. I'm interested in how the Pass will control the bass on those guys. Might be a great combo.

Where did you get to demo these speakers? Looks like very limited dealerships anywhere.

[harley .guy07]

Well I did order black, they match the décor better and my wife seemed to be more accepting of the black since we have a black, tan, and grey in the rest of the room. I kind of wish they would have had a flat grey which I would have loved but no dice.

I actually did not go demo them, I am making a leap of faith since Clayton of Spatial has a fairly long 60 day demo period that I can return them. I am really hopeing I love them other owners explain them in ways that make me think they are exactly what I am looking for.

[harley .guy07]

Its funny I actually called about my order the other day and actually got Clayton Shaw the owner of the company who answered the phone. I love when the owner answers the phone and takes the customer relationship management in their own hands and still has that relationship with the clients. anyway he told me that they have recently ramped up production and will be shipping my units in the next two weeks so I should have them sometime in the first of august. I will be taking my time breaking them in before really reporting much since these high end products usually take that before really showing their stuff so I want to give them the best chance to impress before telling you guys anything.

[Hyfi]

Harley,

Here are a few links I hope you can see about several Spatial speakers, reviews from owners

Spatial Audio Hologram M1 Turbo (http://www.audioshark.org/spatial-audio-173/spatial-audio-hologram-m1-turbo-5933.html)

hologram m1 (http://www.audioshark.org/spatial-audio-173/hologram-m1-5136.html)

[harley .guy07]

Thinks for sharing the reviews of the M1 speakers. From the pages I read it seems that the reviews was very positive and backs up some of the claims that these speakers punch above their price class rather well. Of course speakers are probably the one component that peoples personal taste will play a big part in there choosing more than others. While saying that it does make me feel more secure in my choice knowing someone that has listened to speakers well into the double digit thousands seem to really like the Spatial's.

[Hyfi]

You may want to poke around AS or join. Lots of great civil discussions and the best personal input from around the world.

Glad the threads helped your anxiety factor a bit. I would love to hear a speaker like that.

[blackraven]

Harley, with a Sensitivity of 94dB your Pass amp will be playing in Class A all the time and not even break a sweat. It should sound great. I wonder how a nice tube amp like the AVA Ultravalve at 35wpc would sound with them.

I am very intrigued by these speakers. I have been thinking about moving away from Maggies but I want something with some of the same characteristics of Magnepans without breaking the bank. The Maggies compete with speakers costing twice as much and it seems like the M3's do as well from what I have read so far.

[topspeed]

Its funny I actually called about my order the other day and actually got Clayton Shaw the owner of the company who answered the phone. I love when the owner answers the phone and takes the customer relationship management in their own hands and still has that relationship with the clients.
The next time you talk to him, try to convince him to find a better naming scheme. As a car guy that has owned a M3 (that's a M3 speedo as my avatar), twin turbo, and now a supercharged AND turbocharged car, I cringe mightily when I peruse their website, lol! How BMW's attorneys haven't introduced themselves yet is a mystery.

Speaking of owner's being involved. When we called Pass Labs to verify the build date for the warranty, the conversation went something like this:
* Pass Labs
- Hi, I wanted to check on the build date of a X150.5 to verify the warranty status.
* Hmmm. I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you brought it in yourself and were nice enough about it, I'm pretty sure we can take care of you.
- Wow? I guess you're the man down there, eh?
* You could say that.
- Wait a sec...is this Nelson Pass?
* It sure is.

Mind Blown

It's always nice when the owner of a company takes a personal interest in customer service, but when it's one of the legends of audio answering the phone, it's a whole 'nother thing! He was so cool and friendly, it was like talking to your average Joe at bar over a cold one. The fact that Clayton answered the phone personally makes me like Spatial right off the bat, even with the goofy names!

[recoveryone]

From the name, I was looking for how much brake horsepower they had :)

[harley .guy07]

:thumbsup:Yeah I know the name is very BMW,Porsche esk and that might be the point since a lot of things now a days are being named turbo or s or something like that because it relates to something else way more popular now than high end audio. I know it is not perfect but it really does not bother me to much, Clayton could call them peanut butter samich speakers and if they if they blow my mind and give me audio bliss then awesome. I would even put a picture of the sandwich on the front for the joke factor

[harley .guy07]

Well I actually have not got them yet. They are going to be shipped on the first of August so it will be a bit before I will be able to get my opinion on them, I will be reporting my results after I get them set up in the room and let them break in

[blackraven]

Anti-Cables is located here in town and they are listed as distributors of Spatial speakers. I sent them an email to see if they have any on hand for audition. They have a listening room now.

[harley .guy07]

Anti-Cables is located here in town and they are listed as distributors of Spatial speakers. I sent them an email to see if they have any on hand for audition. They have a listening room now.

When I looked at Anticables website I seen that they have a listening room but they also said that they are demoing the Tannoy speakers that they sell through them. I am not sure about the Spatials but I do know that Clayton has a relationship with Anticables and pretty much exclusively uses them on the show systems he sets up. But it would be cool if they had a listening room with the Spatials. Who knows maybe they could give you another option other than Magnepans. I am anxious to get my Spatials as I have been waiting for a couple yeas to pull the trigger on new speakers that will allow my Pass amp to really show its stuff.

[harley .guy07]

Well I got the speaker today. My wife picked them up for me since I was at work when they arrived. Let me say that they are impeccably packaged and shipped. I know I am not supposed to take them seriously for the fist 48 hours of break in or so but these things are built well. I am so far impressed with the build quality and my Pass amp has not moved off of the bias needle one time the whole night while running these. The first hour was kind of a weird adjustment but I can already tell they are starting to break in and these things are AWESOME. So far very impressed, will send pictures probably tomorrow

[Jack in Wilmington]

Well I got the speaker today. My wife picked them up for me since I was at work when they arrived. Let me say that they are impeccably packaged and shipped. I know I am not supposed to take them seriously for the fist 48 hours of break in or so but these things are built well. I am so far impressed with the build quality and my Pass amp has not moved off of the bias needle one time the whole night while running these. The first hour was kind of a weird adjustment but I can already tell they are starting to break in and these things are AWESOME. So far very impressed, will send pictures probably tomorrow

You are a very trusting soul, I don't think I would have left my wife pick them up for me. Last time I rigged up seat belts for them to wear on the way home. Anyway, congrats. This is a very exciting time and I know I speak for the rest of the gang (yo guys were in a gang) that we can't wait for impressions. We'll be patient as we know they need time to develop their sound, but pictures might appease us for now.

[blackraven]

I am really looking forward to your detailed impression of them Harley. I am seriously considering these speakers and I have been corresponding with a guy on Audio Shark who lives in Italy and has these speakers. His impressions are exactly what I am looking for. I will need to sell my Maggies first.

If I get the speakers, I would consider selling my Pass and BAT to buy a Vinni Rossi Lio integrated or a Lio tube preamp and a tube amp.

Congrats on the new speakers!

[harley .guy07]

here are some pics for you guys to see. still setting them up and breaking in

[harley .guy07]

9991

another

[harley .guy07]

Well I've got approximately 6.5 or 7 hours on them and they are already showing promise. They image as good or better than most stand mount speakers due to their point source setup and compression driver going from 800hz and up. Also the midrange has none of that slight different sounding transmission from the woofer to the tweeter that my Dyns had. And the compression driver is very detailed while not being fatiguing. Clayton advised me to put at least 24 to 48 hours on them before really doing some critical listening because they will totally develop in that time.

[thekid]

Congrats again it sounds like you are liking your choice. Reading your impressions makes me miss my systems while I am stuck out here in LA.

[Feanor]

9991

another

Looking very neat!! Keep us updated.

[Mr Peabody]

Put your tuner on and let them play while you are out or doing other things. Vocals are sounding alright, natural? Happy for you, I know you've been waiting for a long time for this.

[harley .guy07]

So far I am really digging these speakers. Vocals sound awesome to me, very natural and more detailed than the Dyns, There is no crossover point above 800hz so that makes a huge difference on the midrange I believe, every time another couple of hours gets on them they seem to change and mature, they have a very distinct break in that really changes as they are played probably more than any other speaker I have been around or owned. I am really liking the compression driver in these things. My wife and I were listening yesterday and she sat down and listened to a classical piece that she likes and mentioned that she can listen to these speakers louder than the Dynaudios because as she says the Spatials are not as fatiquing as the Dyaudios at high volumes. The Spatials have Dynamics in spades that really wake up the room on dynamic material. I am not going to go into too much more detail until they are fully broke in and I do some more critical listening but so far it has been a great experience.

[blackraven]

Glad to hear that you are liking them. How are the high frequencies? How are sibilants?

[harley .guy07]

Glad to hear that you are liking them. How are the high frequencies? How are sibilants?

To me they are very lifelike and natural. There is a definite strong treble energy from the compression driver but the one crazy thing I love about a really good compression driver is that even though the treble is strong life in real life and very defined it never gets overly exaggerated or smearing like some dome tweeters can when the volumes increase. I don't think these are broke in quite yet but are getting better all the time

[harley .guy07]

Another update. I had today off and spent the day doing some listening to various music and one thing I will tell you right now even though Clayton said to put 48 hours on them before really critically listening is that even though I am only at around 30 hours they are starting to show their stuff. On classical music they have a very awesome since of real space as far as the venue that the music was recorded. The dynamics for classical are very good and life like. Also on all music the drums are very dynamic. Tom tom drums on drum sets sound real woody and have tone like real tom toms not just a dull thud like a lot of speakers give. Bass drums sound like bass drums not a dull thump. The imaging is as good as any stand mount I have heard since they are point source, and instruments have a very good separation between them and every instrument has its own space in the stage. You can really tell where each player is much more then my previous speakers and vocals and guitars really have the tone that they were recorded with. I was listeing to Steve Ray Vaughn today and his signature Fender amp hums right along with the music to the left of center stage on songs like "The Sky Is Crying" much more than any speaker I have ever known. And the overall soundstage is spooky realistic. More to come as the speakers break in

[topspeed]

Congrats, Harley! It sounds like you've got a winner there! I like the look of these, they remind me of mini-Maggies. Being open baffle, have you noticed any benefit/detriment based on proximity to the back wall?

[Feanor]

Congrats, Harley! It sounds like you've got a winner there! I like the look of these, they remind me of mini-Maggies. Being open baffle, have you noticed any benefit/detriment based on proximity to the back wall?

I presume that the compression drive is 'monopole', right? Or does it have a back-firing one too?

Having monopole driver above 800 Hz might have a different effect than a full-range dipole.

[topspeed]

I presume that the compression drive is 'monopole', right? Or does it have a back-firing one too?

Having monopole driver above 800 Hz might have a different effect than a full-range dipole.

The compression driver is monopole. I don't believe his M3's have rear firing tweeters, but I haven't poured over the specs.

[harley .guy07]

Correct it is a monopole compression driver. But to be honest they are very open sounding and the dipole lower midrange really helps open up the sound. The main thing I notice is the lack of "box" sound that enclosure speakers always have unless you buy a model that is well into the double digit thousands and has a multi braced enclosure. these have a real live sense to them. The compression drivers allow them to get louder without ever sounding fatiguing which is the main thing my wife learned after hearing them.

[topspeed]

Correct it is a monopole compression driver. But to be honest they are very open sounding and the dipole lower midrange really helps open up the sound. The main thing I notice is the lack of "box" sound that enclosure speakers always have unless you buy a model that is well into the double digit thousands and has a multi braced enclosure. these have a real live sense to them. The compression drivers allow them to get louder without ever sounding fatiguing which is the main thing my wife learned after hearing them.

That non-fatiguing nature is a combination of the compression driver and the source equipment. Rotel did not play well with my JBL's at all. Whether it was the revealing nature of the speakers or a simple lack of synergy, the 1095 I had briefly in my system made me want to turn it down instead of up. It's the first time the Array's were anything less than liquid smooth on the top end. I don't have this issue with either the Pass or PS Audio.

[harley .guy07]

Yeah you are probably right topspeed, I really do love what my choice of amp gives me, and to be honest the NuForce preamp is no slouch either when it comes to the fatigue factor. The NuForce P8 has been known to be a very "tube" sounding preamp even compared to some tube units. That's not to say that it suffers from some tube preamp inability to gave good highs and solid bass which is not the case here. When it comes to tube preamps you just have to swallow the fact that you really have to spend some money to get a real good one. The Nuforce pre punches above its weight and really does a good job in many regards. Some day I might replace it with something totally balanced to give the Pass the signal it really yearns for but I am running XLR cables right now from the preamp to the Pass and it really makes a huge difference.

[harley .guy07]

update after break in. I believe they have around 40+ hours on them now with me listening and leaving them on when we are gone. I will say right now that it took quite a while for the bass to develop on these speakers but they have. The compression drivers on the M3 Turbo's are excellent. The highs are very detailed and smooth with zero fatigue factor and my wife keeps saying how she can listen to these for hours with out wanting to leave the room due to volume. We listened for hours yesterday and loved it. The M3's are magical at soundstaging and imaging and do better then probably any speaker I have heard recently when it comes to these things. Also there is zero crossover distortions and I cannot tell when one driver hands over to another. Also the separation of instruments is world class in my book and are as good or better than any speaker I have heard. So far I am very impressed and am loving my system more than ever

[blackraven]

Congrats Harley. It is so satisfying when a new piece of gear works out.

I can't wait till I get a chance to hear these speakers.