It's time for a Statement announcing my latest project..

[cobbpa]

Hey Jim, good to hear you have that bit of harshness worked out! I want to make clear that I wasn't trying to criticize or condescending, I was jut curious. I'm sure my humble equipment wouldn't be doing these speakers justice if they were in my set up. Regardless, I may build these sometime, give my rig something to aspire to & grow into as I upgrade. Ha

[Jim Holtz]

Hey Jim, good to hear you have that bit of harshness worked out! I want to make clear that I wasn't trying to criticize or condescending, I was jut curious. I'm sure my humble equipment wouldn't be doing these speakers justice if they were in my set up. Regardless, I may build these sometime, give my rig something to aspire to & grow into as I upgrade. Ha

Not to worry, I didn't take your comment in a bad way at all. Chris is quite a bit younger than I and has better ears so he picks up on things that aren't as apparent to me. It sucks to get old!

Anyway, the harshness was certainly there on upper piano notes particularly. It bugged me until we found the cause. Chris has just superb electronics. I keep trying to get as close as I can to the quality of sound his electronics are capable of with out spending that kind of money. 8O

I find it really amazing how high of resolution the W4's are. They are the most detailed driver I've heard to date. I'm curious to see what Jon thinks of them in his up coming design.

Jim

[Jed]

I find it really amazing how high of resolution the W4's are. They are the most detailed driver I've heard to date. I'm curious to see what Jon thinks of them in his up coming design.

Jim

Details on that one please, Jim. Is this the budget 3-way with RS270 and ??? tweeter?

[Jim Holtz]

Details on that one please, Jim. Is this the budget 3-way with RS270 and ??? tweeter?

Hi Jed,

I've kind of lost track of what design Jon is going to use the W4 in. Sorry...

Jim

EDIT: I remembered that Thomas posted that Jon is considering a variant of the W-M/T-W center/surround speakers using the W4.

Jim

[JonMarsh]

I'm always surprised how much high quality electronics can make a difference, I'm hopeing to never find that cables make a difference in my system because its difficult to test. I've played around with the Squeezebox / DAQ combo myself for a while, with both a Benchmark DAC and kit NOS DAQ at times, and played with one of those fancy Transporters. I finally came to the conclusion that the least expensive and least sensitive way to get a sound approaching all those systems was by running balanced cables from a EMU 1616m, and it can double down as a mic pre for measuring speakers. I really liked the set top ease of the Squeezebox, but I'm hoping my new setup will be more cable agnostic, and less sensitive to the issues people talk about with DAQs.

I understand where you're coming from, but you are on a slippery slope. You can do well with the basics, but as you get up into configurations with better drivers and electronics, inevitably you will have to consider cables and their impact in the mix. I resist spending more than a certain amount, and always prefer to try out ones with demonstrable electrical parameter benfits (inductance, resistance), but hey, it's a decision everyone has to make for themselves.

Everything has a signature. resistors, caps, inductors, cables, and of course, power supplies and active amplifiers. Every now and then I get surprised by stuff that "plays out of it's league", but those items aren't commonplace anymore, because expectations have risen so much in the last 30 years.

~Jon

[tpremo55]

After having the opportunity to sit with Jim and listen to these for a few hours over the weekend (on Jim's birthday no less), I wanted to share my perception of the Statements.

To start, I was very interested in the RS 3-way speakers which I had listened to many times including a number of versions by Jim, Brian, and Curt at the Iowa DIY event. I really liked those speakers. I also was very impressed with the midrange on a 2-way that John had at the event which used the Visiton Ti-100 driver. For those of you familiar with these designs, I submit that the Statements take the best of both of these and adds a twist - obviously referring to the open-back/TL/dipole/whatever-you-wanna-call-it mid enclosure (or lack thereof) design.

In the Statements, there are two areas where they really shine. First and foremost, the midrange is simply impressive. Extremely clear and clean. We did experience a bit of brightness with instrumental pieces in the upper midrange (like piano) but not to a point of being offensive in my opinion. Vocals (both male and female) were exceptional.

Another aspect of the Statements that impressed me was the base response. With the RS 3-way that Jim had, the enclosure was sealed. While this provided a very tight and accurate base response, it lacked some in depth for my tastes (except at that room for the DIY event where low end gain was beyond substantial). When Jim switched to a ported alignment for the Statements, he addressed this and convinced me that the RS-225s can do all that I would ask of them for my application.

The other really impressive aspect of the Statements is the sound-stage. It extends well past the speakers in both directions and apptly places sources in the center. Close your eyes and the speakers largely dissapear. While this is the goal of many, I for one have had varying success in achieving it. The Statements do.

One other quick note to consider is that the Neo3 tweeter in the Statements was very impressive as well. This is the first design that I have listened to with this driver and it really delivered. A few months ago, I spent considerable time with Jim listening to the Seas H1212 and it's soft-dome equivalent for preference. They are both good tweeters as many of you have used them in a number of designs, but I felt that the H1212 was just a bit bright for my tastes. In this regard, the Neo3 in the Statements was not overly bright at all and sounded very true to the sound intended with symbols, triangles, etc. that we auditioned.

We threw a lot of music at them, including a number of piano, jazz, rock, and vocal - as well as a number of Jim's old standbys. To summarize what I have written above, these seem to meld very well with my personal listening preferences and I am very excited about putting them together. If you listen to a lot of vocals, I wouldn't change a thing about the Statements. If you listen to a lot of instrumental Jazz, you may find the upper midrange just a shade (and I am really splitting hairs here) bright and you may desire to bring it down a bit more. In the end, it's all about what you hear. I don't think you can go wrong with this unique design at any rate even if you find that it requires small adjustments for your tastes. Jim and Curt have created a design here that I'm sure will continue to get considerable (and very warranted) publicity.

Thanks Jim!
Thanks Curt!

Todd

[---k---]

Hi John,

Thanks for the thoughts. Curt and I are still trying to get everything together so he can post the design on his website. I'm not sure we're up to submitting it to Audio Express. That is an interesting idea however.

Jim

Jim,

I haven't been that impressed with their speaker articles since I subscribed earlier this year. I think anything you and curt threw together would be good. I would encourage it.

[Jim Holtz]

After having the opportunity to sit with Jim and listen to these for a few hours over the weekend (on Jim's birthday no less), I wanted to share my perception of the Statements.

To start, I was very interested in the RS 3-way speakers which I had listened to many times including a number of versions by Jim, Brian, and Curt at the Iowa DIY event. I really liked those speakers. I also was very impressed with the midrange on a 2-way that John had at the event which used the Visiton Ti-100 driver. For those of you familiar with these designs, I submit that the Statements take the best of both of these and adds a twist - obviously referring to the open-back/TL/dipole/whatever-you-wanna-call-it mid enclosure (or lack thereof) design.

In the Statements, there are two areas where they really shine. First and foremost, the midrange is simply impressive. Extremely clear and clean. We did experience a bit of brightness with instrumental pieces in the upper midrange (like piano) but not to a point of being offensive in my opinion. Vocals (both male and female) were exceptional.

Another aspect of the Statements that impressed me was the base response. With the RS 3-way that Jim had, the enclosure was sealed. While this provided a very tight and accurate base response, it lacked some in depth for my tastes (except at that room for the DIY event where low end gain was beyond substantial). When Jim switched to a ported alignment for the Statements, he addressed this and convinced me that the RS-225s can do all that I would ask of them for my application.

The other really impressive aspect of the Statements is the sound-stage. It extends well past the speakers in both directions and apptly places sources in the center. Close your eyes and the speakers largely dissapear. While this is the goal of many, I for one have had varying success in achieving it. The Statements do.

One other quick note to consider is that the Neo3 tweeter in the Statements was very impressive as well. This is the first design that I have listened to with this driver and it really delivered. A few months ago, I spent considerable time with Jim listening to the Seas H1212 and it's soft-dome equivalent for preference. They are both good tweeters as many of you have used them in a number of designs, but I felt that the H1212 was just a bit bright for my tastes. In this regard, the Neo3 in the Statements was not overly bright at all and sounded very true to the sound intended with symbols, triangles, etc. that we auditioned.

We threw a lot of music at them, including a number of piano, jazz, rock, and vocal - as well as a number of Jim's old standbys. To summarize what I have written above, these seem to meld very well with my personal listening preferences and I am very excited about putting them together. If you listen to a lot of vocals, I wouldn't change a thing about the Statements. If you listen to a lot of instrumental Jazz, you may find the upper midrange just a shade (and I am really splitting hairs here) bright and you may desire to bring it down a bit more. In the end, it's all about what you hear. I don't think you can go wrong with this unique design at any rate even if you find that it requires small adjustments for your tastes. Jim and Curt have created a design here that I'm sure will continue to get considerable (and very warranted) publicity.

Thanks Jim!
Thanks Curt!

Todd

Hi Todd,

Thanks for the kind words and excellent review of the Statements.

Chris had the day off and at my request, came over this morning with Cary and many cables in hand for further troubleshooting. Boy, I wish I could justify buying a Cary CD player :T We definitively ruled out the Statements, my Emotiva LPA-1 amp and the Audio Refinement Pre2DSP pre/pro as the source of the harshness. Using the internal DAC's of my Red Wine Audio Squeezebox greatly minimized the harshness from when Chris 1st heard the Statements, but it didn't eliminate it. His Cary wiped out the harshness both as a stand alone CD player and as a DAC with the Squeezebox as a transport. Smooth as glass but great detail and dynamics. Bass difference between the Cary and my Squeezebox was not subtle. The Cary whomped it!

So, this means I'm on the hunt for an affordable DAc to go with my Squeezrbox. I'm not even going to tell you how sweet it sounded with silver interconnects through out. WOW! :T

Jim

[Jim Holtz]

Jim,

I haven't been that impressed with their speaker articles since I subscribed earlier this year. I think anything you and curt threw together would be good. I would encourage it.

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for the encouragement. I'll have to chat with Curt about it. I would certainly be honored if the design was published.

Jim

[cjd]

Jim,

Will a DAC that only outputs balanced signal work for you? If so, I'll consider lending you the one I haven't quite finished assembling yet. Good price for an assemble-yourself DAC.

C

[Jim Holtz]

Jim,

Will a DAC that only outputs balanced signal work for you? If so, I'll consider lending you the one I haven't quite finished assembling yet. Good price for an assemble-yourself DAC.

C

Hi Chris,

Thank you very much for the generous offer but I have RCA inputs only.

Thanks again!

Jim

[Dennis H]

Jim, were you using a coax SPDIF from the Squeezebox to your prepro? I've heard some reports of that not working as well as Toslink -- grounding, electrical noise, something like that. It might be worth trying a Toslink (unplug the coax and the analog cables for electrical isolation) to see how it sounds.

[Jim Holtz]

Jim, were you using a coax SPDIF from the Squeezebox to your prepro? I've heard some reports of that not working as well as Toslink -- grounding, electrical noise, something like that. It might be worth trying a Toslink (unplug the coax and the analog cables for electrical isolation) to see how it sounds.

Hi Dennis,

Good suggestion Dennis. I didn't try a toslink from the Squeezbox to the Pre/pro. My optical inputs are maxed out on the Audio Refinement so I didn't think of that. I do have a 280 strand glass cable that I could try just to see how it sounds.

I've tried both the internal DAC with the analog outputs on the Squeezebox and also using it as a transport to the pre/pro DAC. I'm using a VH Audio Pulsar cable that compared favorably to a super expensive Emperical Audio digital cable. The cable worked great when using the Cary as a DAC with the Squeezebox as a transport. That might have been the best sound of the day. Chris had brought along a Canare digital cable that was easily bested by the VH Audio.

I really think I'm going to end up with a different DAC that may lend itself to upgrades. We'll see. Thanks for the excellent suggestion. I hadn't thought of that.

Jim

[Dennis H]

Jim, another tip I heard is to use a wireless LAN connection to keep from picking up electrical noise from the computer network. I have no idea if any of this works but it's worth a try. In THEORY , the Squeezebox should equal/better any CD transport assuming good rips and it's way more convenient.

[Jim Holtz]

Jim, another tip I heard is to use a wireless LAN connection to keep from picking up electrical noise from the computer network. I have no idea if any of this works but it's worth a try. In THEORY , the Squeezebox should equal/better any CD transport assuming good rips and it's way more convenient.

Hi Dennis,

My Squeezebox 2 is the wireless version. I've had it for close to two years now. It changes the way you listen to music. I love it!

BTW, it's a great transport!

Jim

[ahaik]

My build is comming along pretty smooth, I hope to have my Statements up and running by next weekend :T .
Many thanks to Jim for his jenerosity and close help ;x( .

Here are some pictures :

[Jim Holtz]

My build is comming along pretty smooth, I hope to have my Statements up and running by next weekend :T .
Many thanks to Jim for his jenerosity and close help ;x( .

Here are some pictures :

Hi Asi,

Those look great! You're getting close!

Jim

[PoorboyMike]

My build is comming along pretty smooth, I hope to have my Statements up and running by next weekend :T .
Many thanks to Jim for his jenerosity and close help ;x( .

Here are some pictures :

Hmm, those pictures are from Jan. '03. I smell a conspiracy. :B

[ahaik]

Originally Posted by PoorboyMike
Hmm, those pictures are from Jan. '03. I smell a conspiracy.

Opps, I blew our cover, sorry Jim :E

Usually technical people (I am an engineer) like to play with gadgets.
I guess I am an exception, just don't have patience for that. That's no excuse though I should set my camera date ops: .

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[ThomasW]

My build is comming along pretty smooth, I hope to have my Statements up and running by next weekend :T .
Many thanks to Jim for his jenerosity and close help ;x( .

Here are some pictures :

How about starting a separate 'build' thread where you document construction the process?

Properly documented it could become another sticky project. Perhaps others would/could chime in with cut-lists, BOM, pictures, etc..... :T

[ahaik]

Originally Posted byThomasW
How about starting a separate 'build' thread where you document construction the process?

Properly documented it could become another sticky project. Perhaps others would/could chime in with cut-lists,
BOM, pictures, etc..... :T

Great Idea Thomas, this would be a way for me to contribute to this great forum. I will do that in the next few days.
We Just need Jim's and Curt's approval to post Crossover and AutoCad drawings, Jim wanted Curt to Post them on his website first.

Asi.

[SilverJS]

Jim,

Unless I missed it somewhere in the thread, when do you expect crossover schematics to be published?

AFAIK, that's the only part missing for someone wanting to build those, is it?

Cheers!

JSB

[Jim Holtz]

Jim,

Unless I missed it somewhere in the thread, when do you expect crossover schematics to be published?

AFAIK, that's the only part missing for someone wanting to build those, is it?

Cheers!

JSB

Check your email.

Jim

[Poindexter]

Jim,

Possible to get a copy of the crossovers as well?

Thanks, :P Poindexter

[Jim Holtz]

Jim,

Possible to get a copy of the crossovers as well?

Thanks, :P Poindexter

Check your email...

Jim

[ahaik]

Statements review by Asi.

Finally !!!

My brother came last night for some quality listening to the Statements. He arrived at 9:45 and said he had only 1 hour (yeah sure :rofl: ). He left at 12:30 at night (an hour ?, maybe on Jupiter ), It’s just very hard to stop listening to these enchanting speakers.

My listening room:
I have one system, which I use for HT and music, my music “room” is one corner of my finished basement (finished by myself). Placement is probably not ideal (see pictures), the room is about 23 feet wide, 25 feet long and about 7.5 feet high.

Speakers:
Mains - Paradigm Studio 100 V.2 (for sale), oh I mean 1 pair of amazing speakers called statements.
Center – RS 3 way with Dennis Murphy's crossover.
Surround – Modula MT.

Amps:
Parasound HCA-2200 MK II for mains
Parasound HCA-1000A bridged for center
Parasound HCA-1000 for surround

Pre/Processor
Parasound AVC2500

Transport cd/dvd
Panasonic ???

DAC
Using AVC2500 internal DAC.

Cables:
I have cheap (very cheap) cables looking for a good DIY speaker and interconnects, any suggestions ?

First impression:
After a quick test using my bedrooms system (Marantz SR-92) to make sure everything was working well,
My brother came over and helped me carry the Twin Towers (as my wife’s friend calls then) to the basement. We hooked them up and put “The Sky Is Crying “ song number 9, the first word that came into my mind (after the initial shock) was :twisted: AUTHORITY :twisted: , these babies give a very strong presence.
EDIT: That was Ian Janis "Breaking Silence" ops:

Soundstage and Imaging:
Classical music instruments are amazingly focused, you can pinpoint the exact location of every violin, horn, etc. Like Jim said soundstage extends WELL beyond the speaker line. Compared to the Modula MT (which I love) soundstage is wider more focused and pinpointed, just perfect. Even with older Pink Floyed CD’s. I did not think imaging and staging could get that good.

Treble:
Very clear, very soft, no harshness whatsoever, no matter how high the volume is and these can be cranked up. I had my mom over last evening and I cranked them up a bit, then I asked her if the volume was too high for her, she replied “you know the volume is high, but it doesn’t bother my ears, I think its because these speakers just sound very good, I like it this way”.
I also put the Bob Majerly collection CD which sounded harsh on the high end on any speakers I heard before, to my surprise, nothing, not even a tidy bit of harshness, very soft and mallow (and I always assumed it was the recording).

Mid:
Very detailed and smooth, you can hear every little poke, Well instead of repeating Jim’s thoughts I will quote him:

“Mid range: Here’s where the Statements really shine. The W4’s are ultra clear and detailed. It’s almost eerie when you first listen to them. My line arrays have been the most detailed speakers I‘ve ever heard until now. The Statements are now are my new standard. The W4 Titanium cones simply allow you to hear every nuance in the recording. Everything from the performer licking their lips to shifts in where they’re standing are audible. Obviously it takes really good recordings to hear these things but the Statements are up to the task. Tonal balance is exceptional. Very, very real sounding to my ears. Some of the thoughts that crossed my mind as I listened were smooth and refined sounding but huge amounts of detail.”

Vocals:
Vocals are my favorite in these, enchanting, male and female, it’s like having your own singers singing right next to you, even cranked up vocals are as soft as with the volume down.

Bass:
This was the BIGGEST surprise for me, when first thought of building these, my biggest doubt was the bass. I was planning on building CJD’s RS 3 way towers until Jim came with these. Well bass is MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH (you get the idea) better then I thought it would be, plenty enough, extremely tight accurate and punchy. Never heard such base come of any speakers I ever heard. My brother thinks base is Better then his Father in laws speakers (Dynaudio C4 $15K, with $25K STEREO equipment).

Summery:
For me, these speakers are perfect, I could not ask of or think of more. Which is kind of sad in a way, now there is nothing to aspire to. Every day I come home, say hi to the kids, give my wife a kiss and go downstairs for a quick listening, just to make sure they sound like I remember only to realize they sound better.


Comments:
First and most I like to thank my old surround speakers (paradigm Atoms), if not for them I wouldn’t be writing this right now and wouldn’t have the Statement either.
It all started about 8 month ago when I decided it’s time to retire my old Dolby Pro Logic receiver.
Purchased the Parasound HCA-2200 II and AVC-2500 on Ebay. Then I was looking for surround speakers to retire my Atoms (thank you again Atoms). Looked at paradigm in wall speakers, prices are outrageous.
Then I decided I will build my own, went on a Googling rampage and stumbled upon this :T GREAT :T forum and the rest is history.
Thank you Jim and Curt ;x( and thumbs up :T for this incredible design and for giving me (us) the opportunity to have something I (we) could only dream (not even dream) of before.

I added some pictures of the Staements and my Setup.
BTW I have copyrights on the base in the pictures, no one is allowed to build it !!! :W
Well obviously base is temporary, I designed a little different base then Jim’s. I will post images and AutoCAD drawings after I build it.

Asi.

[Jim Holtz]

Finally !!!

My brother came last night for some quality listening to the Statements. He arrived at 9:45 and said he had only 1 hour (yeah sure :rofl: ). He left at 12:30 at night (an hour ?, maybe on Jupiter ), It’s just very hard to stop listening to these enchanting speakers.

My listening room:
I have one system, which I use for HT and music, my music “room” is one corner of my finished basement (finished by myself). Placement is probably not ideal (see pictures), the room is about 23 feet wide, 25 feet long and about 7.5 feet high.

Speakers:
Mains - Paradigm Studio 100 V.2 (for sale), oh I mean 1 pair of amazing speakers called statements.
Center – RS 3 way with Dennis Murphy's crossover.
Surround – Modula MT.

Amps:
Parasound HCA-2200 MK II for mains
Parasound HCA-1000A bridged for center
Parasound HCA-1000 for surround

Pre/Processor
Parasound AVC2500

Transport cd/dvd
Panasonic ???

DAC
Using AVC2500 internal DAC.

Cables:
I have cheap (very cheap) cables looking for a good DIY speaker and interconnects, any suggestions ?

First impression:
After a quick test using my bedrooms system (Marantz SR-92) to make sure everything was working well,
My brother came over and helped me carry the Twin Towers (as my wife’s friend calls then) to the basement. We hooked them up and put “The Sky Is Crying “ song number 9, the first word that came into my mind (after the initial shock) was :twisted: AUTHORITY :twisted: , these babies give a very strong presence.

Soundstage and Imaging:
Classical music instruments are amazingly focused, you can pinpoint the exact location of every violin, horn, etc. Like Jim said soundstage extends WELL beyond the speaker line. Compared to the Modula MT (which I love) soundstage is wider more focused and pinpointed, just perfect. Even with older Pink Floyed CD’s. I did not think imaging and staging could get that good.

Treble:
Very clear, very soft, no harshness whatsoever, no matter how high the volume is and these can be cranked up. I had my mom over last evening and I cranked them up a bit, then I asked her if the volume was too high for her, she replied “you know the volume is high, but it doesn’t bother my ears, I think its because these speakers just sound very good, I like it this way”.
I also put the Bob Majerly collection CD which sounded harsh on the high end on any speakers I heard before, to my surprise, nothing, not even a tidy bit of harshness, very soft and mallow (and I always assumed it was the recording).

Mid:
Very detailed and smooth, you can hear every little poke, Well instead of repeating Jim’s thoughts I will quote him:

“Mid range: Here’s where the Statements really shine. The W4’s are ultra clear and detailed. It’s almost eerie when you first listen to them. My line arrays have been the most detailed speakers I‘ve ever heard until now. The Statements are now are my new standard. The W4 Titanium cones simply allow you to hear every nuance in the recording. Everything from the performer licking their lips to shifts in where they’re standing are audible. Obviously it takes really good recordings to hear these things but the Statements are up to the task. Tonal balance is exceptional. Very, very real sounding to my ears. Some of the thoughts that crossed my mind as I listened were smooth and refined sounding but huge amounts of detail.”

Vocals:
Vocals are my favorite in these, enchanting, male and female, it’s like having your own singers singing right next to you, even cranked up vocals are as soft as with the volume down.

Bass:
This was the BIGGEST surprise for me, when first thought of building these, my biggest doubt was the bass. I was planning on building CJD’s RS 3 way towers until Jim came with these. Well bass is MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH (you get the idea) better then I thought it would be, plenty enough, extremely tight accurate and punchy. Never heard such base come of any speakers I ever heard. My brother thinks base is Better then his Father in laws speakers (Dynaudio C4 $15K, with $25K STEREO equipment).

Summery:
For me, these speakers are perfect, I could not ask of or think of more. Which is kind of sad in a way, now there is nothing to aspire to. Every day I come home, say hi to the kids, give my wife a kiss and go downstairs for a quick listening, just to make sure they sound like I remember only to realize they sound better.


Comments:
First and most I like to thank my old surround speakers (paradigm Atoms), if not for them I wouldn’t be writing this right now and wouldn’t have the Statement either.
It all started about 8 month ago when I decided it’s time to retire my old Dolby Pro Logic receiver.
Purchased the Parasound HCA-2200 II and AVC-2500 on Ebay. Then I was looking for surround speakers to retire my Atoms (thank you again Atoms). Looked at paradigm in wall speakers, prices are outrageous.
Then I decided I will build my own, went on a Googling rampage and stumbled upon this :T GREAT :T forum and the rest is history.
Thank you Jim and Curt ;x( and thumbs up :T for this incredible design and for giving me (us) the opportunity to have something I (we) could only dream (not even dream) of before.

I added some pictures of the Staements and my Setup.
BTW I have copyrights on the base in the pictures, no one is allowed to build it !!! :W
Well obviously base is temporary, I designed a little different base then Jim’s. I will post images and AutoCAD drawings after I build it.

Asi.

Asi,

Thank you very much for the detailed and well thought out review. Of course, I agree! :T The Statements are sooo seductive to listen too. We have Curt to thank for his superb crossover design and input for making the project such a successful one.

I see you've selected the same finish I've applied to my Statements. I finally received the materials to finish them but it's hard to tear them apart.

Again thank you for the excellent review! I'm extremely pleased that you're enjoying the Statements as much as I do.

Best regards,

Jim

[---k---]

I hate you people with your glowing reviews of Jim's speakers. They make me wonder if I'm doing the right thing with my Khanspire project! From hence forward, I'm reading these threads but not listening!

Asi,
It is great to hear that Jim's turned out so well for you. Man those boxes look big! I've measured out the size a few times, and didn't think they would look that big, but I never built a cardboard mockup. Maybe I should do that.

I noticed though, you don't have a roundover on the edges. Is that in the plans for when you finish them?

[ahaik]

Hi Jim,

Yes, I liked your finish so I copied it :W
I am planning on veneering them with waterfall bubinga, just waiting for a
good deal on EBay (missed a great one a week ago, it went for $260).
Before you make things final check out the base design I think it gives them more of a finesselook.

Originally Posted by ---k---
Asi,
It is great to hear that Jim's turned out so well for you. Man those boxes look big! I've measured out the size a few times, and didn't think they would look that big, but I never built a cardboard mockup. Maybe I should do that.

Hi Ryan,
Thank you for the AutoCAD drawings, and yes they are big, but... they are going to get bigger.
As for now I have 3 layers of MDF under them to allow the port to breathe.
Eventually there will be four layers of MDF + 2.15" of Spikes + 1/2" Base under the spikes (I have laminate flooring).
That adds almost 3.5 inches to their height

Originally Posted by ---k---
I noticed though, you don't have a roundover on the edges. Is that in the plans for when you finish them?

The problem is that I am planning on veneering them. I want a whole piece for each of the surfaces so I can't have round corners.

Jim,
Since having no roundover corners makes the buffle width larger is that significant ?
If it is I can probably bevel the sides a bit.

Thanks,
Asi.

[Jim Holtz]

Hi Jim,

Yes, I liked your finish so I copied it :W
I am planning on veneering them with waterfall bubinga, just waiting for a
good deal on EBay (missed a great one a week ago, it went for $260).
Before you make things final check out the base design I think it gives them more of a finesselook.



Hi Ryan,
Thank you for the AutoCAD drawings, and yes they are big, but... they are going to get bigger.
As for now I have 3 layers of MDF under them to allow the port to breathe.
Eventually there will be four layers of MDF + 2.15" of Spikes + 1/2" Base under the spikes (I have laminate flooring).
That adds almost 3.5 inches to their height



The problem is that I am planning on veneering them. I want a whole piece for each of the surfaces so I can't have round corners.

Jim,
Since having no roundover corners makes the buffle width larger is that significant ?
If it is I can probably bevel the sides a bit.

Thanks,
Asi.

Hi Asi,

No, the difference in width, if any, won't be an issue. The sharp corner will have more effect on frequency response than anything. Whether it is audible is one of those discussions that never seems to have a solid answer.

Waterfall Bubinga will be beautiful. Rosewood is a favorite of mine but it doesn't match the woodwork of my home so the wife nixes it. :roll:

BTW, if you set the Statements next to line arrays, they don't look so big.

Jim

[Curt C]

For me, these speakers are perfect, I could not ask of or think of more. Which is kind of sad in a way, now there is nothing to aspire to. Every day I come home, say hi to the kids, give my wife a kiss and go downstairs for a quick listening, just to make sure they sound like I remember only to realize they sound better.

Asi.

Glad you are enjoying them Asi!

Don't worry about aspirations though, -Just wait until you see the project Jim's working on now... :g>

C

[Jim Holtz]

Glad you are enjoying them Asi!

Don't worry about aspirations though, -Just wait until you see the project Jim's working on now... :g>

C

Oh, there you go and let the cat out of the bag.... I'm sure the future projects, if there are any, will be designed to compliment the Statements.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :T

Jim

[PoorboyMike]

Oh, there you go and let the cat out of the bag.... I'm sure the future projects, if there are any, will be designed to compliment the Statements.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :T

Jim

Hmmm, I'm thinking a w/mt/w center using the same drivers? 8)

[---k---]

I know! I know!
I'll tell for the right $$$

[ahaik]

You know....
You guys are going to get me in big trouble.
I told my wife these are the last speakers I'm building, I mean it ( :twisted: :rofl: :twisted: :rofl: :twisted: ).
She doesn't believe me though, I wonder why :scratchhead: , our friends don't believe me either, strange 8O .

Originally Posted by Curt C

Glad you are enjoying them Asi!

Don't worry about aspirations though, -Just wait until you see the project Jim's working on now...

C

Hi Curt,

You really got me there for a second, my mind was working overtime until I got to Jim's post

Originally Posted by Jim Holtz
Oh, there you go and let the cat out of the bag.... I'm sure the future projects, if there are any, will be designed to compliment the Statements.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Jim

I went to my son's tea party this morning which gave me a few minutes in the morning to listen with no one looking over my shoulder. I still didn't get used to how amazing they sound.
I wish I could meet you guys in the 2007 event, but family life would not allow it.

Thank you very much for everything Curt and Jim.

Asi.

[Hdale85]

Hmmm do you think these would be better then the RS-3Ways for HT duty? Going to be finishing my basement when we move into our new house and have been looking at different speakers. Was going to ask about them being in walls but they have the open backed mid so that was a stupid idea :B

[cjd]

Wait and see what's out there when you actually build Dougie... Ryans new project may be a better match if the open back trick doesn't work for you.

C

[Hdale85]

Well either way I want to have some speakers for music as well that will be in the living room. As for the finished basement/theater I'm not sure if I want to go In-Wall or build some big towers :B If I do in wall I don't have to worry about my cabinetry skills so much.

[ahaik]

Had some time to finish the bases yesterday :T and bring the speakers to the right height.

[Jim Holtz]

Had some time to finish the bases yesterday :T and bring the speakers to the right height.

HI Asi,

It looks good! I like the look of your base. A little more 3 dimensional than mine. :T

Jim

[ahaik]

Hi Jim,
Thank you for your comments. I took the idea for the base from the Dynaudio Comfidence C4 and gave it a little of my touch.
Did you finish yours ? what kind of finish did you choose ?

Asi.

[Jim Holtz]

Hi Jim,
Thank you for your comments. I took the idea for the base from the Dynaudio Comfidence C4 and gave it a little of my touch.
Did you finish yours ? what kind of finish did you choose ?

Asi.

Hi Asi,

Mine are going to be a piano black finish with a lot of luck. I recieved the materials about a week ago but haven't torn them apart yet. I'm in the middle of some other projects and want to finish them first.

My youngest son was an auto body man for a few years and was a superb painter. He painted several cabinets for me that put commercial cabinets to shame. I'm going to try my hand at it. I have a shop with a large compressor so I set up a spray system. Now, if I'm smart enough to use it. My son moved to California so I can only solicit advice over the phone. I miss him.

Jim

[tpremo55]

Asi,

I like the base you have there as well. One note of interest however is that it looks like you have used MDF for the prime platform of the base between the spikes and the speaker. While this may be no problem at all, I may be a little concerned about the base warping over time with the weight of the speaker. You may note on Jim's design, that the top of the base stack was 3/4" plywood - this provides a strong and stable medium to distribute the weight of the speaker onto the stand and spikes assembly. It would be an easy retrofit - but may not be necessary. Just a thought.

[ahaik]

Hi tpremo55,

You have a good point, so I think I will not glue the base to the speaker, just mount it with some screws (that's how it is connected now) and if it ever warps I guess I will have to build a new one (using plywood).
I am also planning on painting the base, so I will look for a paint that gets absorbed deep in MDF to add some strength.

Thanks,
Asi.

[Jim Holtz]

Asi,

I like the base you have there as well. One note of interest however is that it looks like you have used MDF for the prime platform of the base between the spikes and the speaker. While this may be no problem at all, I may be a little concerned about the base warping over time with the weight of the speaker. You may note on Jim's design, that the top of the base stack was 3/4" plywood - this provides a strong and stable medium to distribute the weight of the speaker onto the stand and spikes assembly. It would be an easy retrofit - but may not be necessary. Just a thought.

Hi Todd,

Actually, the top panel is oak hardwood rather than plywood. I was going to veneer the Statements which is why it's there. It will be replaced with a piece of MDF. The 9" hole still allows the majority of the cabinets weight to bear on the solid parts of the base so it shouldn't be a problem.

I'll save the nice hardwood for another project I have in the wings.

Jim