Sound Field Audio - can your bookshelf reach this low?

[AcuDefTechGuy]

AcuDefTechGuy, what's the update status of getting a pair for deme that AJ promise you? I wonder how it stack up against the Philharmonic Monitor or Tower.

Ever since that audio fest in Florida, AJ has been swamped with demands and orders plus his primary job responsibilities. So, nothing yet.

I'm confident his speakers will sound awesome.

AJ knows the competition all too well. If he can't make speakers that sound at least as good (if not better than the big boy brands of KEF, Revel, B&W, Paradigm, etc.) he would not even bother. It is his passion.

 

[jinjuku]

AJ in FLA is very knowledgable, but he can really hurt audiophools' feelings with logic, common sense, and scientific facts/perceptual research, which makes sense, because audiophools reject those things and trust only their golden ears.

I think all of us generally agree with AJinFLA but his manner can be harsh sometimes

I don't really go to audiocircle but it seems like a really esoteric board. I'd assume it's not worth it to even bother at such a place, when it's 9:1 on insane to sane ratio. They even have a "Cable Reviews" forum.. wtf

I had his Soundfield Monitors back in November for the Kentucky GTG with the Parts Express folks.

1. Setup and toed in correctly the on axis response, the imaging and soundstage are just stunning. I thought they were a tad bit esssing but that could just be my ears being used to the ribbons on my Statements.

2. The bottom end is great and if he is now using GR Research woofers vs the eDesign woofers, well it's most likely better.

3. AJ is opinionated. AJ has a persecution complex due to no small fact that in some circles he has been. Unfortunately it has shaped the way he now deals with people. AJ in his area of expertise can hold his own and doesn't play 2nd seat to anybody that I know of.

Food for thought: Who cares about off axis response if they are your speakers and you are sitting in the sweet spot?

 

[GranteedEV]

Food for thought: Who cares about off axis response if they are your speakers and you are sitting in the sweet spot?

Off axis response forms a great amount of what you hear in that sweet spot, unless you like to listen outdoors or in extremely dead rooms.

 

[yveletnik]

how would those M1s compare to a pair of KEF bookshelfs paired with 2 Rythmik subs?

 

[GranteedEV]

how would those M1s compare to a pair of KEF bookshelfs paired with 2 Rythmik subs?

The major difference would be that they can play louder.

The woofers are crossed at, and possibly above, 200hz. That means the subs on these M1s handle a lot of the demand on the midrange coaxial. That's over an octave that they are saved from covering. That also means there's no vent, so there are no possibly integration issues to the sub.

I wouldn't be surprised if AJ's crossover is better too, though.

 

[jinjuku]

Off axis response forms a great amount of what you hear in that sweet spot, unless you like to listen outdoors or in extremely dead rooms.

I thought one of AJ's design tenants was constant directivity? Isn't he trying to remove the room from the equation as much as possible?

 

[yveletnik]

The major difference would be that they can play louder.

The woofers are crossed at, and possibly above, 200hz. That means the subs on these M1s handle a lot of the demand on the midrange coaxial. That's over an octave that they are saved from covering. That also means there's no vent, so there are no possibly integration issues to the sub.

I wouldn't be surprised if AJ's crossover is better too, though.

I just cant give up on the idea of custom built towers, like 2 good quality monitors sitting on top of like DS1200 kit from rythmik, I could get a bottom portion custom made, Cross it at like 120Hz or even higher if use those GR drivers. But would need to find a pair of high quality monitors that are designed to play down to 100Hz only.

Every time I try to visualize a speaker like that it always looks like Philharmonic thou

 

[GranteedEV]

I thought one of AJ's design tenants was constant directivity? Isn't he trying to remove the room from the equation as much as possible?

The goal is two-fold

1) To eliminate very early reflections which negatively impact imaging and timbre reproduction
2) To allow for live room acoustics which positively impact ""spaciousness"" reproduction (hence the crossfire) via delayed reflections ( > 15ms arrival time)

To do so, you need speakers which have controlled off-axis response, yet very smooth off-axis response at the same time.

AJ's speakers also have very good vertical response, which is not the norm.

I just cant give up on the idea of custom built towers, like 2 good quality monitors sitting on top of like DS1200 kit from rythmik, I could get a bottom portion custom made, Cross it at like 120Hz or even higher if use those GR drivers. But would need to find a pair of high quality monitors that are designed to play down to 100Hz only.

Abbey

 

[magi44ken]

Ever since that audio fest in Florida, AJ has been swamped with demands and orders plus his primary job responsibilities. So, nothing yet.

Thanks for the update ADTG.

For those who have hear the SMA1, do you feel the high is a little thin (not enough weight and texture). When I demo the KEF Q300 and Q900, I find a little thinness in the high.

Kenneth

 

[ski2xblack]

For those who have hear the SMA1, do you feel the high is a little thin (not enough weight and texture). When I demo the KEF Q300 and Q900, I find a little thinness in the high.

"Weight and texture" makes me think of the tube amps I use in a bedroom system. Lots of low order harmonic distortion to provide weight and texture from those.

From the KEF's I've auditioned, I agree that they seemed a little thin-n-crispy in the upper registers for my taste. I've never heard his creations, but I would suspect AJ has wrung more performance from the KEF coax drivers than the mass produced KEFs. His implementation is quite clever.

As mentioned above, it's a safe bet that AJ's passive network is superior to the stock KEF networks. Also mentioned above, probably the single most distortion-reducing touch AJ has applied, the mid is crossed higher, which reduces mid cone excursion, thus modulation distortion, from the coaxial drivers. Both of these design factors should help both midrange and high end neutrality/transparency.

 

[magi44ken]

"Weight and texture" makes me think of the tube amps I use in a bedroom system. Lots of low order harmonic distortion to provide weight and texture from those.

Definitely not the added or colored from tube amp. It needs to be balance which the KEF is missing as you mention.

As mentioned above, it's a safe bet that AJ's passive network is superior to the stock KEF networks. Also mentioned above, probably the single most distortion-reducing touch AJ has applied, the mid is crossed higher, which reduces mid cone excursion, thus modulation distortion, from the coaxial drivers. Both of these design factors should help both midrange and high end neutrality/transparency.

That's very impressive. I'll have to demo it to how big of the improvement with the added sub. Indeed it's a very clever design. I love point source with time and phase accuarcy.

 

[Nuance AH]

The goal is two-fold

1) To eliminate very early reflections which negatively impact imaging and timbre reproduction
2) To allow for live room acoustics which positively impact ""spaciousness"" reproduction (hence the crossfire) via delayed reflections ( > 15ms arrival time)

To do so, you need speakers which have controlled off-axis response, yet very smooth off-axis response at the same time.

AJ's speakers also have very good vertical response, which is not the norm.



Abbey

Well said. The off-axis response plays into the sound power, which can affect how the room plays a role regarding reflections and their arrival times. Good post, Grant.

 

[Matt34]

Hmm, I might give these a try when I get back from overseas. Measurements look pretty impressive from what I've seen so far and the price is right.

 

[AUDIOCRAZE]

Heard a pair at Axpona and was very impressed. IMO one of the best bookshelf speaker that ive heard.

 

[AUDIOCRAZE]

Guy who owns Soundfield Audio will be posting up a new set of loudspeaker that he has designed. Heard the a protoype at the show and they too were awesome. 12 inch Coax speaker with an 18 woofer. 7,500 a pair custom solid wood boxes. I found out what the speakers are but im keeping that a secret.

 

[DS-21]

Guy who owns Soundfield Audio

I think we all know who AJ is.

will be posting up a new set of loudspeaker that he has designed. Heard the a protoype at the show and they too were awesome. 12 inch Coax speaker with an 18 woofer. 7,500 a pair custom solid wood boxes. I found out what the speakers are but im keeping that a secret.

There is pic of a prototype on Stereophile.

VERY interesting design concept, with a fairly narrow-pattern controlled directivity monopole crossed over to cardoid bass. Being generally a fan of 12" concentric drivers, I hope it does well for him.

FWIW, I recently visited a dealer and heard a pair of KEF Q100's, which is the "donor speaker" providing the coincident drive for AJ's Monitors. They sounded even better than I expected. And I generally have high expectations for KEF.

I ended up buying a pair of the Q100's for our bedroom. (Why not AJ's speakers? Simply too big for this application, and a power wire to each speaker would be inconvenient.) Considering AJ's measurements, I expect AJ's crossover is at least as good as the Q100's, and the cabinets he uses are far higher quality than the vinyl-wrapped thing the Q100 comes in. Take those points, and considering the cost of the Q100's, a pair of speakers using the same drivers with built-in powered subs at AJ's price is the audio deal of this decade so far.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Anyone going to the Lone Star Audio fest in Dallas this weekend? AJ will have his monitors + 15" subs.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Soundfield HT1 speakers

AJ is also working on a high quality "budget line" of speakers.

They are called "HT1".

The cabinet will be 24" x 12" x 9".

The drivers will be a ribbon horn tweeter & 10" Emminence woofer.
Cost of the tweeter alone is almost $200 each!

The goal is high efficient audiophile grade speakers that can play crystal clear and detailed sound and extremely loud from 80Hz-20kHz.

The price will be ~ $500 each - kind of similar to the eD-c12 & Chase SHO-10.

I'm very interested and will be in line for them.

 

[yveletnik]

AJ is also working on a high quality "budget line" of speakers.

They are called "HT1".

The cabinet will be 24" x 12" x 9".

The drivers will be a ribbon horn tweeter & 10" Emminence woofer.
Cost of the tweeter alone is almost $200 each!

The goal is high efficient audiophile grade speakers that can play crystal clear and detailed sound and extremely loud from 80Hz-20kHz.

The price will be ~ $500 each - kind of similar to the eD-c12 & Chase SHO-10.

I'm very interested and will be in line for them.

Whats the ETA on those?

 

[3db]

Totem claims their Mani 2 to be 3db down at 29Hz.


http://totemacoustic.com/en/hi-fi/compact/mani-2-signature/specifications/