SerTech Labs Stellar XII Loud Speaker & Center Channl

[dalumberjack]

Hey guys!

I was looking for a local (san jose, ca) repair shop for my dad's sub and found this place http://sertechelectronics.com/#

Its a decent place that does a lot of electronic repairs. What was interesting about it, was they have spent over 3 years designing their own speaker. They gave me a demo and HOLY CRAP. These speakers sound amazing. I was floored with how clear and sharp yet natural and balanced they sounded with only have a few watts pumped to them. then there was very accurate and deep bass too but the sub wasn't even moving! The sound field to me was huge. These speakers were right next two a pair of $40,000 dollar speakers (Ill get the maker) and the Stellar XII blew them away.

Just wanted to see what you guys thought of the specs or if you have heard of them at all. I am really considering looking into buy a pair along with their center channel.

Link for speakers: http://www.sertechlabs.com/stellar/

Stellar XII:

Specs:
System Type Three Way, Six Driver
Woofer: 12" Deep Bass, 5-lb Magnet
Midrange: 4½" x 15" horn, 24-oz magnet
Tweeters: Four 1" Alnico high-output
Sensitivity: 100 dB
Impedance: 8 ohms
Input: 0.1 Watt to 300 Watts RMS
Connectors: Gold plated 5-way binding posts
Bi-wire and Bi-amp capable
Freq. Resp. 20 – 40,000 Hz Info
Dimensions 16½" W x 41½" H x 19¾" D
Weight 95 Lbs ↔ 43 Kg


Center Channel:

Specs:
System Type Three Way, Five Driver
Mid-Bass: Two 8" Drivers
Midrange: 6" horn, 24-oz magnet
Tweeters: Two 1" Alnico high-output
Sensitivity: 99 dB
Impedance: 8 ohms
Input: 0.1 Watt to 150 Watts RMS
Connectors Gold plated 5-way binding posts
Bi-wire and Bi-amp capable
Freq. Resp. 50 – 40,000 Hz
Dimensions 31½" W x 10½ H x 15" D
Weight 30 Lbs ↔ 13.6 Kg

 

[AJinFLA]

I am really considering looking into buy a pair along with their center channel.

Those are easily worth $40k a piece. If they sell them for any less you're getting the deal of the century.
However, the darnedest things is that I just saw the identical speakers outside a Rent-A-Center here in FL for $5/week.
Hmmmm, rent or buy.....

 

[dalumberjack]

Those are easily worth $40k a piece. If they sell them for any less you're getting the deal of the century.
However, the darnedest things is that I just saw the identical speakers outside a Rent-A-Center here in FL for $5/week.
Hmmmm, rent or buy.....

the loud speakers are $6500 a pair. the center is $2500. They have a customer list of other speakers it was used against in a shoot out and lists the customer average response on why these were better:
http://www.sertechlabs.com/stellar/mdb/speaker-table.php

GREAT SPEAKER! Just wish I had $9000 to blow right now

I am curious if its the same speaker. They are built to order and take around 125 hours to make. So if you do see one, its one of a kind as these little gems are not well known yet. Well, at least thats what the owner told me.

 

[TLS Guy]

I sniff a scam to sell those retro "White Van" speakers.

 

[AJinFLA]

the loud speakers are $6500 a pair. the center is $2500.

Wow. He's obviously selling these at a huge loss to get them out on the market. Do you have any idea how much it must have cost to develop these over 3...or is that 5(?) years, with those triple+1 bullet tweeters, buttery smooth diffraction horn mid and super fast/5lb magnet 12" woofer, strung together with single cap and coil......masterpieces of engineering???

GREAT SPEAKER! Just wish I had $9000 to blow right now

I think "blow" might be understating money spent on these.

They have a customer list of other speakers it was used against in a shoot out and lists the customer average response on why these were better:
http://www.sertechlabs.com/stellar/mdb/speaker-table.php

Yeah, I saw that. Wow, maybe that's why it took 5 (or is that 3?) years? I wonder why he didn't take pics of each comparison during the process?? Only the Wilsons (or are those imitation Wilsons??)?? Strange. It would have been great to see them side by side with these (vintage) Sansui's

See how one vertical diffraction horn/mini tweeter array/L-pads speaker did against a revolutionary new speaker like the "Stellar".

I am curious if its the same speaker. They are built to order and take around 125 hours to make. So if you do see one, its one of a kind as these little gems are not well known yet. Well, at least thats what the owner told me.

Yeah, it was the same speaker, but these had the fuzzy gray, post modern industrial finish on the cabinets (being hand built, you can order just about any finish that takes <125hrs).
They were alternating kicking out some Gucci Mane and Jethro Tull on them. The bass hit hard and the highs were terrific. I've personally never heard either Gucci or Jethro sound better or more real...and I've seen both live, many times.
The guys at Rent-A-Center told me that they were excess inventory from installations around $Multi-Million custom homes here in Tampa (They even showed me the invoices proving the actual value) and that they would normally retail for $20K + in stores.
However, they were running a special that day and because I'm a cool guy and would give them the cash in my pocket along with trading in my X-Box, they would rent them to me for $5/week (for the next 35 yrs).
Sweet deal huh?

 

[dalumberjack]

So I take it you guys think these are crap speakers?

I was just looking for opinions. Its not a white van scam. The company has been around forever. Run by a few nice guys.

Maybe I am biased considering my old gear (Klipsch KLF-30's) as I thought the stellar sounded better.

Oh well. Thats why I came here and posted them.

 

[AJinFLA]

So these are crap speakers?

Yeah.
So are Bose cubes, but millions think they are the Bees knees.
Acoustic design and subjective enjoyment tend to be completely uncorrelated. As is whether the designers/sellers are nice or not.

cheers,

AJ

 

[sd1066]

No, dalumberjack is right - these are awesome sounding speakers, and I have B&W Nautilus 805s, Klipsch RF7's, and Paradigm Atoms - I know a great speaker when I hear one, and I've been listening to their various models of Sertech's speakers (Avatar, Stellar) for a couple of years now. These are DEFINITELY worth an audition. Incidentally, I've also heard Sonus Faber's Stradivarii as well. These are better.

 

[walter duque]

Incidentally, I've also heard Sonus Faber's Stradivarii as well. These are better.

[/QUOTE]
They are? Are you sure?

 

[its phillip]

Based on their website alone, I'd stay away....that looks like something an 3rd grader would make.

 

[michaels]

Sigh. Recognize that all those skeptics, nay-sayers, and know-it-alls are a-dime-a-dozen -- and the problem is that none of them ever bothered to audition the Stellars. So what could they know ... and are you going to believe any chatter from them? By the way, notice the status "banned" under their member names.

For whatever it's worth, here's a first-hand report:
I auditioned the Stellars a while ago, and they were very impressive... smooth, rich sound and awesome bass; familiar tracks never sounded better. I'd buy a pair if I had the $$. I also heard a used pair of Wilson Watt/Puppy they had there. By themselves, those sounded pretty good. But when they flipped back and forth, the Wilsons seemed sort of hollow and had weak bass; every song was obviously better on the Stellars. Though if you like heavy cabinets, the Wilsons probably got 'em beat by about 2:1.

But none of the stuff in this thread should matter... different people like different sound. Go hear the Stellars for yourself.

 

[Trpt1Iam]

Say what you will, but I have never heard anything like these! Totally took me by surprise. Absolutely freaky. No speaker should be allowed to sound this good. Big Mirage 1's right next to them. The Mirage sounded good, but when flipped to the Stellars, not even close. Soooo much more open and extension like I have never heard. 18 inch Sub woofer deep base and the damn thing never moves! Not even a little. A 12" woofer. What's with that??

Yep, I don't get it either, but if I had the six K, I'd go for it in a second. Also, very efficient. Like the old JBL's used to be. I know cuz I have B&W 804's that can eat a hundred McIntosh watts and it's not even that loud!

 

[Pyrrho]

There is an interesting thread on another forum about these speakers:

Stellar X and XII - Tapeheads Forums

Frankly, without hearing them, and without any professional reviews with objective measurements, I am skeptical of them being worth anywhere near the asking price. However, being unconvinced is not the same as having proof that they are crap. But most speaker designers would not space tweeters like that, so I think the way to bet, if one had to bet one way or the other, is that they are really not worth having. But, again, it is not a certainty, just a probability.

And, as has already been mentioned in this thread, if they really are as in the photograph, the cabinet work is dreadful for a speaker of that cost. They look cheaply made, not like fine furniture, as a speaker of several thousand dollars should look.

Also, one can easily rig a listening test for comparing speakers, especially if one of them is vastly more efficient than the other. In such a case, one can simply hook up a low powered amplifier, that will go into clipping for driving the inefficient one, and it will seem to sound worse than the efficient speaker.

But if you want them, and have the money, it is your choice.