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Post by stevew on Apr 18, 2023 19:26:39 GMT
As Peter Cook said whilst auditioning a one legged man for the role of Tarzan…
Cook: Yes, the leg division, Mr Spiggott. You are deficient in it to the tune of one. Your right leg, I like. I like your right leg. A lovely leg for the role. That's what I said when I saw you come in. I said, "A lovely leg for the role". I've got nothing against your right leg. The trouble is – neither have you.
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Arke
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Post by Arke on Apr 19, 2023 6:59:23 GMT
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,090
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 19, 2023 7:06:16 GMT
That alu plate on the back looks like it grew there. Absolutely perfect.
Well done!
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Post by gninnam on Apr 19, 2023 18:48:45 GMT
Look very swanky - like the look a lot
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Post by zleepy on Apr 20, 2023 4:52:50 GMT
I think I like this version of the bamboo even more. There's a certain Scandinavian vibe to them that speaks to me. Just incredible good looking speakers, impeccably designed and crafted.
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Arke
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Posts: 1,006
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Post by Arke on Feb 10, 2024 17:15:57 GMT
The keen eyed will notice that the new Vaders (and my ones) now have a lighter grey 8" mid/bass driver. SEAS have completely upgraded this driver - details here: www.troelsgravesen.dk/W22NY003.htmThe new driver has a much higher QMS (mechanical efficiency) and, as a result, has much better dynamics and headroom. It can play louder with comparatively lower distortion. I've been using the new drivers for about 3 weeks now and am very, very pleased with them! Yes, there is a reasonable uplift in cost, but they are really worth it. It's not just the bass either... The driver is operating from around 70Hz to 400Hz, so there has been a big uplift in the mid/upper bass and low/mid mids. The dynamics are now breathtakingly good. I thought dynamics, drive and attack were good before, but this is significant step forward - bass is extremely tight, controlled and has a real punch (when needed). Drums, double bass, bass guitar have really come on. The cleaner and more dynamic bass has improved clarity throughout the frequency range. The improvement to the mids is very evident on guitars, sax, vocals, cello etc. Well, pretty much anything with lower mid and mid mids is much cleaner and more dynamic. A significant uplift in performance and the new drivers are now standard on all CNO4s. It is straight swap for the old drivers, so those with the previous W22 drivers can upgrade easily too.
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 10, 2024 19:01:03 GMT
Fabulous work again Jason.
I am REALLY excited to watch the build thread for my Mini Vader's.
The owner of these Vader's is in for a life of wonderful sound.
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Arke
Moderator
Posts: 1,006
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Post by Arke on Feb 11, 2024 15:49:22 GMT
Fabulous work again Jason. I am REALLY excited to watch the build thread for my Mini Vader's. The owner of these Vader's is in for a life of wonderful sound. I shall start a build thread for your speakers. It may not be that detailed, as I have a lot on my 'to do' list - you will get the idea though. I think the 'Mini Vaders' (SEAS NEXTEL 2Fs) will be very special. You need to hear what upgraded Vaders can do too... They have come on quite a lot since you heard them!
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Arke
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Post by Arke on Feb 11, 2024 16:34:59 GMT
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,090
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 11, 2024 21:08:12 GMT
Great photos.
Surely there must be a website in the pipeline soon? Get them on there!
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Post by stevew on Feb 11, 2024 22:45:52 GMT
Stunning
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Post by zleepy on Feb 12, 2024 7:37:22 GMT
I agree. Simply stunning. The bamboo gives them a very clean Scandinavian vibe. Drool worthy.
/Karl
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Arke
Moderator
Posts: 1,006
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Post by Arke on Feb 16, 2024 19:51:03 GMT
These new Vaders are very happy in their new home! Sounding magnificent in this fantastic room and with this incredible setup. We spent about 6hrs setting them up and getting the bass tuned in to the room and balancing the high frequency level to suit. The active 12" bass drivers have 3 presets for level, so the tuning allowed the level to be tweaked slightly in the future (+/-2db and neutral). Once dialed in, the bass was incredibly tight, controlled and powerful. Great to hear them working so incredibly well. Midrange detail and clarity was absolutely sublime - a palpable realistic presence!
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,090
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 16, 2024 20:07:38 GMT
They're only going to get better too.
Fantastic setup
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Post by electronumpty on Feb 16, 2024 22:40:29 GMT
That's some serious looking speaker shizzle right there! Very nice.
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Post by gninnam on Feb 17, 2024 10:57:18 GMT
Only one word from me - Awesome (OK it is now 15 words now but who's counting )
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Post by markn on Feb 20, 2024 10:19:31 GMT
I have had the new Arke Vaders for a few days now, and these are my initial inpressions.
Firstlt, many thanks to Jason for posting the photos of the Arke Vaders, and also many thanks Jason for all the hard work you put in on making the speakers and coming here and spending several hours setting them up. They certainly look very good in my room.
As you can see from the photos, there is a bass trap on the wall behind each speaker, and the two music-related pictures are both acoustic panels.
The Vaders replaced my Estelon xb Mk1's, which I have had for 9 years, and have always really enjoyed listening to them. I would say they are an engaging speaker, which draws your attention to them and, for me, made listening a pleasure. They are now a bit older, and I thought I would like to try another pair of speakers (new or nearly-new), which was why my brother and I attended a few speaker demos last year, before Jason brought his Arkes here for a home demo.
The Vaders are starting to settle in now. The initial impressions were that the Vaders are simply a bit better than the Estelons. There is more bass, the mid-range and treble are extremely detailed, but sound more "live" at the same time. Although I read plenty of hi-fi magazines, I don't really get a lot of the "hi-fi terminology" used. I tend to listen to the music, and if I am engaged in it, then I must be enjoying it. The Vaders are totally engaging. Really, everything I have played so far on the Vaders, has just been that bit better than the Estelons, which remain a very good speaker.
I don't listen to classical music; I tend to listen to 1970's progressive rock, some jazz, some country, folk, etc. Apart from the prog stuff, most of the music I listen to is fairly light, I would say, and contains a lot of acoustic guitars.
To give people some idea, these are just a few of my listening standards:
Acoustic Alchemy - anything, but particularly the album "Back on the Case".
Alison Krauss and Union Station - New Favorite is excellent. On the track New Favorite, Aison's voice sounds almost ethereal, and the music seems to be everywhere.
Chris Jones - Thank You (RJ Reynolds), from Roadhouses & Automobiles (a different song from this album seemed to be everywhere at hi-fi shows in the early 2000's). Excellent vocals, guitar and bass.
Mary Chapin Carpenter - again, many albums, my personal favourite is Come On Come On. Good recording. The title track is outstanding.
Several others, along the same lines mainly. The prog-rock stuf is mainly Yes, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd and Genesis. Some of the recordings from these artists are not the best, though.
The Vaders give out a large soundstage and have great dynamics. I am really enjoying listening to them and discovering new things in some of the music I already know pretty well.
Once again, a big thank you to Jason for building these speakers and setting them up in my room.
Mark.
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Arke
Moderator
Posts: 1,006
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Post by Arke on Feb 20, 2024 11:22:10 GMT
markn, thanks so much for your kind words. They will get better and better too - I anticipate they will blend away even more and dissappear into the soundstage. It is fantastic that you have chosen these speakers, especially after demoing so many well known great speakers. Enjoy!
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Post by antonio on Feb 20, 2024 14:31:37 GMT
The Vader's really look good in the room, won't be long before I'm back in the uk to have a listen. It really does say something when Jason's speakers have been preferred to some very well reviewed and far costlier speakers which we demo'ed.
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Post by gninnam on Feb 20, 2024 19:24:59 GMT
Well done Jason and Mark. The speakers look at home based on the pictures and really pleased that you are liking what they are doing.
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Post by stevew on Feb 20, 2024 20:22:26 GMT
I have had the new Arke Vaders for a few days now, and these are my initial inpressions. Firstlt, many thanks to Jason for posting the photos of the Arke Vaders, and also many thanks Jason for all the hard work you put in on making the speakers and coming here and spending several hours setting them up. They certainly look very good in my room. As you can see from the photos, there is a bass trap on the wall behind each speaker, and the two music-related pictures are both acoustic panels. The Vaders replaced my Estelon xb Mk1's, which I have had for 9 years, and have always really enjoyed listening to them. I would say they are an engaging speaker, which draws your attention to them and, for me, made listening a pleasure. They are now a bit older, and I thought I would like to try another pair of speakers (new or nearly-new), which was why my brother and I attended a few speaker demos last year, before Jason brought his Arkes here for a home demo. The Vaders are starting to settle in now. The initial impressions were that the Vaders are simply a bit better than the Estelons. There is more bass, the mid-range and treble are extremely detailed, but sound more "live" at the same time. Although I read plenty of hi-fi magazines, I don't really get a lot of the "hi-fi terminology" used. I tend to listen to the music, and if I am engaged in it, then I must be enjoying it. The Vaders are totally engaging. Really, everything I have played so far on the Vaders, has just been that bit better than the Estelons, which remain a very good speaker. I don't listen to classical music; I tend to listen to 1970's progressive rock, some jazz, some country, folk, etc. Apart from the prog stuff, most of the music I listen to is fairly light, I would say, and contains a lot of acoustic guitars. To give people some idea, these are just a few of my listening standards: Acoustic Alchemy - anything, but particularly the album "Back on the Case". Alison Krauss and Union Station - New Favorite is excellent. On the track New Favorite, Aison's voice sounds almost ethereal, and the music seems to be everywhere. Chris Jones - Thank You (RJ Reynolds), from Roadhouses & Automobiles (a different song from this album seemed to be everywhere at hi-fi shows in the early 2000's). Excellent vocals, guitar and bass. Mary Chapin Carpenter - again, many albums, my personal favourite is Come On Come On. Good recording. The title track is outstanding. Several others, along the same lines mainly. The prog-rock stuf is mainly Yes, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd and Genesis. Some of the recordings from these artists are not the best, though. The Vaders give out a large soundstage and have great dynamics. I am really enjoying listening to them and discovering new things in some of the music I already know pretty well. Once again, a big thank you to Jason for building these speakers and setting them up in my room. Mark. Congratulations Mark on buying the Vaders and having the space to do them justice. I’m very impressed by the fact that you have chosen the Arke Vaders over others and of course your previous Estelons. Love the look of your system (what is that amp?). Lastly, cheers for the music references… always on the look out for something else to try out.. sounds right up my street. Cheers
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Post by markn on Feb 20, 2024 20:52:51 GMT
I have had the new Arke Vaders for a few days now, and these are my initial inpressions. Firstlt, many thanks to Jason for posting the photos of the Arke Vaders, and also many thanks Jason for all the hard work you put in on making the speakers and coming here and spending several hours setting them up. They certainly look very good in my room. As you can see from the photos, there is a bass trap on the wall behind each speaker, and the two music-related pictures are both acoustic panels. The Vaders replaced my Estelon xb Mk1's, which I have had for 9 years, and have always really enjoyed listening to them. I would say they are an engaging speaker, which draws your attention to them and, for me, made listening a pleasure. They are now a bit older, and I thought I would like to try another pair of speakers (new or nearly-new), which was why my brother and I attended a few speaker demos last year, before Jason brought his Arkes here for a home demo. The Vaders are starting to settle in now. The initial impressions were that the Vaders are simply a bit better than the Estelons. There is more bass, the mid-range and treble are extremely detailed, but sound more "live" at the same time. Although I read plenty of hi-fi magazines, I don't really get a lot of the "hi-fi terminology" used. I tend to listen to the music, and if I am engaged in it, then I must be enjoying it. The Vaders are totally engaging. Really, everything I have played so far on the Vaders, has just been that bit better than the Estelons, which remain a very good speaker. I don't listen to classical music; I tend to listen to 1970's progressive rock, some jazz, some country, folk, etc. Apart from the prog stuff, most of the music I listen to is fairly light, I would say, and contains a lot of acoustic guitars. To give people some idea, these are just a few of my listening standards: Acoustic Alchemy - anything, but particularly the album "Back on the Case". Alison Krauss and Union Station - New Favorite is excellent. On the track New Favorite, Aison's voice sounds almost ethereal, and the music seems to be everywhere. Chris Jones - Thank You (RJ Reynolds), from Roadhouses & Automobiles (a different song from this album seemed to be everywhere at hi-fi shows in the early 2000's). Excellent vocals, guitar and bass. Mary Chapin Carpenter - again, many albums, my personal favourite is Come On Come On. Good recording. The title track is outstanding. Several others, along the same lines mainly. The prog-rock stuf is mainly Yes, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd and Genesis. Some of the recordings from these artists are not the best, though. The Vaders give out a large soundstage and have great dynamics. I am really enjoying listening to them and discovering new things in some of the music I already know pretty well. Once again, a big thank you to Jason for building these speakers and setting them up in my room. Mark. Congratulations Mark on buying the Vaders and having the space to do them justice. I’m very impressed by the fact that you have chosen the Arke Vaders over others and of course your previous Estelons. Love the look of your system (what is that amp?). Lastly, cheers for the music references… always on the look out for something else to try out.. sounds right up my street. Cheers
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Post by markn on Feb 20, 2024 21:03:01 GMT
Well, that didn't work. I meant to reply to Stevew's post. Anyway, Thank you for your nice words, Steve. The amplifier is an Audionet Humboldt integrated amp. It's very good, but at 61kg it is very heavy, so, as you can imagine, it doesn't get moved very often. I know musical taste is a personal thing, but sometimes I have picked up a few gems from this and other forums. At the price, the Vaders really were a "no brainer" for me. I was demoing speakers costing between £30k and £50k, and nothing at around those prices really bettered the Vaders, or were even as good as them. I am very happy with the purchase.
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Arke
Moderator
Posts: 1,006
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Post by Arke on Feb 20, 2024 21:23:52 GMT
Much of the credit should go to Mr Troels Gravesen - a speaker designing great! He has designed 100s of speakers over many decades and is obviously a very talented man. To design speakers that compete in the commercial market at many, many times their price is highly impressive.
Without his skill, experience and undying dedicated to the DIY and bespoke speaker world these speakers wouldn't exist. Thousands of people worldwide are now enjoying very high-end performance at a fraction of the cost.
My part has been in the cabinet redesign (within key guidelines) and construction of these wonderful speakers.
Thanks again Troels!
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Post by macca on Feb 21, 2024 18:29:58 GMT
Much of the credit should go to Mr Troels Gravesen - a speaker designing great! He has designed 100s of speakers over many decades and is obviously a very talented man. To design speakers that compete in the commercial market at many, many times their price is highly impressive. Without his skill, experience and undying dedicated to the DIY and bespoke speaker world these speakers wouldn't exist. Thousands of people worldwide are now enjoying very high-end performance at a fraction of the cost. My part has been in the cabinet redesign (within key guidelines) and construction of these wonderful speakers. Thanks again Troels! Aside from building then properly which isn't easy, you're doing the DSP set up - that's a skill in itself and a lot of value added, makes all the difference.
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Arke
Moderator
Posts: 1,006
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Post by Arke on Feb 21, 2024 18:32:59 GMT
Much of the credit should go to Mr Troels Gravesen - a speaker designing great! He has designed 100s of speakers over many decades and is obviously a very talented man. To design speakers that compete in the commercial market at many, many times their price is highly impressive. Without his skill, experience and undying dedicated to the DIY and bespoke speaker world these speakers wouldn't exist. Thousands of people worldwide are now enjoying very high-end performance at a fraction of the cost. My part has been in the cabinet redesign (within key guidelines) and construction of these wonderful speakers. Thanks again Troels! Aside from building then properly which isn't easy, you're doing the DSP set up - that's a skill in itself and a lot of value added, makes all the difference. Thanks for mentioning that too Martin. Yes, I am certainly adding some value - as Chris knows, tuning the DSP ain't easy.
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Post by antonio on Mar 19, 2024 8:47:04 GMT
Thought I'd bring this thread back to the top again since they are fantastic speakers, and sounding sublime as we sit here listen to Ottmar Liebert - Bare Wood ( a purchased Hi Rez download ) although anyone using Qobuz can hear this album, and I do recommend it, although in cd quality I believe.
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,090
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 19, 2024 10:42:41 GMT
Thought I'd bring this thread back to the top again since they are fantastic speakers, and sounding sublime as we sit here listen to Ottmar Liebert - Bare Wood ( a purchased Hi Rez download ) although anyone using Qobuz can hear this album, and I do recommend it, although in cd quality I believe. Great to hear you're enjoying the full fat version of my minis 😂
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Post by pete on Mar 19, 2024 10:47:07 GMT
I’m also enjoying their cousin atm😀
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Arke
Moderator
Posts: 1,006
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Post by Arke on Mar 19, 2024 11:21:50 GMT
Thought I'd bring this thread back to the top again since they are fantastic speakers, and sounding sublime as we sit here listen to Ottmar Liebert - Bare Wood ( a purchased Hi Rez download ) although anyone using Qobuz can hear this album, and I do recommend it, although in cd quality I believe. Glad you're both enjoying them. I assume they're still getting better and better too?
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