Remoding Speakers Has An Effect On Resale Value


Hello everyone,

I just came across an interesting discovery concerning my relatively recent purchace of a pair
of Gemme audio Tanto V2's.Approximately two or three weeks ago,I had invited my best friend who happens to be an audiophile like me,for a sitdown to listen to my newly aquired purchace.

His first remark was when I had put on a cd of Hadouk Trio(that has more bass than one could ask for),
led him to believe that there was some boominess occuring within the room.Escpecially at higher listening levels.We both agreed that I would need to do some further room treatment to reduce or even elimeinate this problem.The Tanto V,2s have a tuning ring that could be added or removed to adjust the bass output according to your needs and specification.This did help somewhat,but I seemed to be going back and forth,all depending on the type of music I was playing,and at what level.After this was discovered,I purchaced a pair of 24" by 48" by 4" bass traps that I had placed right behind where the firing ports are situated.Its seemed to help to some degree.But after some further critical listening,and sampling cds that had exaggerated bass.It came to my attention that the Gemmes were not quite holding it down(the bass part) as they were acclaimed to be able to.Furthermore,it also became apparent to me that the high frequencies started to grate on me,also at higher listening levels.

So I decided to call Solen Audio for where most of the inner parts came from anyways.The tech said bring in both speakers,and we will test them.On the phone he admitted that there is a probability that there is some high frequencies getting tied up in ther midbass driver due to the lack of no crossover whatsoever!

One hour later I was at Solen audio in the back of their store,with both speaker being put on graphs and some kind of mike to detect certain problems.The result was that the midbass drive(Silverflute)
was the culprit.And I was asked to put my ear close to one of the speakers.I heard this sort sound like glass was being broken.One of the techs said "that my friend is absolute distortion you are hearing",
and probably why you were hearing this form of resonance in you own room.

The whole team could not believe that Gemme audio would have used such a cheap midbass driver in an $8000.00 enclosure.Granted,the vifa tweeter were not expensive either in comparison.But the main guy overseeing this said "they use them in $30,000.00 Sonus Fabar's" so we will keep them,in relation to a possibilty of even changing them for a pair of Morel tweeter that went for $350.00 a pair.
They decided to put in a pair of $350.00 USD midbass Satori drivers that should correct this problem
As for the highs being detected in the midbass was on point,and having to build a two way outboard crossover should solve this issue too.

Has any body out encountered this form of "cutting corners" where your speakers cabinet is of exceptional quality inside and out.Yet some the other moving parts were to be desired.

Lastly,do you think this could effect my resale value somewhere down the line if I would wish to sell them one day?
128x128zyac39

Showing 13 responses by zyac39

Oh...dont get me wrong they are awesome as is...as others who have heard my system can attest to!But its when I push them hard with 770 wpc of clean power with certain recordings that have incredible bass(like Patricia Barber to name a few).This is where I was noticing that the midbass driver was not holding its own in the lower octaves.
Well I guess I'm gonna have to learn to keep it below 12:00.

But in any case the Silver Flute mid bass driver was a failure

in my estimation.And I was assured by the people(Solen Audio)

who manufactured and sold them(Gemmes Audio) the inner parts.

Assured me that the replacement Satori mid bass driver Will

perform better in every way,and better suited for this type of

enclosure.
Hi Raymonda,

In fact,I will be probably keeping the Gemmes for quite a while.As contrary to what Onhwy61 has stated,the Gemmes really can take incredible amount of power,and I was assured that it wasnt on account of this that the original driver was distorting,but rather due to inferior quality craftmanship.They(Solen Audio) assured me that you will have no problem listening to your speakers at "concert" levels without any form of breakup in the music.In fact I noticed that some of my chinaware had displaced itself about 15 feet away to some degree.So I cannot wait to see the result when everything will be intact and as it should have been from the get go.So in effect I bought a product that had already brought me alot of listening pleasure,and I just want to improve on this already great product.
Indeed!But just for the record,Robert Gaboury(the x owner of Gemme Audio).Started a new line of speakers called Arteluthe.
If I am not mistaken,he is using practically the same speaker enclosure as the Tantos,yet with complete different drivers.
And quite costly as a matter of fact.But same two way configuration,but now with a crossover.And probably some inner pading that the Tantos never had.

I was thinking of naming them The Zyac 1s.

Cheers.
Not Necessary Shakey,I really did like what I heard at first glance.It's when I pushed the Tanto s is when certain unsavorable characteristists started acting up.And this unpleasant boominess in the mid woofer became apparent only with certain recordings at certain listening levels.But overall I was quite please with them aside from this issue.
Well Im not exactly ready to sell them just yet.And if I do..

I would almost make it a prerequisite that you have to hear

them before buying.I would almost be ready to share the ticket

to come down and audition(only if you've heard them before modding).I trust Solen that much..

Last must is,they can only be sold if buyer promises not to go
pink!

Red,Green,yellow,purple...but please not pink!!!
Hi Yakbob,

If you remember correctly that my first issue was finding the right amp.Due to high impedence curves on account of no crossover,this is quite a demand on an amp.
Provided your dampening factor is high,and slew rate is on point,150 wpc will make them sing.But try 400 500 or more per side and watch the Tantos transform your room even at low listening levels.Provided you feed them with clean and unadultered power.Indeed,their is the law of physics we have to respect here when dealing with a 6.5 inch driver.But as you well know its the cabinet itself that is producing this massive like bass too(due in part to a full transmission line enclosure,coupled with a V/Flex design.
I have so far used half of the amps full capability(power wise) and the Gemmes took it without a hitch.Its when I was trying certain cds(like Hadouk trio,patricia Barber) that this "boominess" became more and more apparent.But Solen assured me that this issue will be resolved.But nonetheless i will still have to respect the Tantos and keep it at under 12:00 just to be on the safe side,my ears included!
As for speaker placement,I have them currently at 24" from rear wall,with 4" thick Bass panels for where the firing ports are located.I have them at about 7 1/2 to 8 feet from each other and i am seated approx 10' away.
Yes,Raymonda they were bought orininally to please my ears,not someone else's.And now modified,I still did it for the same reasons.Yet one of my Audiophile buddies came over for a listen(who owns a pair of Eg
glestonworks Andras coupled with a Krell FPB 700cx).
This is coming very close to what I have at home.
He still cannot get over what these small encolures can furnish.
Indeed,The are limits to what a two way configuration like speaker can handle!Yet I have been testing my Gemmes at half of its its rated 770 wpc(which would be just shy of 400 wpc)
And the signal is clean and load is not strained or at its limit.So have the experts at Solen Audio come to the same conclusion.And this is with a pair of cheap factory installed drivers.And they(Solen) have garanteed me that the Satoris will play better and handle way more power.In any case,as I stated in a pervious reply,I will just have to keep the SPL at under 12:00.An even at that level(believe it or not)the Tantos had actually displaced some of my chinaware,at some 15 feet away!!

Cheers,
Hi Delay,

I'm sorry to dissapoint, but this IS really zyac39
Through and through..

Cheers.
This post will fire up the discussion; I'll start by saying that I contacted Lexidan since thru the member lookup I found that we live about 1/2 hour of each other. He got his modded Tantos back and let me tell you that I've never heard Tantos sound this good. This is definitely NOT a Franky job...it was done by pros who replaced the mid-woofer for something way better and also they added outboard x-overs to adress the issue of wrong frequencies ending up in the wrong drivers. And it doesn't look like a Mickey Mouse job either. But the sound is just wonderfull, and it defies logic what a tower of this size can output as far as impact and bass. And boy can they handle power, and they DESERVE a clean and powerful amp like Lexidan has. I told him to ignore the ''devaluation'' comments and that he should actually sell them for more than market value whenever the time comes, the mods are THAT good. I challenge anyone to contact Lexidan and drop over for a listen if they can, sceptics will be confounded.
This post will fire up the discussion; I'll start by saying that I contacted Lexidan since thru the member lookup I found that we live about 1/2 hour of each other. He got his modded Tantos back and let me tell you that I've never heard Tantos sound this good. This is definitely NOT a Franky job...it was done by pros who replaced the mid-woofer for something way better and also they added outboard x-overs to adress the issue of wrong frequencies ending up in the wrong drivers. And it doesn't look like a Mickey Mouse job either. But the sound is just wonderfull, and it defies logic what a tower of this size can output as far as impact and bass. And boy can they handle power, and they DESERVE a clean and powerful amp like Lexidan has. I told him to ignore the ''devaluation'' comments and that he should actually sell them for more than market value whenever the time comes, the mods are THAT good. I challenge anyone to contact Lexidan and drop over for a listen if they can, sceptics will be confounded.

Thanks a whole lot Hifi Pete.

Indeed,the change on the Tantos is dramatic(and thats putting it mildly).They only have 100 hrs burn in time,and already the sound is nothing short of spectacular!!Everything is exactly as is was supposed to be now,and as far as focus and imagery,its pinpoint accurate.Time coherency now allows for the speakers to dissapear in the room.The soundstage is huge and with and incredible black background.The presicion and detail,is almost beyond words coming from the mids and highs,with a new sense of air and transparency!and the bass is very,very articulate,with an iron fistlike authority now!

Cheers to all.