SEAS Thor Speaker / NCMS Rhythm 9500 Unlimited

After stumbling across a magazine written by Joe, in a bookstore far from home this weekend, I can honestly say I am disappointed in the Thor.

Please understand my perspective, a person who learned a heck of a lot about speaker design by Joe D'Appolito via Kimon Bellas. I had always held the utmost appreciation for his talent, creativity, and experience.

However, I feel that we as speaker enthusiasts are no longer living in the world we used to. By that I mean, late 1980's - mid 1990's. Many of us have rediscovered what used to reign supreme. Tubes, low power, more simple, more truthful, more natural sound.

During this metamorphosis, speakers have needed to evolve as well. The speakers of 15 years were much more difficult to drive. Built to take the idea of the speaker designer as far as he could go. Most of these designs were a supremely punishing load for an amplifier, they required massive amounts of current. As audiophiles have turned their focus back to tubes, speaker loads have become more benign. Speakers have changed.

Joe D'Appolito's thoughts have changed some also. The Thor is a transmission line.

However, in reading the article I was most curious to see what his crossover design would be. The feeling as if I was looking at something written in 1992 came over me. Lots of capacitors, lots of coils. This speaker presents a lot of components between the drivers and amplifier. It takes current to knock down those obstacles.

Joe, please do not take this the wrong way. But, please give a more simple crossover a try.

Bryhifi, your last post jogged my memory. It's good to hear from you!

From what I remember, you lived in the Collegeville area? If so, we are about 15 - 20 minutes away from each other. I live between Conshocken and Manyunk, in Whitemarsh Township.

Are you going to the NYC Stereophile HiFi Show? If not, maybe we can get in touch via a different means.

Tweekerman, thanks for the kind words. I agree with you very much. Especially, that a good tube amp offers more musicality than a good solid state amp.

My own tube amp drives Seas P21 Excel mids with no problems. In addition, it also drives a pair of subwoofers with Peerless 10" woofers. No sweat at all, it will play at quite high volumes. Down to 22 Hz. The secret is the simple crossover, which I described in my last post. The only thing standing between my amp and drivers is a coil and a cap. A good simple, first order parallel network. Sure, it isn't glamorous, and "techies" may complain about this or that, but it just plain sounds good.

Tweekerman, my tweeters are a very common model from Vifa. I feel it is probably the best bargain in tweeters, very underrated and underappreciated. At just $25, it takes one to spend $100 to best it. However, I really should have upgraded it to the ScanSpeak Revelator, which is a direct replacement(in my speakers), long ago.

As, I am putting together a second system right now, and that system already sounds terrific, the tweeter upgrade is on the back burner.

I feel the Revelator offers improved smoothness and refinement, in comparison to the Vifa. I also have another pair of speakers with a Hiquphon tweeter. That is a really terrific driver, offering every last bit of detail, with no harshness or brightness. My kind of tweeter. I have read the pair goes for $275, but I have never priced them, so I am unsure if that is correct. Whatever the cost, it certainly deserves to be more well known than it is.

By the way, I am so enamored with the Vifa tweeter, I bought another pair(not so wise, should have just used the ones I have when I upgrade) for my next speaker building project. Just a little two way monitor. Will feature 1" thick solid maple outer walls, possibly with a layer of viscoelastic inside of that, and finally a layer of 3/4" MDF. This one will use a series crossover. But, it will be simple nonetheless. The other driver is a 6 1/2" mid - woofer, also from Vifa. If I need more bass later, I can assemble a pair of subwoofers, which can also serve as stands if I want. The subs would use the same 8" wide maple, with the drivers on the sides. Probably go with Peerless or Vifa 10" woofers. Sometimes, I kind of like having subs in the corners(not always the "approved" means, but I don't care), and monitors out in the room.

I don't have any experience with active crossovers, but have always kind of wondered...

In my opinion, less is definitely more. I am a big proponent of a first order network, be it parallel or series in configuration. Series crossovers offer something special in the way of cohesiveness in the sound. I also like running mids flat out, without any crossover components in their circuit at all. Now, one can't get any "less" than that. Only the tweeter really needs anything, a cap, just to keep it from getting fried.