Those blue speakers look wonderful:)
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So nice & clean. With the speakers that far apart there must be fantastic soundstaging, in addition to the killer tonal balance the Evo 400 & BHK 300 combo has to have. This is what I “pretend” my system looks and sounds like, lol.
You’re welcome.
I’m also considering ordering either the NX-Otica’s or NX-Treme’s, though I think the Treme’s may be a bit too large for my room, unless Danny says different. Then again, these X-Statik’s already sound so large and open, I may just order the Otica’s and be done with it. I’ve been told and have read that there’s really not much of a difference between the Otica and Treme as far as overall sound is concerned, other than the fact the Treme’s tend to produce more of a wall of sound. But the X-Statik’s already do this as well, so…
And because of my small room, having a pair of speakers AND a pair of OB subs would be a bit too busy and cramped I think. That’s why I think I’ll just go with the next best solution, a pair of Rhythmic Audio F12G subs. The “G” is the version that uses Danny’s lighter driver than the standard one Rhythmic uses. They’ll definitely be better and dig deeper than my current Polk subs, though these things have been wonderful for what they are and for the 10+ years that I’ve had them. A lot more than I can say for the junky JL subs I have sitting in the closet.
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My no compromise hybrid music/video area.
Recent updates: Focal Sopra 3, 300 Series Surround and front Atmos on the ceiling. S300 amps are driving the ceiling speakers.
Went from a 2.2 system for Music and Movies to a 4.2.2 for Video. Able to use both XLR and RCA on the Amps and Subs so that Music and Video is discrete without having to use a HT bypass mode. Sounds amazing to say the least.
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Wow, this is stunning! The gear and aesthetic are world class. Thanks for sharing.
I have quite a bit of room but I will have the same conversation with Danny before making the purchase. He seems like a no BS straight shooter to me.
The Klipsch don’t stand a chance against these X-Statik’s.
For one thing, these X-Statik’s have an extremely open, natural, clean sound to them, and oddly enough, are a lot more dynamic given their 91 dB sensitivity. Kind of makes you wonder about Klipsch’s claimed 99 dB rating, which I have read somewhere that someone actually measured the Heresy III’s at 94 dB. I know my volume knob isn’t much higher for roughly the same SPL with these as it was with the Klipsch. Which reminds me, when dialing in the subs to the X-Statik’s, I just barely had to knock down the gain for a perfect match to the X-Statik’s, so there’s that as well.
The Heresy’s are good, really good, but the X-Statik’s are in a totally different league altogether. Treble is more extended, cleaner, airier, smoother, and never ever harsh. Midrange and vocals, there’s zero comparison at all. The X-Statik’s are extremely lifelike here. There’s body, texture, snap, feeling, LIFE in the midrange. These speakers literally disappear into the room like a pair of really good bookshelf speakers. They completely remove the front and side walls of the room, and you’re left with an amazing open, wide and deep sound stage with really good height as well, not to mention near pin-point imaging. They lock the vocals right in the middle (when the recording calls for it) with correct vertical height as if the performer is standing right there in the room singing. Dry recordings of just speech through these speakers are simply stunning.
Bass on the X-Statik’s are much deeper and better quality as well. Deeper, tighter, more dynamic with a crisp edge to drum hits, very little in the way of decay (almost none), very clean and agile with excellent detail.
And the fact that I’ve upgraded every cap and resistor on the crossovers per Danny’s recommendations a couple of years back, (which I should have done a long time ago) with the addition of his No-Rez in place of the stock felt damping inside the bass enclosures, these speakers are on an entirely different level from stock. And now with Class A amplification and tube preamplification in front of them, wow mama!
Stock…
Upgraded…
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I have spoken with Danny several times over the years on the phone, plus via email and the forum. He’s definitely a no BS guy. He doesn’t try to up-sale you either. He just gets you the best bang for your buck, and your situation. Very down to earth and personable.
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I haven’t really played with different isolation/decoupling options, at least not for loudspeakers. With subs, yes, and there’s a clear difference between rubber feet, spikes and the Isoacoustic stands I’m using.
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Bad ass, TLP!
-Scott
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Since seeing a couple of Focal Sopra systems, I thought sharing mine,
On the front: Focal Sopra N2, BHK 300, Syzygy SLF 870 subwoofer, Synergistic Research Atmosphere XL4, Synergistic Research Black Box
On the 1st rack: VPI Classic 1, Lehmann phono preamp Blackcube SE II, PSAudio DAC, BHK Pre, Synergistic Research PowerCell 12 UEF SE (Every components are plugged into this, except BHK 300s were plugged directly into wall outlets)
On the 2nd rack: Melco N1/A music server, Matrix SPDIF2, VPI ADS, Synergistic Research Active Ground Block SE.
Cables: mainly by Synergistic Research, also Wireworld, Analysis-Plus
Fuse: Synergistic Research Orange Fuse throughout.
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Beautiful system! Strong move adding the comprehensive component list
Best,
-JP
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Niiiice. Even changed the plants up too! I really want to try some of the PrimaLuna Evo gear. Did you pull the speakers out further?
Thanks Steve.
Speakers are in pretty much the same spot. They may look farther out now, with modifications I have done. The Evo 400 is sooo sweet sounding, and it pairs brilliantly with the BHK monoblocks.
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The sound is amazing. Holographic, 3D depth with precise imaging, and a soundstage that expands far past the the outside of the speakers. The synergy between the PrimaLuna pre and PSA amps is insanely good. Liquid smooth mids and highs with tons of detail, along with strong, tight and punchy bass.
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Nicer weather has brought me out to our sunroom. Streaming Quiet Kenny Dorham this morning via Roon through a Chromecast Audio dongle into these Polk Hampdens. I have a few pairs of these. They look cool and sound great, and I’ve found ‘em on eBay for less than $200.
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What do you have behind your listening position. I have Maggie’s 20.7 like you and I am diffusing behind them. I am doing the same thing although I am still waiting for diffusers to arrive. Have 2 x 4ft and 4 x 3 ft 16 inch isothermal tube traps that I am playing around with while also loading up some closets in the back wall with insulation for extra bass control. Picture to follow once I get everything in place.
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I’ve got a bunch of crap behind me. Treadmill, massage chair and 2 bookshelves with more CDs, records and books. Another almost 20 feet to the back wall.
20 ft is the key. Lots of extra space to tame that bass and distant reflections
For diffusors to have adequate bandwidth reaching into the lower midrange and upper bass, the wells need to have far more depth than a couple of inches. It’s the “quarter wavelength” rule - bandwidth equivalent to ~4x the well depth. In my system, I’ve allocated 18 inches to the depth on my front wall for the installation of P17 quadratic diffusors. The entire front wall assembly, including the four diaphragmatic bass absorbers columns and supporting steel frame lifting the modules 13” above the ground for AC duplex outlet clearance, weigh 800+ kgs.
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