Opinions of Cliffhanger Bulldogs

Botrytis - Thanks for the info, I read the review you mentioned. Nice to know TNT- audio seemed to like them.

Curt - They are hard to find but if you have the chance give them a listen.

Finfinder - Thanks for your reply, I have a classe ca 301 rated at 300 watts with fair current flow so I am hoping Power is not going to be a problem.

Duke - Thanks alot for all your sharing. I have seen many responses from you on this site and on others. You appear to be very knowledgeable, but more importantly willing to share this with others in a way that shows a real passion for audio and many fine products out there.
I am aware of the positioning of the speaker and believe that 19 or 20 inch stands are needed, but I think I will wait until I get them before I get another set. I do have the premier speaker stands which I use on another speaker but they are 26 inches high, and that will put the ribbon to high for my listen position, but it's worth a try first and may help me decide what height will work best.

Thanks!

TNT-Audio did a nice review of them also - http://www.tnt-audio.com/casse/bulldog_e.html

Davr

Curt,

Cliffhanger's website is down right now, but here's the address: www.cliffhangeraudio.ca.

Soundstage did a review and a follow-up on the Bulldogs:

http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/cliffhanger_bulldog.htm

http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/cliffhanger_bulldog_followup.htm

I'd be more than happy to take a shot at any questions you might have.

Best wishes,

Duke

Do they have a website address. I'm interested.
Thanks,
Curt

I heard them about six months ago and I agree that they are power hungry but damn fine. If I could have bought them that day I would have. Luckily I came to my senses and realized they wouldn't work with my setup... but if they would.....

Congrats on your 'Dogs, Jkwl!

Interesting that you bought 'em after only one listen, when that's something you never do. You see, I became a dealer for 'em after only one listen, and that's something I never do. So at least we both know we're not alone.

The Bulldogs do like plenty of power, but I think your Joules will do the job. I signed on after hearing them driven by a 100 watt JoLida push-pull tube amp. They need to be on stands in order to have proper tonal balance - if they're too close to the floor, they don't really come to life because the lower octaves are emphasized, which thickens the sound. That lovely little ribbon tweeter is inherently fairly directional in the vertical plane, so you want it aimed at ear level. Horizontally, the radiation pattern is quite wide.

So position 'em well and feed 'em generously, and the Bulldogs will be very lively and musical. I'm not normally a "bass freak", but their bottom end really is remarkably solid and enjoyable for such a small speaker (I attribute that to the extremely solid cabinet, with metal plates reinforcing the cabinet walls. Have you tried lifting one? Gruuunt!). However, it was their rendition of female vocals that won me over, and that's probably what they do best. Designer Ian Smith did a superb job on the driver selection (using a dome midrange in a size/price league where virtually everything else is a two-way) and on driver integration (as an amateur speaker builder, I can attest that crossover design is what separates the men from the boys).

Yup, you got yourself a right nice pair of speakers there. I don't think you'll regret buying 'em after only the one listen!

Best wishes,

Duke