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Spatial X5 speakers

Just got mine, with upgraded crossovers, a couple of weeks ago.  I now have about 250 hours on them - mostly driven by the Voyager Gan 350 wpc class D amp and most recently by Don Sachs 65 wpc tube amp.  Speaker Cables are Griver Huffman Pharoah's and the preamp is Don Sachs tube preamp.  They are easy to set up as they come fully assembled.  Right out of the box they sound promising but the bass is cardboard like and the tweeter can sound harsh.  Nevertheless, after about 175 hours, these babies developed a pleasing midrange liquidity and nice open baffle bass.  They throw an expansive soundscape that extends beyond the width of the toed in speakers that is also deep front to back.  I mean, these speakers truly disappear as in my listening spot nothing localizes to the speaker itself.  Both amps drive these speakers nicely.  The Sachs amp defitely sounds better using the 8 not 4 ohm speaker posts.  I am now getting air with very nice detail and tonal colors.  

 

These speakers are just awesome.  They are worth every penny I paid for them.  Clayton warned me about the prolonged break in time and he was dead on the money.  I just love the OB box less sound.  These speakers are awesome.

 

I hope this thread does not degenerate into a toxic pussing contest like my Voyager Gan amplifier thread.

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lewinskih01
909 posts
 

@audiosaurusrex 

Are you positive the X line has powered sub? I guess you mean the lower 15" driver? I don't see this noted in their website nor I can see the amp module in the pictures I've seen. That would explain how a 3-way OB could be driven by a low-power SET amp.

 

I don't have Spatials but DIY OB with the same Beyma AMT used in the X line and high efficiency midranges (twin 97dB 8" per side). I drive this with MC275MkIV and expecting a 45 SET in the next weeks to try. Mine is a 4-way active system and the SET will be tried for tweeters and midranges. Might need to get another one, or a 2A3 :-)

Midbass thru 18" OB driven by class D, sealed subs for the lowest end.

Very happy with this path.

@jaymark 

thanks for starting this thread.

Do you know the xo frequencies used around the 12" mid? I see Clayton reduced the 15" Deltalite mid to the 12" version, which should reduce beaming around the xo to the tweeter. Do you notice beaming when walking around the room? Within reasonable angles, of course - it is an OB after all!

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ozzy62
3,211 posts
 

Yes the X series has powered subs. Only the lower driver is the sub, the 12” driver handles mid bass and midrange duties.

lewinskih01
909 posts
 

@ozzy62 

Thank you for confirming. I wasn't aware. Do you know the xo for the sub?

The midbass/midrange seems to be Eminence Deltalite 2512, spec'ed as 99.9dB (of course not for OB). Depending on where these are xo they may or may not get to real 92dB sensitivity and might explain the experiences with low power amps.

ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,211 posts
 

I don’t own the speakers anymore, but I thought I remembered 90 hz as the xover point. Maybe someone here can clarify.

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jaymark OP
514 posts
 

@ hilde45 I have collected some excess stereo equipment intentionally.  I love the Pass Lab amps.  To my ear, they do solid state right.  I actually have another Pass Lab X250.5  amp that will be returned to me after mods after the first of the year.  So, I am just throwing different amps at the Spatials in a grand natural experiment.

 

@ decooney, I am running a range of amps thru the Spatials because I have a range of amps to run thru them.  Hard to really predict how they will sound based on wattage.  No reason a 20 wpc tube amp should have trouble driving 97 db sensitive speakers yet some have tried some of these amps, and to their ears, they did not satisfactorily drive the Spatials.  So I am going to try a range of moderate to mid high power amps, bot tube and solid state, until my ears reconcile the winners.

@ hilde45, I do not think the Spatials need soft presentation tube amp to not sound harsh.  I am still in the breakin phase at at 335 hours now.  During this phase I have gotten some harsh reproduction with the Sachs amp.  However, as time goes by the occasional music that can sound this way is definitely lessening.  I think this is significantly, maybe not entirely, a break in issue

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