Sonics of Soundlabs

Well guy's,

I went to hear these speakers today and was dissapointed. Only one was working.......... the upgraded backplate had not arrived from Soundlabs for the other yet, and there was a lot of distortion from the one that was working. I think it was the gentleman's amp that was clipping, but I am not positive. He was using a monster SS Crown PA amp. The sound was pretty harsh all the way around.

Anyway, to make a long story short we agreed to do another audition when both speakers are up and running (hopefully next week). Any thoughts anyone on this experience? I am hoping this isn't typical for these speakers. Question: Are Soundlabs unreliable? I am starting to not feel real good about this pair of speakers.

Chris

I will try this one last time and then quit wasting my time, as it appears you are more concerned with running your mouth than hearing the truth. Below the resonate frequency of the room, there is what is termed transfer function gain, room gain, or cabin gain. All are the same thing. Below the knee frequency, there are no standing waves, only the 12db/octave rise.

Try this little experement. Take your subwoofer, run a 20hz signal through it. Measure the output at 10 different locations in your listening room with an SPL meter. Don't change any levels and take that subwoofer and put it in a closet with a door. Close the door and stand in there with the sub. Measure the SPL reading there in 10 different locations. Guess what the SPL reading is higher and very close all around. Can't find any standing waves, because there are none.

Now, I know you think you are smarter than Tom Nussane, so here are a few more links that discuss the transfer function, but I will guess that you will continue to argue until you are blue in the face that you are right and scientific fact is wrong.

http://www.linkwitzlab.com/rooms.htm#Standing%20waves

http://www.linkwitzlab.com/thor-intro.htm

http://www.linkwitzlab.com/images/graphics/enclosure-spl.gif

http://www.caraudiohelp.com/newsletter/cabin_gain.htm

A good place to ask questions about SL speakers as well as carry on dialog is the Soundlab owners group and they have a forum:

http://www.soundlabowners.com/forum/index.html

Soundlab speakers are large, a bit delicate, and sensitive to handling (shipping) and set-up issues, such as bias adjustment. You might say they can be a little idiosynchric. But, to answer your question directly about SL reliability, in my opinion their reliability is fine when set up properly with care (bias set properly) and, they have the latest updates including the high efficiency cores. There have been isolated reports from time to time in the past on tears or rips in the membrane for one reason or another but, the company always worked to resolve these issues promptly. I don't think you will find many, if any, reported quality issues on the newest iteration coming out of the factory.

Again, be sure to post your question on the SLOG forum and you should get some responses.

And as a side note, "Mcreyn" is correct about standing waves, room gain and such.

i owned a used pair of U2s. while i personally didn't care for the sonic presentation (very subjective), the membranes did tear and required factory repair, and the backplates were not built w/ the quality one expects of $15k speakers. ---no comparison to the WP6s i now own insofar as quality of craftsmanship (i also like the WPs sound better, but to each his own). ---also, i find any speaker as inefficient as soundlabs to be very limiting insofar as equipment choices go...too limiting.

that said, the factory service was very good and i've no complaints of the folks in utah. having lived w/ planars, i don't like them.

soundlabs (moreso, any powered speaker) are not set & forget. if you want maintenance free, get cones.

rhyno

Boy what an awful piece of equipment to hear a Sound Lab with.I would never want to hear a Soun Lab witha Crown S.S.
Its been a long time ago since I listened to an A-1.This was at a Stereophile Show.The speakers were hooked up to
Audio Note Tube Mono Amps and Preamp.The sound quality and transparency was astonding.The speakers need a very high quality tube based system to audition them properly.Personally I own th Martin Logan Quest Z's,and would never want to depart from them.I noticed with the newer Martin Logan speakers the els panels are getting narrower,and the crossover freq. seems to be getting higher.
I think you and I should keep the speakers we have.Why would u want to sell the Prodigy? Is it lack of deep bass?
the Sound Labs have to much of a radiating surface area to contend with.I think speaker placememt may be more difficult.
Personnally I would keep the speakers u have and work on your source or front end of your system.If u have any issues with your system you can email me.I may be able to help u further in other recommendations I may have.Happy Listening