kevtn8
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Just a little update for everyone:
I received my Traps last week and have been listening for about 10 hours total so far.
Just to refresh my audio journey to this point: At the beginning of the year, I was using the DM945 and few weeks later added the companion cabinets to them. I thought the DM945 sounded pretty good with great tonality, however the midrange clarity could be clearer and I didn't think it handled complex musical transients too well. With the companion cabinets, the soudstage opened up even more and there was more bass. However, I thought the musical tonality was off. My guess was that there was frequencies in the midrange and as high up as the treble was leaking into the horns.....this adversely affected the accuracy of the music for me. Keep in mind, this is all in my small unorganized room with no room treatments of any kind so obviously YMMV.
So long story short I decided to sell the DM945 and cabinets and downsized into a high-end audiophile desktop system. I then ordered the Traps from Bob and purchased a SVS sealed sub with sub bass augmentation in mind for my future system. Since the Traps were only 89db, I knew that weight and dynamics would be very important and so I also ordered the CSP3 to use as a preamp for my SE84CKCS.
Initial impressions of the Traps and CSP3 to my system:
I believe I have a pretty good ear for music. My taste in music is very diverse and I believe I know what I'm looking for. Since 2001, I've been using only hybrid tube based amps( Tube Driver Blue) in the car along with Dynaudio and Morel speakers. Aside from the DM945, I admit I do not have a lot of personal experience with other audiophile home speakers from other companies. However, most of my friends are all hardcore tube audiophiles and I have listened to their tube systems consisting of Proacs bookshelf to DIY speakers consisting of pretty good audiophile drivers such as Seas and Scanspeak( Jansen DTQWT most recent).
With my CSP3 as a pre to the SE84CKCS and without even using my SVS sub, after only about 10 hours total so far on my Traps I feel as if I'm in an audiophile dream. The sound I'm hearing is in another league. Here is a quote from a response that I recently emailed Bob:
First, please let your son know how much I really appreciate his design and concept on these speakers. I believe they are really unique, beautiful, and really excel at what they set out to do and more. They are in a class by themselves. The bottom slit bass port is ingenious and really gets the job done on the desktop without getting in the way of placement. I want to add that the addition of the CSP3 to my current system has been an unbelievable experience and a lot of what I'm hearing from the Traps ( weight and dynamics) would not be possible without it. With that said, all of this electrical energy has to be transferred into sound somehow and I believe my Traps does this better than any audiophile speaker I've listened to for the money. After listening for a few more hours tonight, this has only reaffirmed what I've written so far about these wonderful speakers. These speakers just has NO weaknesses. The bass detail and extension are just unbelievable for a speaker of this size. Even with a SVS sub bought for this potential system in mind, I have no desire to integrate it with what I'm hearing from my Traps. The soundstage is huge, the imaging is exceptional and vivid, the treble and midrange ( maybe the Vifa being discontinued was a blessing after all 😄) are world class. Perhaps to best sum up how I feel right now about these speakers: if I have a dream of what my ideal speaker would be like in terms of sound, size, and looks…. it would be my Traps 👍. Thank you so much to you and your son for designing and building such exceptional audiophile speakers.
So to say that I'm impressed with these speakers is an understatement. Based on what I've gone through so far, the Traps ( with the help of the CSP3) has been like a gift from the audio gods ;D
I'll just let my complete system break in and just enjoy the journey. I may give another update later if there are major improvements but I think you guys get the picture now.
Happy Listening everyone ;) Kevin T.
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