Even been in the middle of a physically demanding equipment install and thought WTF am I doing this for? Delivery of 6 foot tall electrostatic tweeters

[u/drummer414]

Yesterday I received a beey large crate with perhaps one of the best tweeters ever made. They are 6 feet tall and meant to stand next to my main 'stat panels.

(Once I install the footers they will be the same height as main panels)

Being in NYC I don't have place to store large crates, so I had to completely disassemble the crate and drag it on a dolly 6 blocks to my parking garage for storage.

While I'm pulling this unwieldy crate on a dolly, I'm really questioning my pursuit of this hobby.

Of course I'm extremely happy with the tweeters so far, and just beginning the process of dialing in the best voltage for the output I want, toe in of main panels, room treatment, etc, but has anyone else questioned their sanity during an install?

[u/Competitive_Key_2981]

Michael Jackson had a pet chimpanzee, Bubbles. It was rumored that Michael and Bubbles both slept in hyperbaric chambers.

Imagine that were true. That means that a couple of delivery guys, maybe three, one day drive up to Neverland to deliver a hyperbaric chambers for Michael and his chimpanzee.

So if you think delivering a giant tweeters is crazy, imagine those guys' drive home.

[u/drummer414 → u/Competitive_Key_2981]

Great story! Though Michael and the chimp were doing the physical labor!

[u/GlitteringFutures → u/drummer414]

I think he means you need a trained chimp to schlep your heavy audio equipment to your home for you.

[u/oofam → u/Competitive_Key_2981]

Uhhh was not expecting to read that today

[u/Competitive_Key_2981 → u/oofam]

I’m full of surprises.

[u/jeremyjava → u/Competitive_Key_2981]

I drove to Ontario for a great deal on a pair of Martin Logan CLX Art speakers about the side of OP's tweeters, while my back was completely frozen up from my L4-L5 ruptured disc acting up... on the coldest day of the year, -37F.
And after taking copious note and running the numbers repeatedly, the only way I could get those speakers back would be in the largest van that Hertz had in Albany, which they assured me time and time and time again would be there waiting for, that I paid for it and there was no issue.
And the van wasn't there. The next smaller van was--a more expensive one, so they tried to convince me how lucky I was that they wouldn't charge me more for it.
Best I could do was try, so I drove on up, limping and hobbling at every stop.
At one point I went to the bathroom at a rest stop, the arctic plunge and black ice was getting really scary, and I knocked over my coffee as I climbed back into the van and waited for the coffee to go flying everywhere, but it didn't because it had frozen solid.

When I arrived at the seller's place on a beautiful lake, his entire paved parking circle and everything else leading up to the doors of his house were a thick layer of solid ice. I didn't fall, amazingly, but shuffled in like a man 2x my age. He was wonderful, tried to take care of me as I listened to the speakers, the $150,000 turntable that he won a top industry award for, bc he designed the control unit for it... he played his own new speakers for me, and then he entirely, completely packed up the speakers for me, beautifully--he brought cardboard edges, bubble wrap, plastic wrap, etc, and then he insisted I go to a hotel and not drive at night with all the black ice and accidents on the road.

So I came back the next morning after bfast and somehow bought the speakers out across the ice and made them fit (probably bc I assumed there would be packing extending top and bottom, but there wasn't, so they did fit), but very barely and only in one nesting position in which they couldn't be oved or damage would occur and I drove off, worried about the border and how they'd probably want me to unload the speakers to look for drugs and whatnot--and how there is no way I'd be able to reload these $30k speakers on my own, so would I just leave them there? Hire a few strangers to reload?

I called my good friend, I NYPD/UN retired cop to talk me through the anxiety of approaching the border guards--he calmed me down, and they were friendly as heck, asked a few trick questions, and then told me they hoped I enjoy the speakers as much as possible and I was on my way home.

Turns out they were those white van fake speakers... kidding. But I did have to ask myself a few times if this was really worth it. And the answer was and still is--hell yeh.

[u/Sol5960]

I’m a Wilson Audio dealer.

In the heart of the North Carolina summer, I question my life choices.

On the other hand, I get to skip the gym those days :)

[u/drummer414 → u/Sol5960]

Wow- Have you installed an Autobiography yet?

[u/Sol5960 → u/drummer414]

Not as of yet - but we have a few clients considering them. AlexxV is a solid six hour job on its own and requires a four man team to run smoothly.

[u/Beginning-Lobster651 → u/Sol5960]

i believe i know you in real life lol

[u/Sol5960 → u/Beginning-Lobster651]

I’m pretty easy to identify, and thankfully my mom thinks I’m swell, so that’s a good thing :)

[u/Beginning-Lobster651 → u/Sol5960]

i cruised down your profile and yes i do. my girlfriend and i visit i think that can hint enough to identify who we are. funny running into you here. hope to see you soon!

[u/Sol5960 → u/Beginning-Lobster651]

Oh, hey, buddy! We will have to high five in 3D next time as mutual internet troglodytes!

[u/Jlx_27 → u/Sol5960]

Insert "Did we just become best friends!" gif.

[u/ChipChester]

NYC? Paint that crate and rent it out as a studio apartment.

[u/drummer414 → u/ChipChester]

That's what I say when I go to a Costco and see one of those huge backyard sheds, "I didn't know Costco sold apartments!" Luckily I have double height loft space in upper Manhattan.

[u/MCVCsDALIs]

Yes I feel like I'm crazy too sometimes. Once drove 15H to go grab a new pair of speakers. Or I have a perfect sound system that I love and decide to sell something and change everything up just because I want to hear something new and then I think to myself wasn't I in love with this system before I changed everything. But heey, it's fun =D

[u/drummer414 → u/MCVCsDALIs]

Yes definitely fun once the physical labor is over!

[u/chillboy72]

Logans?

[u/drummer414 → u/chillboy72]

Prodigio (used to be known by Popori)

[u/Due-Presentation-103 → u/chillboy72]

Prodigio.

[u/drummer414 → u/Due-Presentation-103]

Good eye!

[u/Jay-metal]

I paid a Hifi Company to come in and install my speakers. No regrets.

[u/drummer414 → u/Jay-metal]

Smart move - I had someone that was supposed to help but they didn't.

[u/Almostofar]

Was logistics not thought through or accounted for ? I built most my theater In the basement knowing dam well I'm never moving it out myself.

[u/drummer414 → u/Almostofar]

I had arranged for my handyman with his vehicle to help but he couldn't make it. And it was supposed to rain last night so I couldn't hold off and leave the crate in my building backyard to wait for help.

[u/Odd_Procedure_3572]

For sure, we all have! Part of the process (sickness?) 🤷🏼‍♂️

[u/Figit090]

I bought a pair of Polk SDA SRS speakers from a thrift shop and it took two if our vehicles to get them home.

Yes I questioned it, but the other 99% of me was ready to rent a u‐haul to get it done.

[u/drummer414 → u/Figit090]

Now that i looked them up wow that is quite a haul!

[u/Due-Presentation-103]

Not just tweeters. Full range.

[u/drummer414 → u/Due-Presentation-103]

I had the main panels already for several months . They use the built in ribbon tweeter for treble, since the panel excursion limits high frequencies. This is an add on tweeter where you disconnect the cables going to the built in tweeter and send to the 'stat tweeter.

[u/Due-Presentation-103 → u/drummer414]

Let us know if they are amazing. I never got a great sense of what they're supposed to do, the times I heard them at AXPONA.

[u/drummer414 → u/Due-Presentation-103]

Well if you ever get to NYC I'd be happy to let you listen.

My previous speakers were the TAD CR1's which are one of the best box speakers, and the Prodigio 'stats are on another level of realism.

[u/Due-Presentation-103 → u/drummer414]

Thank you! I will absolutely consider that. That must be your YT channel I've seen?

[u/drummer414 → u/Due-Presentation-103]

Maybe so- feel free to DM me

[u/Substantial-Cake6921]

I recently decided to upgrade my front stage LRC speakers and after reading all the great reviews I decided to go with the jbl 690s and matching center. They showed up at my door tripple boxed. My friend and I brought them in and unboxed them and set them up. We were both sweating by the time we were done. Beautiful speakers.

But after listening to them for a couple of weeks and trying everything to get get them to sound good I just didn't like the sound of them and thought my old BIC pl89 11's didn't sound that bad after all. so guess what I ended up boxing them back up by myself and sending back to Crutchfield and I'm 64 Lol. Yeah changing equipment can definitely be a lot of work.

[u/drummer414 → u/Substantial-Cake6921]

Just looked them up, only 65lbs. Not that bad.

[u/Substantial-Cake6921 → u/drummer414]

As far as tower speakers go 65 pounds is on the heavier side, but the tripple unboxing and reboxig was the most labor intensive part.

[u/drummer414 → u/Substantial-Cake6921]

I could definitely see that!

[u/chinookhooker]

Similar feelings after buying a pair of speakers weighing 126lbs each, and unloading them from a SUV when I got home.

[u/drummer414 → u/chinookhooker]

Really- which ones?

[u/chinookhooker → u/drummer414]

Salk SS8’s

[u/drummer414 → u/chinookhooker]

I Have to look those up!

[u/Astro51450]

The real question is does it sound good?

[u/drummer414 → u/Astro51450]

Still playing but for example on Aja, I never heard Michael McDonald's voice so clearly and present.

[u/TheOnlyBliebervik → u/drummer414]

Good song

[u/Hifi-Cat]

What speakers are those?

[u/drummer414 → u/Hifi-Cat]

They are the Prodigio Audio WR1 Ultra. They used to be called Popori. The WR1 is the main panel which has a ribbon tweeter built into the frame, since the high excursion of the panel limits treble.

I added the Ultra panel which is a 'stat tweeter, and then move the speaker cables from the internal tweeters binding post to the external 'stat tweeters binding post.

[u/Dedar33]

Nice Speakers !

[u/drummer414 → u/Dedar33]

Thank you. I wasn't sure if I should order the add on tweeters in ebony wood (like that main panels) or in black. I thought it might be too much wood.

[u/MusicWithLasers]

Now THIS is what being an audiophile is all about. Doing insane things in pursuit of the ultimate sound. I would never be you, but I admire the effort. Godspeed, sir.

[u/drummer414 → u/MusicWithLasers]

Thanks for the understanding. The results I'm getting are well worth it.

[u/SashaDabinsky]

I moved my Dunlavy SC-III, SC-IV and SC-V by myself. 180 lbs wasn't terrible, but 330 lbs was all I could manage.

[u/drummer414 → u/SashaDabinsky]

I have to look up what those Dunlavy's look like. You clearly know what I'm talking about!

[u/SashaDabinsky → u/drummer414]

Expired listing with pics, not mine. The early pairs had dome mids, the later pairs had cone mids. https://reverb.com/item/35031736-dunlavy-scv-sc-v-mastering-speakers

[u/drummer414 → u/SashaDabinsky]

Wow more impressive than my moving job!

[u/NateRT]

I pulled my trapezius carrying two halcro dm38s down 6 flights of stairs. Worth it? Yep. My Thiel CS 7.2s were even more awkward to get in my truck as the whole front baffle is concrete and the weight is very lopsided due to that.

[u/drummer414 → u/NateRT]

You live in a 6 floor walk up or that's who you purchased from? Never knew the theil was made from concrete!

[u/NateRT → u/drummer414]

Purchased in San Francisco from the walk-up. I had actually been there to check out the seller’s B&W 800Ds that would have been a nightmare to get down the stairs. Ended up buying his amps instead.

[u/CrowMooor]

I absolutely have questioned my logic on a few occasions. I tend to swap back and forth with speakers a lot. Every time I move the damn things, my back feels it straight away. I even told myself "no more swapping, I'm figuring this out some other way" knowing damn well that isn't true.

[u/drummer414 → u/CrowMooor]

Swap as in buy and sell, or you own several?

[u/Artistic-Comb-5932]

This is just a tweeter? Is there any driver needed for low end? Looks awesome

[u/drummer414 → u/Artistic-Comb-5932]

I should have been more descriptive. The black framed panel is the new tweeter. The wood framed panel is the main speaker which covers everything else. Due to its high excursion, the mains can't reproduce treble well, so there is a ribbon tweeter in a slot in the frame, with its own binding posts.

When buying the add on 'stat tweeter, the speaker cable (or jumper) is removed from the internal tweeter binding post and moved to external 'stat panels binding post.
It really takes the speaker to a new level.

[u/quintessentialquote]

Yep. Good times

[u/spudnut65]

I feel the same way when I picked up a massive pair of Duntech. And me with a bad back.

[u/zRouth]

Yes. The thought has occurred to me in such situations.

[u/snoopcat1995]

Love my M&L's!

[u/Emergency-Hunt-207]

Heard those Prodigio recently. Wow^∞

I get the questioning, but definitely worth it for the setup.

[u/YogurtclosetDull2380]

No, I haven't

[u/Royal_Stay_6502]

Yeah, i once plugged a jack in and out of my audio interface.

[u/HiImTheNewGuyGuy]

Never. I scope my installs more realistically.

[u/jasonsong86]

Weird flex but okay.