After a Decade of Hi-Fi Reviews: I'd Pick THIS Pairing Over Most.

[@bencarignan2711]

Considering how important equipment matching is, this is what the audio community needs more of. One can spend thousands on speakers, amplifiers and DACs, but if they're poorly matched the result can be shockingly sub par. Reviews are good and useful, but testing specific equipment combinations gives us viewers a greater chance of duplicating the results that you obtained. Please give us more "Killer Combo" videos. Keep up the great work amigo!

[@joshfoss7407]

Why do you believe equipment matching is important?

[@195516Z]

Whilst I have to be content in my seventies with my Buchardt speakers and vintage Sony amp, listening to your emotive descriptions and genuine passion for things I will never afford is always entertaining! Thanks!

[@Jack96993]

I'm in my 70's and still have my VAC tube amp and ARC LS15 tube pre amp that I bought back in 1995 Still works flawlessly to this day and does a good job of driving my Maggie's 😅

[@aceofspades6667]

Clayton is a great person. He spent a great deal of individual time with me when I stopped by his shop on a whim to demo a set of m3 sapphires.

[@mmdusa]

All you need is a REL sub and Bob's your uncle. You don't need a sub out. Should be using a REL regardless. Thanks Ron!

[@User_not_found_403]

Glad you tried this combo! I actually heard the predecessor combo - Bakoon Amp-13R and M3 (not sapphire) on a vinyl rig. Blew my mind - sounded live, real!

[@marekb.7835]

I listened the Bakoon Amp 13R with SoundKaos Liberation.. that was absolut TOP. I personally have never heard anything better in my life. I'm interesting of audio high end stuff since 1999-2000 and I still thinking there's nothing, what comes even close to this sound. Wilson Alexandria, Focal Utopia SUCKS!!! Open Baffle speakers is real live music in home.

[@BrentLeVasseur]

I’m guessing the two different RCA voltage inputs probably relate to how hot the input signal is in terms of voltage, for example a typical consumer grade pre-amp would be around 2.5 volts, where as pro recording studio gear typically runs at a higher voltage. The KTE Holo May for example, outputs at the higher voltage range of around 4.5-5 volts.

[@stifoli]

Enleum will be trilled by your very positive review. I sold my Amp23 because I couldn’t cope with the way it is tuned. I alway had the feeling the base and treble where artificially accentuated. Also, it is a nightmare if you have somewhat heavier cables. But as always, it is a matter of taste!

[@Realloulow]

There's a banner says you get promotional consideration. For the sake of transparency can you tell us who's paying you and what product(s)?

[@Newrecordday2013]

It’s mentioned in the first few minutes of the video. Thanks!

[@JR-ho5qm]

Thanks! Clayton we look forward to your next stroke of genius in the audio world 👍🏻🔈

[@echo2gordon]

I enjoyed your review of the Enleum 23-R paired with the M3 Sapphires. I am using a Pass Labs INT-25 to drive my M3 Sapphires and - in my opinion - the pairing is exceptional. Like the Enleum, the INT-25 is a minimalist, no-frills amp with a clean signal path and build quality like an Abrams tank. I love the clarity, warmth, and openness of the sound. And, as you say, open baffle bass is singular in its presence and depth.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Thanks for sharing!

[@rareearthfab5511]

Thank you Clayton!

[@oscarmarfori613]

1:52 For most people there is no such thing as “Extra Money” it will only happen to extremely rich people which I also know don’t believe in those words, just saying 😁

[@Crossjonesphotography]

The volume adjustment is similar to what Cyrus have used since the 90s from their Cyrus 3 amplifier onward :-) no knurled knob tho, the Cyrus knob is smooth and the LEDs are also used to set balance of left and right

[@BrentLeVasseur]

I will miss Clayton a lot. The good news is the full range compression horn tweeter in the X series is way, way better than the M3 Sapphire. So spending a little more to get an X5 or X4 is worth it. I’m so glad I cancelled my original order for the M3 Saphire and got the X5 instead.

[@Unpreeeedictable]

Horses for courses. I’ve never heard the X3 or X5s but my M3 Sapphires paired with my Pass Labs XA25 amp are magical in my system in my room. I can’t imagine a better speaker. I feel very fortunate to own a pair.

[@arunaryan1983]

I recently got myself a Bakoon Products 5514 class A amplifier and @15wpc it seems weak but it is nothing short of breathtaking when paired with my 99dB sensitive Zu Audio Soul 6 loudspeakers. Bakoon Products BTW is the parent company of Enleum.

[@vasukilaru8252]

I have the X3 and am curious about your opinion of them vs the M3 Sapphire? Thank you

[@mikeromero3077]

Loved the end of the video,, good luck dude. 😂

[@johnt2442]

Hi Ron Could you please put the name, album and song you reference in your videos into the show notes?

[@LordWaterBottle]

That volume knob does in fact Win and make every other audio device designer look like a bunch of US Marines.

[@cameronrector178]

I’d be pulling my sapphires apart ASAP!! 😂

[@JingoLoBa57]

Emotive passionate review, oh it was an amp. It costs how much did you say, 6k? Whew. Yeah I’m thinking how it would sound with my PMC MB2SE that rate at 8Ohm and 90dB sensitivity and are transmission line full-range speakers. Vs my current amp the Audio Research D240 MKII fully balanced.

[@davidperry4013]

100 to 150-watt per channel class AB stereo amplifiers from the 1970s and 1980s can pair wonderfully with quite a handful of modern speakers. My Q Acoustics 3020is is undersized for my Pioneer A-9 amplifier from 1981 but, the highs are incredibly detailed and nuanced for what those bookshelf speakers are but, I might eventually get the expensive Q Acoustics Concept 500s which may as well be the end all be all of the loudspeakers for my tastes in sound quality but, I fancy the Morel Octave 6 LE Floorstanding speakers, KLH model 5, Magnepan 3.7i, Zu Soul, or the ESS sound labs AMT-1 speakers. I might end up experimenting with different amps but, I am very happy with the performance of my Pioneer A-9 amplifier.

[@maciejsobiesniewski6411]

Wondering how Q Acoustic Concept 500 would sound with Enleum.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Smart! Those were pretty easy to drive. I’m picking up what you are putting down.

[@matthewhilty4209]

I laughed when the drop down menu for color for the amp was a choice between black and black. Yep it comes in any color you want as long as it is black.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

Out of all reviewers ' I know our taste in sound is most close ? Why do i say this ? Because we like it all when its good 😆 open mind is a powerful tool ' PS you can add Pwr sub by highlevel input ' what i do on me Vintage badboyz i know you know '

[@johenkay1129]

Sounds fantastic with the susvaras and omega cam speakers.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Regarding Clayton: www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=187027.0 I'm eagerly anticipating the next phase of Spatial Audio and Clayton's promising future. I deeply appreciate his unwavering dedication and determination in spreading the joy of Open Baffle Speakers to countless households.

[@latle111]

The price we had for the sapphire was the introductory special sale. The real price of the tweeter is $69k and the real price of the whole pair of speakers is $150k

[@rickp6303]

Nobody is talking about the new QUAD REVELA 2 Speakers ! 😇😃 Giant Killers !

[@deanfisher1656]

Awesome review

[@histubeness]

Ron, -- I'm a fellow owner of M3 Sapphires. A year ago you did a few videos on the X4's, and you speculated as to whether they might dethrone the M3 Sapphires, as your preferred reference. As I see you're pairing the Emleum amp with your Sapphires, is it safe to assume that you didn't replace them with the more expensive X4's? --Thanks

[@mikehughescq]

Interesting review but no mention of your musical source? I’ve auditioned two copies of the Enleum. I suspect there are quality control issues. First amp was stuck in the mode which over-rides return to zero and would have done serious speaker damage. Second amp was fine but even when paired with Zu Soul Superfly it produced negligible midrange and a narrow soundstage. Loads of detail but the music didn’t flow and the overall sound was unengaging. Moved it to a friends system. Same outcome. My source is an Innuos Zenith Mark 3 into a Chord Hugo TT2 DAC. Both boxes came with isolation feet which were badly scratched. Second amp was from an unopened box so pretty unimpressive. First amp had superficial damage. Second amp also had a badly damaged remote. On paper this amp should be perfect for my system. In practice I loved every aspect of it bar sound and quality control.

[@enleum4407]

Hi Mike, First of all, thank you very much for your continued interest in our AMP-23R. I realize you care a lot about the AMP-23R, but also that it didn’t live up to all of your expectations unfortunately. We do not know why your initial loaner unit did not work for you, as it was with our UK partner for some time, we’ll have to inspect if anything went wrong with that unit. Though we’ve had some cases of AC surges and outages deleted the sophisticated software that handles the AMP-23R’s interface controls and JET Bias circuit. As regards the visual appearance of your second unit, from late spring to summer, we’ve seen a few cases where the protection foam inside the packaging box had glue issues. The glue between the cut foam layers came out due to hot weather and rough handling along the way and stuck to the surfaces of the feet and remote control, where they make contact with the foam. These are not damages but can be easily cleaned with a microfiber cloth, and the issue has been addressed in all the recent batches. Regarding your experience about the “midrange” of the AMP-23R, we do not think there is any particular design that could possibly cause this and we consider the AMP-23R to be transparent, thus synergy is important. We know that there are many happy users and professionals particularly enjoying the AMP-23R’s midrange, as mentioned also in this review. Thank you again for your time with the AMP-23R and I hope someday you’ll get to enjoy our products as much as we all do. Soo In from Enleum

[@mikehughescq]

@@enleum4407 apologies, I’ve only just seen your response. Always appreciated when a manufacturer does this even if we’re not on the same page. I note your comments with regard to the isolation feet and remote control but you’re not describing the problem I had. The feet with both amps were scratched. Nothing would remove the scratches. Similarly with the remote. It was in a sealed plastic packet and the damage were deep scratches. Gauges would be the better word.

[@thomothomo1078]

Bakoon amps do sound special.I believe they render even the best SET amps redundant.They are not quite the same sort of sound but they have the essence of a really good SET.

[@sarahX..]

I agree although i prefer the similar Crayon audio amplifiers.

[@TheJoyofVinylRecords]

Love to see the Galion there!

[@stephenstevens6573]

Sounds very similar to the past era Technics integrated amplifier SU-V78 new class A. New tech at the time, but I'm still impressed today.

[@redstarwraith]

I am somewhat bewildered by Spatial Audio. Okay, they do open baffle. That much is understood. But it seems like every two years or thereabouts, an entire product line disappears and "the new thing" appears. . . for a couple of years before that too disappears. I get the concept of constantly improving - I really do, but at the end of the day, how far is Clayton really moving the ball forward? Also, one would think that open baffle speakers should cost far less to produce than a box speaker. You're not using anywhere near the same amount of material. Don't get me wrong! I think Clayton's designs are beautiful and unique. I really dig the aesthetic. Some of his speakers look like pieces of fine furniture. But, the cost? Ouch! Please be advised gentle reader, I cast no aspersions upon Clayton's character whatsoever. I just am asking for some clarification and explanation from those of you whose knowledge of open baffle exceeds my limited understanding. Thanks.

[@BruceCross]

@@bmpk4954 Good explanation on the higher prices, also why the number of speaker models has been reduced. I wasn't aware of the company's misfortune. Does that mean Clayton Shaw is no longer designing their speakers?

[@BruceCross]

@@bmpk4954 I'm sorry to hear that, both for his personal health and future designs.

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

THANKS RON ,🤗 THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO BE AN AUDIOPHILE 👍💚💚💚

[@nmnate]

I'd bet if Clayton did preorders for some Sapphires (especially with all the upgrades), it might not be too bad to buy a lot of 1000 tweeters. Still a substantial investment, but that might kick start the process. 🙃

[@stevezeidman7224]

Ron I love ya, it’s all great stuff but this is mostly unobtainium. The speakers drivers can’t be had and the amp is really expensive.

[@jjnewbold]

You mentioned Safe And Sound, are they a trustworthy place to buy used/open box gear from?

[@Newrecordday2013]

Absolutely! They are great!

[@matthewhilty4209]

I bought a Parasound preamp open box from them, it was in great condition and packed well, no scratches. (except for the ones I made of course...sigh)

[@hifiplayground]

i only klick video for sound sample, missing !!!!!

[@billsuper7324]

How would that amplifier sound with jb l100 classics ?

[@Newrecordday2013]

Great!

[@villageroma]

Try the Fezz Audio intengrated at half the price and let us know what you think

[@ejk3435]

Loving my M3 Sapphires and I have a spare pair of brand new tweeters in the box.

[@jman8368]

Do the Strada 2's beat these in any way?

[@Newrecordday2013]

No

[@gleamtarrest6310]

Mint Green...😮 Hope you got a great deal on it

[@Orchestra101]

Ron, stop yelling at us, I can HEAR you!!

[@greggawhite]

Yeah I literally CANNOT watch this with the high pitched screaming voice in this video. It’s like an audiophile torture test. 😂

[@rikardekvall3433]

He’s got deaf in his new “studio”. 😉 He’s got to yell because he’s not having any in-ears.

[@Newrecordday2013]

I had a few Red Bulls.

[@rikardekvall3433]

@@Newrecordday2013 😘

[@bengleason508]

How does the 23r compare to the Tyr's?

[@Newrecordday2013]

Apples and oranges

[@bengleason508]

Will you do another video on the Tyr? @@Newrecordday2013

[@Newrecordday2013]

@@bengleason508 yup. Very soon actually

[@ryanschipp8513]

​@@Newrecordday2013can you please explain?

[@hamidrezahabibi8111]

And this amplifier won 🥇 the Red Dot 🔴 awards

[@1mctous]

Negative feedback reduces distortion but smears the leading edges with time delay. Solid-state amps can get away with zero feedback but with tube amps, it's a useful trade off in small amounts. Among others the Galion TS120 takes this approach.

[@jasonmelo9379]

There's just no way that that tweeter can match the polar response of these woofers. I'd like to see some off angle graphs

[@Newrecordday2013]

Sure thing, measurements at 24:50 kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3nZaqp4d5iVoNksi=smXKTp5cKZcgXP8j

[@greenbeginner3353]

So, what happened to Clayton? Is he not well? Is Spatial out of business?

[@joonwoo1]

It’s 50k for 1000 units of the tweeter no?

[@rosswarren436]

Yes, but with speaker sales in the maybe tens of hundreds for specialty speakers, no company is going to buy that many and let that investment sit on the shelves and collect dust.

[@Newrecordday2013]

@rosswarren436 that’s correct.

[@K-Effect]

If it’s 45 W per channel than it’s about $69 a watt

[@n.lyndley.9889]

As you use your hand to gesticulate turning-up the volume, you do it from your perspective - so it’s completely the wrong way ‘round for your viewers. 99.9% of presenters make this error when gesticulating a timeline.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Bull. It’s 98.6%

[@3184Patrick]

Intriguing amplifier. but why make these goofy sized hifi products? make it 17" wide like the big guys do. all racks and cabinets are designed for 17", there is no reason to make it smaller.

[@ianorigbo7617]

Yes may be right what you say about what you review. But you coming across as everything you say is an absolute. Don't forget preference of presentation of music. That's all.

[@jon4715]

compare the amp to the Tyrs

[@JohnScheppler]

Great review, and that's crazy money for speakers, not just a tweeter to make one. The amplifier sounds amazing, but I'm guessing this is what happens in that cheeky shed ALL the time.😉😉

[@AmazonasBiotop]

Welcome to the open baffle realm. ❤️ Yeah you have been there for a while. And thanks for spreading the word. But it really begs the question.. When OB sounds better especially in the lower frequencies than ANY other type of enclosure for Hifi. And that is SO much easier than building a box enclosure. Why do we have those boxes?? The only reason I can think of is that with a box you put stuff out of sight.. then you can say that some magic of some sort is IN that box. In contrast that OB everyone sees: "that is just a driver mounted on a piece of wood.." And "Why should I pay so much for that?" Maybe that is the "issue" with trying sell OB?? Funny ending and with that sad twist. 😅❤

[@dcosta912]

69k, nice

[@mcbowler]

Have them fix this… “300 watts (Idle) | 100 watts (Max)”

[@Starch1b2c3d4a]

What happened to Clayton? He dead?

[@seekeroftheways]

A moment of silence for Elliot 😂

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

prob expensive dap paired with um iem

[@bjtaudio]

Odd speaker design 1 tweeter and 2 large woofers with good mid-range? even off axis??

[@Newrecordday2013]

Correct

[@AmericanConstellation]

This is great, but no one has this kind of money to spend and most people don't care or can't hear quality sound, I do, but I've got my two systems in two different rooms and I'm done with new audio equipment.

[@rosswarren436]

Better keep Elliott...Weirdos often grow up to be audiophiles....just sayin'....

[@bksherm]

Much better look with the trimmed beard. Ha - sorry not stereo related.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

Pop da Hood! 😆 Thanks Ron

[@stevenmichael7770]

To be fair, you get 1000 tweeters for that price, lol.

[@rosswarren436]

Yes, but that means you need to sell 500 pairs of speakers to use them up. How many speakers using them has Spatial Audio sold in say the last year? Generally, you'd want a ROI in 3 years or less. Love everything I've heard about them and their sound quality, but Spatial Audio is small potatoes compared to say, Klipsch. Hard for them to justify such a purchase.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Correct.

[@rosswarren436]

@@bmpk4954I'd LOVE the X5 for sure. But the issue was likely they were able to buy smaller quantities at one time at less of an investment. The maker or distributor should get with it and make smaller quantities available. I mean, are they sitting on them or do they have buyers who will be buying so many at one time? My living room isn't large enough for me to have open baffle speakers and pull them out into the room to do them justice (nor Maggies either), so I'll stick with box speakers. Rats.

[@sunvalleydrivemusic]

I loved the review, but only talking about one pair of speakers makes it a little less than useful. I wish you would have talked about other pairings you did specifically. Prob won’t be able to match them, so I have to move on…

[@danmarjenka6361]

Amplifier is "Made in Korea."

[@GreybeardMO]

Why on earth would you not put a sub out on a product like this? Ugh.

[@Newrecordday2013]

I know - I really wish that was included. This would have been over the moon.

[@ryanschipp8513]

Do not fret. Add a REL sub. Use the Speakon cable that runs straight from the sub to the amp terminals. 😉

[@ryanschipp8513]

​@@Newrecordday2013REL sub, Speakon cable;);) problem solved.

[@rofgabor]

poor Elliot! :)

[@billsmith5166]

Instead of spending $6,000 on an amp, spend $1.000 on your room.

[@fonkenful]

Bill, I think Ron has invested more than a little time and resources in room treatment - in fact there’s a full series with some very revelatory sound clips.

[@paulomontero12]

This is at most a $1000 amp it only weighs 5 kg’s

[@Newrecordday2013]

Right, cause that’s how these things work.

[@angelheart1129]

Too much money not enough voicing flexibility 👎🏼