New Speakers

[TooCool4]

I finally got my new speakers delivered; I placed my order weeks ago after my current speaker started to play up with a faulty drive unit.

The speakers are made to order, with a 3 to 4 week wait.

Since the speakers are built to order and I could change thing to what I wanted, all I requested was to have a single set of binding posts since I have not intension of bi-wiring or bi-amping.

I have not listened to much music in the last 4 weeks.

Peak Consult are Danish and since they don’t have a UK distributor anymore, I had to order direct from Peak Consult in Denmark.

Speakers finally arrived late Friday afternoon, a friend and the FedEx delivery driver helped me carry the speakers up a flight of stairs. The speakers came in 2 crates and a smaller crate for the accessories. I had a second small crate with the replacement drivers for my broken Peak Consult Princesses. The total weight of the package was 150KG, the crates are heavy, each speaker must be over 60KG’s each.

After the speakers were safely upstairs, my friend left. The first fun I had was trying to find a correct star shape screwdrivers to open the crate; I did eventually find one.

Opening the crates and adding the feet was easy, but lifting the speakers off the crate on my own was not too easy. I was going to get the speakers on scales to weigh them, just to see what they weigh. I gave up on that silly idea very quickly as that would just be madness for one person to do.

The speakers are so heavy that I had to walk the speakers to my living room, as I was not able to lift them.

I plonked them in place, plugged in the cables. I put the radio on and had to go and get ready to go to a friend’s gig. The gig was at a small venue 10 minutes’ walk from my flat. My name was on the guest list, so I had to go, the friend that was playing is Bon Harris from Nitzer ebb. Dave Ascot from The White Gospel and Dave Gooday from Nitzer ebb were playing before, I was late and missed Both Dave’s set.

Bon set was good.

On the quick listen I had while getting ready to go to the gig, my first impression on putting on the new speakers the first thing that hit me was amazing clarity and the gravitas of voice presentation.

So can’t wait to be able to sit down and have a good listen.

 

[rando]

Hope you truly enjoy the new speakers and find them a worthy upgrade.

Congratulations are also in order for successfully making me think of playing "Yesterday Princess".

 

[TooCool4]

Thanks rando

 

[TooCool4]

I have now had about 16 hours of play on the new Sonora speakers.

I was using my previous speakers on Symposium Svelte shelf and Rollerblock JR+, this took the Peak Consult Princess to a different league.
So far with the new Peak Consult Sonora, I am using the supplied feet. When everything is all broken in, I may try using Symposium under it.
Since I have the Symposium Svelte shelf going spare and too small for the new speakers, I am using them under the Spectral cable box.

Sitting down and playing some music, I can hear more into what’s going on; a lot more revealing. Notes are better defined from top to bottom. The top end is crisp detailed and none fatiguing, I feel I can listen to these speakers all day without wanting to take a break.
The Princess can be a bit harsh when pushed, not that I push that hard often.
The bass end with the passive radiator is so nice and textured and evenly defined, not overloading the room or boomy. I can walk round the room and hear an even bass response, was not the case with the Princess.
Even at low volume, you can still hear the bass, with the princess I really needed to turn up the volume before you get good bass effect. The princess has a 5” bass / Mid driver and ported on the back, the Sonora has a 6” bass / mid driver and looks like a 7” passive radiator on the back. The passive radiator sounds like it’s doing a better job controlling the bass.

It's so much easier now to hear differences in recordings, even listening to the radio you can pick out more easily the different acoustics of different room / venues.

The Sonora appears to be very sensitive to rake and tilt angle, when I first set them up (not precise) the image appears to be more to the right. I checked and the speakers are about the same distance to my sitting position since the top slopes I was not able to check the angle properly.

So, I resorted to getting out the tool I use to set blade pitch on my radio-controlled helicopter, on checking one speaker was at 4.3 degrees and the other was 3.8 degrees rake angle, the tilt sideways was 0.3 degrees and 0.2 degrees the opposite on the other speaker. I then adjusted to 0 degrees side to side on both speakers and a rake angle of 4.6 degrees on both speakers, everything then snapped into focus. To my ears anyway, it may just be my imagination but those tiny deviation made a difference.

The construction of the speakers is just first class, everything is just solid and well put together. I must admit, they have really thought about the feet of the speakers, it’s miles ahead of what they used to supply with their previous speakers. It’s well designed and the ease of use / functionality is a pleasure to use. Tools for putting it together / adjust and are all included.
The combination of American Walnut / Acrylic / Leather looks good. For me the smaller Peak Consult speakers have always looked better than the bigger ones, maybe It’s just me.
I have always preferred stand mount speakers; in fact, this is the first-floor stander I have owned. Always liked the sound of stand mount.

This may only be the entry level into Peak Consult, but these speakers are far from an entry level speaker in terms of sound / build quality.

I am loving my new upgrade.

 

[Salectric]

Very nice! I always enjoy reading about unpacking new equipment especially speakers in big crates.

One question—what type of diffusor panels are you using behind the speakers?

 

[TooCool4]

Salectric yes, I love being the first person to open something after it was packed in the factory.

I am using GiK Acoustic https://gikacoustics.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh7n96NmJggMVhaztCh3mGQjDEAAYASAAEgI5DPD_BwE

 

[TooCool4]

Wow , these speakers just sound better and better. Just under 30 hours on them now.

 

[SCAudiophile]

Congratulations on your new beautiful speakers!!!

 

[TooCool4]

Thanks SCAudiophile

 

[TooCool4]

Just relaxing to some music on cassette, viewed from my sitting position.

 

[SCAudiophile]

Hello guys!

I just happened to check this message again and saw the photographs for the first time again in a while.

I forgot how much I like that system and room,....hope all is treating you well and the new house will be even better!

Mark

 

[TooCool4]

Hi Mark

All is fine here thanks. Still waiting to complete on the house, it takes forever here in the UK. You guys state side are so lucky, you don't have to put up with what we have to put up with in the UK.

Thanks again.