Harley from Pearl here: Please guys let me assure you our cabinets are 100% solid French Oak, you can put a chisel to them and all you'll dig out is slow, grown, aged French Oak. Every cabinet looks different, in fact we can not build (visually) matching pairs - impossible, but that's what our customers seem to like. If we spend hours and hours matching pieces of wood and throw away more than 60 percent, we can get close - but we're not going to do this! Besides, if you look closely you'll notice that each of the sides of the cabinets are made of at least three different strips, all bound and glued together. Why? Because if they were not - the wood would bend back into the shape of the tree and possibly crack. And at 5KEUR per pair, I don't think our customers would appreciate it very much! Solid Oak is fantastic acoustically, you really need to try it.
Question: Why are our speakers so expensive? Because the distributor want a 50% uplift, delivery is expensive and then the retailer wants to double what he pays the distributor, the little bit over is raw products, time, testing, licences, guaranteeing, and marketing...
Hi The Sibelius will sound very different. The Pencil design is fantastic but with all cabinet walls 3cm thick and extremely solidly built with no battens or weak miters all you'll hear from the Sibelius is the fantasic sound of the drive unit and the air it pushes. No nasty colouration but fantastic deep base, that will shake the house without ever sounding boxy or thumpy. I hope this helps? Marks Alpair 10.2 is amazing, it just needs a construction to bring out the best in it. We are trying! They are at their best when reproducing acoustic instruments. A double bass sounds exactly like a double bass with all its overtones...
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Adam0
Yes the late A10.2 was certainly a bass monster for its size, however, unless you have a special OEM production arrangement or other stash of drivers, the supply for this particular model might be limited?
I don't think there was ever any question as to the "why" of your pricing structure - any of us who've actually tried to sell our speakers understand that - particularly with the material and methods you employ. Certainly few DIYers posting here have had the opportunity to audition such a product, or undertaken to build along the same lines - I know I'd certainly be bragging if I had.
Yes the late A10.2 was certainly a bass monster for its size, however, unless you have a special OEM production arrangement or other stash of drivers, the supply for this particular model might be limited?
I don't think there was ever any question as to the "why" of your pricing structure - any of us who've actually tried to sell our speakers understand that - particularly with the material and methods you employ. Certainly few DIYers posting here have had the opportunity to audition such a product, or undertaken to build along the same lines - I know I'd certainly be bragging if I had.
Good to hear things are progressing Harry.
5k euros is actually pretty cheap given distribution to resellers, your margins must be fairly thin.
I have a set of solid Garry Oak uFonkenSET here. Really beautiful and quite heavy. A direct to end-user price of $1.5k(if we could source material -- it is an endangered species so you have to get lucky with a wind-fall).
dave
5k euros is actually pretty cheap given distribution to resellers, your margins must be fairly thin.
I have a set of solid Garry Oak uFonkenSET here. Really beautiful and quite heavy. A direct to end-user price of $1.5k(if we could source material -- it is an endangered species so you have to get lucky with a wind-fall).
dave
Thanks Chris,
The site is a big work in progress, so pay no attention to things that are out of place, or the occasional miss-spelling..
Otherwise Pirate away
Just send me pics!
P.S. Absolutely stunning job on the A7/SDX7 build you and Dave recently completed. I've always wanted to do a similair build with the same drivers.
The site is a big work in progress, so pay no attention to things that are out of place, or the occasional miss-spelling..
Otherwise Pirate away
Just send me pics! P.S. Absolutely stunning job on the A7/SDX7 build you and Dave recently completed. I've always wanted to do a similair build with the same drivers.
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Excellent news Harley. Glad all is well at your end; wish I could see some of the finished Valentini at some point & take some pictures (I'll never be in a position to afford them alas) given that I'm a sucker for oak & this is probably the ultimate refinement of the design concept. As for pricing structure, agreed on it being perfectly reasonable given the construction & volumes involved for what are bespoke pieces of artisanal furniture as well as speakers. Let me know if there's anything I can assist with
Best
Scott
Glad all is well at your end; wish I could see some of the finished Valentini at some point & take some pictures (I'll never be in a position to afford them alas) given that I'm a sucker for oak & this is probably the ultimate refinement of the design concept. As for pricing structure, agreed on it being perfectly reasonable given the construction & volumes involved for what are bespoke pieces of artisanal furniture as well as speakers. Let me know if there's anything I can assist withBest
Scott
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Dave:
Can you describe the sonic character or differences over the same cabinets in other materials with the same drivers?
yeah, catch that hot potato, Dave
Actually, the series of uFonken 85Wks, including the half a dozen or so SETs in different solids would make an excellent opportunity for a rigorous scientific study, or else a casual listening session.
I tend to opt for the latter myself - along with a nice Cab-Sav and Miss Vickey's Sweet Onion and Balsamic Vinegar chips -- think we could get a quorum for that?
Actually, the series of uFonken 85Wks, including the half a dozen or so SETs in different solids would make an excellent opportunity for a rigorous scientific study, or else a casual listening session.
I tend to opt for the latter myself - along with a nice Cab-Sav and Miss Vickey's Sweet Onion and Balsamic Vinegar chips -- think we could get a quorum for that?
The solid woods are (mostly) close to the good plywood (so far), but we haven't done a thourogh evaluation -- they are stunningly pretty. Most of the builds have been uFonkenSET where the small size of the panels are hard to get moving.
Thick western red cedar (12mm) over plywood has shown sufficient merit to be further pursued.
MDF has a low-level ooze of tme-smeared energy that makes a hit on DDR.
dave
Clark certainly builds a nice cab. The bamboo ply is really good, the stranded bamboo even better, Now imagine the same speaker a step up in performance.
dave
Hi Scott,
Very humbled by your words. I would love you to hear them. Is there a big Uk hi FI show I could bring them too where we could work together to promote your design and amazing results? Personally I think you'll also love the 'Sibelius' loudspeakers but we can have fun with these too.
Very humbled by your words. I would love you to hear them. Is there a big Uk hi FI show I could bring them too where we could work together to promote your design and amazing results? Personally I think you'll also love the 'Sibelius' loudspeakers but we can have fun with these too.
Hi Harley,
Good question. Believe it or not, I'm not sure. The Bristol show has just gone (it was this weekend as it happens), but there are a few throughout the year. It's not something I've kept abreast of in recent years, but I can certainly find out. Wideband driver based systems are very much a minority in shows though, so I suspect one that built in solid hardwoods would be a very popular addition. I should stress that it's far from just me however; Dave, Chris & I are very much a team & FH3 which Valentini was derived from was our most successful joint project to date.
I'd certainly be very interested in hearing the Sibelius too; I've a soft spot for this sort of load, so with a bit of luck... give me a shout at my email & we can have a ponder about where might be a good place for you to show them.
Good question. Believe it or not, I'm not sure. The Bristol show has just gone (it was this weekend as it happens), but there are a few throughout the year. It's not something I've kept abreast of in recent years, but I can certainly find out. Wideband driver based systems are very much a minority in shows though, so I suspect one that built in solid hardwoods would be a very popular addition. I should stress that it's far from just me however; Dave, Chris & I are very much a team & FH3 which Valentini was derived from was our most successful joint project to date.
I'd certainly be very interested in hearing the Sibelius too; I've a soft spot for this sort of load, so with a bit of luck... give me a shout at my email & we can have a ponder about where might be a good place for you to show them.
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