One of the advantages of WFH is that it allows for unusual meeting times. So it was a mid-week afternoon this week that ex-FM MPW and I could align calendars and set up a rendezvous at his house to check out his new babies.
I have known MPW for over a decade now, and we've chatted and discussed audio as his speaker journey went from Paradigm to Epos to Merlins. And the Merlins stayed for a long time, playing bravely and holding their own, in a room which is probably 3x the room size they were designed for. That last bit of extension was naturally missing, and could rob that last bit of enjoyment, especially for the fastidious. And those FMs who know MPW, would probably agree that he is, well, very fastidious. And yet, save that last bit of extension, it was a system that was easy to listen to, non-fatiguing, and inviting the listener away from technical analysis and immersing them in the music
So when he spoke about the deal he was getting on the Solstice kit, I was naturally very excited for him - the same smooth tweeter as the Merlin and far better woofers, designed by DIY god, Jeff "less is more" Bagby. It promised to be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Of course, even the best DIY design is only as good as the execution, so a big shout out to
@sadik for doing such a flawless job. There are enough pictures on the thread so, I took photos from different angles. First the colour: it would never have been my first choice when I saw it on the thread, but in real life it looks really nice, part of the credit for that does for a real good paint job. and it makes the speakers look really compact in the flesh, so overall a job well done
In the photo below, please see the gaps between the drivers and the baffle, especially for the tweeter. Its as good as it gets, and you'll see a lot of name brand speakers which struggle to to meet this level of tolerance
In the photo below, please note the texture of the driver baffle. it makes a nice counterpoint to the smoothness of the main body and overall the speaker looks so professionally done.
the outrigger base was not part of the original design and I think it was custom made for MPW by another Forum member. again excellent finish. Overall from a fit and finish perspective, these are easily comparable with commercial speakers in the 4-8 lakh range so huge complements must be given to
@sadik for elevating fit and finish to pro levels.
Of course, the raison d'etre for any speaker is music, and oh boy, how the music flowed! the first thing is how amazingly convincing the bass was! it was deep without ever being boomy, (and this is a difficult room) and there was very little overhang. the second impression was how little power was probably driving them. we did most of the listening with the volume at the 9 o'clock position or lower and it was plenty loud.
the next thing that comes out is how smooth midrange is. For the music we heard it did not at all sound recessed, as 2-way speakers sometimes can. and it was not at all shouty either. Like the story of Goldilocks, it was just right tonally.
There was a limited amount of time so we pretty much heard one song from each album. So I am posting an overall impression. To digress a bit, just a few years ago, I assembled the headphone rig that's in my signature. it was expensive, but is it the best in the world? Absolutely not! But overall,
to my ears, the way those 3 pieces of kit come together, is so satisfying, I have lost any urge to upgrade.
Why am I sharing this story? - I think FM MPW should be in the same place with his system now. Again, huge kudos to Sadik for the attention to detail, as well as to MPW for taking an expensive leap of faith. I think it paid back well!
Happy Listening MPW! I will be back for a more serious listen over a drink or three.
