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View Full Version : Bastani Atlas open baffles - could they be the ones?



Marco
27-11-2008, 09:15
Guys,

This is a precursor to a report on my experiences at Clive's place with his Bastani open baffles (link to similar type shown below) which were truly fabulous, and probably the best speakers I've ever heard. My thanks go to Clive for allowing me to hear his speakers. He has a very nice system!

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0907/bastanis_atlas.htm

I've heard various types of OBs and all have had their own brand of magic with music, which is completely unattainable with box speakers, but none have possessed the overall finesse and beautiful looks of the Bastanis. The report should make interesting reading to those who've considered OBs in the past but dismissed them as unsuitable due to their particular presentation; they can take a bit of getting used to, getting your ears attuned to the absence of cabinet coloration and becoming comfortable with the realisation that what you've been listening to for years with box speakers was 'wrong'!

The Spendors are on borrowed time, so are the Bastanis *the* ones?

More later!

Marco.

P.S I'm doing this to remind myself to write something otherwise it could go the way of the 'infamous' 1210 review which never quite materialised :eyebrows: ;)

SteveTheShadow
27-11-2008, 16:06
Hi Marco

Glad you liked them.

I'm indebted to Clive for his advice to go active with the bass on my baffles.

Doing that solves no end of problems and gives baffles back something of the "punch" at the bottom end that passive operation seems to lose in comparison to box speakers. But it does all this without the box coloration.

Steve

John
27-11-2008, 16:16
I heard very similar speakers at Vics and left with very similar views Great to hear it was such a positive expereince If I ever felt the urge to upgrade further this would be the way to go

Filterlab
27-11-2008, 18:30
Ahhhh, nothing like open baffles. :)

Clive
27-11-2008, 19:11
I'm looking forward to Marco's review!

I visited Vic yesterday (as in The Terminator parallel tracking arm). BTW his latest version of The Terminator uses a chrome slider and the air bearing - looks fab. Now to the point.....John, what you heard at Vic's sounds even better in my room! I'm sure Vic won't mind my saying this, the electronics and front ends we use are quite similar but Vic has a lot of kit, including a big TV, between the speakers. I have loads of space. This makes a difference.

When I was at Vic's I spent a couple of hours measuring the bass in-room and setting up the DSP unit he has. When I left Vic tweaked it some more and I believe the bass is really very good now. I've done the same in my room but my room is quite poor as it's essentially square with bay at one end so the room modes are very large. Vic's room is quite a bit better (weaker room modes) but even so the bass with DSP is much improved, it seems that even in a good sounding room that DSP is worth trying

John
27-11-2008, 19:44
Hi Clive
Yes Vic said you had the best system he ever heard and he also said after that mine was the best he heard (via the turntable) outside yours and his own; so was really happy with that. Vic is really great with compliments!
So DSP is worth the effort I have to look into this at some point which DSP are you using
I always worried that adding a DSP would add colour into the mix
Hope to met with Vic next week

Clive
27-11-2008, 22:20
Hi John & Steve,

Vic put me onto the Behringer DEQ2496. We both have this pro-audio DSP unit wired into the bass only. Getting the bass "right" make such a fundamental difference and with Atlas being so incredibly good you do notice if part of the sound is below par.

I know there are purists that say bass should be passive and that active bass (subwoofers) don't integrate but when you're using valves through OPTs then there's likely poor integration anyway. After all, what OPTs perform as well in the bass as they do in the mid-range. My preference is to manage the bass properly. I have some new DSP hardware I'm starting to get to grips with tomorrow, I'll say more when I know more.....

SteveTheShadow
27-11-2008, 23:08
Hi John & Steve,

I know there are purists that say bass should be passive and that active bass (subwoofers) don't integrate

They talk bollocks quite frankly. To me unless you've got a Naim 250 in charge of the bass driver, you're going to have problems unless that is, the drivers are of high quality with huge powerful magnets, otherwise passive bass on a baffle with an SE valve amp can get al fluffy and cuddly if you know what I mean.

The subs I had integrated fine with the mids and top. However I'm now using active dipole bass courtesy of a pair of Eminence Delta 12s. These are fed from the 50W class D plate amps I ripped out of the subwoofers. The bass is better than when the subs were in use but then again the drivers are much bigger, with far more substantial magnets than the eight inch units the subs had in them.

The active dipole bass is better, more textured, goes deeper and is far more controlled than all but two of the passive baffles I have heard to date. IMHO active bass, mono or dipole makes the bottom end far easier to manage, especially in a small room.

Steve

Clive
27-11-2008, 23:15
They talk bollocks quite frankly. To me unless you've got a Naim 250 in charge of the bass driver, you're going to have problems unless that is, the drivers are of high quality with huge powerful magnets, otherwise passive bass on a baffle with an SE valve amp can get al fluffy and cuddly if you know what I mean.

The subs I had integrated fine with the mids and top. However I'm now using active dipole bass courtesy of a pair of Eminence Delta 12s. These are fed from the 50W class D plate amps I ripped out of the subwoofers. The bass is better than when the subs were in use but then again the drivers are much bigger, with far more substantial magnets than the eight inch units the subs had in them.

The active dipole bass is better, more textured, goes deeper and is far more controlled than all but two of the passive baffles I have heard to date. IMHO active bass, mono or dipole makes the bottom end far easier to manage, especially in a small room.

Steve
We're certainly violently agreeing. Marco and Ian heard 15" drivers in sealed boxes and 18" dipoles, albeit dipoles in a front/rear vented box, large vent at the rear (hard to describe). The sealed boxes produce more impact, the dipoles as you say more texture and detail.

Filterlab
27-11-2008, 23:19
I have to agree with Steve here, I've owned and heard many many active subwoofers and they've all integrated very well indeed. My most recent sub was an MJ Acoustics Pro-something-or-other and it was audibly invisible when the (painstaking but rewarding) settings were correct. It simple blended with the main speakers and 'completed' them. If that's possible with enclosed speakers then it should be as equally feasible with open baffles, if not moreso.

John
28-11-2008, 07:29
Hi Clive
So best to wait till I go open baffle with an active Bass before buying a DSP unit which maybe a year down the line. I really like the bass on my system at the moment The Glowmaster really grips around the Bass
I just love what Open Baffles do around the soundstage and image. They bring you closer to the music which for me is always my aim
Thanks

Clive
28-11-2008, 08:00
Hi John,

You could get a relatively cheap DSP unit such as the Behringer anytime and try it. It seems like you don't have active bass units so you'd need to have the DSP unit on the full-range signal. I know some very well respected people in hi-fi circles that do this, however in my very analogue system with an SE amp I can't get my head around doing AtoD - DSP - DtoA in the mid-range powered by an SE amp.

If you went for OBs like the Bastanis then you could just swap the DSP unit over, although there are bass amps out there with DSP integrated, you might prefer that approach, in which case hold off getting the DSP unit.

John
28-11-2008, 18:38
Cheers

snapper
29-11-2008, 12:13
Thanks to Clive for entertaining us last Saturday.

It was a sound I've never heard before and having only heard box speakers I feel it's a sound I,personally may take some time to adjust to.

My preference was when the bass units at the back of the room were used.

:confused:

Bear in mind,for the last 12/13 years I've been using an LP12 and Keltik speakers.

Maybe the next time I pop down to see Marco,he may already have a pair.

Clive
29-11-2008, 12:28
Thanks to Clive for entertaining us last Saturday.

It was a sound I've never heard before and having only heard box speakers I feel it's a sound I,personally may take some time to adjust to.

My preference was when the bass units at the back of the room were used.

:confused:

Bear in mind,for the last 12/13 years I've been using an LP12 and Keltik speakers.

Maybe the next time I pop down to see Marco,he may already have a pair.
Hi David,

Great to hear from you. Bass preferences are why Robert Bastani offers 3 bass units, 12" sealed, 15" sealed and 18" dipole - at least out of the 4 of us present had a clear preference, 2 for sealed and 2 for dipole. It's all about choice thanks to Robert.

You probably had the least opportunity to adjust to sound as you had the least time directly in front of both speakers. The effect and sound is certainly quite different to boxes, probably it's better you didn't complete the adjustment period!

Cheers,

Clive

John
29-11-2008, 20:53
I came across this link when looking into open baffle speakers it seems they will be offered in both kit and finished format and by all acounts sounds special but perhaps taking a risk as have no idea how good these are
http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/index.php?topic=62010.0
http://www.gr-research.com/

aquapiranha
01-12-2008, 22:02
If I suddenly came into a few grand I think I may be foolish enough to order a pair of Atlas on the spec alone! I have read a lot about them recenlty and all of it EXTREMELY positive!

Now, if only I had some money coming my way...

Marco
02-12-2008, 10:04
Hi Steve,

They are *very* good indeed. However you might like to know that it was listening to your (quite frankly excellent) Fostex-based units that set Ian and me on the path of OB discovery!

There will be a full report on the Bastanis once I finish the article on the 1210 modifications. I should imagine this will be ready for the weekend :)

Marco.

aquapiranha
02-12-2008, 11:25
Hi Steve,

They are *very* good indeed. However you might like to know that it was listening to your (quite frankly excellent) Fostex-based units that set Ian and me on the path of OB discovery!

There will be a full report on the Bastanis once I finish the article on the 1210 modifications. I should imagine this will be ready for the weekend :)

Marco.

cheers Marco, i look forward to hearing your thoughts, and also I will try to get over as soon as I can, will be a couple of weeks though...

:)

Marco
02-12-2008, 19:53
You're welcome anytime, Steve :)

The Bastani listening session at Ian's has been put on hold for the moment due to some unfortunate central heating issues Ian's had to deal with. It looks like it'll go ahead now sometime over the Xmas hols.

Marco.