Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Seas Thor Speakers by jonbee

Model:	Thor
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$2300
Description:	2 way Floorstanding T-Line DIY design
Manufacturer URL:	Seas
Model Picture:	View

Review by jonbee on February 05, 2011 at 17:10:52
IP Address: 24.18.209.64 Add Your Review
for the Thor

This is a review of a DIY kit speaker of some fame, the "Seas Thor" transmission lines.
This speaker was designed by Joe D'Appolito for Seas as a showpiece for their remarkable Excel drivers.
The design and a correspondng review was published in 5/02 in AudioExpress.
Since that time the DIY world has spawned a swarm of comments, upgrades, redesigns and opinions of this speaker.
It is available as a kit from such as Madisound, Zalytron, and others, and has found a following on several continents.
I've never owned speakers with the Seas Excel drivers, but have admired the amazing engineering that has gone into them.
A nice used pair turned up in my neck of the woods at a great price, and I couldn't walk away.
This pair is the original design and has decent but not great xover components from Erse and Axon. Kit and cabinets were source from Zalytron, and I think the kit cost is ~$2300/pr/ plus shipping, including cabinets. One outstanding aspect of the Zalytron cabinets is that all panels are 1.5 inches thick! With the inner T-line baffle, this makes for cabinets that are very solid and non-resonant, as well as VERY heavy! I haven't weighed them yet, but they are easily over 100 lbs. ea., I believe.
The design uses 2 6.5" Excel drivers flanking a Excel Millenium tweeter. The retail prices of these drivers is about $1400.
I refer readers to the AudioExpress article for full details.
There are many conflicting opinions on these speakers. Some very experienced listeners say they the best they've heard, others hear flaws and weaknesses of various types, such as lack of bass, a forward midrange, too much sibilance, or a clinical quality.
Here's what I hear:
The first thing that caught my attention is the wonderful detail, soundstage dynamics and general lack of coloration or obfuscation. They are fast and very clean from top to bottom; in this regard they are very accomplished as befits a very good $4-5k commercial design. Competetive speakers that come to mind that I have experience with are Joseph RM25si or Revel F30s; in my mind the Thors overall are better than both of those.
The bass is pretty deep, strong to well below 40 hz., but not as deep or strong as you might expect of such large speakers. The bass is solid and very tight and defined, but is also sounds shelved down a couple of db it seems, so it sounds not quite as loud as the mids.
The top end is supremely detailed; not quite as airy as the ribbons I love, but very clean. The treble events have more body and weight than the ribbons, though. Overall I see the sound of this tweeter in a draw with good ribbons. This is the one of the few dome tweeters I've heard that I can say that about.
So- other than the shelved down bass, what else needs help?
There is an emphasis in the mid treble, which does make that range a bit hot to me, with excess sibilance. Other versions of crossover for these attend to this in different ways.
The upper mids also seem pushed forward a bit; this may or may not be due to a 4.8khz. resonance in the woofers. Some of the redesigned xovers also are directed at that aspect.
As to the "clinical" issue- aside from the colorations mentioned, these are nearly photographically accurate, and appreciation or otherwise of that aspect gets into taste and matchups; I don't hear it as a flaw.
So- what's the bottom line? This standard, basic version gives a real taste of vey high end sound at a true bargain price.
If the "improved" DIY crossovers and cabinets work as reported, these could give real competion to commercial speakers in the $8-10k class.
I've noted that Tyler Acoustics has a real following using thse drivers in ported enclosures, available used at good prices. I think he tunes
the sound a bit differently, but I haven't heard his models to compare.
For me, I'm going to keep them and begin a series of mods.
As is, without changes, I could easily live with them. This is a review of a DIY kit speaker of some fame, the "Seas Thor" transmission lines.
This speaker was designed by Joe D'Appolito for Seas as a showpiece for their remarkable Excel drivers.
The design and a correspondng review was published in 5/02 in AudioExpress.
Since that time the DIY world has spawned a swarm of comments, upgrades, redesigns and opinions of this speaker.
It is available as a kit from such as Madisound, Zalytron, and others, and has found a following on several continents.
I've never owned speakers with the Seas Excel drivers, but have admired the amazing engineering that has gone into them.
A nice used pair turned up in my neck of the woods at a great price, and I couldn't walk away.
This pair is the original design and has decent but not great xover components from Erse and Axon. Kit and cabinets were source from Zalytron, and
I think the cost was ~$2300/pr/ plus shipping. One outstanding aspect of the Zalytron cabinets is that all panels are 1.5 inches thick!
With the inner T-line baffle, this makes for cabinets that are very solid and non-resonant, as well as VERY heavy! I haven't weighed them yet,
but they are easily over 100 lbs. ea., I believe.
The design uses 2 6.5" Excel drivers flanking a Excel Millenium tweeter. The retail prices of these drivers is about $1400.
I refer readers to the AudioExpress article for full details.
There are many conflicting opinions on these speakers. Some very experienced listeners say they the best they've heard,
others hear flaws and weaknesses of various types, such as lack of bass, a forward midrange, too much sibilance, or a clinical quality.
Here's what I hear:
The first thing that caught my attention is the wonderful detail, soundstage dynamics and general lack of coloration or obfuscation.
They are fast and very clean from top to bottom; in this regard they are very accomplished as befits a very good $4-5k commercial
design. Competetive speakers that come to mind that I have experience with are Joseph RM25si or Revel F30s; in my mind the Thors
are overall better than both.
The bass is pretty deep, strong to below 40 hz., but not as deep or strong as you might expect of such large speakers. The bass is solid and very tight and defined,
but is also sounds shelved down a couple of db it seems, so it seems not quite as loud as the mids.
The top end is supremely detailed; not quite as airy as the ribbons I love, but very clean. The treble events have more body and weight
than the ribbons, though. Overall I see the sound of this tweeter in a draw with good ribbons. This is the one of the few dome tweeters I've heard that I can say that about.
So- other than the shelved off bass, what else needs help?
There is an emphasis in the mid treble, which does make that range a bit hot to me, with excess sibilance. Other versions of crossover for these attend
to this in different ways.
the upper mids also seem pushed a bit; this may or may not be due to a 4.8khz. resonance in the woofers. Some of the redesigned xovers also are directed
at that aspect.
As to the "clinical" issue- aside from the colorations mentioned, these are nearly photographically accurate, and appreciation or
otherwise of that gets into taste and matchups.
So- what's the bottom line? This standard, basic version gives a real taste of vey high end sound at a true bargain price.
If the "improved" DIY crossovers work as reported, these could give real competion to commercial speakers in the $8-10k class.
I've noted that Tyler Acoustics has a real following usign thse drivers in portede enclosures, available a good prices. I think he tunes
the sound a bit differently, but I haven't heard his models to compare.
For me, I'm going to keep them and begin a series of mods. Even in this basic form, warts and all, I think they are pretty special.
As candidates for upgrades, they show wonderful potential indeed.

Product Weakness:	Excess energy in sibilance range. Shelved down bass. Overall, a "midrangy" quality.
Product Strengths:	Speed, transparency, lack of obfuscation. Tight, well defined bass.<br>Near photographic accuracy. Great value for $.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: cullen modded PS audio GCC-500
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): none
Sources (CDP/Turntable): modwright sig truth sony 9100
Speakers: VMPS RM30, Volent VL-2
Cables/Interconnects: Anti-ICs, Clear Day double shotgun
Music Used (Genre/Selections): lots
Room Size (LxWxH): 16 x 19 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments: slightly bright room eats bass
Time Period/Length of Audition: 3 days
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): PS audio quintet
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition): na

Amplifier:	cullen modded PS audio GCC-500
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	none
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	modwright sig truth sony 9100
Speakers:	VMPS RM30, Volent VL-2
Cables/Interconnects:	Anti-ICs, Clear Day double shotgun
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	lots
Room Size (LxWxH):	16 x 19 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	slightly bright room eats bass
Time Period/Length of Audition:	3 days
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	PS audio quintet
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition):	na