Oops .....

A good friend just brought to my attention that I have a typo in the information provided above.

The Mundorf caps are "EVO" ..... not "PIO".
Too many acronyms for my old brain to keep track of.

I also forgot to provide a link to the AMT drivers for the DIY music lovers who would like to build something themselves ..... so here is the link.

This driver is certainly not the most extended high frequency driver available, as it rolls off around 18K. However, it is "musical", and robust, and does a good job of extending the frequency response of the F-15 driver, which rolls off pretty quickly at around 12K.

There is something special about the sound of a good AMT driver, IMO.

Happy listening,
Randy

NIce!  A “ Stand Up” F15 version of the ZROB.  I expect it sounds excellent and takes the F15’s to another level.  👏

I have been using these same tweeters on the ZROB open baffles for around a year now, and they are one of my favorite tweeters of all time. Never drawing attention to themselves, especially in a dipole arrangement.  : )

Well ..... I finally made some time to build a pair of F-15 baffles with the AMT drivers ..... a visitor had purchased the demo pair that I had in the listening room .....

Here is a photo of them in red oak.



Larger photo HERE.

After completing them, I had a customer from Louisville, KY visit me.
He owns a pair of F-15 baffles.

Halfway through he first song we played, he said "send me an invoice for the AMT modules".

Apparently, he heard the same thing that I am hearing.

I will be taking orders for the AMT modules after the Decware Fest.

There will be two pairs of baffles at the Decware Fest with the AMT modules ..... a pair of Lii Song F-15s and a pair of Audio Nirvana Super 15s.

I'm looking forward to some feedback from the attendees.

The link to the AMT page of my website is HERE.

Happy listening,
Randy

Very nice HK! Keep us posted on how the sound evolves.

Best, Geno

Good to hear your thoughts on these. I believe Randy was using my baffles to test them out. The holes are filled, but they’re pre marked.  :)

I have one question, does the addition of these raise the soundstage upwards? I’m loving the F15s, but the soundstage is on average lower than I’d like.

Randy sent me the AMT tweeter kit to test with my Caintuck F-15 Magnum speakers. After a couple of weeks of listening below are my impressions. TL/DR: They AMT are not needed, but worth it to get that last 5%-10% out of these incredible speakers.

Test System Components
Amps: Decware SE34I.6 (Rachael), Pass INT60, Wilsenton R8, Schiit Aegir 2F, Schiit Gjallarhorn F
Preamp: Schiit Kara F
DAC/Streamer/EQ: Geshelli Torc, Holo Audio Red, Decware ZROCK3
Turntable/ Phono Pre: Vinyl Nirvana TD 160 Super, PS Audio Stellar Phono
Speakers: Caintuck F-15 Magnums, dual W-15 Magnums w/ Crown XLS1002

AMT Tweeter Install
Installing the AMT tweeter was very straightforward and only took about 20 minutes. The AMT housing is built with the same quality and good looks as the Magnum baffles. Adding the AMT to the Magnum baffles gives the speaker a bowling pin look, but it's not bad once you get used to it.

Listening Impressions
I'll start by saying I love the system without the AMT tweeters. I have the Magnum baffles for over a year and never found the top end lacking based on the types of music I listen to and my tastes. I listen to mostly jazz, acoustic, classic rock, R&B, blues and some electronic and hard rock. I can be sensitive to treble so I was concerned that adding the AMT to the system might make things too hot or treble forward for me. This was not the case.

Adding the AMT tweeters to the system I immediately noticed the increased sense of air and space they brought to the presentation. I could hear more treble extension on cymbal hits and finer details on piano keys, vibes, drum brushes, and fingers on strings. The effects are subtle but additive. My fears of too much treble were unwarranted. I think you have nailed the treble crossover point.

The treble smoothness is enhanced when I have the W-15 bass baffles engaged. Without the bass baffles the treble is very good, but filling out the low end just enhances the overall presentation. With the full Caintuck speaker system in place I’m getting a greater sense of depth hearing more into the mix vs a wall of sound. I also, highly recommend using dual bass baffles. 1 is great but 2 makes everything sound perfect throughout the room.

The quality of amplification matters with this setup, especially with the tweeters. With the Rachael and INT60 the speaker system—with and without the AMTs—is exceptional. Those amps are able to present treble in a smooth detailed fashion without ever sounding harsh. I listened for hours with these combos without fatigue. The Decware and Pass setups with Caintuck continue to cost me sleep. It's very hard to turn the system off and not just listen to one more song.

Other amps used for testing included the Schiit Aegir 2F and Gjallarhorn F. The Gjallarhorn was the big surprise. Its 10W @ 8 ohm is plenty to drive the Caintuck well. The Aegir 2F is made for speakers like the Caintucks. The Aegir 2F provides a SET like quality of midrange sweetness and bloom that is very enjoyable to listen to. The Schiit amps aren't as refined as the Decware or Pass amps, but at their relative price points, they are arguably a better buy. One can listen to these Schiit amps with the Caintuck speakers and have 80-90% of the experience had with the more expensive amps.

The Wilsenton R8 was also very good with the Caintuck speakers but this combo was also the only one that gave me treble fatigue. I don't blame the speakers for this as this amp has proven to be too treble-forward for me on all but the darkest speakers. From what I've read and heard from others, this is a characteristic of this amp that is really only fixed by replacing some caps inside the unit. A mod I plan to make at some point in the future.

I'll wrap up by saying this. The AMT are not needed for the Caintuck F-15 Magnum to sound great. They are, however, icing on the cake for those who want that last bit of refinement in sound quality. The overall value proposition of my Caintuck speaker system (F-15 Magnum, AMT Tweeter Kit, dual W-15 Magnum, Crown XLS1002) at about $3500 all in is near impossible to match at that pricepoint. This speaker system plays well with amps like the $300 Schiit Gjallarhorn all the way up to a $10K Pass INT60.

To my ears the Caintuck system competes with speakers 3x-4x its price. While not an apples to apples match (OB vs box speakers) the Dynaudio Confidence 20 which retails for around $13K is a remarkable speaker that the Caintuck system is not embarrased by. I'm certain from a sound quality perspective that very few would be dissatisfied having the Caintucks as their main speaker system.

Awesome write up Mindhead1!