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Snell Acoustics speakers, Type KII, black oak I am the original owner of these Snell speakers and have owned and used them since 1992. They were used as rear surround speakers mounted on the rear wall with Omnimount brackets in a theater environment until about 4 months ago when I replaced all of my speakers with Perlisten speakers. These speakers would make an excellent pair of stereo speakers IMO.They have always been in an environmentally controlled and nonsmoking environment since I purchased them. As you can see from the pictures, they have 4 carefully placed brass inserts (1/4 inch) for mounting. If you want the Omnimounts, I can ship those without charge. These two speakers will be sold as a pair and will be shipped with almost damage proof packing and in separate boxes. The boxes will have plywood protection on the front and back with thick foam all around. I cant stand shipping damage! The pictures show that the cones and surrounds have no deterioration or damage. The enclosures are in perfect condition (10/10) and are black oak that has a slight gloss to the finish. They are in brand new condition. IMO, they still sound great, even though they are many years old. I have included a Stereophile review by Robert Harley below from 1991. Any specification questions about the speakers should be in the article. They weigh 22 lbs each on my scales. Packed, each will weigh about 27 lbs.All of my equipment is in perfect condition and both speakers will be packed well in separate heavy duty boxes. Please see my reviews. Snell Type K/II loudspeakerRobert Harley | Apr 1, 2007 | First Published: Jan 1, 1991 In some ways, building an inexpensive yet musical two-way loudspeaker is a greater design challenge than creating a cost-no-object reference product. Although the latter is a much more complex endeavor, the venerable two-way box seems to bring out the creativity and resources of the designer. Rather than throw money at the product in the form of more expensive drivers, enclosures, or components, the designer of a low-cost two-way is forced to go back to the basics, rethink closely-held tenets, and rely on ingenuity and sheer talent to squeeze the most music from a given cost. Consequently, the inexpensive two-way is the perfect vehicle for designers to develop their skills. If one has mastered this art form, one is much more likely to achieve success when more ambitious designs are attempted.The Snell Type K/II represents the effort of a distinguished designer, Kevin Voecks and is the lowest-priced loudspeaker in the six-model Snell line, which culminates in the highly regarded Type A/IIIi (footnote 1). Snell has applied the same design philosophy and manufacturing methods to the inexpensive Type K/II as is lavished on the $4650 Type A/IIIi. The primary engineering goal of Kevin Voecks, designer of the Snell line, is to provide flat amplitude response (footnote 2) not just on the loudspeakers axis, but over a wider horizontal and vertical forward window so that room boundary reflections do not have a different spectral balance that would color the loudspeakers direct sound. The contribution of sidewall reflections to what the listener ultimately hears is significant; a loudspeaker with off-axis amplitude anomalies may measure quite flat on-axis, but have tonal colorations when placed in a room. Consequently, Snell loudspeakers amplitude response is specified over a 30° horizontal window, not just directly on-axis. In addition, the loudspeakers response is optimized over a 45° vertical window, taking into account floor and ceiling reflections. Flat amplitude response off-axis is achieved with higher-order crossover slopes (18dB/octave) and careful driver design.Like other Snell loudspeakers, the Type K/IIs development was heavily influenced by the testing procedures at Canadas National Research Council, headed by Dr. Floyd Toole (footnote 3). The NRC provides loudspeaker-evaluation services including double-blind listening tests, on- and off-axis amplitude measurements, and a full-size anechoic chamber. Many loudspeakers tested at the NRC share some design parameters: high-order crossovers and flat response over a wide window.The Type K/II is very ordinary looking, except for the nice cabinet work. As soon as the veneer is cut, loudspeakers become pairs, assuring matching grain within a pair. Cabinets are hand-sanded and -oiled, unusual in an inexpensive product. All cabinetry is done in Snells own cabinet shop. The Type K/IIs enclosure is made from ¾ high-density particle-board. According to Kevin Voecks, no internal bracing was needed because of the small unsupported wall dimensions. The enclosure rear has a rectangular inset that holds two pairs of five-way binding posts. Like all Snell loudspeakers, the Type K/II can be bi-amped or -wired. Shorting bars are provided for single-wire operation. A tweeter level control is provided next to the binding posts. Where the Snell Type A/IIIi (which uses the same tweeter as the Type K/II) features a two-position switch that allows the user to switch the rear tweeter on or off, the Type K/IIs rotary knob provides infinite variability over a fairly narrow range. The knobs 12 oclock position is marked optimal.The Type K/IIs 8 polypropylene-cone woofer, specially manufactured for Snell, uses a special surround designed to dissipate stored energy. The cone shape and dustcap are designed for flat off-axis response, the cast-magnesium basket and the voice-coil for high power handling. The tweeter is the popular Vifa 1 treated textile-dome unit found in the Dahlquist DQ-12 and Triad System Seven, both of which Ive reviewed (in Vol.13 Nos.4 and 10, respectively). Despite this tweeters rising top-end response, many designers feel that its other attributes compensate for this tendency toward excessive upper-treble output. (My primary criticism of both the DQ-12 and Triad System Seven was too much treble energy.) Crossover frequency is 2.7kHz, with third-order slopes. Air-core inductors are used throughout, and film capacitors are used where appropriate. The crossovers are hardwired into the loudspeaker, rather than connected with push-on terminals.What really distinguishes the Type K/IIs crossover (and those in all other Snell loudspeakers) is the careful matching of crossover to drivers. Because raw driver manufacturers typically guarantee ±3dB tolerance in frequency response, it is difficult to achieve production units close in performance to the prototype. Snell overcomes this problem by measuring each driver and adjusting crossover component values to compensate for driver tolerances. Crossover component values are adjusted with trimmer caps and by varying the number of inductor winding turns. The result is that each Type K/IIs frequency response is within 0.5dB of the prototype. This is an extraordinarily tight production standard for any loudspeaker, much less one in the Type K/IIs price range. As far as I know, this exacting procedure is unique to Snell (footnote 4).Listening I auditioned the Type K/IIs on the same Celestion spiked and lead-shot/sand–filled stands used with the Phase Technology PC-80s. The stands placed the Type Ks tweeters 40 above the floor, 4 above ear level. After some experimentation, I listened to the speakers toed-in toward the listener, 50 from the rear wall, 36 from the side walls. Before listening to the Type K/II, I spent some time with the Spica TC-50s. Snell Type K/II loudspeaker Page 2I was immediately taken by the Type K/IIs musical performance. They were very well balanced, open, and had no glaring colorations. The bass was particularly impressive: tight, articulate, tuneful, satisfyingly conveying the weight and rhythm of music. The low-frequency presentation successfully walked the fine line between quantity and quality of bass. I never felt shortchanged of fullness and body, yet found the bass to be very well-defined, punchy, and with good pitch resolution. The Type K/IIs low-frequency agility created the feeling of good integration between bass and the rest of the spectrum. Often, a sluggish bass rendering results in poor cohesion as the bass lags the rest of the music.In addition, bass guitar lines were easy to pick out, never becoming homogenized with the rest of the music. This was especially apparent in passages where the bass and another instrument both play the melody. Examples include bass and violin on Hereafter, from the Dixie Dregs Dregs of the Earth (Arista ARCD 8116), and bass and flute on Misturada from Three-Way Mirror. In all these cases, the bass was distinct from the other instruments, and the clearly identifiable pitch contributed to the Type K/IIs conveyance of the composers intent.Low-frequency dynamics were similarly impressive, with a feeling of effortlessness and speed. The Type K/IIs solid and taut low end combined with a punchy rendering of bass drum, infusing music with rhythmic energy and drive. The entire low-frequency region was the antithesis of a sluggish bloat that drags down the tempo and robs music of urgency. Not surprising, in light of its size and sealed enclosure, the Type K/II lacked the extreme bottom end that adds a visceral element to the musical experience. The PC-80s, by comparison, produced a greater feeling of weight in the extreme bass. Nevertheless, the Type K/IIs managed to provide remarkably satisfying low-frequency reproduction. Although the bass was very well-defined for a budget loudspeaker, in absolute terms it didnt have the tautness and detail of more expensive systems. Nevertheless, of the nine under-$1000 loudspeakers Ive reviewed since the September issue (Vol.13 No.9, footnote 5), the Type K/IIs have the best-integrated, most articulate, and musically satisfying low end.I began the auditioning with the tweeter level control at 12 oclock, as suggested by the Optimum marking at this location and also by Kevin Voecks. It was soon apparent, however, that there was too much treble energy with the knob set flat. I finally struck a balance between a forward, sizzly treble and one that lacked life and air, with the knob pointed at 7 oclock as seen looking from the back.I dont know if its a hearing peculiarity, but I find the vast majority of loudspeakers, especially inexpensive ones, far too bright. As a former hi-fi salesman, Im well aware that a brighter loudspeaker will end up in the customers trunk far more easily than one with a more natural tonal balance. I therefore welcomed the addition of a tweeter level control on the Type K/II: it can be demonstrated with excessive HF energy, then the customer can turn down the treble once the charm of the exaggerated presentation wears thin. However, one of the level controls on the review samples sounded as though the wiper wasnt making good contact: it made an intermittent scratchy sound as it was rotated. Despite the potential sonic problems of a tweeter level control, it was certainly nice to be able to tame down what would have been the Type K/IIs aggressive treble. I found that with the right amount of upper mid/lower treble energy, the extreme treble was too prominent, giving cymbals a spitty and sizzly character. With the tweeter turned down for natural top-octave energy, the upper mids and lower treble were slightly lacking in life.I found the Type K/IIs treble open, airy, and detailed, but with a trace of hardness to the textures. Unlike the Spica TC-50s, listening height was not that critical. (Even slight differences in height, like those due to sitting up straighter in the listening chair, produce significant changes in the TC-50s upper-midrange and treble energies.) Overall, the Type K/II was brighter, more forward, and livelier than either the Phase Technology PC-80 or the TC-50. I think this impression comes partly from the Type K/IIs generally more forward presentation and harder textures, rather than from excess treble energy that could be tamed with the tweeter level control.The midrange was remarkably smooth and uncolored, with no serious tonal aberrations. The flugelhorn on my own jazz recording was round and liquid, but a bit forward and prominent in the presentation. I had similar impressions about female vocals: the vocalist seemed to exist in front of the loudspeakers. The entire presentation could be characterized as forward, present, and immediate, rather than laid-back and distant. The Type K/IIs had the ability to present fine inner detail of instruments, involving the listener in the performance. Transient detail, especially drums, was good, giving the Type K/IIs an up or alive feel. They were the opposite of dull and boring.Soundstaging was quite good, but the Type K/IIs didnt produce the tightly focused, rock-solid images heard through the Phase Technology PC-80 or Spica TC-50. Images tended to be less anchored within the soundstage, with slightly diffuse borders. However, soundstage transparency was excellent, giving the listener the ability to see toward the back of the presentation. The Type K/IIs also had a big, airy quality about them, the antithesis of closed-in or veiled. Soundstage depth was impressive, contributing to the feeling of openness and size produced by the Type K/IIs. Finally, it was easy to differentiate instruments within the soundstage, despite the less-than-precise focus.Playing the Listening Environment Diagnostic Recording (LEDR) from the Chesky Sampler and Test CD (JD37) produced fairly good lateral and over images, but with some discontinuities. The up image was noticeably poorer, with the image stopping just above the loudspeaker.Conclusion Despite my minor criticisms of its treble, the Snell Type K/II was eminently musical and enjoyable, with an overall spectral balance that was natural, open, and uncolored. The low-frequency performance was outstanding: tight, articulate, well-defined, and tuneful. The Type K/IIs bass would have been excellent in an $800 loudspeaker; its surprising to find such performance in a $465 product. However, I did drive the Type K/IIs with the Krell KSA-250 and Threshold S/550e, both of which have stunning low-frequency presentations. Although the Type K/IIs will most likely not be used with amplifiers of this caliber, this combination nevertheless reveals the loudspeakers intrinsic ability to correctly reproduce the input signal.The mids were open, unboxy, and free from spectral colorations, though a bit forward-balanced. Instruments were portrayed by the Type K/II with their individual tonal shadings intact, rather than being superimposed over the loudspeakers editorial contribution. This ability to render natural timbral textures I think contributed to the Type K/IIs surprising ability to convey the music presented them. I always felt drawn into, and intimate with, the musical performance.During the review of the Krell KSA-250 and Threshold S/550e, I auditioned these superb amplifiers (as well as the VTLs) for a time with the Type K/IIs. Even under such close scrutiny, the Type K/IIs easily resolved the subtleties between these amplifiers. In fact, it was easy to forget I was listening to a pair of $465 loudspeakers.Of the nine pairs of under-$1000 loudspeakers Ive reviewed lately, the Type K/IIs are perhaps the most musical, accurate, and enjoyable. No, they dont exceed every other loudspeaker in every area, but for overall balance and musicality, the Type K/IIs are my first choice. This judgment is perhaps due to the Type K/IIs absence of glaring problems and their sense of balance rather than one specific area in which they excel. Ironically, they are also the third least expensive in this ongoing survey.The Type K/IIs most serious competition is the Spica TC-50. I found the Type K/II to have a more up-front character, especially through the treble. Bass reproduction from the Type K/II was easily better in terms of depth, articulation, and detail. However, I found distracting the TC-50s requirement of maintaining exact listening height: straightening ones back in the chair produced a significant change in the tonal balance, a problem not found with the Type K/II.The Snell Type K/II offers a surprisingly high level of musical performance for its modest price. I enthusiastically and unhesitatingly recommend it for audiophiles on a budget. Snell Type K/II loudspeaker SpecificationsSidebar 1: SpecificationsDescription: Two-way, sealed-box, stand-mounted, dynamic loudspeaker. Driver complement: one 8 polypropylene-cone woofer, one 1 treated textile-dome tweeter. Crossover frequency: 2.7kHz, third-order slopes. Frequency response (measured in an anechoic chamber and corrected for half-space): 70–20kHz ±2dB. Sensitivity: 90dB 1W/1m (anechoic). Recommended amplifier power: 10–100W. Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Dimensions: 11 W by 18 H by 9 D. Shipping weight: 52 lbs/pair. Finishes available: matched grain, hand-sanded and -oiled pairs in oak or walnut veneers, or black-finished veneer, with black grille cloth. Price: $465/pair (1991); no longer available (2007). Approximate number of dealers: 100. Manufacturer: Snell Acoustics, 300 Jubilee Drive, PO Box 3717, Peabody, MA 01961-3717. Tel: (978) 538-6262. Fax: (978) 538-6266. Web: www.snellacoustics.com.
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