Today's Fresh Catch is the SPEC RSP-901EX Real Sound Processor.

On my way home from the laboratory last night I picked up a parcel from the post office containing the SPEC RSP-901EX Real Sound Processor that is designed  to reduce the fluctuations of a loudspeaker’s impedance over the frequency spectrum, while absorbing the return current from the speaker via a network of inductors.

Like I reported with the SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier (which is now in my Harbeth-Leben system running-in in preparation for the review at Positive Feedback Online), the attention to detail even with the packaging of SPEC products is impressive, so it doesn't surprise me that the actual SPEC products have an artisanal level attention to detail as well.

As you can see above, the SPEC RSP-901EX Real Sound Processors were double boxed, and as an extra-nice touch they were covered with a cotton wrap to protect the finish of the spruce tonewood enclosure (just like the Adirondack spruce top on my Gibson Advanced Jumbo guitar, incidentally).

Below is a view of the binding posts of an RSP-901EX, which connects to the loudspeakers binding posts via a speaker cable 'pig-tail'. Inside the spruce enclosure are hand-picked components for the best sound quality: "... state-of-art hermetic seal oil-filled capacitor, named "Green Cactus" series made in USA, by Arizona Capacitors, Inc. ... the resistor adopted ... which has the smoother and more open air character ... " and " ... please pay attention to the appearance of RSP-901EX. It’s like a jewelry box made of real spruce from north America with string instrument’s color."

Like I said earlier, the attention to detail with SPEC products is impressive, and the fit & finish is impeccable.

I've been interviewing Mr. Sirokazu Yazaki (second from left in the photo of the SPEC team, below) for the article at Positive Feedback Online, and I have to say I've been extremely impressed with what he's told me, and I'm really looking forward to telling you all about Mr. Sirokazu Yazaki and his SPEC products. His is a truly interesting story, and I suspect you will find it as fascinating as I do.

An intriguing thought: You and I may be witnessing the emergence of something here with the SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier that may be the start of something big in the way it influences the future course of audio, akin to the directly-heated single-ended-triode movement that emerged from Japan years ago. Just sayin'. I'll explain more in the article, so stay tuned.

I'll report back on the SPEC RSP-901EX Real Sound Processor with some preliminary impressions after I get a chance to get it installed into my Harbeth system for a little run-in time. I've never encountered anything quite like them before, so it should be interesting.

Ok, an update:

I just installed the SPEC RSP-901EX Real Sound Processor onto my Harbeth Super HL5 loudspeakers with some Auditorium 23 speaker cables for some run-in time. They fit nicely in the open space of the Skylan stands I use.

Above is a closer shot of the speaker cables attached to SPEC RSP-901EX Real Sound Processor .

Here's what it looks like from the back. My usual Acoustic Revive speaker cables are on the bottom pair of binding posts, with a set of jumpers connecting the bottom to top binding posts. The Auditorium 23 cables are connected to the top pair of binding posts. I'll update this post with some first impressions after I've had a little run-in time on the SPEC RSP-901EX Real Sound Processor and had time to do a little listening with them both in and out of the system for comparative purposes.

More to come.

Thanks for stopping by!