Looking at the 11a... finish options

Hello Guys,

Looking at the 11a. But kind of torn re finish options.

2 things:

1. The box - black gloss or walnut? I like the walnut as it will never accumulate finger prints and it looks pretty. The black gloss is nice but I don't recall if there is an orange peel appearance to the finish. Thoughts for those with either finish?

2. The airframe - black or other? What's the price differential on an upgrade? I had the clear aluminum Summit in the past, it was nice because it looked different. I know there is chrome. Does anyone else have a custom airframe? Is the perforated metal also made in the custom airframe metal or does it remain black?

Thanks -

How about the custom finish options?

I like the Córdoba red. I wonder if you could still get bubinga, etc. Why don't you ask?

I would go with the black airframe.

Bernard said:

How about the custom finish options?

I like the Córdoba red. I wonder if you could still get bubinga, etc. Why don't you ask?

I would go with the black airframe.

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I thought about the other finish options for the cabinet... but the walnut just looks so good. I recall trying Birds Eye Maple a while ago on my Vantage, but there is some variability in the finish IIRC. I did think about a light blue color for the cabinet, kind of like this:



With a black airframe, it would look pretty sinister.

Joey_V said:

Hello Guys,

Looking at the 11a. But kind of torn re finish options.

2 things:

1. The box - black gloss or walnut? I like the walnut as it will never accumulate finger prints and it looks pretty. The black gloss is nice but I don't recall if there is an orange peel appearance to the finish. Thoughts for those with either finish?

2. The airframe - black or other? What's the price differential on an upgrade? I had the clear aluminum Summit in the past, it was nice because it looked different. I know there is chrome. Does anyone else have a custom airframe? Is the perforated metal also made in the custom airframe metal or does it remain black?

Thanks -

Click to expand...

I got the Basalt Black in the 13a. Its kind of a metal fleck black gloss looks real nice not over whelming just nicely done. I have the black gloss on the 212's subs and the finish is very nice no orange peel or anything like that. That gloss black and the Basalt Black both look real nice but they come with issues as they will show finger prints and fine scratches where wood does not nearly as much. I saw the walnut on the 15's 2017 Axpona and I'm not a fan of that option I'm sure others will disagree. My son has a set of 11's in the Dark Cherry that are very impressive with no extra cost with the black panels and airframe very nice look. Never saw up close or had a set with air frames other then black. What I will say is the new ones have a more textured black finish that I do like more then the satin smoother finish of the past designs.

One more comment. Be careful with special finishes that run like $1,500 extra (which I think is totally ridiculous by the way) or I'm sure with special air frames finishes as that will cost several hundred dollars more also. If you plan on keep these for many many years fine but if you don't you will be just donating that extra cost at time of resale to the new buyer.

If forced to choose a standard option, I would go with dark cherry and a black airframe.

Bernard said:

If forced to choose a standard option, I would go with dark cherry and a black airframe.

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I totally agree!

GW1800 said:

I totally agree!

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Likewise ............

So Joey, thinking about a return to M/L ? secondary system to compliment your B & W's ? replacing what ?

Piano black gloss. Other than the fact that it looks bloody awesome, the parallel with a magnificient musical instrument is eminently appropriate.

hello Joey,
just a clarification, we no longer offer chrome or nude frames. Very high rejection rates/costs and low sales led to stopping that service. On the other hand, lots of possibilities on car colors. Not a simple spray job, but done correctly in terms of base, paint booths, etc, using the paint code and often the same brand of paint supplied to the car companies. I am currently working on a pair of Neolith for a Minnesota Vikings fan in their purple. for a pair of impressions, the Neolith color palette is $1000 retail upgrade. if we have to go off the current list, we have to do some research, produce samples to have signed off on, etc. so there will be some additional costs.

Peter, it's great that the option exists to get custom finishes. Some can afford that and want unique looks. I loved seeing the custom finishes back in 2007 when we toured the factory. Would you do a custom color airframe?

Peter Soderberg said:

hello Joey,
just a clarification, we no longer offer chrome or nude frames. Very high rejection rates/costs and low sales led to stopping that service. On the other hand, lots of possibilities on car colors. Not a simple spray job, but done correctly in terms of base, paint booths, etc, using the paint code and often the same brand of paint supplied to the car companies. I am currently working on a pair of Neolith for a Minnesota Vikings fan in their purple. for a pair of impressions, the Neolith color palette is $1000 retail upgrade. if we have to go off the current list, we have to do some research, produce samples to have signed off on, etc. so there will be some additional costs.

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Custom colors etc. are great but they can be problematic when it comes to resale. Be careful. Obviously the Neolithic guy in Viking Purple is a big fan. If this is a speaker that he or she plans to keep for a long time or has so much money he does not care but when those are up for resale the value will drop like a rock. At some point all this equipment gets sold. A Neolith buyer is a small subset of potential buyers looking for speakers then add on top of that Viking purple there maybe nobody
They maybe only sold when the original owner takes a real betting on price.

GW1800 said:

Custom colors etc. are great but they can be problematic when it comes to resale. Be careful. Obviously the Neolithic guy in Viking Purple is a big fan. If this is a speaker that he or she plans to keep for a long time or has so much money he does not care but when those are up for resale the value will drop like a rock. At some point all this equipment gets sold. A Neolith buyer is a small subset of potential buyers looking for speakers then add on top of that Viking purple there maybe nobody
They maybe only sold when the original owner takes a real betting on price.

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Sage advice.

twich54 said:

Likewise ............

So Joey, thinking about a return to M/L ? secondary system to compliment your B & W's ? replacing what ?

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Secondary or tertiary.

It will replace the BW CM10.

I've been trying to get a trifecta in house... british, italian, american. :rocker:

Hi Peter S,

Do you have pics of the custom airframes? This is going into a toyroom/gameroom. So I'm open to a bunch of colors. Not looking to move from this speaker for a while if it works out.

Bernard said:

If forced to choose a standard option, I would go with dark cherry and a black airframe.

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Unfortunately the dark cherry has been my least favored color option. I had a vantage in dark cherry... I ended up returning it to the dealer for my custom birds eye maple.

Joey_V said:

Hi Peter S,

Do you have pics of the custom airframes? This is going into a toyroom/gameroom. So I'm open to a bunch of colors. Not looking to move from this speaker for a while if it works out.

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Joey, I suspect Peter meant the WOOFER cabinet can be a custom color, but the airframe is only available in black. Perhaps, I misunderstood.

FYI, my Expression 13A's have the Walnut veneer, and the fit and finish is superior to the old Summit/X cabinets. I was willing to pay for custom Bubinga, but ML no longer offered it. IMHO, *any* monochrome painted cabinet would be more apt to show scratches/chips, and wouldn't be advisable with kids around.

in re reading my answer, i need to clarify. The frames can not be changed. The color choices i refer to are for the cabinet.

Peter Soderberg said:

in re reading my answer, i need to clarify. The frames can not be changed. The color choices i refer to are for the cabinet.

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Nutso. That’s a terrible answer.

Joey_V said:

Nutso. That’s a terrible answer.

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Joey... is this in Kansas ?

yes. we invested plenty of time and expense in going to a second powder coater (colors used in our black one contaminated the black), the chrome was very touchy if there was the slightest blemish and was very costly(local chrome guy had to build a special tank due to length) and at the end of the day, i believe we sold less than 5 sets. the new frames are are a textured surface, not a smooth one so finishes are not possible.
as to the cabinet paints, they are car paints put on top of a multilayer primer so are pretty rugged and thick enough that scratches can be polished out if not too deep. it is thicker than the standard black gloss.