Skiing Ninja - AV123 Reference 1 Upgrades

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AV123 Reference 1 Ninja Master Upgrade

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This upgrade is for AV123 Reference 1. This is an ALL NEW network designed to bring the Reference 1 to world class status.

Price includes one pair of networks and Free Shipping!

Price $449.00

Availability: Custom Build - Ships in 1 week

Big Brain Required? No - this is one of the easiest kits to install

Build Options...

Ninja Built or DIY:

Dampening Options...

Original or Upgrade:

Wiring Options...

High Pass Filter

Ultra High Quality:

Qty:

Description

Options Info

Specifications

Network Type
Unlike anything you have seen yet for the Reference 1, the Reference 1 Ninja Master is completely new. The network has been re-engineered from the ground up.

Developed by Danny Richie of GR Research exclusively for Skiing Ninja, the benefits of the Reference 1 Ninja Master crossover are:

Smooooth!
Balanced amplitude.
Higher and easier to drive impedance load.
Control the resonance break-up mode of the woofer.
Maintain a clean spectral decay (no stored energy).
Higher degree of phase accuracy.
Consistent off axis response both vertically and horizontally.
Installs into both the Reference 1 MkI and Reference 1 MkII loudspeakers.

What has changed?
Everything. The network is completely new.
In addition to the electrical design portion, we've upgraded other areas as well:

Superior substrate
Superior parts quality
Superior layout
Superior connections
Minimized cabinet edge diffraction with Diffraction Be Gone�
Ability to play the speakers with GRILLS ON without degrading sound quality
High pass filter available (for running with a subwoofer)

Features and Components

Ninja Master networks utilize the very best components available. If you want more in-depth information on these components, visit our components section.

	Fully custom build Each network is meticulously designed from the ground up. We can even tailor the sound to fit your room or personal requirements (i.e. reduce brightness etc.)
$Diffraction Be Gone$	Diffraction Be Gone� Removes the deleterious effect that the the edges of the cabinet have on sound. You can also run your grills installed as DBG removes those negative effects too!
	Pure point to point connections No PCB and no wiring between components. Whenever possible, we mechanically connect components to each other for a superior connection and durability.
	Sonicap Capacitors These have become known as one of the best caps available with a sonic signature that you won't hear. We match all our Sonicaps for superior focus.
	Erse Electrolytic Capacitors A well made electrolytic capacitor. We use these only in specific areas and never in a critical path.
	Alpha-Core Copper Foil Inductors No dynamic compression...no more will your inductors "hum along" with the music. When a bass note goes through an Alpha-Core inductor, you get all the power and realism of the live performance.
	Mills Resistors Mills resistors offer superior sonic performance in all passive crossover circuits. Most resistors have a higher resistance to loud sounds than they do to quiet sounds. The result is an uneven mess. Bring the top to bottom presentation into sharp focus with Mills Resistors.
	Cardas Quad Eutectic Solder George Cardas created this ultra pure, quad eutectic solder for perfect joints; the best reliability with the lowest noise and contact resistance. Ultra pure, tin/lead/silver/copper.
	Ninja IT-001 Wiring Your networks can be built with your choice of: Full Onix IT-001 12ga OFC wire Full Onix IT-001 12ga OFC wire with copper connectors Full Onix IT-001 12ga OFC wire with wire nuts
	Copper Connectors and Wire Nuts Optional - When installing your new networks, we understand that there are situations where you just don't want (or can't) solder a wire-wire connection. We offer pure copper connectors to allow you to crimp those connections. We even throw in some color-coded pre-cut heat shrink tubing to make it professional. Alternatively, we also offer wire nuts for the easiest install possible.
	Substrate All Skiing Ninja Networks use point-to-point construction techniques over painted MDF. No Printed Circuit Boards. No thin traces to contaminate the signal. Just pure, crystalline music...
	Spax Screws Spax screws are specially designed to make it easy to install your new crossover networks. Traditional wood screws only really work well if you drill a pilot hole or can apply copious pressure. Inside a speaker cabinet, neither is practical. Spax screws have patented serrations that drill their own pilot hole. Imported from Germany.
	Stand-offs The last thing you want after installing your killer new networks is a spurious vibrational sound that wasn't there before the upgrade. That's why we include specially made 60 durometer (a measure of hardness) board stand-offs. These stand-offs isolate your new network from the cabinet and keep it quiet!
	High Pass Filter Optional - Ultra High Quality High Pass Filter - perfect for users that run subwoofers with their speakers. The result is cleaner bass and midrange as well as the ability to crank your speakers louder. No electrolytics; only Sonicap and Erse PulseX are used throughout.
	Cabinet Dampening Materials Optional - We use proprietary dampening materials developed by GR Research exclusively. NoRez and Black Hole 5 are available on speakers and subwoofers where appropriate. Click the image for more info on these amazing products.

Now that you know what has physically changed, lets talk about what you will hear as a result...

Crossover Benefits
Overall you will notice a higher level of detail, texture, focus, superior sound stage, dynamics, musicality, and transparency.

What does that mean? We use as few components in our networks as possible. This allows the cleanest signal to be passed to your speakers. Rest assured this does not change the frequency response of the speaker or the overall character.

Texture � all of the �inner� details of each instrument comes across clearly. The �live� feel comes across so well because the subtleties that are normally lost are finally present. The more revealing the overall presentation is, the more convincing it is.

Focus � We tightly match our components. While most components are 5 or even 10% tolerance, we use only 5% or less tolerance components and then we hand match them so that each pair of networks is 500 to 1000% better than the stock crossover.

Sound stage � moves the sound stage from being within the confines of the speaker and moves it out, up, and behind the speaker. This helps recreate the sense of space and volume of the original performance.

Dynamics � Our networks use high quality Mills resistors and Alpha-Core copper foil inductors. This means no masking of top end detail, no muddled midrange and more convincing slam on the low end. There is a lot of techno mumbo jumbo about the why�s of this and it would be too much to detail here. Contact Us if you want more info.

Transparency � The ability for the speakers to remove themselves from the performance. Our networks enhance this ability due to their magnetically correct layout, point to point build and superior quality components.

Musicality � The best part and why we are all here. Everything your speakers used to do they will do better with Ninja Master networks and upgrades.

Diffraction Be Gone Benefits

$Reference 1 with Diffraction Be Gone$ Sound waveforms from your tweeters are shorter in length than the width of your speaker cabinets. These waveforms are being randomly reflected by your speaker baffles and edges to your listening position slightly out of time with the original event. Not a good thing. These waveforms carry the first arrival and higher harmonics of your midrange along with all things high frequency. Diffraction Be Gone removes this almost as if you had taken the boxes away.

We had custom cut high density real wool felt (accept no substitute) tweeter surrounds or fascias made for the Reference 1's that absorb and quiet this interaction. What you will get when this is removed is a clearer view into your stage and recordings. What the microphone captured is revealed in your room without the distortion to time (body) and phase (space) caused by early reflection. Space opens up, deepens. Vocals and instruments appear more truthfully in that space, rounder and more physically right. The tweeter surrounds attach with Velcro tabs (included) and also eliminate the issues caused by grills - yes you can now run your grills installed!

High Pass Filter Benefits

Are you utilizing a subwoofer with your Reference 1's? Then order your new crossover with a built in very high quality high pass filter. This filter is set at 80Hz and has a 1st order slope. A high pass filter removes the lower frequencies so your main speakers (and amplifier!) don't have to work nearly as hard. The result is cleaner bass and midrange as well as the ability to crank your speakers louder.

You will be happy to know that there are no elecrolytics in this filter - only high quality Sonicap and Erse Pulse X capacitors are used.

Layout

The component layout of a Ninja Master network is carefully chosen to provide the shortest signal path possible while also ensuring magnetic field contamination is keep to a minimum or non-existent. For more information on why this is important, visit our layout information page.

Install Guide
Purchasing this upgrade or just want to see what the install procedure is like? Download the Install Guide here:

AV123 Reference 1 Ninja Master Install Guide

AV123 Reference 1 Dampening Material Kit Install Guide

Additional Upgrades
We don't stop with crossover network upgrades. A speaker's final sound quality is very much a sum of its parts. The crossover network design, the crossover network parts quality, the cabinet, internal wiring, drive units and binding posts. All of these items contribute to the end product - of which the goal is to simulate a live event with perfect accuracy. Click the options info tab above for more information!

Performance Graphs

On Axis Response - 5dB Scale	Impedance	Cumulative Spectral Decay