We just returned from the Lone Star Audio Fest in Dallas, where we heard lots of incredible rigs. This was a very DIY-oriented show. What follows is less than 10% of the total show, so I hope others will chime in.
A number of forum members were there, including Panomaniac, MightyM, and italynstalyn. Below are the smooth Altec 605 OB's that Panomaniac brought. He was using a very modified Behringer active crossover and the room sounded great (and he has impeccable music taste).
Upstairs, on the fourth floor (who knew?) John Busch had a crazy OB using the Goldwood GW-1858 (two per side) and it wins the bass award -- it was utterly phenomenal.
A number of forum members were there, including Panomaniac, MightyM, and italynstalyn. Below are the smooth Altec 605 OB's that Panomaniac brought. He was using a very modified Behringer active crossover and the room sounded great (and he has impeccable music taste).
Upstairs, on the fourth floor (who knew?) John Busch had a crazy OB using the Goldwood GW-1858 (two per side) and it wins the bass award -- it was utterly phenomenal.
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Forum member Udailey brought a really excellent-sounding 12" Audio Nirvana with a Fostex T90A horn tweeter. The music was very clear, and the bass was clean if a shade polite. Definitely they do not sound small!
I believe Udailey built the whole rig and it was artfully crafted and very refined. Also a man with excellent taste in music.
I believe Udailey built the whole rig and it was artfully crafted and very refined. Also a man with excellent taste in music.
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Does anyone remember that really cool exotic little Fostex FE103 speaker from some years back, with little square ports on the front and the sand-filled baffle? Forum member Phil Townsend built a pair and they are great.
And they were invented by Audio Crafters Guild, who also build amps etc. and this great pair of mini floor-standers. The image / soundstage was terrific. These are champs. Nice balance and not bass-shy.
And they were invented by Audio Crafters Guild, who also build amps etc. and this great pair of mini floor-standers. The image / soundstage was terrific. These are champs. Nice balance and not bass-shy.
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These $15,000 Van Schweichert speakers are basically the Fostex F120A (I think) with a ribbon, and a robust bass module.
They are fantastic. They did the whole image / soundstage thing really well, and the bass was really deep for their size. So this goes to show what you can do with a Fostex.
They are fantastic. They did the whole image / soundstage thing really well, and the bass was really deep for their size. So this goes to show what you can do with a Fostex.
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These chamberless back-loaded horns have monster bass (not boomy), thanks in part to the Jordan JX92S. The design also uses the Aurum Cantus GS2i (as does Jim Griffin).
The cab is finished in a sort of formica. The designer is the very friendly Johan van Zyl. The contour is tractrix, but I guess it must be truncated since it evidently doesn't open to the full 90 degrees? It sounded really solid.
The cab is finished in a sort of formica. The designer is the very friendly Johan van Zyl. The contour is tractrix, but I guess it must be truncated since it evidently doesn't open to the full 90 degrees? It sounded really solid.
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Well imagine my surprise when I entered the Affirm Audio / Mark Audio room and saw two Scottmoose designs -- I did not expect to see these.
I recognized Mr. Italynstalyn's Lotus BVR immediately. From the photos, I imagined it was 6 feet tall but actually it's very compact and maybe 4 feet tall and much thinner than I would have guessed.
The other cab is beautiful. It is a really nice high-end ply (I guess) and there is a slight 45-degree bevel on every piece of wood, on both the outer edge and the inner edge (very unusual and really nice). So there are "grooves" where the panels meet.
The cab houses a field-coil Mark Audio Alpair 12. Bob Spence adjusted the current to the coils, rather than the voltage. The drivers sounded very crisp, clean and snappy.
Alas, we didn't get to hear the Lotus BVR's but maybe next time!
I recognized Mr. Italynstalyn's Lotus BVR immediately. From the photos, I imagined it was 6 feet tall but actually it's very compact and maybe 4 feet tall and much thinner than I would have guessed.
The other cab is beautiful. It is a really nice high-end ply (I guess) and there is a slight 45-degree bevel on every piece of wood, on both the outer edge and the inner edge (very unusual and really nice). So there are "grooves" where the panels meet.
The cab houses a field-coil Mark Audio Alpair 12. Bob Spence adjusted the current to the coils, rather than the voltage. The drivers sounded very crisp, clean and snappy.
Alas, we didn't get to hear the Lotus BVR's but maybe next time!
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Mr. Wayne Parham of Pi Speakers was sporting a large speaker called "3pi" and it is a beauty.
It uses an Acoustic Elegance Lambda woofer and B&C compression driver in a waveguide. It covered the whole room with a very big soundstage. I was surprised at the seamless sound.
The veneer is bubinga finished in a glossy lacquer.
It uses an Acoustic Elegance Lambda woofer and B&C compression driver in a waveguide. It covered the whole room with a very big soundstage. I was surprised at the seamless sound.
The veneer is bubinga finished in a glossy lacquer.
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Great review rjbond. Sounds like a lot of fun. Was wondering which one of those speakers made an impression on you. I know that when I go to an audio meet, usually I keep coming back to couple of them over and over. They somehow hit that right spot with me, I am sure you had your favorites or speakers that really surprised you. I am not trying to take away from other speaekers by any means, just curious. Thanks
The Emia room is a collaboration of Jeffrey Jackson and Dave Slage. Their room was packed with custom tube gear as you can see.
Their high efficiency rig had a beautiful mahogany front-loaded horn outfitted with a Lowther field-coil, atop a bass bin (and there was a little tweeter in there).
The sound was effortless and airy. You could hear a lot of detail but it didn't sound "bright" at all. Out of nowhere, it could get very "loud" but even when it was loud, it didn't /seem/ loud per se, because there was no straining. It could play Led Zepplin or jazz, and it never broke a sweat.
I never heard a system like this before.
Their high efficiency rig had a beautiful mahogany front-loaded horn outfitted with a Lowther field-coil, atop a bass bin (and there was a little tweeter in there).
The sound was effortless and airy. You could hear a lot of detail but it didn't sound "bright" at all. Out of nowhere, it could get very "loud" but even when it was loud, it didn't /seem/ loud per se, because there was no straining. It could play Led Zepplin or jazz, and it never broke a sweat.
I never heard a system like this before.
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Those Lowthers were open baffle, sounded better from the backside???
And the bass horns echoed like a cavern. At least the field coils were
dead silent to any power supply noise. You couldn't hear the switchers
back there at all...
Impressive as all the tube gear was, I didn't feel the horns were working
optimally in that very small room. Wayne's setup was much better tuned
to the ridiculously small rooms they had to play with. I wish I could have
heard Jeff and Dave's amps through Wayne's speakers instead...
This setup might have impressed better in an auditorium. It might also
have been restrained by the hotel venue to operating at volume far too
low to really come alive? Just left me wishing I could suggest something
quick and dirty to try and fix it, but nothing practical came to mind.
What do you do with a really big horn in a really small room? I don't know...
I'm amazed they got all that up to the 2nd story and though the door!
And the bass horns echoed like a cavern. At least the field coils were
dead silent to any power supply noise. You couldn't hear the switchers
back there at all...
Impressive as all the tube gear was, I didn't feel the horns were working
optimally in that very small room. Wayne's setup was much better tuned
to the ridiculously small rooms they had to play with. I wish I could have
heard Jeff and Dave's amps through Wayne's speakers instead...
This setup might have impressed better in an auditorium. It might also
have been restrained by the hotel venue to operating at volume far too
low to really come alive? Just left me wishing I could suggest something
quick and dirty to try and fix it, but nothing practical came to mind.
What do you do with a really big horn in a really small room? I don't know...
I'm amazed they got all that up to the 2nd story and though the door!
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Hi nebojsa, I liked all of the above! There were many, though, that I didn't get to hear, so I hope others will chime in with their views.
In general, I liked the "specialty" speakers that try to do one thing really well, as opposed to the more mass-market-oriented speakers that can sound a little sterile by comparison. I like tone!
Oops, thank you Dave. Are you Woden Design? Affirm Audio had a sign up that said something about a (possible? actual? future?) affiliation with Woden Design.
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Scott is Woden Design, althou i have been doing a lot tin the background. Did Bob have the Woden design flyers out?
It is of interest to note that Bob of Affirm decided to show smaller speakers for the small rooms Ken mentioned and left the van Zyl designed MaxHorns at home.
I am really interested in feedback on the field coil driver Pensil12s.
dave
It is of interest to note that Bob of Affirm decided to show smaller speakers for the small rooms Ken mentioned and left the van Zyl designed MaxHorns at home.
I am really interested in feedback on the field coil driver Pensil12s.
dave
Hi Dave,
I too was expecting them to be in the BLH.
The room was crowded, and as I waited outside to get in, I read a flyer with a description of Woden Design which was posted on the room's window. They may very well have been in the literature area of the room (I never got over there). I should have paid more attention but I did get to hear them 3 times.
Mr. Italynstalyn will presumably post his information.
I thought the MA/Pensil12's sounded really crisp, and the bass was what I guess they call critically damped (no boom or ringing). Just out of curiosity, I wanted to hear them with the juice turned down a bit (that's obviously the fun of a field coil) but the room was consistently busy and people seemed pleased.
I too was expecting them to be in the BLH.
The room was crowded, and as I waited outside to get in, I read a flyer with a description of Woden Design which was posted on the room's window. They may very well have been in the literature area of the room (I never got over there). I should have paid more attention but I did get to hear them 3 times.
Mr. Italynstalyn will presumably post his information.
I thought the MA/Pensil12's sounded really crisp, and the bass was what I guess they call critically damped (no boom or ringing). Just out of curiosity, I wanted to hear them with the juice turned down a bit (that's obviously the fun of a field coil) but the room was consistently busy and people seemed pleased.
I never got up above the 2nd floor, I had to leave to go work.
I'm at work now (2:44AM) trying desperately to make a dent in
a pile of several hundred DSP motherboards for DAC evaluation
modules. I'm test monkey at the end of an SMT production line.
Audio for me is not all fun and games, its the grindstone too.
Must.. Follow.. Test.. Procedure..
Lather.. rinse.. repeat..
Maybe tomorrow (later this morning) I'll go back and see if I
can still catch any of the floors I missed. But I think I'll be
at home sleeping my only Sunday off this weekend instead...
Would my elevator pass have even let me above the 2nd floor?
I think the hotel front desk said it was just for 2nd floor only?
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No, the pass got you to the upper floors, too.
I was very impressed with the electrostatics that a Dutch fellow was showing. Metallized polyester diaphragm. There were some speakers made of aluminum, well, the cabinets were aluminum, that were also very impressive and nicely integrated (I'll have to look up whose they were).
Field coil speakers were interesting. We had the exhibitor change the current to observe the effect. I'd love to have a pair to experiment with active drive of the coil...
I took pictures of every monstrous-looking system to show my wife. "See, honey, mine isn't so bad!" She would have approved of the Gallo speakers- they were even smaller than the Arpeggios that she's been encouraging me to switch to.
I was very impressed with the electrostatics that a Dutch fellow was showing. Metallized polyester diaphragm. There were some speakers made of aluminum, well, the cabinets were aluminum, that were also very impressive and nicely integrated (I'll have to look up whose they were).
Field coil speakers were interesting. We had the exhibitor change the current to observe the effect. I'd love to have a pair to experiment with active drive of the coil...
I took pictures of every monstrous-looking system to show my wife. "See, honey, mine isn't so bad!" She would have approved of the Gallo speakers- they were even smaller than the Arpeggios that she's been encouraging me to switch to.
The field coils at the show (the Lowthers in the Emia room and the Alpairs in Bob's room) were designed by Dave Slagle. They use low carbon steel so they need a lot of Gilberts to saturate the pole pieces. In other words, the higher the current the lower the distortion (and the better the control) so Dave recommends running them hot. You can't keep your hand on the motor of the Lowther for more than a few seconds. I think the improvement over stock Lowthers is significant.
Kim Beumer's electrostatic speakers were an improved design over last year's and he has a directly driven version in the works that eliminates the step-up transformer.
John
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