Hi everyone,
I'm the one who commissioned these speakers from Duke.
Haven't posted any impressions because, honestly, there's no meaningful feedback I can give. Everything you've read about these speakers is true. I don't have enough experience or access to other gear to give a proper review. But, I do owe Duke some feedback. I will say that I think these speakers sound better than they have any right to sound in a pretty bad acoustic situation (untreated living room with reflective fireplace) and meh electronics (simple class D integrated). Haven't had a chance to fully set them up or fill out the backend due to work and other circumstances.
I can't emphasize enough how much I respect Duke for pursuing designs that take into consideration actual acoustic environments and living situations. Any other speaker would feel like pissing money into the wind, because I'd keep doubting how hampered its performance would be in a real room with minimal treatment.
On top of that, Duke was great to work with. He put up with me graciously, I owe him an apology for my vacillation through the design process. Combine his designs with his service, and he has another customer locked in for life.
The speakers look great in person, the finish is a lot darker than in the photos above. We (my wife and I) did have a panic moment when they arrived- the speakers are large, and appear a lot larger at first in person than if you estimate their size with a tape measure beforehand. But, we adjusted pretty well and they now seem proportional to and well integrated with our living room. Maybe sometime when things are settled I'll post a photo.
A note on how this design came about: originally, I was just looking for a floorstanding version of the Alphas. As things progressed, I thought it would help to future-proof by adding two subs in the base of each speaker for part of a Swarm system. 4 separate subs wouldn't be possible, but two subs + the subs in the speakers could pass the WAF/livability test. At least that was the idea, but I won't be able to add the extra 2 subs in our current room. Given that, I wonder if just going for the Jazz Modules would have been better, but this system does give you slightly enhanced aesthetics, and maybe a touch more bass adjustability, I suppose.
Matt
