Custom Walnut Planetarium Alphas

Duke · « **on:** 5 May 2010, 05:50 am »

I recently completed a pair of custom Planetarium Alphas in Walnut. The "custom" version of the Planetarium Alphas includes a built-in downfiring low-Q sealed box subwoofer, for situations where there simply isn't sufficient real estate available for a full-blown Swarm. If the space later becomes available, a pair of Swarm subwoofer modules can be added.

In this shot you can see that the enclosure is actually six-sided, with some of the angles 90 degrees and some of them 45 degrees. This makes it pretty easy to set the speakers up with 45 degrees of toe-in by eyeball.

The woofer is a new model that just came out about a year ago. It's about 1.3 dB more efficient than the original Alpha's woofer and has over twice the linear excursion of the original. The high frequency section has been adjusted accordingly.

Here's another shot:

The circular cut-out you see in the base is how the down-firing subwoofer is mounted and removed (if need be). The two subwoofers (one in each speaker) are driven by a single shelf-mounted amplifier that delivers about 500 watts total into the two of them, which are wired in series to present an 8-ohm load. If a second set of external subs are added, the wiring can be switched to series-parallel and the amp will then put out roughly a kilowatt into the resulting 4-ohm load.

Here's the thread on the original Custom Planetarium Alpha system, in black-stained oak, in case you're interested. There is a nominal upcharge for the walnut.

jsaliga · « **Reply #1 on:** 5 May 2010, 01:36 pm »

They look absolutely lovely Duke. I can't wait to hear them.

Many thanks.

--Jerome

jtwrace · « **Reply #2 on:** 5 May 2010, 01:51 pm »

Duke,

Awesome as always!

Maybe I'll get to hear them at RMAF this year?

jsaliga · « **Reply #3 on:** 5 May 2010, 02:36 pm »

Quote from: jtwrace on 5 May 2010, 01:51 pm

Maybe I'll get to hear them at RMAF this year?

Not that pair. They belong to me.

--Jerome

jtwrace · « **Reply #4 on:** 5 May 2010, 03:00 pm »

Quote from: jsaliga on 5 May 2010, 02:36 pm

Not that pair. They belong to me.

--Jerome

Yes! Congrats and make sure you report back on your thoughts.

matt.w · « **Reply #5 on:** 5 May 2010, 03:02 pm »

Looks great! That makes two of us

Congrats Jerome!

zybar · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 May 2010, 06:31 pm »

Congrats on your purchase Jerome.

These look beautiful and I bet they are going to sound great.

I look forward to reading about your initial impressions.

George

jsaliga · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 May 2010, 10:06 pm »

The speakers were delivered today.

As you can see they were very well protected in the crates. Duke packed foam around the speakers to keep them safe and sound during their cross country journey from Utah to Connecticut. FedEx Ground took very good care of them.

Thanks Duke, for getting these speakers to me and for being tolerant of my occasional bouts of speaker anxiety. I'll post a review in the Critic's Circle but not until I feel they have been properly broken in.

--Jerome

satfrat · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 May 2010, 10:25 pm »

Now that's the way all loudspeakers should be shipped,,, my hat's off to Duke.

Those babies are drop dead gorgeous and I have no doubts that they'll even sound better than they look Jerome, especially with jazz.

I hope you will ultimately be very happy with your loudspeaker selection Jerome.

Cheers,
Robin

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #9 on:** 13 May 2010, 05:07 am »

Happy listening !!!

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #10 on:** 30 May 2010, 05:22 pm »

Jerome....

How goes it with the Planetarium Alphas ? Any comments....thanks.

satfrat · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 May 2010, 06:06 pm »

Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 30 May 2010, 05:22 pm

Jerome....

How goes it with the Planetarium Alphas ? Any comments....thanks.

Yeaah,, what he said.

Hope all is well in jazzland Jerome.

Cheers,
Robin

jsaliga · « **Reply #12 on:** 31 May 2010, 02:04 am »

Hi Guys,

I'm still breaking the speakers in, so at this point I don't really have anything to say. I haven't had as much time for listening lately as I would like since work has been keeping me extrememly busy.

I should be ready to write up a review in a couple of weeks.

--Jerome

jsaliga · « **Reply #13 on:** 12 Jun 2010, 06:06 pm »

I have posted a review here....

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=82340.0

--Jerome

zybar · « **Reply #14 on:** 12 Jun 2010, 07:15 pm »

Quote from: jsaliga on 12 Jun 2010, 06:06 pm

I have posted a review here....

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=82340.0

--Jerome

Extremely well written and very informative Jerome.

Glad to see how well this worked out for you.

George

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #15 on:** 12 Jun 2010, 08:01 pm »

Jerome,

Be prepared for many, many, many years of aural pleasures. Duke delivers. Controlled directivity is where it is at.

Anand.

jsaliga · « **Reply #16 on:** 21 Jun 2010, 09:57 pm »

Would someone please explain to me why a on-topic and relevant post was just sent to the waste bin from this thread?

A PM would be fine.

--Jerome

Duke · « **Reply #17 on:** 22 Jun 2010, 03:43 am »

Quote from: jsaliga on 21 Jun 2010, 09:57 pm

Would someone please explain to me why a on-topic and relevant post was just sent to the waste bin from this thread?

A PM would be fine.

--Jerome

I don't know anything about it, Jerome - I didn't see it or do anything; my only knowledge of it comes from your post quoted here.

Duke

srb · « **Reply #18 on:** 22 Jun 2010, 04:32 am »

I would also like to know why these posts were deleted. Whomever deleted them, don't PM anybody but please tell us publicly.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=81235.0

This is not the first time I have seen deleted posts that for the life of me, I just can't figure out why.

Steve

Duke · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 Jun 2010, 04:41 am »

Srb, thanks for the link.

Larkston, did I send you some longer center port sections to try? I don't recall doing so. Longer ports would lower the tuning frequency, causing the bass to start rolling off a bit higher but more gradually. Probably 1/4 to 1/3 of my customers end up using longer ports than what I normally provide, in cases where their room acoustics and/or amplifier interface results in overly heavy bass. Let me know if you would be interested.