[John Chapman]

Hello!

Yes - it is true. You might need to delete your cache to get it to all link up. I know I had to do that when testing it earlier today.

Still a few things to clean up and add and I also need to update the manuals to include some of the new stuff (should have that done in 2 or 3 years). 

Please do shoot an e-mail through if you spot anything goofy - I find it hard to proofread my own stuff.....

Be sure to let me know if anyone sees any spelling errors too.

Thansk!

John

[Russell Dawkins]

Perusing your site, I came across the FAL speakers. I was somehow surprised that these were still being produced - you hear so little about them - and the endorsement by the Part Time Audiophile in his RMAF 2012 report was very enticing.

What is the price range of these, and do you have some numbers or comments regarding sensitivity and power handling, i.e., dynamic capability?
Could you make a few general comments, please?

Russell

[wilsynet]

Thanks for updating the site.  It's good to know what you're selling now.

The pre-packaged AVC-1 is pretty compelling.

[John Chapman]

Hello!

Yes - the FAL's are more popular in Japan where they are made. I've tried to help get them rolling here in North America but the typical FAL customer is a bit different than my OEM and DIY customers.  Basically they run from maybe $5K up to the $20K (or possibly even higher) range retail pricing. That is not what the typical DIY guy (my usual customer)  is  looking for! When you see how the drivers are made (all by hand) and the materials used (massive NEO magnets, etc...) you can tell they'd never be inexpensive speakers and in that world of hand made speakers they fit right in cost wise - even seem cheap compared to some of the really high priced drivers out there.  I recall a speaker driver designer picking the raw driver up at a show and almost passing out from shock at the size of the NEO magnets used.

They are usually around 95db  efficient - depending a bit on the model. I have run with everything from 2A3's up to 60W OTL's. Twin 300B amps plenty of juice to drive the EXW I have around here now.  The FAL's are very dynamic sounding but on the other hand they are not 'flex the walls' speakers by any means. Very nice sense of speed and immediacy though.

Thansk!

John

[mal]

the endorsement by the Part Time Audiophile in his RMAF 2012 report was very enticing.

Hey! That endorsement was my fault. The Kool-Aid in that room was some very tasty stuff. John's covered most of the bases, but I'd like to add to his "room flexing" statement.

The FALs seem to be basically dynamic in the way a great Lowther system is dynamic. They're fast, there's a real sense of hit, and their microdynamic capability is absurdly good. They're not what you'd call macrodynamic champs compared to 18" drivers or Volswagen-sized horns, but they're much better at it than most 6" drivers. The standmount version shown at RMAF seemed to be a very good speaker for that room, but I wouldn't bet on it being able to fool you into thinking that AC/DC was playing.

That said, the first thing I did when I got home from RMAF was email John and ask him for prices. The second thing I did was leave him hanging while I got distracted by 18" drivers.

If I remember John's prices, they were well in line with similarly capable systems from other vendors. In other words: they're spendy. The FAL driver itself, though, is some kind of perfectionist mutant. There's nothing like it, it's very hard not to love it, and it's strongly competitive.

[poseidonsvoice]

John,

The FAL drivers I have seen once before, at Peter Daniels home in Canada when I visited him. He had built something that looked like Darth Vader meets Focal's Grand Utopia. Unfortunately, I never got to hear it as time was short.



On another note, thank you for endorsing my build on your website. I am deeply honored that you find my sheepish build worthy of any recognition whatsoever!

Best,
Anand.

[WireNut]

Hi John,

Good to see you updated the site. I think it's easier to understand now with the TAP System Examples. Thanks for answering all my questions the past couple days. BTW, I listed my preamp for sale today on Agon in anticipation of a new AVC-1.
I'll be in touch.

Thanks,
Steve

[richidoo]

John, I found a typo on the website...  AVC1 - $1600      That's way too low!    

I think you will have a big hit on your hands if you can leave the price there.  This project is on my short list. I have several friends who own these and they all love it.

[poseidonsvoice]

John, I found a typo on the website...  AVC1 - $1600      That's way too low!    

I think you will have a big hit on your hands if you can leave the price there.  This project is on my short list. I have several friends who own these and they all love it.

That might be the right price, if it is the single ended/6 input RCA version (i.e. only 2 Slagleformers).



Best,
Anand.

[richidoo]

     

[Mags]

Cool, but you need more stuff in the box. Like this:





PS: John, your modules continue to work flawlessly in my 26 preamp!

[Mags]

Oh yeah, the outside.

[poseidonsvoice]

Gorgeous!

Best,
Anand.

[John Chapman]

Hello!

That is a really special build and thanks for posting pics. Very nice layout and casework. Is it ok if I were to use those pics on the examples section of my webpage to show using the Slagleformers in an active pre-amp design?

Thanks!

John

[Mags]

Sure John, I'd be honored!

If I knew you were going to do that I would have posted a pic without the post-assembly fingerprints on the front plate!

Bob

[jtwrace]

Take some new ones and email them.   

[John Chapman]

Hello!

Pics look great to me. My photography skills can only be described as sad so everyone else's pics always look great..... Thanks so much for the permission to post them.

Busy getting ready for RMAF right now so likely it will need to wait until after the show though.

Thansk!

John