Kits or complete? Rough idea on cost?
Duke never mentioned anything about kits. Generally his crossovers are not very amenable to kit builders, and I've not heard much in the way of glowing reports from Duke about the whole kit "Gestalt."
Each channel of Dream Maker LCS comprises two, completely separate speaker enclosures. The first thing you'll see when you walk in is a medium tower with striking resemblance to the Jazz Module. (This first pair is already sold, so finish on this first show pair is TBD later.)
Behind each front tower is a medium sized box sitting horizontal on the floor firing up toward the ceiling, the "Effects Speaker" of Dream Maker LCS.
The combination of front tower + the above described "Effects Speaker" is the "Dream Maker LCS" system comprising sum total four boxes in stereo. The front tower playing by itself is Jazz Module 2.0.
This explains how one system has two completely different names:
Effects Speaker on: "Dream Maker LCS," four piece system in stereo, each tower in front has behind it a 12" tall box firing up toward the ceiling.
Effects Speaker off: "Jazz Module 2.0," two towers in stereo
I feel more comfortable if Duke mentions prices because he's the final word on that.
There are sum total three dealers for the speakers described herein, myself, Duke and Aaron Goecke in Minnesota.
Dream Maker LCS promises a long list of superlative performance attributes. In fact, I'm happy to report that Dream Maker LCS performance qualities seem to address every single complaint I read in show reports.
For now, I'll address an inter-related set of qualities, sweet spot size, image size, image outline, density, and staging.
Most of us doing this for any length of time are familiar with the following apparent tightrope walked by designers. In one corner we have the extreme "immersion" effect of omni-polar radiation. Such radiation immerses the listener in a highly dense field unlike anything else on earth. Once you hear it you won't forget it. The flip side with omni-polar radiation is that it can and usually does (always?) bloat image size and makes for fuzzy image perimeters.
Then there's excellent electrostatic technology, with uncanny spatial effects including image accuracy, as long as you don't swivel your head 15 degrees either direction (especially with medium sized flat panels).
One of many design elements inherent in LCS is to approach or equal the immersion effect of the largest omni-pole combined with accurate image size and image outlines, plus a huge sweet spot standing or sitting. At least three non-audiophiles (all musicians) who auditioned LCS immediately reported words like "wow, what space" and "interesting 'spatial' effects." One person heard the system several times without LCS. When he first heard it with LCS he immediately smiled and blurted, "What took you so long to get it right?"
Well beyond having a "large sweet spot," LCS benefits accrue at the room threshold and even outside the room. "Density" replicates live music cues at least as good if not better than anything prior. Non audiophiles, party goers whose only context for "tube" is "river tubing," can enjoy LCS effect way outside the sweet spot whether standing or sitting, and even in the hallway or next room over. LCS effects draw non-audiophiles in to enjoy music without the typical necessity of sitting in the sweet spot, more so than anything I've heard before. But image size and image outline are still accurate. Really accurate. Bring software with solo acapella singer or solo acoustic guitarist.
I keep thinking of Muhammad Ali's great quote, "Dance like a butterfly, sting like a bee." In this analogy "sting" is density, image layering in three planes, and stage size in three planes playing a 90 piece orchestra with huge chorus. "Dance" is a tight yet natural image size, image focus, and image outline playing a solo singer, or proper replication of scale with John Pizzarelli's 7-string arch top next to a trombone.
Later I'll describe one particular feature associated with the above, a byproduct rather than an intentional design goal. It just happens to be fun and unique, an interesting anomaly to sample occasionally alone or to demonstrate to visitors/guests.
