[jonwb]

Well as a few of you might know, its been a very long road, but they are done!  

The jist of my story is explained in my post here

So, after many starts and stops (here, here and here...), they are finally done.

It really wasn't that bad a project, I just got side-tracked onto different household projects along the way.

I varied from the 'standard' construction by covering my box in 1/4" birch veneered plywood.  Then I cut 3/4"X3/4" chamfers along all the vertical edges.  On those edges I glued 2" wide stips of birch edge-banding.  The overhanging edges of the banding were cut and trimmed flush to the outside edges of the box.

They are just getting broken in now, but I must say they sound remarkable.  Even my lovely wife is impressed...  

Quick story about the kind of customer support with which Danny spoils us.  I bought this kit from a gentleman out East who never finished it.  Well, it took me almost 2 years to finish it.  About a week ago I was un-boxing all my woofers for the first time.  As bad luck would have it, one of the woofers had a cracked frame (they're cast frame drivers).  Crap, I thought, I guess I'll have to buy a new woofer from Danny.  I e-mailed him with the news.  Danny basically said no problem, I'll send you out a new driver right away (gratis).  Do you believe that?!?  Not only was this kit originally purchased upwards of three years ago, but I'm not even the original owner.

I think they turned out pretty good (of course I know all the flaws, and I'm not tellin').  Below are some pictures from my gallery (don't worry, those external crossovers will be getting their own boxes).  I'll add some more comments on their performance shortly.





edit:  I pulled some pictures out, so this thread isn't such a bear to load.

[pauly]

Nice Job..

Just wondering what kind of amp your using? wattage?

keep us posted as they break in.

can't find many reviews on these Alphas

Thanks

[Lost81]

Very nice!  

I noticed that your passive crossovers are outboard.

Was that part of the original design or is that your own initiative?

Bravo for the completion of a great project!
 


-Lost81

[JoshK]

very cool.  feels nice to complete a project that gets stalled many times doesn't it?  Know the feeling.

[jonwb]

Nice Job..

Pauly,

THANKS!!! I'm pretty psyched about being done.  

Just wondering what kind of amp your using? wattage?

I've got sort of a rag tag bunch of amps.  Frankly, I don't know how I ended up w/ so many.  



I first started running them on my 110WPC Hafler DH-220.  Sounded pretty good, however not "great" in any particular area.  



Then I was going to use my Hafler DH-500 (250+WPC) beast of an amp.  Only to find out that I have a dead channel    



So then, I hooked 'em up to my "main" two channel amps, my IRD MB-100's (100WPC).  The Alphas sounded really nice on these, noticiably better than the Hafler.  The mids and highs were great.  I thought the bass sounded good... until I hooked them up to the AKSA 100N+ (very conservatively rated at 100WPC) that I'm demoing.  



Holy crap!  That AKSA sounded incredible!  The bass was full and tight and clean, w/ the mids and highs slightly better than the MB-100 as well.  My wife instantly recognized the improvement also.  I believe her comment was, "... great now we're going to have to buy a new amp too ".  Of course, that AKSA amp is a kit that would cost about $1200-$1400 to build, where my MB-100's I bought used (from nathanm) for $225/pr.

So, I'll probably be fishing for a used amp in the near future.  Actually I need a pre-amp as well as my Yamaha A/V receiver is not going to cut it.

[JoshK]

your hafler with a dead channel, are you using it?  Do you run a sub?  just curious...perfect amp for a sub channel it looks like or else you can try to repair it.

[jonwb]

Very nice!  

I noticed that your passive crossovers are outboard.

Was that part of the original design or is that your own initiative?

Yea, I decided early on that I wanted to do external crossovers.  These, of course, are just temporary crossover units.  The main reason for going external is the ease with wich I can make adjustments / modifications. I am thinking I may want to setup the crossovers to use the Bass Management system that Danny has designed.  I'd like to do it w/ a selector knob where I can adjust to a few different settings.  Eventually I will build up some nice looking little boxes.

I know others (most?) have gone w/ internal crossovers.  Pros & cons, like anything else.  W/ externals (expecially fully bi-ampable like mine), you do need more connectors and wires and terminals...

The wiring on the crossover pictured above is not quite as wild as it appears...  Danny expressed some valid concerns over my gangly inductor leads.  Even though they are temporary crossovers, I will be tidying them up a bit.  I just wanted to make sure everything was working before I buttoned things down.

Bravo for the completion of a great project!
 

Thank you!

very cool.  feels nice to complete a project that gets stalled many times doesn't it?  Know the feeling.

Oh, hell yes!

[Al Garay]

You will really see the improvements from the AKSA once you get a better pre-amp. The highs, mids and depth of soundstage will change drastically when you go from a Yamaha pre, receiver to the likes of a BentAudio transformer based preamp, or AKSA GK1 among others.

Oh, and congratulations on your Alphas.

Al

[jonwb]

your hafler with a dead channel, are you using it?  Do you run a sub?  just curious...perfect amp for a sub channel it looks like or else you can try to repair it.

I used to use the big Hafler for a sub I have (and the center channel), but took it out of service to do some minor upgrades (new RCA's, speaker wiring/terminals, etc...).  After the upgrades I was going to sell it (too many amps).  Well, I never got around to performing those upgrades and when I brought it upstairs to try on the Alphas, low and behold, the LH channel is dead.  

Go figure... I'll have to pop the lid and see if it's anything obvious.  Otherwise I'll take it in a have it looked at.  Should be pretty simple to fix, there ain't much to it.

You will really see the improvements from the AKSA once you get a better pre-amp. The highs, mids and depth of soundstage will change drastically when you go from a Yamaha pre, receiver to the likes of a BentAudio transformer based preamp, or AKSA GK1 among others.

Yea, its kinda bitter sweet.... bitter because I know I'm not hearing even close to what the Alphas or the AKSA can do, sweet because it still sounds REALLY good...  

I'm hoping to get audiojerry over this weekend with his Easter Electric Minimax tube pre for a quick listen before I have to send the AKSA on its way.  Actually, maybe its better to NOT hear how good it will sound     How's that saying go?  "Its better to have loved and lost..."

[JoshK]

By the way, they look really nice.  I am a bit surprised that those are birch, as the color seems really nice and birch often has a funny greenish hue to it.  If you didn't tell me I would maybe have thought them to be cherry.  Do you stain them at all or just add lacquer?

[Snegrah]

jonwb:

Bout' time!  From all appearances, thay look fab!  Nice clean work!  Yer gonna' lov em'!  I'm still lovin' mine.  

Congrats and enjoy!

Tom

[pauly]

Jon, Thanks for the input
I actually have an aksa 100n+ { the plus has yet to be installed} and a GK1-R preamp {almost done}. The aksa 100n alone , using a yamaha av-receiver, sounds pretty good by itself.
when I finish these amps , I want to build new speakers .
I have shortlisted to 2, the alpha and the northcreek music rhythm signature.{all scanspeak MTM TL with 8{eight} gauge inductors}
I can not decide , no matter how hard I try .
Did the aksa give good spl's with the alphas ? are these monster alphas really that easy to drive?


thanks Jon

[Rocket]

Hi,

Do you have a lot of experience woodworking?  What is the efficiency of the alpha's?

The aksa 55 nirvana plus would be a cheaper option.

Regards

Rocket

[jonwb]

By the way, they look really nice.  I am a bit surprised that those are birch, as the color seems really nice and birch often has a funny greenish hue to it.  If you didn't tell me I would maybe have thought them to be cherry.  Do you stain them at all or just add lacquer?

They are indeed birch.  They are stained a brownish red.  And then covered w/ three coats of varnish.  The pictures I posted capture the color pretty accurately.  

Bit of a story on the finish (if you have something important to do, don't keep reading...)  In this project, I had a few bone headed moments.  This is one of them.  

With my construction method I actually pre-cut the 1/4" veneered plywood panels to the rough width and stained/varnished them before I glued them to their respective MDF panels.  Worked alright initially, except I had to cut a set of new side plywood panels because the veneer on the originals looked like crap.  

Well, I figured I'd just stain and varnish those two panels 'on the box' while I was staining and varnishing the birch edge banding on the chamfered edges.  Of course I had to mix more stain, and it had been so long since I ran out of the first batch, that it was a treat getting it to match (now what were those two colors I mixed? . ).  

ANYWAY after getting the edges and new side panels stained I grabbed the varnish and went to town.  After varnishing and sanding and varnishing and sanding and varnishing... I noticed that the gloss on the new panel was different than the gloss on the other panels (kinda dull looking).  Of course when I varnished the chamfers I had to overlap on the adjoining panels.  yep, big 2-3in wide strips w/ a dull finish.  Well, after some debate w/ my wife we came to realize that yours truly used 'satin' varnish on the new work where we had used 'semi-gloss' on all the previously finished panels.  This is the sign my wife started carrying around

So, now what?  After some denial about how bad it looked I realized that I had to do something.  To make an already long story short, I rubbed down the entirety of both enclosures with rubbing compound and then buffed them (all by hand) with my fancy carnauba car wax.  Well, now we have a decidedly glossy finish.  Now that its all said and done, I actually like the finish now more than what I had originally.  There is a beautiful depth to the finish and its smooth as glass.  

I guess in the end it worked out for the best, who’d a thunk it?

jon

[audiojerry]

Great post Jon! Great photos, great saga, and great looking work! I cant wait to see them in person! You've got a pm

[jonwb]

Did the aksa give good spl's with the alphas ? are these monster alphas really that easy to drive?

To my ears the Alphas just love the AKSA 100N+.  

My wife and I were listening to them some more on the MB-100's this evening.  I guess I really want to be satisfied with those amps, but then I hooked up the AKSA.  Even with zero warmup time it was instantly obvious that it is in another league.  I think the Alphas just might be a bit much for the MB-100's to chew on.  The AKSA amp grabs those speakers and just makes them sing.  Completely non-fatiguing, the music just pours out and you don't want it to stop.  I like to crank it up when it sounds good and the ASKA has plenty of juice.  Great detail, but not at all harsh.

I wish I were in your shoes pauly and had a 100n(+) and GK1-R.  I think that'd be a great combo for these speakers.  If you want, you can send them to me when you're done and I'll report back to you on how they sound.  ...you know, its better safe than sorry  

[jonwb]

Do you have a lot of experience woodworking?  

No, not really.  I was certainly in a bit over my head with this project (mostly time wise).  But that is sort of my M.O.  I bite off more than I can chew... but I just keep chewing anyway and it get done.  My biggest issue typically is fighting off my perfectionist tendencies.  As I like to say, "my expectations exceed my skill level".

What is the efficiency of the alpha's?

This quote is from Danny's site

"Sensitivity level of these speakers is high, but the 1 watt/1 meter level can be misleading. They are 93db with 1 watt/1 meter, but a line source does not lose sensitivity with doubling of distance like a typical point source. With a 1 watt input at 2 meters they are equal to a point source that is 96db at 1 meter. At 4 meters with a 1 watt input they are equal to a point source that is 99db at 1 meter/1 watt"

Even though the sensitivity is high, it seems that they "like" (but do not necessarily need) lots of power.  The AKSA is rated at 100WPC, but its an awfully big 100WPC.

The aksa 55 nirvana plus would be a cheaper option.

Yea, the price on the straight 100Watt kit isn't bad either.  If I had the money, I'd love to make a set of AKSA monoblocks where each "block"/chassis housed one channel of 55N+ (for the ribbons) and one channel of 100N (for the woofers).

[KJ]

jonwb,

Left you a pm regarding your setup.

-KJ

[pauly]

Thanks Jonwb ,
It's great to here a good review on the alpha/aksa combo
I'm sure leaning towards the line source option now.
My room is 780 sq. ft. and My point source odins are not filling the space.
Have you noticed  if the Alphas have sound good from anywhere in the room? Point sorce speakers seem to have a tiny , one chair , listening spot.


Paul



I,d love to audition your alphas , but for you to ship them to me would cost way too much

[audiojerry]

I had the pleasure of visiting Jon's beautiful home and meeting his beautiful wife and daughter on Friday evening. The Alpha's are even more impressive than I had expected. Jon did a fantastic job constructing and finishing them, and his large family room is a great space for them. As soon as I entered I could hear and feel the Alpha's loading the room and filling his home with a deep gutteral bass even at low volume.

Jon let me try a wide selection of music that I brought along, and the Alpha's handled all types of music well. The imaging was surprisingly accurate, and the soundstage was on a much larger scale than what I have at home. The sound was very clean and musical using the AKSA Nirvana +. When we switched in my cables and preamp it was easy to hear the difference, which means the Alpha's are very revealing of downstream changes. Even though the Alpha's sounded great with Jon's gear, they showed me what potential is still waiting to be achieved, plus they only have a few hours on them.

Jon showed me one of the Alpha's midbass drivers and I was impressed by the high quality construction - they look like ScanSpeak's to me. I don't know how Danny can provide such high quality drivers - 18 of them for such a low price.

And the bass - WOW! Deep Deep Deep, effortless, tight and very quick - the kind I lust for but can never have in my home.

That was real fun; thanks for the experience Jon, and congratulations!