[Cougar]

Hello everyone,
This is my first post here and I will be posting more soon, thanks to Danny and the others who invited me to post here. I'm very interested in the Alpha LS kit project and would like to hear these beautiful looking speakers. Is there anyone here that lives in San Diego,CA or close to it and is willing to audition these speakers? I would really appreciate this.

Also what are some of the characteristics of this speakers? Do they have a large/wide/deep soundstage? how do they sound with SS gear? I have a EDGE M8 power amp (the original, Black) and will be using it with a Counterpoint SA-1000 preamp (upgraded).  The type of music I like is Jazz, Funk, R&B, some Country, and some Classical.

Right now I have a pair of Vandersteen 3A's but I want to step up in every way.

Thank You
Steve.

[dbarnet]

Cougar,

It is nice to know that someone in Southern California is interested in the Alphas. I grew up in San Diego and now live in Murrieta.

Sorry but I don't have the Alphas completed yet. I will be ordering my Kit next week. I do have the cabinets that were made on a CNC machine, All 435 pounds of "Speaker Quality" MDF. The Huge crate is in my garage waiting for me to take them to a new house I bought in Phoenix.

I can tell you about what I think of the alphas. Last October I went to the Denver Show Just to audition the Alphas and make some comparisons. I posted my thought's on this forum Oct 14 "My thoughts on the Denver Show”.

I can’t say how your electronics will sound with the alphas. When I heard the Alphas, They were driven by Dodd Audio 120W Amps (the ones I will use with my new system).  I compared the Alphas with many High End (read expensive) speakers. As you may or may not know, Danny designed the Epiphany Audio product line 12-12, 12-20 and the 6-6 speaker that just won a TAS Golden Ear Award ($8900). The 6-6 that I heard at the show was not the same as the ones recommended by Wayne Garcia of TAS. The “New Pips” had two additional woofers on the bottom that to me “appeared patched on, and not well integrated.  

Well I can tell you for sure that to me the Alpha LS’s beat the “Pips” hands down. First off, the “Pips” frequency range did not as extended as low as the Alpha’s. Second they didn’t image well and the sound stage was very narrow. I could go on but to me the “Pips” were not even close to the Alphas.

Hope this helps.

Dave Barnett

[Cougar]

Hi Dave,
Thank You for the reply. Man, too bad you're moving to Pheonix I would love to see/hear those when they're done and Murrieta (crazy traffic) is just about a little over an hour from where I live . If you don't mind me asking, where did you have the cabinets made? Do you have any pictures of them? If you like you can email me at ardillas806@aol.com

I have contacted Danny and will try to get mine by mid January. My Nephew's Father in-law has a cabinet workshop with all the tools and my Nephew works for Taylor Guitar here in San Diego (El Cajon) and knows all the tricks to work with wood/veneering so he's jazzed about helping me out with the enclosures so it shouldn't be too hard to build them just time. I have been looking at veneers and I have decided to do mine in Rosewood to match my Teres 255 Lacquered Rosewood turntable with ET2 and Shelter 901 cartridge.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thank You
Steve.

[dbarnet]

Hi Dave,
Thank You for the reply. Man, too bad you're moving to Pheonix I would love to see/hear those when they're done and Murrieta (crazy traffic) is just about a little over an hour from where I live . If you don't mind me asking, where did you have the cabinets made? Do you have any pictures of them? If you like you can email me at ardillas806@aol.com

I have contacted Danny and will try to get mine by mid January. My Nephew's Father in-law has a cabinet workshop with all the tools and my Nephew wor ...

Well I am not moving to Pheonix but it will be a second home. Traffic yes. I moved here from Scripps Ranch 16 years ago. At that time there was no traffic.

The cabinets were made by Craig Carrol you can find his emale at the following post "Alpha Baffles Update" Aug 12 I don't know what he charges now.

No pictures just a big crate with all of the parts inside.

I just placed my order today. Remember to order the Black Hole 5. From what people are saying it realy works good.

Rosewood would look great.

My analog front end consists of a Nottingham Hyperspace with the 12 inch Anna arm and Benz Micro Glider 2 Low output MC. I am saving for a Manley Steelhead. I can't wait to hear all of this stuff through the Alphas!!

How do you like the Shelter 901?

The best to you Dave

[Cougar]

Hi Dave,
I really can't wait until I order my Alpha LS kit. I love the Shelter 901, it has a very musical sound to it way better than the Glider 2 0.8mV cartridge I had. I run this through a Electrocompaniet ECP-1 Phono preamp that I upgraded. I also have a Counterpoint SA-1000 hybrid preamp that I have fully upgrade/modded but when I want listen to something to relax me I use the Conterpoint but know I have finish my first DIY preamp and after 150 hours of break-in it just blows both of them right out of the water and I'm just not saying it because I built it. So my next project after the Alpha LS is to build a very nice tube Phono preamp by Erno Borbely and this should just be awesome because its suppose to be very quiet and very musical. I will build some Tube hybrid Class A monoblocks (70-100 watts) that should sound great with the Alpha LS. Here's my current system.

Teres 255/ET2/Shelter 901
Electrocompaniet ECP-1 Phono preamp upgraded
Counterpoint SA-1000 hybrid preamp Upgraded
DIY preamp (made with best parts available) its a killer
Edge M8 power amp (stock for now)
Vandersteen 3A's
PS Audio P300
Nakamichi Dragon
Rotel RCD-971 cd player Upgraded
all interconects/speaker cables/power cable made by me.
Teac X10R Reel To Reel upgraded use with DBX 224 seriesII noise reduction.

If you have anymore question about the Shelter send me an email and I will trymy best to help you out.

Best Regards
Steve.

[dbarnet]

Hi Dave,
I really can't wait until I order my Alpha LS kit. I love the Shelter 901, it has a very musical sound to it way better than the Glider 2 0.8mV cartridge I had. I run this through a Electrocompaniet ECP-1 Phono preamp that I upgraded. I also have a Counterpoint SA-1000 hybrid preamp that I have fully upgrade/modded but when I want listen to something to relax me I use the Conterpoint but know I have finish my first DIY preamp and after 150 hours of break-in it just blows both of them right out of  ...

Cougar,

Sounds like you have a very nice system. I'm sure you will enjoy the Alphas. I read that the new Shelter 90X is supposed to be an awsome. I have many other items to purchase first though. Mabe next Christmas!

Let me know how the build goes with the Alphas.

The best to you,

Davel