Alpha LS in a HT

Bizarroterl · « **on:** 2 Jan 2005, 08:25 pm »

Is the LS a good idea in a HT?

Bizarroterl · « **Reply #1 on:** 6 Jan 2005, 02:58 am »

Maybe I need to clarify.

Would they be a good choice? Something along the line of a pair for the fronts and another for the rears? Use a phantom center or use one of the AV-3S?

In a typical HT one would use a lot of room treatments (to absorb HF reverberation and bass traps for bass reverberation). Would this help or hurt the sound?

Is anyone using them in a HT?

jonwb · « **Reply #2 on:** 8 Jan 2005, 12:48 am »

I am using my Alphas in sort of a combo 2 channel / HT role. I really built them for 2 channel and they are doing great in that regard (still need a decent pre). They are located in our family room which is also where we have our 16x9 HDTV and surround sound bits.

Believe it or not part of the negotiations with my wife (for the Alphas) included me agreeing to not have a subwoofer sitting the corner (you can have the Alphas but not a big sub (go figure)). Sounded like a fair trade to me, but I was a little worried that I wouldn't be enjoying wall shaking bass w/ my movies anymore.

Well, that concern was soon put to rest. For music the Alphas make plenty of bass with a seamlessness that only a full-range speaker can pull off. I have to say that I was floored when I popped a movie in. It is startling how much full, clean, deep bass that these things can pour out!

The only thing I notice that is at all negative (no fault of the Alphas however) is that they do not timber match smoothly w/ my Infinity center channel. And my Alphas are too far apart however to pull off the phantom center deal. I had considered at one point building a center using the same drivers as the Alphas but that'd be too pricey and eventually the home theater will be moving to the basement (Alphas staying upstairs).

Hope that helped a little... let me know if you have any other questions.

scooter · « **Reply #3 on:** 8 Jan 2005, 12:59 am »

Quote from: Bizarroterl

Is the LS a good idea in a HT?

I do not have the Alpha's yet but will be purchasing this year, specifically for Home Theater. what I have found with my previous theater is that having the three front speakers the same makes a great deal of difference to the quality of teh sound they can produce.

With the Alpha's you have two choices. Do not use a center and have a smaller listening sweetspot in your room, if you rarely watch with a lot of other people and the room is not large this is an excellent option.

If your room is large (as mine will be) you should but 3 Alpha's and use a third Alpha as the center. Note that this will only work if you intend to use a sound transparent screen while you watch the movie.

The surround speakers are not as critical to the overall experience. However I would have liked to see a version of Danny's surround speakers using ribbon based speakers which would match more appropriately with the Alpha's.

So you may ask why am I buying Alpha's. Line arrays are quite simply the most dynamic type of speakers you can buy and that is what is required to gain any realism for both movies and music IMHO.

Bizarroterl · « **Reply #4 on:** 8 Jan 2005, 10:27 pm »

Thanks for the response. The room I'm planning on using is 14*16*9(feet). I really don't want to use a perforated screen so no center unless I build a "mini" LS that's about 3' tall. Hmm, maybe that's not a bad idea. If I built 3 of them I'd have timber matched surrounds also.

I'm considering the Sherwood P865 for a preamp and DIY for the amps (using the Hypex UCD400).

scooter · « **Reply #5 on:** 9 Jan 2005, 05:24 am »

Quote from: Bizarroterl

Thanks for the response. The room I'm planning on using is 14*16*9(feet). I really don't want to use a perforated screen so no center unless I build a "mini" LS that's about 3' tall. Hmm, maybe that's not a bad idea. If I built 3 of them I'd have timber matched surrounds also..

That is a small room, no center is required in my opinion just the two alpha's. I would ask Danny how well he feels the surrounds will timber match the Alpha's, my feeling is it will not be a great match due to the tweeter when the Alpha's use ribbons. If he had a ribbon version I think they would work very well as I prefer his design to other types of surround designs I have seen.

Bizarroterl · « **Reply #6 on:** 9 Jan 2005, 06:03 pm »

Danny,
What would you recommend for an HT using the LS for the fronts? Also, should I treat the front wall so it's acoustically dead (the typical recommendation in a HT)? How about reflection points? TIA

Danny Richie · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 Jan 2005, 11:05 pm »

For those interested in building Alpha's at this point I would recommend to hold out for the two new models.

I may even design a matching center channel and rear surrounds.

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I would ask Danny how well he feels the surrounds will timber match the Alpha's, my feeling is it will not be a great match due to the tweeter when the Alpha's use ribbons. If he had a ribbon version I think they would work very well as I prefer his design to other types of surround designs I have seen.

It wouldn't be too hard to configure a new A/V-1RS to use a Neo 3PDR. That would make it pretty close to the new ones. The new ones are using a new 8 ohm Neo 8 for tweeters.

I saw some pretty innovative surrounds from BG at the show that used Neo 8's that could be rotated to be either direct radiating or dipole.

Quote

Danny,
What would you recommend for an HT using the LS for the fronts? Also, should I treat the front wall so it's acoustically dead (the typical recommendation in a HT)? How about reflection points? TIA

New models will be the LS-6 and LS-9, and a center channel of some kind will be inevitable. Rears too.

Bizarroterl · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 Jan 2005, 12:52 am »

Danny,
Any schedule yet? I'm not ready now (remodeling) but I will be by mid summer.

Danny Richie · « **Reply #9 on:** 12 Jan 2005, 02:30 am »

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Danny,
Any schedule yet? I'm not ready now (remodeling) but I will be by mid summer.

Not near fast enough. I might be measuring and testing in a couple of months but maybe three months from now or more before release of the new line.

Bizarroterl · « **Reply #10 on:** 12 Jan 2005, 02:56 am »

Sounds like the new line will be ready about the same time I am. I am SO jazzed!

Bizarroterl · « **Reply #11 on:** 24 Mar 2005, 04:46 pm »

Danny,
With the work you're doing on the LS6/LS9s have you given any serious thought to a matching center and surrounds?

Danny Richie · « **Reply #12 on:** 24 Mar 2005, 07:48 pm »

Quote

With the work you're doing on the LS6/LS9s have you given any serious thought to a matching center and surrounds?

Yes, I have.