GR-Research Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" / Various Pictures

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jmimac351

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I visited Danny on Wed / Thurs this past week to work on a few things and see what he had going on with "Fun Stuff". 

I asked Danny to tell me if there was anything he didn't want me to share... He said "I don't care, share everything!"

Well, I have a big mouth and know how to take pictures...  :lol:  So, starting off...

Right up front on the bench are the Alpha One speakers - prototype and what are likely the final article (I think).

The prototype has a wrinkled black finish and the final having a really nice, satin black finish.  It's a smooth satin black and doesn't really show prints - and I tried to make it print.  Nothing bad like gloss black.  The finish is very nice and the wood looks great.  I tried to get the pics to show what they really look like in person. I liked the look, a lot. 

I have some videos that I will post, recording using my sophisticated listening device: iPhone 16 Pro.

Any when you hear them... recorded with a phone...






















« Last Edit: 24 Jul 2025, 11:12 pm by jmimac351 »

NIGHTFALL1970

Re: GR Visit - "Alpha One" Pictures
« Reply #1 on: 20 Jul 2025, 02:13 am »
Jimimac351,
Thanks for the pictures!👍 I can’t wait for these.

Huskerbryce

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Re: GR Visit - "Alpha One" Pictures
« Reply #2 on: 20 Jul 2025, 03:13 pm »
Did you see or talk about any NX-Oticas with 8” servos in them making them full range as stand alones?

jmimac351

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Re: GR Visit - "Alpha One" Pictures
« Reply #3 on: 20 Jul 2025, 03:36 pm »
Did you see or talk about any NX-Oticas with 8” servos in them making them full range as stand alones?

I did not see that, but I did ask about it.  I would not expect that for Otica anytime soon.  I think there have been some challenges for how to do that baffle; additionally, there is going to be 3rd version of this speaker with an M165NQ woofer with 3x 8" OB servo subs.  Custom amps are being made by Rythmik and there will be a limited number... to see how it goes. 

There is a waiting list for this first version and I think there will be 100 pairs to start with. 

I knew this speaker would sound good. The one thing I wondered about was "How would the top end sound?"... it was mentioned they don't play as high as regular soft dome, etc. 

Well, I missed nothing from the high end in terms of enjoyment.  In fact, it is hard to believe the highs coming from the LGK are even possible.  If there were a grill covering the speaker, you would think there is a "tweeter" playing. 

As I recall, when reviewing the response of the speaker, it was noted that the very top of the response picks up, and that it was left alone after listening / evaluating.  I didn't hear other versions of the crossover with that peak trimmed down, but if that is what helped add the final touch of sparkle / air desired, I would leave it alone. 

The only thing I would change about this speaker is the zip code where they reside.

jmimac351

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Re: GR Visit - "Alpha One" Pictures
« Reply #4 on: 20 Jul 2025, 03:42 pm »
The speaker on the left with 3 sets of tube connectors was one of the development samples.  It had an outboard crossover so parts could be easily swapped for development listening. 


jmimac351

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Re: GR Visit - "Alpha One" Pictures
« Reply #5 on: 20 Jul 2025, 05:23 pm »
This may be of interest to / helpful to some, regardless of whether you hear this speaker.

So I was wandering around back near the subs and looked down and thought "Oh, let's take a picture of those settings..."

These are the sub settings for Danny's pair of Triple OB subs, playing with the Alpha One speakers. 

So we started talking about what was going on for the entire setup. 

The Alpha One speakers were being crossed at ~80Hz as I recall - via the preamp. 

Look at the settings on the sub... the lower left switch is on 80Hz/24db Low Pass.  Ported speakers roll off at 24Hz slope and that 80Hz plays ball too...

Me: "Danny, I see it's at 180 degrees..."

Danny: "Well, the M130 woofer is wired out of phase, so the sub is set to 180 degrees to pair with that output".

Me: "Why not bring the subs up next to the speakers... why do I often see them offset to the rear?"

Danny:  "At that low frequency, the wavelengths are so long that a few feet does not cause enough phase rotation for it to make a difference... so you can place them there and keep things clear for the main speakers to be better optimized."

These settings may help others think thru what is going on in their own setups - and it shows that this is a "system". 

I don't like the idea of putting a cap in front of the signal to roll it off, but Danny rightly pointed out there are caps in a lot of things in the chain... not to mention the speakers.  Danny talks about "less mass", etc for connections... getting caps out of the signal path would be great, but sometimes that cap allows the speaker to do things it can't do otherwise - the "negative" is actually a "net positive".

I.e., Results matter.

We talked about woofers that play lower "Why not use a woofer that plays lower so you don't have to roll it off, for instance, like a Scan Speak 8545?"

"Danny... why not use one of the 8" drivers like in my Duette speakers and pair it with the LGK so it plays much deeper?"

Danny agreed, the speaker would play lower with that and other woofers, but here's the thing... the M130 is faster, and if you keep it in the range where it's Happy, it will have speed in the mid-bass that helps it keep up with the magic from the LGK - and leave the heavy lifting for subs. 

I think the bottom line is along these lines, especially for this pair of speakers... "Use an extremely high quality cap for the high pass so it's ultra fast, and help it blend perfectly to the sub... the result is superior sound such that you will GET OVER a cap being in the signal path (notwithstanding all of the caps elsewhere)."  :duh:

After hearing the detail / performance - I am just going to have to get over the "high pass thing" in certain cases - because the result is just plain better. 

Danny is right... but I had to hear it for myself.  That's just the way it is.



nc42acc

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Re: GR Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" Pictures
« Reply #6 on: 20 Jul 2025, 09:56 pm »
The speakers with the wood slab sides, is that solid wood or veneered material?

jmimac351

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Re: GR Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" Pictures
« Reply #7 on: 24 Jul 2025, 09:34 pm »
The speakers with the wood slab sides, is that solid wood or veneered material?

I don't know what the wood is, exactly.  Worth calling Danny to ask about. 

While the speaker was playing at a moderate level, I clutched the sides and felt very little vibration.  Touching the top I could feel a bit more vibration.  Looking / lifting them in person, they are well made and SOLID.  The driver cutouts have a radius inside, etc - as you'd expect . 

Danny did mention some concern about whether the lip that was created in the second version... whether that would affect the response.  I think he indicated it did a little bit, but was also a non-issue. 

The look between the "prototype" version and the newer one... I would pick the newer design all day long - especially if you see them in person.  If you see a fingerprint or two, it's because before taking the pictures I put my hands all over it - to see how much it would print.  Very little and would easily wipe clean. 


fre11111

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Re: GR Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" Pictures
« Reply #8 on: 24 Jul 2025, 10:06 pm »
I am curious what is that tall speaker behind that is being upgraded?

jmimac351

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Re: GR Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" Pictures
« Reply #9 on: 24 Jul 2025, 10:21 pm »
I am curious what is that tall speaker behind that is being upgraded?

This one?




fre11111

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Re: GR Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" Pictures
« Reply #10 on: 24 Jul 2025, 10:24 pm »
YES!

jmimac351

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Re: GR Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" Pictures
« Reply #11 on: 24 Jul 2025, 10:27 pm »
YES!

As best I can tell, it's the kind of speaker that ends up taking my money.

Of course, there was also this one... which I hadn't shared a picture of yet.  Oops.

It's fun walking around Danny's workshop.  :green:



 


jmc207

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Re: GR Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" Pictures
« Reply #12 on: 24 Jul 2025, 10:31 pm »
The light colored towered speaker looks to be a O Audio Frigg 02.  https://www.oaudio.no/frigg02

Steve Guttenberg reviewed it a while back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUqpy9mMHh4&t=567s It's the smaller brother of the Icon 12 that Steve Huff is currently using as his reference.

jmimac351

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Re: GR-Research Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" / Various Pictures
« Reply #13 on: 24 Jul 2025, 10:48 pm »
Might as well add a few other things here which will be of interest. 

These Tweeter / Mid pods Danny has shown before look really nice.  (There are boxes of them... this is happening)

I think they are going in a speaker from a gentleman Danny is working with, starting a brand called "REEL".  It is an acronym for something and I don't remember exactly what it stands for. 

I think the mid is crossing down at 500hz and the tweeter at 2500hz, something like that.  I did not see a speaker with them.

I think this will be in a floor standing 3 way with M165 woofer... and maybe something else very "special".  There goes another speaker I'll have to spend money on.  :lol:

This is cool.










jmimac351

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Re: GR-Research Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" / Various Pictures
« Reply #14 on: 24 Jul 2025, 11:05 pm »
The tube headphone amps Danny shared in YouTube video...


jmimac351

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Re: GR-Research Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" / Various Pictures
« Reply #15 on: 24 Jul 2025, 11:19 pm »
Audio / Power cables are run across this device... then turned over 180 degrees for another pass...

I don't think Danny tells enough of the story about the extra stuff they do... that they don't have to do...


jmimac351

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Re: GR-Research Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" / Various Pictures
« Reply #16 on: 24 Jul 2025, 11:54 pm »
I'll drop these in here as it was the main reason for the trip.  I've come to realize that I essentially bought a pair of brand new "barn find line array speakers".  Danny has had these in his shop for a long time, hibernating in their crates.  He just never really talked about them, and then one day he made an off the cuff comment about having a pair.

Just moving these is a "project", and it drove home the answer Danny gave me before when I asked him "Why don't you make a pair of line arrays anymore?"

They are just so much work.  Just the crates in these boxes, no drivers... we had to pay close attention to not tear them, or ourselves up. 

It doesn't help that Danny is dealing with a bum shoulder... I had to help a brutha out - and it was actually a lot of fun. 

I really wanted to crack open the crates to make sure the enclosures were in good shape. We did that, and there is a picture peeking under the grill along the length of the speaker.  They are wrapped in their own socks and surrounded by sytrofoam.  They appear to be perfect!  I'll share more about these when I get them / get going. 

I am very excited.











I went to Band Camp. :lol:

Danny and Hobbs hand matched 21 pairs of Neo 3 tweeters (I would have never known the difference, but they care).

The boxes of 46 - 4" Tang Band drivers that are custom made just for this speaker, Neo 3 tweeters, No-Rez, etc. will go on top and we'll hope for a safe trip via freight to Florida.  Hopefully asymmetrical boxes on top of the enclosure crates will keep Some Dude from stacking 1,000lbs of flour on top of them.  If all goes well, I'll end up with some spares on the 4" drivers, which is great because no more exist. 








Tyson

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Re: GR-Research Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" / Various Pictures
« Reply #17 on: 25 Jul 2025, 01:32 am »
I heard those at RMAF one year and they were among the best speakers I've ever heard in my life.  You are going to be VERY happy with them.

Norman Tracy

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Re: GR-Research Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" / Various Pictures
« Reply #18 on: 25 Jul 2025, 08:25 pm »
Saving this photo as the standard reply to the FAQ "why do the top high-end loudspeakers cost so much?"



Big add to the costing equation is crating sufficient to keep items safe and then add motor freight charges.

jmimac351

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Re: GR-Research Visit - "NRD / Alpha One" / Various Pictures
« Reply #19 on: 25 Jul 2025, 09:57 pm »
I'm a Masterbander! 

Be careful how you type that, if you do!