[Kevin Haskins]

I am very pleased that the Kepler received a Reviewers' Choice Award from SoundStage.    All of my interaction with the staff from Colin, Doug and Marc was always very professional.    The measurement set-up at the NRC is top-notch and the methods used I find attractive.    The reviews offer both subjective and objective data in a well-balanced manner.

Overall I'd like to thank the staff at SoundStage, especially Colin Smith for taking the time to review a product from a small niche company.   

Reviewers' Choice Award --  Exodus Kepler 

http://www.soundstage.com/diwhy/diwhy.htm

[jr1414]

Congrats Kevin!  Very well deserved.

[Carl V]

Congrats as well.  Looks like a nice design.
If you purchased the old style square boxes,
will the XO need to be altered siognificanlty?
or is this a minor change?

Not to thread crap...too much, but is the 2 1/2 was desgin nearly complete?
Will I be able to hear either this 2 way or the  2 1/2 way at VSAC?

[Kevin Haskins]

I'll have a tower version of one sort or another ready for VSAC.   

I'll bring the Kepler also and there are no crossover changes for the rectangular enclosure vs. the curved-wall design.   I would recommend a different port tuning with the 2" PSP port but that is the only recommended change.   

[klh]

Congrats on the nice review. He was smitten .

[Kevin Haskins]

Congrats on the nice review. He was smitten .

I guess everyone looks at different things but I was most pleased with the distortion performance.   Compare the Kepler, a small monitor loudspeaker, with pretty much anything that has been measured in the NRC for the SoundStage reviews.   You will see our midwoofer design kicked some booty in the 50-1.5K distortion measurements @ high output levels, a sign that the midwoofer is extremely well designed as it clearly outperforms many top units from the major OEMs.    aa 

[TerryO]

I'll have a tower version of one sort or another ready for VSAC.   

I'll bring the Kepler also and there are no crossover changes for the rectangular enclosure vs. the curved-wall design.   I would recommend a different port tuning with the 2" PSP port but that is the only recommended change.   

Mr. Haskins,

I may be able to bring a rectangular version if the cabinets arrive in time. I also have an idea for a slightly more elaborate cabinet for the Kepler, but I've got several other designs to do before the "Show Season" starts, so that project may be delayed.

What amplifier are you going to be using at VSAC?

Best Regards,
TerryO

[Kevin Haskins]

I'll have a tower version of one sort or another ready for VSAC.   

I'll bring the Kepler also and there are no crossover changes for the rectangular enclosure vs. the curved-wall design.   I would recommend a different port tuning with the 2" PSP port but that is the only recommended change.   

Mr. Haskins,

I may be able to bring a rectangular version if the cabinets arrive in time. I also have an idea for a slightly more elaborate cabinet for the Kepler, but I've got several other designs to do before the "Show Season" starts, so that project may be delayed.

What amplifier are you going to be using at VSAC?

Best Regards,
TerryO

I'm going to power them with my new Class D circuit using 300Bs.    You will like them Terry... right up there with the SuperClamodynes. 

[TerryO]

I'll have a tower version of one sort or another ready for VSAC.   

I'll bring the Kepler also and there are no crossover changes for the rectangular enclosure vs. the curved-wall design.   I would recommend a different port tuning with the 2" PSP port but that is the only recommended change.   

Mr. Haskins,

I may be able to bring a rectangular version if the cabinets arrive in time. I also have an idea for a slightly more elaborate cabinet for the Kepler, but I've got several other designs to do before the "Show Season" starts, so that project may be delayed.

What amplifier are you going to be using at VSAC?

Best Regards,
TerryO

I'm going to power them with my new Class D circuit using 300Bs.    You will like them Terry... right up there with the SuperClamodynes. 

Mr.Haskins,
I take it that the Exodus Audio Mod kit for the Radio Shack "MonoClock" isn't ready for unveiling yet? Those clock radios really make some sounds when the new caps and Bi-Directional diodes are installed along with the 4 AWG power cables. The trick is to employ my newly developed "Fast Forward and Back Again" Bi-Directional QuadraPhase technology in a quasi-snubber configuration to eliminate any tendency towards Electron Over-Oscillation Axial Spin. This pernicious phenomenon, if ignored, can result in a seldom documented and little understood form of Tubular Phase Shift.
While I feel compelled to mention this, I also realize that I'm preaching to the Choir.

Best Regards,
TerryO

[Kevin Haskins]

Really though.... I'm going to stick a UcD180 into my 300B monoblocks.   I think I can find a transformer small enough to stick under there.   

I'll leave the heater hooked up on the 300Bs so they glow along with the 6SL7s so that they LOOK like functioning 300Bs.   Then I'll run the speakers from the Class D amp.   

Think I can get away with it?   

[TerryO]

Think I can get away with it?   

Not when you put it on your website!
It's a great idea, although a tube input buffer circuit might actually be more realistic.

Best Regards,
TerryO

[Kevin Haskins]

Think I can get away with it?   

Not when you put it on your website!
It's a great idea, although a tube input buffer circuit might actually be more realistic.

Best Regards,
TerryO

Ah... you and I are the only ones reading this stuff anyway.   

[Den]

Will this fancy hybrid amp be part of the active Kepler/Brahe?      You guys are funny!     Seriously, how's the development of the active XO going?

[guest1632]

Think I can get away with it?   

Not when you put it on your website!
It's a great idea, although a tube input buffer circuit might actually be more realistic.

Best Regards,
TerryO

Ah... you and I are the only ones reading this stuff anyway.   

Sorry fellas to burst your bubble, but I read it. Good review Kevin.

What are these tweeks that are mentioned in the article? Because I can't see the pics and graphs, could you tell me what would be the difference in using the standard cabinet versus the curved wall ones. You had mentioned the port would have to be gtuned differently depending on the box used. One other question, well two, can the port be put in the baffle versus the back? Then all you gotta do is make the three holes and they are gonna all be in the front. What about grills for the speakers?

Ray

[Kevin Haskins]

Will this fancy hybrid amp be part of the active Kepler/Brahe?      You guys are funny!     Seriously, how's the development of the active XO going?

No... I'm just joking around about the amp.   The active version is going to wait until I have all the passive versions designed.    I have a lot of development products on my plate right now and I don't need to add more until I clear a couple out of the que.

[Kevin Haskins]

Think I can get away with it?   

Not when you put it on your website!
It's a great idea, although a tube input buffer circuit might actually be more realistic.

Best Regards,
TerryO

Ah... you and I are the only ones reading this stuff anyway.   

Sorry fellas to burst your bubble, but I read it. Good review Kevin.

What are these tweeks that are mentioned in the article? Because I can't see the pics and graphs, could you tell me what would be the difference in using the standard cabinet versus the curved wall ones. You had mentioned the port would have to be gtuned differently depending on the box used. One other question, well two, can the port be put in the baffle versus the back? Then all you gotta do is make the three holes and they are gonna all be in the front. What about grills for the speakers?

Ray

I'm not a tweaker kind of guy Ray.   I'm still working on some additional documentation.  The only crossover tweak I'm offering is for an impedance compensation network, to flatten the impedance curve for tube amps.   

There isn't enough space on the front baffle for the port.   It is a fairly small cabinet, 14" high by 8.5" wide so there isn't much room for anything but the drivers on the front.   

The only difference between the curved wall cabinets and the rectangular ones is volume.   The rectangular ones have a little more volume and the port length needs to be changed a little.   I prefer the 2" Precision Sound ports in the rectangular boxes as the standard port isn't long enough.    The Precision Sound Port will be an option and that will be spelled out in the documentation. 

All of the Parts Express cabinets come with magnetic grills.   

   

[guest1632]

Think I can get away with it?   

Not when you put it on your website!
It's a great idea, although a tube input buffer circuit might actually be more realistic.

Best Regards,
TerryO

Ah... you and I are the only ones reading this stuff anyway.   

Sorry fellas to burst your bubble, but I read it. Good review Kevin.

What are these tweeks that are mentioned in the article? Because I can't see the pics and graphs, could you tell me what would be the difference in using the standard cabinet versus the curved wall ones. You had mentioned the port would have to be gtuned differently depending on the box used. One other question, well two, can the port be put in the baffle versus the back? Then all you gotta do is make the three holes and they are gonna all be in the front. What about grills for the speakers?

Ray

I'm not a tweaker kind of guy Ray.   I'm still working on some additional documentation.  The only crossover tweak I'm offering is for an impedance compensation network, to flatten the impedance curve for tube amps.   

There isn't enough space on the front baffle for the port.   It is a fairly small cabinet, 14" high by 8.5" wide so there isn't much room for anything but the drivers on the front.   

The only difference between the curved wall cabinets and the rectangular ones is volume.   The rectangular ones have a little more volume and the port length needs to be changed a little.   I prefer the 2" Precision Sound ports in the rectangular boxes as the standard port isn't long enough.    The Precision Sound Port will be an option and that will be spelled out in the documentation. 

All of the Parts Express cabinets come with magnetic grills.   

   

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for the info. So how low will the bass go in the regular cabinet versus the curved one?

Ray

[jr1414]

The laws of physics would seem to state that the larger cabinet would go slightly lower, but believe me, it is not needed.  The curved cabinets are just so damned attractive, I wouldn't consider building the regular cabinet versions.  With the revised port tuning, however, I don't think there's a real discernable difference.  Kevin, please correct me if I'm mistaken. 

[Kevin Haskins]

The laws of physics would seem to state that the larger cabinet would go slightly lower, but believe me, it is not needed.  The curved cabinets are just so damned attractive, I wouldn't consider building the regular cabinet versions.  With the revised port tuning, however, I don't think there's a real discernable difference.  Kevin, please correct me if I'm mistaken. 

Your pretty much right.   The curved wall cabinets are so sexy that I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't use them.   The differences in extension are pretty minimal (once we adjusted the tuning frequency).    The only reason for using the rectangular cabinet is if that is what you cosmetically prefer.     

[Zero]

Congrats Kevin!