[Duke]

In a few weeks I should have the first production cabinets of a high-efficiency (95 dB) stand-mount speaker that is intended to be used with a Swarm.  This will be a sealed speaker, as a sealed box is what works best for the midwoofer that I'm using.  Price will be under 4 grand a pair. 

Likewise, in a few weeks I should have a production pair of a new medium-efficiency bipolar speaker, based more or less on the Dream Makers but using less expensive parts and enclosures.   Price will be between 2.5 and 3 grand a pair.

Finally, the modest-priced, small-room, small-tube-amp friendly speaker project is not dead but has proven again and again to be more difficult than I had anticipated.  I have yet to find the drivers that will do what I want.  Once again, I'm inspired to tip my virtual hat to those manufacturers who can design and build an inexpensive speaker that sounds great - I think that is a more difficult task than building a cost-no-object assault on the state of the art. 

Duke

[cryoparts]

What are you gonna show at RMAF?

Lee

In a few weeks I should have the first production cabinets of a high-efficiency (95 dB) stand-mount speaker that is intended to be used with a Swarm.  This will be a sealed speaker, as a sealed box is what works best for the midwoofer that I'm using.  Price will be under 4 grand a pair. 

Likewise, in a few weeks I should have a production pair of a new medium-efficiency bipolar speaker, based more or less on the Dream Makers but using less expensive parts and enclosures.   Price will be between 2.5 and 3 grand a pair.

Finally, the modest-priced, small-room, small-tube-amp friendly speaker project is not dead but has proven again and again to be more difficult than I had anticipated.  I have yet to find the drivers that will do what I want.  Once again, I'm inspired to tip my virtual hat to those manufacturers who can design and build an inexpensive speaker that sounds great - I think that is a more difficult task than building a cost-no-object assault on the state of the art. 

Duke

[Duke]

Hi Lee,

Current plan is to show the Dream Makers along with the new medium-efficiency, more affordable bipolar.  Since the last show I have tried several different variations on the theme, and the offset bipole as embodied by the Dream Makers seems to be the best.  The smaller version won't have a waveguide high frequency section, but it will use a rather innovative tweeter that has a smoother power response than a conventional direct radiator does. 

What will Josh (Sonicweld) be showing this year, or has it been decided yet?

Duke

[cryoparts]

Hey Duke,

Sounds like you are going to have some cool stuff.  Your room is always a show highlight for me, I really want to hear your new products.  Are you going to bring a set of the smaller subs, the "Swarm", I think it is?  That looks like a killer product.

Both Josh (Sonicweld) and I are going to have to skip RMAF this year, it will be the first year we have missed.  Kind of a bummer as it is our favorite show to exhibit at as it is fun to interact with all the great people that attend the show.  He is overwhelmed with some large projects and, due to my wife still recovering, I wasn't able to say with 100% certainty that I would be able to be there for the entire show to man the room, so we were forced to scrap our plans.  We should have something really new and cool at CES, though.

I'm going to try and at least attend a day or two to see everyone.  Your room will be first on my list, if I am able to attend.

Peace,

Lee

Hi Lee,

Current plan is to show the Dream Makers along with the new medium-efficiency, more affordable bipolar.  Since the last show I have tried several different variations on the theme, and the offset bipole as embodied by the Dream Makers seems to be the best.  The smaller version won't have a waveguide high frequency section, but it will use a rather innovative tweeter that has a smoother power response than a conventional direct radiator does. 

What will Josh (Sonicweld) be showing this year, or has it been decided yet?

Duke

[Duke]

At this stage I'm not planning on bringing a Swarm, but the final roster hasn't been decided on yet. 

There's pretty good chance that I'll show a Swarm-based system at Lone Star next spring.

Duke

p.s. - I'll be out of town for a few days; should be able to reply to this thread again on Sunday night or Monday morning.

[Duke]

Update - at present, I'm leaning towards showing a Swarm-based system at RMAF this year.  Several people have expressed an interest in the Swarm, so I probably ought to show 'em what all the hype is about.  Besides, it would be an interesting challenge to see if the Swarm would have smooth bass in that lumpy hotel room.  I don't have space in my vehicle to bring Dream Makers as well, but I'll try to still have two systems on display - a big one set up, and a smaller one on static display but available for after-hours auditions. 

A spin-off of the small, room-friendly project will be the subject of another thread in a week or two. 

Duke

[lonewolfny42]

Hey Duke....

Update - at present, I'm leaning towards showing a Swarm-based system at RMAF this year.

Sounds good....I'd like to hear that....

Marriott Tower - Level 11 ~ Rm 1100 ....

See you at the Show....

                         Chris

[jtwrace]

so sad about the Dream Makers.....

[Russell Dawkins]

so sad about the Dream Makers.....

Yes - maybe it's time to buy a van, Duke - one of those little French ones that get 40 mpg!

[Duke]

Okay, you guys have me re-thinking.  I hate disappointing people, especially if they were planning on attending the show.

Russell, were you planning on going to RMAF?  I know you are, jtwrace... and LoneWolf, they'd probably cancel the show if you weren't going to be there.

I could use the guzzler and pull a trailer... just didn't want to, for obvious rea$on$.

But if I brought two big systems, maybe I could do something like this:  Demo one system on Friday, the other on Saturday, and the first again on Sunday, with after-hours demos on any of those days for people who can't make it back the next day.

Duke

[Russell Dawkins]

Russell, were you planning on going to RMAF? 
Duke

If I won the lottery, I'd be there in a flash, but as a self-employed and independent recording engineer, the only way I can survive is by being very careful with my expenditures - I'm sure you understand, Duke!

Going to RMAF would be impossible for me to rationalize on any basis but recreation. As to what I'd be most interested in, which would be the sound of the various speakers I read about on Audiocircle, I have to rely on reports I read in Audiocircle itself, which makes this a fairly valuable resource to me.

It is difficult to actually make it financially with location/acoustic recording as sole income - there are no residuals and it's not like you are working a 40 hour week, plus the investment in equipment is substantial and on-going.

Interestingly, the two safest investments in equipment seem to be at each end of the equipment chain - the microphones and the speakers and, one step in, the microphone preamp and the amplifier for the speaker. If these are chosen well, they can be useful for many years.

[jtwrace]

Okay, you guys have me re-thinking.  I hate disappointing people, especially if they were planning on attending the show.

Russell, were you planning on going to RMAF?  I know you are, jtwrace... and LoneWolf, they'd probably cancel the show if you weren't going to be there.

I could use the guzzler and pull a trailer... just didn't want to, for obvious rea$on$.

But if I brought two big systems, maybe I could do something like this:  Demo one system on Friday, the other on Saturday, and the first again on Sunday, with after-hours demos on any of those days for people who can't make it back the next day.

Duke

WooHoo!!!  I've been working on my demo CD.  I can't belive how many rooms wanted to keep it.  It's going to be even better this year and I've had the Dream Makers in mind when selecting the music.  Can't wait!!!!  Hmm.  lot's of gas for the trip, good sound=Dream Maker sales.  that could be good....

[zybar]

Okay, you guys have me re-thinking.  I hate disappointing people, especially if they were planning on attending the show.

Russell, were you planning on going to RMAF?  I know you are, jtwrace... and LoneWolf, they'd probably cancel the show if you weren't going to be there.

I could use the guzzler and pull a trailer... just didn't want to, for obvious rea$on$.

But if I brought two big systems, maybe I could do something like this:  Demo one system on Friday, the other on Saturday, and the first again on Sunday, with after-hours demos on any of those days for people who can't make it back the next day.

Duke

Duke,

As much as you don't want to disappoint I would suggest going with a single system instead of multiple systems.

Getting things sounding really good in these small hotel rooms takes days of tweaking and changing, and trying to get multiple systems to sound really good might just be an exercise in futility.

Whichever way you decide, I definitely will spend some time in your room (assuming I still make it out).

George

[John Kalinowski]

Good price points seems $1500 $2500 $4000- $12000 are the sweet spots for pricing. And with so many manufacters offering low priced loudspeakers its realy not a good place for a manufacter of your size. Cost of scale greatly comes into play if you dont make 1000s hard to get price low enoff to compete. Iam dropping my $850 and $2000 speakers. They sell but just as much customer work as the more costly loudspeakers. The guys in this range are drying up at the same time as more manufacters bring in new products. My new entry level will be $3999. Take care and happy listening PS  keep up the good work and cool products coming.

[nullspace]

WooHoo!!!  I've been working on my demo CD.  I can't belive how many rooms wanted to keep it.  It's going to be even better this year and I've had the Dream Makers in mind when selecting the music.  Can't wait!!!!  Hmm.  lot's of gas for the trip, good sound=Dream Maker sales.  that could be good....

Hi Duke --

Along with jtwrace I'm putting together a CD to lug around with me at the show, and I was wondering if you could give us your thoughts, as a manufacturer, on what attendees should and shouldn't be burning to their demo discs.

Currently, in order, my priorities are a) tunes I'm really familiar with, b) are reasonably well-done recordings, and c) won't be excruciating for other attendees. Any other thoughts?

Regards,
John 

[Duke]

Thanks for your suggestion, Zybar.  In theory, I should be familiar enough with that room by now that I can rotate two systems.   There's a strong floor-to-ceiling standing wave that emphasizes the 70 Hz region, because the floor and ceiling are both very thick solid concrete... but I think I know how to deal with it.   

Thanks for sharing your perspective, JohnK.  I'm still hoping to come up with the magic $2000 speaker, but you're right there's an awful lot of competition in that price ballpark.

Nullspace, I guess my only request would be that you include no more than one Diana Krall song... and that preferably towards the end of the demo disc.  Seriously, what might be most useful to you  is this:  A demo disc made up of songs that will tell you what you want them to within a very short time.  Often time is sort of at a premium in a room, and usually I allow one song per person, unless everyone else in the room likes his disc and wants to keep listening to it (and for all you Jethro Tull fans, "Thick as a Brick" counts as more than one song!).  But if you can take the remote and go through the first 15-20 seconds of six or eight highly revealing songs, that would probably give you the most possible information when it's "your turn".  And maybe when you're done, someone will request to go back and listen to this or that song all the way through.  Maybe after those six or eight quickies, have a few tracks that you'd really like to listen to all the way through if time permits.

I will probably have after-hours audition sessions for people who want to come back and listen to a particular speaker system.  In addition to hopefully two "big" demo speaker systems that will rotate from one day to the next, I might have one or two smaller, less expensive systems on static display only during show hours but available for demo after hours. 

Looking forward to seeing ya'll in a few weeks!

Duke

[nullspace]

Thanks Duke. I do own some Diana Krall (just one CD), but it won't be on my demo disc. Right now, it looks like Miles Davis, Mingus, Sonny Clarke, Bill Evans, Taj Mahal, John Lee Hooker, Kelly Joe Phelps, Grace Potter, Patty Griffin, Marc Cohn, Julian Velard, Marah, and Dr. Dog will all be joining me on my trip to CO.

Very much looking forward to hearing whatever you're bringing to the show.

Regards,
John

[James Romeyn]

Thanks Duke.  I...own some Diana Krall...but it won't be on my demo disc.  Right now, it looks like... Kelly Joe Phelps...will...be joining me on my trip to CO.

Very much looking forward to hearing whatever you're bringing to the show.

Regards,
John

So YOU'RE the other Kelly Joe Phelps fan!  Saw him live, opened for Geof Muldaur in Sebastopol several years ago.  Great show! 

Living thirty minutes south of Duke, hoping to hear the 95 dB standmount shortly, hopefully before RMAF.    

[nullspace]

So YOU'RE the other Kelly Joe Phelps fan!  Saw him live, opened for Jeff Muldaur in Sebastopol several years ago.  Great show! 

I've seen him a couple times, both solo shows where he was headlining, at a small venue here in Phila. called 'The Tin Angel'. Best place in town. It's small (maybe 125) and they keep the volume to a level where I can forgo ear plugs (seriously, I don't go to shows without them). Really, really great performances.

Regards,
John

[James Romeyn]

Kelly & Geof's guitar playing make amatuers think twice about calling themselves a musician. 

Misspelled Geof's name in the earlier post; corrected now.