[Duke]

I have developed two new loudspeaker systems, both of which take advantage of the Swarm version 2.0 subwoofer system.  When used as recommended the Swarm v2.0 offers a qualitative advantage over a pair of good conventional speakers in the bass region.  The next step seemed logical:  Develop high quality, high efficiency main speakers intended to only go as deep as needed to work well with the Swarm v2.0.   

So without further ado, here are the results of that project.  First, we have the Planetarium Alpha system: 



The boards you see under the speakers are there to make it easier for my brother to photoshop the image for the propaganda flyer I'll be handing out at RMAF.  The greenish discoloration you see around the perimeter of the waveguide on the right-hand speaker is a reflection of the grass in my front yard.  The front door was open, as I was trying to get as much ambient light as I could.

And here is a closeup of the Alpha module, 96 dB efficient and presenting a smooth, easy 8-ohm load, similar radiation pattern to the Jazz Modules.  The 12" midwoofer is an Acoustic Elegance TD12-M:



The next step was to do a Planetarium system with main speakers employing the controlled-pattern offset bipole configuration of the Dream Makers.  That system is called the Planetarium Beta:



Below we have a closeup of the bipolar Beta module, which is also 96 dB efficient, but configured to present a smooth 16-ohm load.  The block of wood you see underneath is not part of the speaker - once again, it's just there so the image can be photoshopped more easily later on:



And, here's a shot of the bass system, which will be offered separately as the Swarm v2.0.  Typical in-room extension is down to about 20 Hz.  The 1000-watt shelf-mount amplifier is not shown.  The idea is to distribute the subwoofer modules asymmetrically around the room, resulting in more natural-sounding bass as the dissimilar room-response patterns of the four individual subs sum to an average that is much smoother than you would get with only one or two in-room bass sources:



Finally, who says you need a big room for a Planetarium system??  Sometimes I could swear the sound images even come from behind me!



The Alpha is the more placement-flexible system, as the main speakers can be positioned very close to the room boundaries.  The bipolar Beta system puts more energy out into the reverberant field which better approximates the soundfields we normally encounter at a live performance.  The Beta modules should be placed several feet out from the wall behind the speakers, same as the Dream Makers, and the same as any fullrange dipole speaker like Maggies or Quads or SoundLabs.  The Swarm v2.0 can be purchased separately and used with dipoles or high efficiency/limited bass speakers or whatever.

Tentative prices are $6500 for the Planetarium Alpha system; $10,000 for the Planetarium Beta system; and $2500 for the Swarm v2.0.

I will be showing both system at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, room 1100 (top floor of the Tower, in a corner).

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks for taking a look!

Duke

[cryoparts]

 

Peace,

Lee

[Zero]

Damn Duke - it's almost like you know what you're doing!  I can't wait to hear your set-up (and meet ya face to face) next week !!

btw: hows the boy doing ?

[TomS]

Duke,

These both look awesome, both in design and execution    Seems like a big hit in the making and I very much look forward to hearing them at RMAF. 

When you priced these as "systems" does that mean it includes the Swarm and sub amp/xo? 

Are the waveguides and hf drivers the same and/or similar to the Jazz Modules and Dream Makers?

Tom

[Bigfish]

Duke:

Your new speakers look great and I look forward to hearing them at RMAF next week.

Ken

[mgalusha]

Those look great Duke, I've got to find my way up there for sure. 

[woodsyi]

Hey Duke,

I guess I can now say I got my Swarm v2.0.    They came packed in crates built like tanks.  I am still working on getting them set up with a pair of Soundlab A5's.  In approximately 18' x 22' room the quad arrangement is loading the room much better than a pair of SVS cylinders.  Faster too.  The darker stain matches the speakers nicely, Duke.   

[nullspace]

Hi Duke --

Can't wait to hear them. I'll see you next week.

Regards,
John

[mateo]

 

That's all I can really say.

Best of luck to you, Duke.  I really think you hit this one out of the park.

[Duke]

Wow - thank you all for your enthusiastic support! 

Zero, my son's doing much better - thanks.

Tom, you are correct - that's the same waveguide and compression driver as in the Jazz Modules and Dream Makers.  The high-pass filter had to be modified a lot more than I expected; it wasn't nearly as simple as just changing the padding. 

Also, I should have made it clear that the "system" price includes the Swarm v2.0 and the bass amplifier, which is a 1000 watt shelf-mount unit. 

And Woodsyi, yes the gag order is rescinded.  Thanks for your discretion, and glad to hear they're working well for you!

Duke

[kbuzz3]

outstanding! I dont even have to hear them to be impressed with the out of the box thinking and the visual execution.  they probably sound good also. LOL

[zybar]

Duke,

Looks like two killer systems.   

Bet my Atma-Sphere M-60's or MA-1's would sound pretty darn good driving either system.   

Good luck at RMAF, I'll definitely be looking for reports on the room and your systems.

George

[Duke]

Thanks, kbuzz!  Out of one box... and into six!

Zybar, I'll be showing with an Atma-Sphere S-30 at RMAF (30 watt OTL tube amp, for those not familiar with).   I'll post the impedance curve of the Alpha module in a separate thread, using it to illustrate some of my thinking on speaker/amplifier interaction.

Duke

[mgalusha]

Zybar, I'll be showing with an Atma-Sphere S-30 at RMAF (30 watt OTL tube amp, for those not familiar with).   I'll post the impedance curve of the Alpha module in a separate thread, using it to illustrate some of my thinking on speaker/amplifier interaction.

Given the impedance curve you posted and the highish output impedance of the Atma-Sphere amps that should be a nice match up. Really looking forward to hearing this as I really like what an OTL can do provide it has the right load. 

[Duke]

Mike, the impedance curve of the Planetarium Beta main modules is almost the same shape as that of the Alpha modules, but ranges between 16 and 23 ohms (instead of 8 and 12 ohms) above 100 Hz. 

I figure if I can make speakers that work well with Atma-Sphere amps at one extreme, and NuForce amps at the other, that leaves a whole lot of covered territory in between.

Also, my claimed efficiency is based on the Theile/Small parameters, and tends to be on the conservative side in comparison with some of the competition's claims.  One of my customers is a single-ended triode amplifier manufacturer, and he thinks my 92 dB speakers are more like 96 dB.  On another forum, someone with 101 dB rated speakers heard a pair of my 92 dB speakers in his system, and wrote: "I found that while the Audiokinesis was not *rated* the same efficiency, it *behaved* as if it was just as efficient, but with greater bass impact and more definition".  Okay that pair (the discontinued Stormbringers) probably could have been rated at 93 dB, but still you wouldn't expect it to be subjectively comparable in efficiency to a speaker rated 8 or 9 dB higher.  Or, maybe there was some enthusiasm and optimism coming into play in both of these cases.

Duke

[Berndt]

Holie Smokes!
Now I know why people were so excited about what they couldn't talk about.
I don't know if I want to take on subs again.

[pbrstreetgang]

Hi Duke, those new speakers look great! What is the downpoint of each one without the swarms? Also any chance of ever offering a kit?

[Duke]

Hey Bill,

These systems aren't replacements for the Jazz Modules and Dream Makers - they're just me lurching off in a slightly different direction.  I had these subs, you see, and nothing of my own to use them with...

Pbrstreetgang, the Alpha modules have a calculated -3 dB anechoic of about 90 Hz and -6 dB at about 70 Hz.  With some boundary reinforcement, they'll go a bit lower in-room. 

The Beta modules are probably -3 dB at 80 and -6 dB at 65 Hz, due to reinforcement from the wrap-around energy of the rear-facing woofer.   But since the Betas are expected to be placed out in the room a bit further, they normally will get less benefit from boundary reinforcement. 

I did not design either one with sufficient bass extension to stand really alone, though Alphas on low stands in corners might approach the lower 50's.  The stand-alone counterparts would be the Jazz Modules and Dream Makers, both of which trade off some efficiency relative to the Planetariums in order to get good bass extension.

I probably won't offer a kit.  I suggest you look at Earl Geddes' kits.  At one time I assembled and sold Summas for Earl, and my respect for the man and his products and contributions is enormous.  My loudspeaker designs draw heavily on Earl's work - I could not begin to do what I do without the knowledge that he has contributed.  If my speakers sound good, I have Earl to thank for that (I do my own crossovers, but mostly using techniques that I learned from Earl).  If I did kits, they would not have the price/performance value that his kits do.

http://www.gedlee.com/Summa.htm

Also, frankly I hesitate to make my crossover design readily available.  The crossover is where a speaker succeeds or fails - much moreso than all these other things that are more exciting to talk about (waveguides, efficiency, exotic magnets, etc - which may give a speaker potential, but are wasted if the crossover design is mediocre).  At one show I had a particular group from another country visit my room more than once to try to talk me into selling them one or two crossovers.  I am convinced that they intended to copy my speaker overseas. 

Also there are a few little things I do to modify this or that part which I believe make a small but worthwhile difference, and I'd like to keep those things to myself at least for now. 

Duke

[TomS]

Duke,

Any thoughts about licensing the foam waveguide insert for your designs?

Tom

[Duke]

TomS,

Good question.

A more likely scenario would be me one day introducing a different model that uses a fairly large Geddes waveguide with the foam insert. 

Duke