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The Alpha LS
This model has been discontinued. The following is the last info made available on this model before
it was discontinued.
The
Alpha LS is the first true line source kit offered by GR Research.
This kit was designed
in cooperation with Creative Sound
Solutions of Abbotsford, BC, Canada to bring to the market the first
true line source kit.
This speaker uses
eight of the new BG Neo 8’s per side and nine 6” CSS woofers per side. Height is about
6’ 3” depending on the thickness of the base. They weigh between 200 lbs
to 250lbs each.
This speaker sets
a new standard in performance for any speaker offered as a kit. All of
our kits are routinely compared in performance to commercial models many
times the price, but the performance of the Alpha LS can be compared to
any speaker at any price.
Few commercial models
can even be compared to these as there are very few commercial models
that are a true line source.
The line source design,
while not new, is beginning to make a surge in popularity based on the
performance of a few commercial models and the interest in the DIY community
to attempt such designs. DIY’ers search no further.
These have been described
as heavenly, and utterly seductive, drawing one straight into the music.
Imaging is natural, but not like other speakers. It is more natural like
as in life like. Bass is super-clean and well-extended. In room response
-3db levels reach down into the mid 20's.
These speakers are
very addictive and listening to them for an extended period will make
other speakers seam very mundane and uneventful.
The Alpha LS will
also easily play to realistic levels and then some, with any type of music,
even a high SPL level rock concert can be played effortlessly without
any hint of strain or distortion.
Any
normal speaker playing to high SPL levels will have its woofers surging
in and out wildly to reproduce the lower bass note signals that it receives.
The voice coil is forced in and out of the gap making accurate reproduction
of higher frequency and mid-range areas nearly impossible. The cone can
also deform and flex under the pressure exerted upon it from its motor
structure and the resistance of the air pressure on the cone. This creates
even higher distortion levels not just in the lower frequencies but in
the entire range that the woofer is trying to cover. The Alpha LS, by
design, is free of any of these problems. With nine woofers sharing the
load even under high SPL levels the woofers are not working hard at all.
Voice coils are always kept well centered in the gap and easily reproducing
everything in their band pass with ease.
 Likewise,
the planar ribbons share the load and effortlessly play in a way that
is natural, unstrained and extremely detailed. These planar ribbons also
bring a detail level down into the mid-range like no woofer, even a small
woofer, is capable of.
The tweeters have
no real sound of their own. They simply sound real. The low crossover
point of 1,200Hz allows the incredible speed and detail of the ultra fast,
planar tweeters to reach down into the midrange and give the Alpha LS
a realistic sound that is beyond the abilities of even the smallest and
fastest midrange drivers.
Imaging, here in
our listening room, at GR Research is superb. They not only have great
image width, but height as well, plus layering and depth of imaging that
is as good as it gets.
These speakers are
more at home in larger sized rooms, but still do surprisingly well in
medium sized rooms.
Even in a smaller
listening room at Dodd Audio, where listening was made in what must be
considered a very near field range (10 feet away), they still managed
to disappear into the room.
Sensitivity level
of these speakers is high, but the 1 watt/1 meter level can be misleading.
They are 93db with 1 watt/1 meter, but a line source does not lose sensitivity
with doubling of distance like a typical point source. With a 1 watt input
at 2 meters they are equal to a point source that is 96db at 1 meter.
At 4 meters with a 1 watt input they are equal to a point source that
is 99db at 1 meter/1 watt
These speakers are
easy to drive and can be driven with low powered SET amps, but an amp
with a high dampening factor and good driver control is recommended.
Lastly, what will
it cost for these beauties? All drivers, high quality crossover parts,
cabinet plans, etc. only $1,995. For the pair.
Alpha
LS kits can be ordered by contacting
Creative
Sound Solutions
This also now includes
the eight 3" flared ports, wire, and Sonicap capacitors.
High quality binding
post are available, but these are not included in this kit because how
many you need depends on whether you choose to mount the crossover internally
or externally.
The enclosure, while
not hard to build, is no weekend project. It may take some time to build
and assemble, but nothing about them is difficult to build.
It has been noted
that many Alpha LS owners are using these speakers in somewhat smaller
rooms than they were designed to be used in. In most small to meduim sized
rooms they do tend to load the room with bottom end re-inforcement. For
this reason a bass management system has been designed to allow the end
user to tailor the low end response for their room. |