Alexx
and Alexia 2
January
22, 2019
Marc,
I'm
seriously considering upgrading from Wilson Audio Alexia loudspeakers to the Alexia 2.
Before that, can you tell me what the Alexx does that the Alexia 2 does not? And is there
a situation where the Alexia 2 bests the Alexx?
John
Leosco
I
talked a bit about the Alexia 2 and Alexx in my review of the former. I made the case that the Alexia 2 might be the
better speaker, taking all of its bountiful strengths into consideration, although that
was prior to John Giolas of Wilson Audio setting up the Alexxes in my room a second time,
using a few tricks he has adopted. Now, I would say that certainly in terms of bass depth
and power, overall dynamics, and the scale of the soundstage, the Alexx is superior. I
suspect it's easier to drive as well, although that's probably not an issue unless you
plan to use lower-power tubes. Still, the Alexia 2 is a wonderful speaker, producing a
musical picture that belies its size, because of the ample height info it conveys. It is
also supremely coherent -- I've not heard a speaker that's better in this regard. At half
the price of the Alexx, it's definitely more than halfway to the more expensive speaker in
every way. I would live happily with it if I didn't have Alexxes. -Marc
Mickelson
Foam
material
January
17, 2019
Roy,
I
read the report on your new rooms with great interest. This is the kind of
article I'd see a lot more often.
I
have a question on the IKEA Kallax used as bass traps because I would like to do the same
thing. What type of foam square was used in the shelves and where can I find it? Also, was
it foam used, not fiberglass or mineral wool?
Rolf
Betten
The
product used in the Kallax bass traps was BASF Basotect acoustic foam. It is widely
available from suppliers of acoustic components and consulting. I chose it for two main
reasons: it is supplied in sheets of varying dimensions (the ones I have are around 60 by
120cm and 5cm thick) and various colors -- I have both white and a medium gray. Using the
white foam in the rear of the Kallax apertures, against a white wall, makes the bass
trapping all but invisible.
The
bass absorbency and effective frequency of Basotect (or any similar absorptive material)
depends on how thick the absorptive layer is and how far it is spaced from the wall. It is
very easy to cut the foam with a box cutter, and by making it slightly oversize, you
achieve a snug fit in the aperture along with easy adjustability/tunability in that you
can add or remove foam in the various apertures of the Kallax, using one, two or even
three layers and still have plenty of depth for books or ornaments in front.
I
was also helped by the age of the building and the fact that the walls are not parallel,
particularly behind the Kallax units, where they taper to a quite acute angle. This
creates a natural void behind the bookcase that increases in depth toward the corner.
Starting by fitting foam to the rear of the apertures nearest the corner and working
outward toward the center of the room, we were able to voice the bass-trapping by varying
the number of apertures we closed and how much foam was used in each. -Roy Gregory
Music
Matters SRX LPs
January
3, 2019
Marc,
I
read your review of the new Music Matters SRX LPs. You
mentioned twelve new ones. Which of them are no-brainers -- I suppose meaning five stars
for music, since they all have great sound?
Jeff
Levine
If I were limiting myself to, say, six titles, I would prioritize ones that I
don't already have, or simply love so much that I would want the definitive version.
Beyond that, on strict musical terms, I would choose these six, which also
represent a good mix of performers.
Kenny
Dorham • Afro Cuban [MMBLP 1535]
Johnny Griffin • A Blowin’ Session [MMBLP 1559]
Lou Donaldson • Blues Walk [MMBLP 1593]
Horace Silver • Song For My Father [MMBST 84185]
Joe Henderson • Inner Urge [MMBST 84189]
Grant Green • Solid [MMLT 990]
There's
definitely not a dog in the bunch, so you can't go wrong with any of the new titles,
especially if the music is new to you as well. -Marc Mickelson
Put
me on the list
January
1, 2019
Marc,
Please
subscribe me to your reader e-mail list. It's great to see that Stirling Trayle is
involved in some of the setups and tuning.
Keith
W. Dierkx
You're
on the list -- and we agree completely about Stirling
Trayle's abilities. To join TAB's reader list and find out about new articles
first, send e-mail to rl@theaudiobeat.com.
-Marc Mickelson
