Rockport Technologies Lyra

Jeffy

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Apr 27, 2014
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Orchard Lake, MI
It would be nice if Andy offered an upgrade, his new drivers and tweeter and x over for the Altair's because I like the looks better and like the big woofer on the side. I could see the Altair going to 120,000 and the Lyra becoming eventually 200,000. This would open up the new Arakis to 400,000 or above.
 

jfrech

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It would be nice if Andy offered an upgrade, his new drivers and tweeter and x over for the Altair's because I like the looks better and like the big woofer on the side. I could see the Altair going to 120,000 and the Lyra becoming eventually 200,000. This would open up the new Arakis to 400,000 or above.

I'm sure the speakers would have to go back to his facility...if this idea was to occur. Of course, I'd prefer the prices not change...maybe a upgrade fee if a Altair 3 ever came about...
 

jfrech

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Well, I heard the Rockport Lyra's at my dealer in Austin, Tx (Ne Plus Ultra).

To say I am smitten isn't enough. They can ruin you and steal your wallet and many paychecks to come. Just a fantastic speaker. Given I have Altair's, I was expecting improvements, I just wasn't prepared for the magnitude of the change.

The first thing...from the very first note is sheer utter quietness and lack of noise. Then the music emerges from this stellar blackness with a resolution, weight on each note, spatial portrayal and a emotional connectiveness that just lures you in. All the check list items improve like better bass, dynamics, scaling, etc etc.

Recordings I've heard 100's of times I hear things I've never noticed before. Just lil things that make it seem more real. Like how the fingers are picking on a guitar string. Or the timing/interaction between the musicians. Going back to my Altair's I am missing information, especially that resolution and density on each note.

My dealers system is very similar to mine, same digital stack, cables, pre/amps, racks etc. Really only difference is the room and the speaker.

I should add I just LOVE how my Altair's look., We comment about it in thread above. In person, these are just as beautiful. My Altair's have a wider base than the rest of the speaker. The Lyra's have done away this and I think it gives it a cleaner more modern look. They will integrate into living rooms better. They are taller and not as deep, but somehow manage 20% more volume for the drivers. Even the knuckle test on the cabinet feels more like your hitting something more rigid vs my Altair's. Just feels different.

The Lyra's are amazing. Andy has built one incredible music making device.
 

BMCG

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So what's the build time? ;) (for yours ..that is)
 
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Audiocrack

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Aug 10, 2012
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Well, I heard the Rockport Lyra's at my dealer in Austin, Tx (Ne Plus Ultra).

To say I am smitten isn't enough. They can ruin you and steal your wallet and many paychecks to come. Just a fantastic speaker. Given I have Altair's, I was expecting improvements, I just wasn't prepared for the magnitude of the change.

The first thing...from the very first note is sheer utter quietness and lack of noise. Then the music emerges from this stellar blackness with a resolution, weight on each note, spatial portrayal and a emotional connectiveness that just lures you in. All the check list items improve like better bass, dynamics, scaling, etc etc.

Recordings I've heard 100's of times I hear things I've never noticed before. Just lil things that make it seem more real. Like how the fingers are picking on a guitar string. Or the timing/interaction between the musicians. Going back to my Altair's I am missing information, especially that resolution and density on each note.

My dealers system is very similar to mine, same digital stack, cables, pre/amps, racks etc. Really only difference is the room and the speaker.

I should add I just LOVE how my Altair's look., We comment about it in thread above. In person, these are just as beautiful. My Altair's have a wider base than the rest of the speaker. The Lyra's have done away this and I think it gives it a cleaner more modern look. They will integrate into living rooms better. They are taller and not as deep, but somehow manage 20% more volume for the drivers. Even the knuckle test on the cabinet feels more like your hitting something more rigid vs my Altair's. Just feels different.

The Lyra's are amazing. Andy has built one incredible music making device.

Thanks for this info. Not surprised at all about your very positive findings. If I would not be the (proud) owner of the Tidal La Assoluta loudspeakers and if I would be searching for top notch cones loudspeakers with decent sizes the Rockport Lyra’s and the Tidal Akira’s would be my top contenders.
 

ricjor1

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2012
214
162
948
Well, I heard the Rockport Lyra's at my dealer in Austin, Tx (Ne Plus Ultra).

To say I am smitten isn't enough. They can ruin you and steal your wallet and many paychecks to come. Just a fantastic speaker. Given I have Altair's, I was expecting improvements, I just wasn't prepared for the magnitude of the change.

The first thing...from the very first note is sheer utter quietness and lack of noise. Then the music emerges from this stellar blackness with a resolution, weight on each note, spatial portrayal and a emotional connectiveness that just lures you in. All the check list items improve like better bass, dynamics, scaling, etc etc.

Recordings I've heard 100's of times I hear things I've never noticed before. Just lil things that make it seem more real. Like how the fingers are picking on a guitar string. Or the timing/interaction between the musicians. Going back to my Altair's I am missing information, especially that resolution and density on each note.

My dealers system is very similar to mine, same digital stack, cables, pre/amps, racks etc. Really only difference is the room and the speaker.

I should add I just LOVE how my Altair's look., We comment about it in thread above. In person, these are just as beautiful. My Altair's have a wider base than the rest of the speaker. The Lyra's have done away this and I think it gives it a cleaner more modern look. They will integrate into living rooms better. They are taller and not as deep, but somehow manage 20% more volume for the drivers. Even the knuckle test on the cabinet feels more like your hitting something more rigid vs my Altair's. Just feels different.

The Lyra's are amazing. Andy has built one incredible music making device.

After reading your comments I swear I'm going to just be happy with my very modest system. Despite having Altair 2s, you stated: "Recordings I've heard 100's of times I hear things I've never noticed before. Just lil things that make it seem more real. Like how the fingers are picking on a guitar string. Or the timing/interaction between the musicians. Going back to my Altair's I am missing information, especially that resolution and density on each note." Your comments hit me like a brick and will be a constant reminder that no matter what one has, on a certain level it will never be enough.
 

Jeffy

Well-Known Member
Apr 27, 2014
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348
Orchard Lake, MI
I would still like to see an Altair 3. Andy could just exchange the front part of the cabinet. I like the Altair look better, and I also like the 15 inch woofer for my room.
 

SuperDave

Well-Known Member
May 12, 2017
252
78
158
Texas
John,
I need to go to Austin. I didn't think it could get much better than your room but reading your first impression really makes me want to hear them. How does the paint look? I've mostly seen black online. Thanks for the report.

Dave
 

jfrech

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Sep 3, 2012
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Austin
I love the color he has. Just striking and a great match in his room. I think it's some sort of Aston Martin silver but I may have this wrong...they are worth a trip ... really the best I've ever heard.
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Hey JFrech,

In terms of scale...how do the Lyra's measure up relative to the Altair 2...where JH seems to suggest the Altair 2 might still have slightly greater power delivery? Additionally...i wonder whether its treble/mid scale delivery is so much better for an 'ordinary' equivalent sized speaker...that perhaps pairing the Lyra with a pair of JL Gothams or the like might enable one to have a relatively smaller 4-tower system that can extend beyond to something of the scale of an Arrakis.

Any thoughts on this, even if I acknowledge its conjecture? At least you are one of the few who has heard it (and also knows Rockport well, particularly the Altair 2s). Thanks!
 

jfrech

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Sep 3, 2012
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Austin
Hey JFrech,

In terms of scale...how do the Lyra's measure up relative to the Altair 2...where JH seems to suggest the Altair 2 might still have slightly greater power delivery? Additionally...i wonder whether its treble/mid scale delivery is so much better for an 'ordinary' equivalent sized speaker...that perhaps pairing the Lyra with a pair of JL Gothams or the like might enable one to have a relatively smaller 4-tower system that can extend beyond to something of the scale of an Arrakis.

Any thoughts on this, even if I acknowledge its conjecture? At least you are one of the few who has heard it (and also knows Rockport well, particularly the Altair 2s). Thanks!
Hi Lloyd, I would never pair speakers of this caliber with another brand of subs. For one, I just don't think you need it, and two it'll never match the character of the Lyra's sound. Is a review out by JH? I haven't read it....
 

microstrip

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Hi Lloyd, I would never pair speakers of this caliber with another brand of subs. For one, I just don't think you need it, and two it'll never match the character of the Lyra's sound. Is a review out by JH? I haven't read it....

We never know what we are loosing until we are successful - although room is the great unknown in this process and IMHO the key point.

Considering JLAudio (or may be other subs), the external crossover CR-1 damping factor adjustment can do wonders ...
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Hi Lloyd, I would never pair speakers of this caliber with another brand of subs. For one, I just don't think you need it, and two it'll never match the character of the Lyra's sound. Is a review out by JH? I haven't read it....
Thanks. I will say, Arnie of Texas who owns the Rockport Arrakis, CH Precision electronics, Total DAC 12, etc, etc...also uses 6 REL Reference Subs (3 stacked for each channel)...that tells me something about subs.

Interestingly, when I was listening in Hong Kong to the Arrakis...despite how amazing it was, i STILL intuitively felt i would like to try a well dialed-in sub or pair of subs with them. That accords with Arnie's system. In fact, I guess Arnie did that experiment...and ended up with THREE pairs of subs!

Review by RH (sorry, typo, not JH): http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/rockport-technologies-lyra-loudspeaker/
 

Lagonda

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Feb 3, 2014
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We never know what we are loosing until we are successful - although room is the great unknown in this process and IMHO the key point.

Considering JLAudio (or may be other subs), the external crossover CR-1 damping factor adjustment can do wonders ...
And Micro happens to have a set for sale ;)
 

LL21

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And Lagonda owns the mighty ML Statement E2 Sub Towers with MBLs! I think you have commented on how you got to this combination before. But would love to hear it again, particularly given the discussion around blending reference speakers with another manufacturer's subs/sub towers. thanks for any insights!
 
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Jeffy

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Apr 27, 2014
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348
Orchard Lake, MI
Lloyd I have the Altair 2's and they do sound better with subs. I'm using a pair of Velodyne DD-12's. When you set up the speakers for the best imaging in the room they may not be in the best location for bass. I have this problem in my room. The sub's are dialed in so good that you can't tell where the main speaker switches off to the subs. Michael Fremer was at my place and he could not tell that I was using sub's.
 
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microstrip

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And Micro happens to have a set for sale ;)

Thanks for remembering, but the CR1 has found a new owner and has been playing with great success for some time in a friend's system. I got Wilson Audio Watch Dog controllers, but still looking for an used nice price Watchdog passive.

Do not tell anyone, but meanwhile I tried the Audio Watch Dog controllers with the JL113mk2 - could not resist ...
 
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Lagonda

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And Lagonda owns the mighty ML Statement E2 Sub Towers with MBLs! I think you have commented on how you got to this combination before. But would love to hear it again, particularly given the discussion around blending reference speakers with another manufacturer's subs/sub towers. thanks for any insights!
Here are copy’s of a previous thread, i’m lazy ;)
I actually found a set of E2 towers in Switzerland a couple of years ago, they did
not have the original crossover. I used a highly adaptable analog crossover set
at 100hz on the sub towers, using the MBL’s internal passive crossover on the
high pass, also at 100hz, emulating what MBL do on their Extreme speakers.
I liked the sound a lot but could occasionally hear the difference in speed and emphasis of the two different amplifiers, this type of setup is best run with identical amplifiers when the crossover is so high. During the last 8-9 month a guy i Germany was advertising a original Statement E2 crossover for sale for €5000, far to much in my opinion.
I offered him a thousand and he declined. 6 month later (having realized it was a hard to sell item) he contacted me and accepted my original offer.
I now have the MBL’s crossed over at 50hz, and the difference in amplifiers
is no longer notable.
To my ears the CLX does everything very well, much better bass and treble than
CLS’s, but are still a little lean in the mid bass. Compared to the stock 101E’s
they are less dynamic, especially in the mid bass, and the MBL’ s tweeter has
a little more air/bite depending on setup. I still love the magical way stats handle
voices, and enjoy it almost ever day in my very basic home theater.
I have not had the opportunity to play around with CLX’s in my home with
the gear i know, so take this with a grain of salt , i could be totally wrong !j
Hi Ron ! A Swiss ML importer sold the main towers to a buyer that did not want
the sub towers, after 10 years in storage he cleared them out of his warehouse, and sold them to me. When the crossover was put on German eBay i suspected
it had come from this speaker set, but no. In a little German mountain village, the local industrialists who always bought the best had died. His estate sold the local house with his old furniture and other crap, including a set of ML Statement E2’s. The new owner, eager to renovate, tossed everything in the backyard, smashing up some of the larger pieces for easy transport, including the speakers. The guy that was selling the crossover was part of a salvage crew hired to clean up. He found the crossover and kept it, not even knowing what it was. Marin Logan enlightened him, and gave him the price. Several people contacted him trough eBay willing to pay him crazy money if he could get
the rest of the speaker set. But a that time it had landed at the dump in pieces.
On the amplifier front, the Mbl 9011 is faster, has smoother more extended treble
and does something in the midbass few amps do on the 101 E’s. The Krell FPB 700cx i use on the sub towers is more powerful on paper, but does not handle
the MBL’s the way that the the 9011 does.
 
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Lagonda

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Thanks for remembering, but the CR1 has found a new owner and has been playing with great success for some time in a friend's system. I got Wilson Audio Watch Dog controllers, but still looking for an used nice price Watchdog passive.

Do not tell anyone, but meanwhile I tried the Audio Watch Dog controllers with the JL113mk2 - could not resist ...
Micro you have owned or tried almost everything at home, i always trust your advice (except the digital is better thing);)
A while ago i was researching an old Primare 201 preamp, and your name popped up as having owned and sold a 200 set years ago, small world.
How was the Watch Dog Controller on the JL’s ?
Your planning to use it with 2 sets of identical Lamm amps ?
Should give perfect integration!
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Lloyd I have the Altair 2's and they do sound better with subs. I'm using a pair of Velodyne DD-12's. When you set up the speakers for the best imaging in the room they may not be in the best location for bass. I have this problem in my room. The sub's are dialed in so good that you can't tell where the main speaker switches off to the subs. Michael Fremer was at my place and he could not tell that I was using sub's.
Awesome insight...thanks! I have seen a few systems with Altair s plus subs...congrats! As a fellow Velodyne DD-owner, I appreciate how great your subs (dual!) must sound.

Question: what happens when you do turn off the sub? Most curious as to how you have tuned your system. Is it primarily soundstage collapses, and less 'meat on the bones' of the overall presentation? Does the bass impact significantly lessen as well?
 

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