AlsyVox Caravaggio plus subwoofers @ Taiko Audio

[Taiko Audio]

I'd like to start sharing my experience over the past year with Alsyvox full range planar loudspeakers culminating in the purchase of the Caravaggio 4-way + the optional additional subwoofers 6 months ago.

I have always been a ribbon fan, starting with having owned Stage Accompany loudspeaker with their famed high efficiency Ribbon tweeter decades ago, to Apogee Full Ranges which unfortunately did restrict amplification choices. Just over a year ago we visited @Rhapsody Bob in his "mad audio scientist lab" in New York where I first heard Alsyvox's smallest model, the Tintoretto:




With Bob's help we managed to sign a distribution agreement with Alsyvox for The Netherlands and we acquired their next model up, the Botticelli:




About 2 months after their arrival Daniele Coen visited us to install the optional External crossovers, upgrading them to Botticelli X status. From left to right: Daniele (Alsyvox), @EuroDriver (Edward), me, Ton, Ted (Taiko Audio):

 

[shakti]

nice to see "Stern" and "Heisenberg" at your place

 

[spiritofmusic]

What is that big curved panel behind the listening seat? Acoustic or decorative/room divider?
I know it's been recommended to put a diffuser/absorber 1-2m behind my seat, since my rear wall is all of 7m behind me.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Around 6 months ago we started planning relocating to a new larger facility. That facility could accommodate a much larger 8x14 meter listening room which would be a better fit for Alsyvox's largest model, the Caravaggio. The Carvaggio can be extended with additional subwoofer panels to fill larger spaces. You can add 1 pair of subwoofers to drive rooms larger then 80m2, and 2 pairs to drive rooms of over 100m2 in size (the 6 panel system is named "Michelangelo"). Each set of additional subwoofers also boosts overall system efficiency from 94 to 95 to 96dB.

Daniele once again visited us to aid in setting them up, a few photos:











From left to right: Daniele, @tsaett (Christoph) and me:



Daniele:



And a IMHO pretty cool drone video one of the guys made:

 

[Taiko Audio]

What is that big curved panel behind the listening seat? Acoustic or decorative/room divider?
I know it's been recommended to put a diffuser/absorber 1-2m behind my seat, since my rear wall is all of 7m behind me.

That's a pretty effective multipurpose mock up we did. It does indeed provide very mild absorption / diffusion / scattering (the slope is to large to be really effective at that), but it's main purpose is to act as an adjustable "bass trap", it provides a reduction of low frequency waves bouncing back from the rear wall (it has about 10" of absorptive material behind the curved thin walled wooden front) which you can tune or adjust by moving it closer or further away from the wall.

 

[spiritofmusic]

It's something I might investigate...in a maybe less extravagant way Lol.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Running out of time today, but tomorrow I'll share some of my experiences with the various models of the Alsyvox line-up. These photos were taken in our old 66m2 listening room, I can already share that the subwoofers are abundant in that room size. I was only using the main panels there as the subwoofers are really only additive in much larger rooms then our old room. What those add to the equation will have to wait for a while as our new large room is not entirely finished yet.

 

[Taiko Audio]

It's something I might investigate...in a maybe less extravagant way Lol.

Actually cheap and relatively easy to DIY. It's made out of bendable plywood on a wood frame, total material cost around Euro 250.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Emile, could I send you a PM on this, I'm already derailing your lovely thread Lol.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Emile, could I send you a PM on this, I'm already derailing your lovely thread Lol.

Sure!

 

[Taiko Audio]

Continuing where I left off a week ago:

It all started with our visit to @Rhapsody last year October where we spend a few days of listening and sightseeing, thank you Bob for showing us around! We flew from Seattle to Boston first (to visit a customer there) where we rented a car to drive down to New York. Some photos I took back then:

This car size might be a regular occurrence on US streets, it is not normal where we come from :



Our drive from Boston to New York, light traffic:





Not so light traffic:

 

[Taiko Audio]

Rhapsody "backyard" view:



Inside Rhapsody, from left to right, Bob, Edward, Ted:



A selection of photos of loudspeakers / systems you can audition / compare at Rhapsody:

Bayz Audio Courante and Counterpoint:

 

[Taiko Audio]

Diesis Roma Triode:



Alsyvox Botticelli:



Magico M2:



Gear:

 

[Taiko Audio]

As is obvious on the photos Bob has a significant amount of gear stashed into his 80m2 New York business apartment. He tells me he is looking to relocate to a bigger place as his portfolio keeps expanding and at some point in time his creative mind is not going to run out of ideas on how to keep everything in there, and yes it is as crowded as the photos suggest! That does not take anything away from it being a very nice environment to audition gear in and he does manage to have very good sound in there. We did spend a considerable amount of time in there just "chilling", enjoying some good tunes:

 

[Rhapsody]

Hi Emile,

You captured your visit splendidly. It was a wonderful time that we had and it was pre-Covid so it all seems like a dream now. A VERY nice dream

Hopefully in the not too distant future you will making another excursion to the US.

Stay safe over there and Happy Holidays!

Bob

 

[Mikem53]

Rhapsody "backyard" view:

View attachment 72488

Inside Rhapsody, from left to right, Bob, Edward, Ted:

View attachment 72490

A selection of photos of loudspeakers / systems you can audition / compare at Rhapsody:

Bayz Audio Courante and Counterpoint:

View attachment 72492

Great photos! some very nice gear.. What are those small speakers on the rear and side wall used for ?
NYC traffic is never a pleasant experience..

 

[Rhapsody]

Great photos! some very nice gear.. What are those small speakers on the rear and side wall used for ?
NYC traffic is never a pleasant experience..

There is a 200" projection system that drops down in the middle of all of the gear and the six active speakers on the wall are the surround/rear speakers for home theater. I run a Theta Casablanca and use whatever speakers I have set up as the fronts with a phantom center along with the surrounds/rears.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Hi Emile,

You captured your visit splendidly. It was a wonderful time that we had and it was pre-Covid so it all seems like a dream now. A VERY nice dream

Hopefully in the not too distant future you will making another excursion to the US.

Stay safe over there and Happy Holidays!

Bob

Indeed no social distancing measures back then:



Bob seated in front of the fountain:



Bob feeding his pet squirrels:



I took over 150 photos, to not stray from the topic to much I will restrain myself from posting them all We did have a great time indeed, looking forward to return, hopefully in 2021!

 

[Mikem53]

There is a 200" projection system that drops down in the middle of all of the gear and the six active speakers on the wall are the surround/rear speakers for home theater. I run a Theta Casablanca and use whatever speakers I have set up as the fronts with a phantom center along with the surrounds/rears.

Very Nice, 200” must be true cinematic experience, with sound to match. Thanks !

 

[Rhapsody]

Very Nice, 200” must be true cinematic experience, with sound to match. Thanks !

For sports, concerts etc it's pretty much like being at the events. The sound gives it that feel even more than the video. Especially the "fake fan noise" they pump in for the current sporting events