Alta Audio has made some of my favorite speakers I have ever auditioned at each price point (so far at least!). I reviewed both the Alyssa and the Alec speakers and they blew me away. The bass extension is beyond what I expected or thought was possible thanks to the XTL (extended like transmission) tuning. The Adam takes what I loved about the Alec, and dials it past 10. The Adam is a 3-way system, opposed to Alec’s two way, with more robust power handling and faster transient response. The end result is a speaker with exceptional power handling of up to 300 watts per channel.
The audio tuning and presentation philosophy behind Alta Audio is to recreate the artist’s presence in your listening room. Michael Levy, Alta Audio’s President and CEO, wants the speaker to reproduce recordings without coloration or sonic anomalies. Instead, they should become an invisible representation of the original recording, making it all come to life. This is something they have already successfully demonstrated with the Alec and Alyssa speakers, as the wide sound stage, immense power, and vocal richness effortlessly filled my rooms. I relentlessly demoed audio tracks from every artist and genre I could imagine and they (Alta Audio speakers) never let me down.
So when Michael told me he has a new model coming that takes the Alec to another level, my imagination ran wild. They kept the new Adam under the 20k mark, with the black finish at $17k and the rosewood/beech finishes at $18k. This is of course a high price tag, but the Alec had already sounded like some other brand’s 20-30k speakers with an MSRP under $10k. So if this new model, the Adam, scales like the Alec did, then I can only imagine how incredible it must sound. We plan on reviewing the Adam this July once our new studio is finished. In the meantime, I suggest trying to audition these wherever you can, or take a flyer and purchase a set if it’s in your price range. As mentioned before, the Alta Audio speaker lineup reproduces music like I’ve never heard before, in all the right ways.
Full Press Release:
Alta Audio, the company that combines advanced technology and outstanding aesthetics to create industry-leading home audio loud speakers, will soon ship Adam, a new floor standing three-way speaker that continues the company’s tradition of creating products with sonics that closely mirror a live performance.
The Adam (SRP: $17,000 in piano black, $18,000 in rosewood or beech) achieves imaging that is natural and sonically accurate in size, placement, and timbre, with the feel of a live performance, thanks in part to upgraded components that create a naturally wide soundstage and accurate reproduction of the original recording.
“To my mind, speakers are music reproduction imaging instruments, meaning they should go so far as presenting an accurate representation of the recording without coloration or sonic anomalies,” said Michael Levy, President and CEO, Alta Audio, LLC. “The Adam is the latest example of how we’re able to achieve that goal with a model that is notable for impeccable sound and stunning good looks.
Available in Black and Rosewood finishes, the Adam features the best of Alta Audio’s proprietary audio technologies. Alta Audio’s 5.75”neodymium magnet ribbon tweeter is responsible for the natural and detailed high-frequency response. Likewise, the 6” wideband mid range is underhung for exceptionally low distortion and ultra-fast transient response, while its aluminum pole increases dispersion.
Rounding out the driver complement is an 8.75” woofer whose tuning parameters are coupled to the unique cabinet design for its infrasonic (floor-moving) bass and for refined cohesion between the Adam’s XTL (Extended Line Transmission) and its pure aluminum ribbon tweeter.(Extended Transmission Line is Alta Audio’s proprietary technology that applies sonic geometry to tune speaker cabinets as if they are musical instruments, delivering an accurate, fast, and powerful low frequency response.)
The distinctive curvature of the Adam, which stands 41”H x 15” W at the bottom x 81/2”W at the top x18” Dat the bottom x 14” D at the top, contributes to its ability to reproduce the detail, dimensionality, and feel of a live performance. Its three-way design creates a natural–and neutral–listening experience.
Alta Audio’s Adam speaker features a frequency response of 20Hz to 47kHz, sensitivity rated at 91.5 dB / 2.83 Volts @ 1Meter, and an impedance of4 ohms. Recommended power handling is 50–300 watts per channel.
“Alta Audio will always be focused on offering a select group of individually crafted speakers for music lovers who treasure their listening time,” added Mr. Levy. “The Adam is indicative of our dedication to bringing out the most detail and overall musicality of any recording, in any genre.”
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