(Reprinted from Fi, August 1998)
The Look Of Alón: Alon I Mark II Speaker
By Anthony Chiarella

Technology. It has empowered society to eliminate plague and pestilence, to overcome earthly bonds and explore the farthest reaches of our solar system, to relieve suffering and improve this human condition. And yet, despite the magnitude of such achievements, the greatest benefit of mankind's exponentially increasing knowledge has undoubtedly been the continued advancement of sound reproduction systems.

I'm kidding, of course, but every turn of the calendar page now seems to herald some new product that elevates the realistic replication of recorded music, not to mention our understanding of it. Unfortunately, however, such rapid progress has ended the era of the "timeless" audio component. Think about it: the Dynaco Stereo 70 remained virtually unchanged for two decades, the Large Advent loudspeaker for one. By comparison, when the 21st century begins a mere two years hence, how many of today's top instruments will still be considered state-of-the-art?

The preceding discussion is more than academic, for only by contemplating the rapidity with which modern high-end gear becomes obsolescent can we fully appreciate the accomplishment which the Alón I Mark II represents. True, the current iteration employs refinements in engineering and construction, but the essence of its design has survived two separate companies and a quarter century of continuous production. And this at a time when the lives of many audio products are measured in months!

The year was 1973. The place, the New York HiFi Show. Jon Dahlquist, protégé of audio guru Saul Marantz, unveiled a truly revolutionary loudspeaker. In order to eliminate cabinet resonance, Dahlquist's design eliminated the cabinet itself, its four midrange and treble transducers attached to an "open baffle" which allowed sound to emanate from both front and rear while providing sufficient surface area around each driver to prevent dipolar cancellation. Since the long wavelengths of bass frequencies require an unworkably large mounting structure, a sealed enclosure accommodated the woofer. The DQ-10 proved so successful that, by 1976, Dahlquist had hired a young Carl Marchisotto to oversee the continued development of his growing product line. Among his many duties, this Brooklyn native implemented a relentless series of enhancements to the original model, authored a dedicated subwoofer and electronic crossover, and ultimately used his vast body of acquired knowledge to develop a new flagship model, the impressive DQ-20.

As Dahlquist's fortunes foundered in the late 1980s, Carl and Marilyn Marchisotto, convinced of the fundamental correctness of the open baffle concept, decided to form their own company. Ever since the unveiling of the Alón IV at the beginning of this decade, their products have been in the avant-garde of dynamic loudspeaker design, sold at prices that most music lovers could afford. But while Marchisotto's recent entry level offerings- notably the Petite and Centris-are clad in traditional box-type enclosures, none of his progeny has so elegantly addressed the disparate goals of price and performance as the stunning Alón I. Sad to say, this model has never achieved a level of sales success commensurate with the overwhelming critical acclaim it has received.

The problem, according to the designer, is largely cosmetic. The angled, time-aligned MDF baffle perched atop the bass commode, its midrange and tweeter poking out the back like some mad scientist's experiment run amok, prompted many decor-sensitive audiophiles to look elsewhere. With the Mark II, these concerns have become a non-issue. In much the same fashion as Vandersteen and Definitive Technology speakers, this new Alón is sheathed in a black fabric grill sock, punctuated top and bottom by a gloss black cap and plinth. These design flourishes endow the speaker with a handsome, monolithic appearance which should flatter any listening space.

Fortunately, Marchisotto has not limited his redesign to the speaker's exterior. A new 8" woofer boasts twice the power handling of its predecessor, while advanced voice coil construction improves the speed and distortion characteristics of the 4-1/2" midrange driver. Since Carl counts himself among the growing number of designers who are dissatisfied with synthetic cone materials, both of these transducers sport treated paper diaphragms. Although not built by Alón, all three drive units-including a 3/4" aluminum dome tweeter carried over from the original model- are engineered in-house, and built to the company's proprietary specifications. Other changes? The thickness of the acoustic suspension bass enclosure's top panel has been doubled to a beefy 1-1/2", thereby minimizing resonance and providing a more stable mounting platform for the midrange/treble module. Not surprisingly, the improved drivers necessitated a revised crossover network. You'll also find two pairs of man-sized, all metal binding posts hugging the rear of the plinth, but don't look for jumpers: so important is biwiring to this system's performance, they aren't included.

During my tenure at Fi, a procession of superlative products has passed through my small (approximately 12 x 16 foot) highend soundroom, but I've never heard a speaker, in these cramped quarters, which outperformed Marchisotto's latest creation. As with his past designs-both for his own company and for Dahlquist- the Mark II is defined by its mind-boggling midrange. In typical Alón fashion, you're forced to endure a protracted break-in period before this system reaches its full potential, but the unassailable character of those middle frequencies was evident right out of the box.

Whether due to the broad dispersion, low diffraction, or quasi-dipole radiation pattern facilitated by their Sculpted open baffle, the Alóns sounded best when located four feet into the room and a full three feet from either side wall. So positioned, the things absolutely disappeared. I'm not just referring to transparency, which this transducer has in spades, but to a virtual absence of driver and cabinet distortions. As a result, the Mark IIs assume the personality of whatever recordings, source components, or electronics precede them in the playback chain. Trust me: if you expect a speaker to compensate for shortcomings elsewhere in your system, choose another product. On the other hand, a state-of-the-art signal will not be wasted on these speakers.

As with his past designs the Mark II is defined by its mind-boggling midrange.

During the days which the Alóns shared my home, it was my good fortune to have the use of an Audio Note Ongaku. Okay, few owners of a $90,000 integrated amplifier or similarly stellar componentry will be shopping for such downwardly mobile speakers, and that's a shame, for they will never have the opportunity to hear how this price-point design can make their systems sing. In particular, the Mark IIs were supremely flattering to the female voice. From Holly Cole's breathiest moans to Kate Bush's shrillest squeals, nearly every performance detail was conveyed with the pristine purity of an electrostat. What's more, central images floated effortlessly on an airy soundstage, making it easy to forget that they were bracketed by a large pair of towers.

Stringed instruments, especially violins, were likewise portrayed in palpable fashion. I was particularly impressed with both the speaker's resolution of fine harmonic detail and by the way it inextricably linked fundamental to overtone. But while I worshipped the sound of the strings, the resonant qualities of the instruments' wooden bodies seemed a little lightweight. The same situation occurred when auditioning deep male vocals. Sure, Johnny Cash's voice throughout "In Your Mind" (Dead Man Walking [Columbia ]) was reproduced with impeccable precision, but I missed that melancholy chestiness which is his trademark. Regardless of placement or associated equipment, I could not get rid of a slight recession at the transition between lower midrange and upper bass.

As I have said, central images are sharply focused and naturally dimensional. The same holds true across the breadth of a soundstage that easily and uniformly traversed the full width of my soundroom. Sweeping studio productions, including my reference "Welcome to the Machine" (Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here [Harvest]) unfolded in an expanse of space that no speaker I've reviewed in this room has surpassed. Sociable audiophiles will find even more to admire, since the Alón's generous "sweet spot" enables two listeners, seated abreast, to hear a first-class stereophonic effect. Perspective was also remarkably neutral, neither forward nor reticent, although depth was noticeably foreshortened. The multitracked background details of the Spin Doctors' "What Time Is It?" [Epic] never brushed the back wall of my room, as they do through the Gallo Nucleus, Aerial 10T, or, for that matter, NHT's bargain basement Super Zero.

Above and below that magical midrange, the Alón acquits itself admirably. Low frequencies are tight and tuneful, possessing sufficient dynamic heft to honor all but the most bass-heavy showoff recordings. Half rock, half rap, the Red Hot Chili Peppers "The Power of Equality" (Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic [Warner]) features a thunderous bass line which most speakers in the under $2000 category either miss or seriously distort. To their profound credit, the Mark 11's captured all the power, emotion, and downright fun the group so obviously intended when they arranged this track.

Don't think you need a room-rattling musical selection to appreciate the Alón's splendid bass performance. The first minute of Mighty Sam McClain's "Give It Up To Love" [JVCXRCD] tells you this design is equally well suited to typical audiophile fare. How about the big stuff? When pushed to sound pressure levels beyond their purview, the woofers grumble a protest, although within their reasonable volume limitations, micro- and mid-level dynamic shadings are effortlessly described.

No, this probably isn't the best choice for serious pipe organ fans, but in my modest sound studio, whose dimensions cannot support such subterranean notes anyway, this system loaded my room to a fare-thee-well. Finally, thanks to those well designed acoustic suspension enclosures, reproduction of the bottom octaves remained consistent- which is to say excellent- in a wide variety of speaker placements.

What can I say about the Mark II's trebles? That venerable dome tweeter is perfectly integrated with the midrange driver, and exhibits a fault-free tonality. Sibilants strike a near-perfect balance between smoothness and detail, as a listen to Holly Cole's "I Can See Clearly Now" (Sound As A Performance Art [DPRO]) so dramatically demonstrates. On the other hand, I never heard the high frequency "sparkle" or transient "snap," which Magnepan's ribbon, Martin-Logan's electrostatic panel, Gallo's CDT, or the dipole dome used in Alón',s own Model V blithely supply. Hey, what do you want for $1795 a pair?

It should come as no surprise that the Mark IIs aren't perfect. I've yet to hear a speaker at this price- at any price, for that matter- deserving of that designation. What is surprising, in the best possible sense of the word, is how many musical thrills this system actually delivers. More importantly, most of the Alón's few failings- specifically, ultimate frequency and dynamic extension- fade to insignificance in the small rooms for which they are intended. For listeners who are properly concerned with the quality rather than the quantity of sound, the newest Alón simply must be heard.

FI SPEC SHEET

Product Type
Three way infinite baffle with open air mounted midrange and tweeter

MANUFACTURER
Acarian Systems Ltd.
181 Smithtown Blvd., Suite 104, Nesconset, NY 11767
Tel: (516) 265-9577
Fax: (516) 265-9560
www.alonbyacarian.com

Price: $1,795
Warranty: 5 Years Parts & Labor
Dimensions: 42" H x 9" W x 13" D
Weight: 60 lbs. each
Number of Years In Business: 6
Number of Dealers: 60

Features:

SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES
Spikes

MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATIONS
Frequency Response: 39 Hz to 25 kHz
Crossover: 500 Hz & 3500 Hz
Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms
Minimum Impedance: 4 ohms
Sensitivity: 87 dB

ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
CD Players: Dynaco CDV
DVD Players: Denon DVD-2000
Integrated Amplifier: Audio Note Ongaku
Power Amplifier: Audio Synthesis Desire Decade
Interconnects: JPS Labs, Nirvana
Speaker Cables: Alón Black Orpheus Bi-Wire