Alta Audio’s Alyssa stand-mount loudspeaker is a two-way design with a dynamic midrange/woofer and ribbon tweeter. At first blush, that sounds like a pretty typical setup for a stand-mount speaker. But there is so much more going on here: a combination of technologies implemented behind the scenes that is unique to Alta Audio. I’ll get to the specifics of those technologies in a bit. Founder and CEO Michael Levy’s stated goals for the Alyssa speaker are the same as for all of his loudspeaker designs, namely, to produce products with bass extension and clarity beyond normal standards, to transport the listener to the venue or recording studio of live recordings, to deliver precise imaging resulting in a believable soundstage with depth and width, and with a design aesthetic that enhances any room’s décor. Having experienced firsthand just how good the Alta Audio Alec floorstander speaker model performs, I was curious to see if Mr. Levy might have pulled a rabbit out of his hat again with the Alyssa, which at first glance looks to be a smaller, stand-mount version of the Alec tower.
For this evaluation, Alta Audio arranged for a demo pair of the Alta Audio Alyssa stand-mount speakers in a gorgeous Rosewood veneer finish option ($1,000 upcharge for Rosewood or Beechwood veneer finishes) and a pair of stands that are specifically designed for the Alyssa speakers. The speakers have curved sides and a gently rounded top, forming a subtle bell-like shape with no visible joints evident in the veneer. Alta Audio says the shape of the speakers is intended to resemble that of a musical instrument. Just like the Alec floorstanders, the deep and lustrous high-gloss finish of the Alyssa stand mounts is among the best I’ve seen on a set of speakers at any price. In fact, pictures don’t do the Alyssa speakers justice. You need to see them in person to truly appreciate the high-end finish. Drivers include a 2.5-inch aluminum ribbon tweeter manufactured by Fountek and a six-inch midrange/woofer made by Morel, with an aluminum diecast chassis and titanium bobbin for the voice coil. Rather than the more common off-the-shelf route most speaker manufacturers opt for in sourcing drivers, both of the Alyssa’s drivers were custom-designed and built to Alta Audio’s specifications. That’s attention to detail. The Alyssa has a single set of high-quality binding posts around the back. Unpacking and assembling the stands revealed a heavy gauge metal base plate in matte black with carpet spikes (optional hard rubber footers are included for hardwood floors), a wooden speaker platform painted black, and four matte black metal pillars that connect the metal base and wood platform. While the stands themselves are fairly heavy, there is not an ability to add sand for additional weight due to the closed ends of the square-shaped pillars. The wooden platform has insets drilled out in each corner that accommodate the included stainless-steel speaker spike pads. The Alyssa speakers are packaged with sizeable cone-shaped spikes that thread into the base of the speakers and align perfectly onto the speaker spike pads. Spiking the stand, as well as the speakers on the stands, provides even greater isolation from vibration than just spiking the stands themselves. That’s another nice detail I haven’t seen included very often with stand-mount speakers.
What Makes the Alta Audio Alyssa Loudspeakers So Special?
- The Alta Audio Alyssa’s bass extension, speed, clarity and control shattered my mental model of what a stand-mount speaker of its size and price point is capable of achieving. This level of bass performance is normally only found in stand mount speakers costing A LOT MORE than the Alyssa. But the midrange/bass driver alone isn’t responsible for the extended bass frequency response (stated as 32 Hertz @ -3dB). What’s the secret? Well, it’s Alta Audio’s patented hybrid transmission line design, combined with a tuned rear port. Alta Audio calls this design XTL (Extended Transmission Line). While neither of these technologies is a stranger to stand-mount speaker designs, I can’t recall ever seeing them used in tandem. Alta Audio clarifies that the difference between XTL and a standard transmission line is that, usingspecialized sonic geometry, Mr. Levy tunes the cabinet at multiple frequencies instead of just one, similar to the way a musical instrument is tuned. In simple terms, the port tunes the speaker from its system resonance and above, like any properly tuned ported speaker. Meanwhile, the transmission line tunes the speaker from system resonance and below to extend the bass response. And Mr. Levy says that using titanium for the voice coil bobbin, instead of more commonly found paper, aluminum or fiberglass versions, enables smoother dynamic response due to its combination of high stiffness, light weight and lower magnetic interference.
- The extended bass response that results from the speaker’s innovative design negates the need for a subwoofer. That’s something I’ve very rarely encountered with stand-mount speakers. I’ve been quick to add a subwoofer when using most stand-mount speakers, but the Alta Audio Alyssa speakers made me forget all about adding a sub.
- There is little to no internal padding inside the Alyssa’s cabinet. That’s quite unique for a speaker with a transmission line design. Padding is traditionally used to reduce unwanted reflections and resonances. The padding effectively slows down the sound waves to allow for better tuning of the transmission line. But heavy padding can cause bass to sound a bit muddied and distorted, reducing bass clarity. To forego the need for such padding, the front face of the speaker is comprised of a proprietary, multi-layered, multi-density material that Alta Audio refers to as DampHard. According to Mr. Levy, it reduces cabinet resonance to the point that the inclusion of heavy internal padding isn’t needed, unlike speakers with traditional transmission line designs.
- The integration of the drivers in the Alyssa is among the smoothest I’ve heard in a stand-mount speaker, with no discernible dips or bumps across the audible frequency range. It seems that the time and effort Mr. Levy spent specifying the custom drivers and fine-tuning the Linkwitz-Riley crossover paid off, another benefit of what seems to be an obsession with design details.
- The Alta Audio Alyssa speakers delivered precise imaging and a soundstage that was both wide and deep, resulting in the music reproduction closely resembling that of a live venue or recording studio.
- The depth and quality of the high-gloss Rosewood finish on the Alta audio Alyssa speakers rivals the finest I’ve seen on any speakers, regardless of price. The unique shape and finish of the Alyssa stand-mount speakers will fit into nearly any décor.
- I had more fun with the Alta Audio Alyssa speakers than any other stand-mount speakers I’ve auditioned in many years. The sonic attributes of the Alta Audio Alyssa speakers encourage the listener to turn up the volume and just enjoy the music. And I was glad to oblige, finding the Alyssa speakers never even hinted at becoming fatiguing. And that held true even after very long listening sessions at near-reference volume.
Why Should You Care About the Alta Audio Alyssa Loudspeakers?
The enthusiast interested in the Alta Audio Alyssa stand-mount loudspeakers is likely someone with a small to medium-sized listening space who prefers the smaller form factor of a stand-mount speaker, doesn’t want to compromise on bass performance but also doesn’t want to add a subwoofer. At the same time, they want seamless integration with higher frequencies for a natural, cohesive sound. They might like to crank up the volume at times without experiencing the listening fatigue that typically accompanies higher volumes. They are looking for a speaker that reproduces music resembling the live sound heard in a venue or recording studio. This audio enthusiast may also be using their two-channel system in a multipurpose room, such as a family or living room, where aesthetics and blending with existing room décor are important factors for them or their partner.
Some Things You Might Not Like About the Alta Audio Alyssa Loudspeakers
- The matching stand’s design doesn’t provide the option to add sand to the pillars to increase the stand’s overall weight. I think the custom-designed stands are still a smart purchase, given that their purpose-built design enables the speakers to be precisely spiked atop the speaker platform while simultaneously being held firmly in place.
Listening to the Alta Audio Alyssa Loudspeakers …
After some experimentation with positioning, I ended up with the Alta Audio Alyssa speakers oriented closely to the setup recommendations in the owner’s manual. The speakers were about six feet apart, four feet from the front wall, and two feet from the side walls. The speakers were toed in about halfway between the listening position and a forward-facing position. My listening position from the speaker baffles ended up about nine feet away. The speakers were driven by a Classé Delta series amp. Music sources included a dedicated Mac Mini server with Roon installed for streaming and an Esoteric CD/SACD player for silver discs. I routed them first to my Classé Delta Series preamp and, later on, to the new Teac UD-507 DAC/headphone amp/preamp (review pending).
I listened to several familiar, well-recorded tracks to first assess the stand-mount speakers’ ability to present a realistic soundstage with width and discernable depth, as well as their imaging accuracy within that soundstage. Over and over again, the Alta Audio Alyssa speakers not only reproduced recordings with pinpoint placement of instruments and vocalists from left to right, but also with noticeable depth within the soundstage. One such example was Tracy Chapman’s track “Give Me One Reason” from her album New Beginnings. I was really pleased to find the Alyssa delivering such precise imaging of each instrument and vocal with identifiable space between each, creating a realistic three-dimensional soundstage. The track starts off with an electric guitar located just inside the left speaker, while Tracy’s vocal solidly joins in while locked into the center stage position. The drum kit was located well behind Chapman, with a backup vocalist to the left of the drummer, and bass guitar and keyboards to the right. A clear picture of the recording space was formed in my mind, with an appropriate amount of space between each instrument and vocalist.
To check out the bass extension, clarity and control of the Alta Audio Alyssa speakers, I listened to several familiar tracks with prominent bass that I’ve used on numerous other equipment auditions. I was repeatedly floored by how well the Alyssa speakers could deliver bass that was not only crystal-clear, but also had real impact and authority. Low-end resonances were solid and weighty. The low bass delivered consistently impressed, whether I was listening to movie soundtracks, Massive Attack, or The Weeknd, for example. When playing Metallica’s well-recorded track “Nothing Else Matters” from their self-titled “black” album, I found myself turning up the volume almost as soon as the drummer and bass guitarist began playing. On this slow-building track, the Alta Audio Alyssa stand-mounts delivered much more low bass impact than I was expecting. Bass was highly resolving, tight and with more authority than I thought possible from such a small speaker. Bass extension was so low that a listener could easily think there was a sub in the speaker setup. The bass was crystal clear, too, with no hint of muddiness or smear. I was just so amazed at what I was hearing from the Alyssa stand-mounts that I found myself playing this track over and over.
I also listened to several live recording tracks to see if the Alyssa speakers delivered on one of Alta Audio’s key design goals, namely, to deliver sound that more closely resembles the sound of the actual venue or recording studio of the live recording than normally expected. One track that I used for this purpose was Florence + the Machine’s track “Cosmic Love” from their live concert album Symphony of Lungs (BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall). With the addition of Jules Buckley and his Orchestra for this live performance, this track had even greater dynamics than the original studio recording and will likely become a favorite of mine to test several speaker qualities beyond just bass performance. The track starts out with just the harpist playing, while stringed instruments provide a soft backdrop. As the harpist plays several high-pitched notes, the plucking of the strings and the notes’ accompanying sharp resonances and extended decay are so realistic that they brought the instrument to life. I felt like I could hear the friction of the harpist’s fingers sliding across the strings as they were plucked, particularly on the sharper notes. The tweeter was definitely up to the task of accurately reproducing these high notes with all of the micro details necessary to bring the listener into the venue. The ribbon tweeter never sounded like it was straining or approaching the limit of its capability, either. Soon the stringed instruments were joined by softly playing French horns, bringing a lush sound to the mix. Florence Welch’s distinctive vocals sounded typically bright, light and soft, becoming more incisive and brighter when she went higher. In other words, the Alyssa speakers reproduced her vocals to sound lifelike, bringing the performance and venue into the listening room, although on a smaller scale. When the percussion section began playing, I felt the impact of the kettle drums in my chest. The bass was quick, tight and authoritative, again making me feel more like I was listening to the actual performance than a recording. The overall sound was smoothly integrated into a cohesive, believably lifelike presentation.
Will the Alta Audio Alyssa Loudspeakers Hold Their Value?
First of all, I doubt too many of these speakers will come onto the resale market once they are purchased. They are that good. If they do, I suspect audiophiles who have heard the speakers before will have an appreciation and would be willing to pay a decent price on the used market for the level of performance the Alta delivers, even though it is a boutique brand. It might take a little longer to sell than a mainstream brand, but audiophiles in the know will appreciate the build quality and performance.
What is the Competition for the Alta Audio Alyssa Loudspeakers?
There are quite a few stand-mount loudspeakers in the $4,000 to $6,000 price range, with most being two-way bass reflex designs like the Alta Audio Alyssa. However, there aren’t that many brands that specialize in incorporating transmission line technology into their speakers. One such brand that favors transmission lines in their designs is British manufacturer PMC. The brand also makes professional monitors used in many recording studios around the world. The PMC Twenty5 22i ($4,499) is a two-way stand-mount loudspeaker of similar size as the Alta Audio Alyssa, but it includes a more traditional 0.75-inch fabric soft dome tweeter and 6.5-inch long-throw woofer for its drivers. PMC differs from Alta Audio’s approach in its transmission line design, which it calls ATL (Advanced Transmission Line), by adding foam padding along the walls of the line to absorb unwanted frequencies and providing multiple vents at the port end of the cabinet, which the company claim smooths out air flow. Their design enables the PMC Twenty5 22i to deliver bass down to 39 hertz, not quite as low as the 32 hertz reported by the Alta Audio Alyssa.
The stand-mount trapezoidal-shaped Sonus Faber Concertino G4 ($4,999) is another two-way, rear-ported design that sports a rather ubiquitous one-inch silk dome tweeter and a five-inch paper pulp mid-woofer. The speaker measures slightly smaller than the Alyssa and is half its weight at 14.5 pounds. It’s internally cork-lined to reduce resonance, has solid wood sides, and its front, top and rear panels are wrapped in leather. While the gorgeous speaker is said to deliver precise imaging, it can’t offer the same bass dynamics as the Alyssa. Its frequency response measures down to just 60 hertz (@-3 dB). A subwoofer or two would need to be added to the Sonus faber speakers to bring back the missing lower bass that a lot of music has to offer and that the Alyssa can deliver.
Finally, the Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G is another bass reflex rear-ported two-way speaker that I’ve heard. It gets somewhat close to the Alta Audio Alyssa in terms of its bass response, although Monitor reports a low-end frequency response of only 28 hertz at -6 dB, so it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. The Platinum 100 3G employs a proprietary MPD III high-frequency transducer (similar to an Air Motion Transformer, or AMT), taken from their flagship speaker, along with a six-inch midbass driver. The Monitor Audio Platinum 100 3G is also beautifully finished, especially in its piano ebony option. The speaker is of similar size and weight as the Alyssa, but retails for more at $6,900.
Final Thoughts on the Alta Audio Alyssa Loudspeakers …
While the Alta Audio Alyssa loudspeakers are not inexpensive, they deliver greater bass extension, power and clarity than any other similarly-sized stand-mount speaker I’ve heard up to at least twice their price. I would be very happy with them in my system long-term, even without a subwoofer. They offer precise imaging and a believable three-dimensional soundstage with well-recorded music. And the drivers are seamlessly integrated providing an oh-so-smooth presentation from top to bottom. On top of that, they are beautifully finished and their design would fit into any décor, bringing pride of ownership. All of these traits combined make the Alta Audio Alyssas a great value at their price.
If you have a small to medium-sized listening space and are in the market for a beautiful stand-mount loudspeaker that delivers more of the music you love, it’s worth your time to head to a dealer or regional audio show where Alta Audio can be found to audition the Alta Audio Alyssa.
