Evolution of Design
During my time at The Audio Alternative, I learned many things from "Stereo"
Dave Herren; many of them totally unrelated to audio. But for the sake of this
explanation, we will stick to that which relates to the subject. He instilled
in me the concept that "simpler is always better." His main electronic philosophy,
as many of you may know, was to increase the electron flow in audio equipment.
His modifications focused mainly on increasing electron flow by replacing key
capacitors along the signal path of the machines. His speakers were also designed
with this simplicity in mind. For years he had been perfecting his single driver
5.25 inch speakers, knowing that a point source gave you much more accurate
imaging and better transient response than other speakers, which had crossovers.
In many respects, Dave Herren was an engineering genius. His systems in terms
of clarity, dynamics, and location would surpass systems costing tens of thousands
of dollars. Like many of you, he was a true friend to me, and not simply an
employer. I never thought of him as "Boss." He was someone you could always
count on to be there for you and give you sound advice on many things pertaining
to audio and unrelated subjects. In a word, he was Dave, and will always sorely
be missed.
After his very unfortunate and sudden passing, his family and I and several
of his closest friends were determined to keep his legacy going. Andrew, Dave's
oldest son had a plan to copy Dave's modifications. While he was learning the
modifications, my father and I felt we should keep experimenting with new ways
how to improve the equipment. When Dave was alive, we were constantly spending
late nights at the shop and often showing Dave different and rather unorthodox
ways to improve the sound. He often thought it was crazy, but he couldn't deny
what his ears were hearing.
After Dave's passing, we continued to work on developing proprietary modifications for audio and video application resulting in an even more increased electron flow throughout the system. This increased electron flow translates into better transient response and an overall increased richness and depth in sound.
The new and improved 6.5 inch single driver speakers were developed when we
helped Andrew in testing his copy of his father's modification. In order to
do this, we needed to test them with Dave's demo system. Having never played
the store 5.25 inch speakers for movies, we took the liberty of playing some
of our favorite films on them and noticed a few things. Dave's speakers were
very transparent, imaged incredibly well, and had a clarity that our earlier
version of Dave's half-tower speakers didn't have, but they were definitely
lacking in midrange and mid bass. We could especially tell this on movies in
the voice and when we played classical music. They were the best speakers I
had heard up to that point based on clarity and location and transient response,
but we felt that we had to try to make them better. We decided to adapt most
of the same design to the 6.5 inch dual cone driver, which Dave had previously
tried use many years before. We used his same design and theory, along with
our own designs and modifications, to produce a speaker that had the same trademark
transparency and quickness, along with the midrange and bass that we were searching
for. Shortly afer this development, dual cones around the world went out of
production causing us to start looking at coaxial drivers. After testing several
drivers, we were able to find one that actually had several advantages to the
dual cones we were previously using in terms of quickness and transparency.
As time went on, we were able to use this improved point source driver in cabinets
made from less resonant materials to create the speakers we are now selling.
Recently, we have found that by using a Genesis Subwoofer behind each Creative Series front speaker and a third for the Low Frequency Effects channel for music and movies, we are obtaining a much more directional, deeper and three-dimensional bass. This not only enhances the bass of the system, but effects the whole range of frequency particularly in the detail and extension of the highs. A sound that needs to be heard to be believed.
We are very proud to be able to carry on the legacy of our dear friend, "Stereo"
Dave Herren, in the constant search for a truer sound that can be enjoyed by
everyone.
Sincerely,
Sean Scoggin
Rick Scoggin
Stereo Dave's Audio Alternative, LLC
Gresham, OR
