Alta Audio ALEC SPEAKERS
Compact in stature but gloriously full-range in voice, the Alec couples chest-deep bass with pinpoint imaging and a clean, spacious ribbon treble. HomeTheaterHifi heard electrostatic-like detail, while HiFi News praised its vast stage and natural instrumental color. Its XTL loading brings live recordings convincing scale, making it an unusually muscular, immersive two-way floorstander.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
92/100
Build Quality
91/100
Value for Money
90/100
Pros
Delivers remarkably deep, authoritative bass for a compact two-way floorstander, often eliminating the perceived need for a subwoofer.
Creates a wide, deep soundstage with exceptionally precise and stable image placement.
Ribbon tweeter combines fine detail and spaciousness with a smooth, non-harsh presentation.
Cons
Bass response can be room- and recording-dependent, with some reviewers noting unevenness, bloom, or reduced midbass definition.
Careful setup is essential: the rear port needs generous wall clearance, and the ribbon tweeter rewards ear-level listening.
It performs at its best with a powerful, high-current amplifier.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
The Alec is widely praised for unusually deep, fast bass from its compact form, exceptionally convincing imaging, and a natural, highly detailed presentation. Its character is not universally neutral: careful positioning is essential, and some reviewers found the upper bass less consistently defined and the treble slightly laid-back.
Bass
94/100
Several reviewers were astonished by the Alec’s bass reach and authority for its size, describing deep, taut, chest-thumping output that often removed any desire for a subwoofer. There are meaningful qualifications: Hi-Fi News and SoundStage Solo heard unevenness in parts of the bass and upper-bass range, including occasional bloom, softened definition, and room-sensitive peaks and troughs.
Mid
88/100
HomeTheaterHifi found the crossover effectively invisible, while Hi-Fi News praised intimate, lifelike lead vocals and a sympathetic handover between drivers. SoundStage Solo also found voices generally clear and tonally appropriate, but noted some lower-mid emphasis and thickening on selected recordings.
Treble
90/100
The ribbon tweeter earns strong praise for detail, cleanliness, spaciousness, and freedom from harshness; Hi-Fi News called it among the finest treble performances heard at this level. However, one reviewer found the top octave a little dry and less airy than preferred, while another noted limited vertical dispersion that rewards listening at ear level.
Soundstage Imaging
94/100
Imaging is a standout strength. Reviewers describe locked-in instruments, convincing venue ambience, wide and deep staging, and unusually stable images even when listening height or toe-in changes; Hi-Fi News also praised the precision of placement within a vast stage.
Dynamics
92/100
The Alec is repeatedly described as lively, powerful, and able to play loudly without strain, with strong rhythmic drive and convincing bass slam. It benefits from good amplification and, according to The Ear, comes most fully alive at higher playback levels, but it does not appear unusually difficult to drive.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
91/100
Cabinet finish and engineering draw repeated admiration, from the deep lacquer and attractive veneer to the DampHard baffle, internal bracing, quality terminals, and substantial driver hardware. One SoundStage Solo sample showed a less polished binding-post recess and sticker-like labeling, so the execution is not reported as flawless in every detail.
Value for Money
90/100
At roughly $9,000-$10,000 per pair in the US and £9,000-£10,000 in the UK depending on finish, the Alec is plainly a premium purchase. Even so, Future Audiophile called it a terrific value for its performance, particularly its bass and imaging relative to similarly sized towers, and Audiophilepure regarded it as a winner within Alta’s range.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
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Specifications
- Sensitivity
- 93 dB / 2.83 Volts @ 1 Meter
- Impedance
- 4 Ohms
- Height
- 39 inches, 40.5 inches with spikes
- Width
- 8.5 inches at top, 15 inches at bottom
- Frequency Response
- 32Hz to 47kHz
- Requirements
- 50 to 150 Watts per channel
- Depth
- 10.5 inches at top, 12.5 inches at bottom
- Weight
- 75lbs
Manufacturer's Description — Alta Audio
Alta Audio Presents
Alta Audio’s two-way Alec achieves imaging that is natural and sonically accurate in size, placement, and timbre, with the undeniable feel of live performance.
The new Alec was developed out of a company mission to design a floor standing speaker with a compact footprint (40.5”H x 15” W at bottom x 8.5” W at top x 12.5”D) that creates a natural—and neutral—listening experience that accurately conveys each performing artist’s sonic vision. Lifelike sonics and a natural soundstage immerse the listener in music, whether placed in a spacious home or an urban dweller’s apartment. The Alec achieves unparalleled sonic realism and spatial accuracy that far exceeds what may be expected from its already outstanding measurements.
Alta Audio’s 5.75” neodymium magnet ribbon tweeter is responsible for the Alec’s natural and detailed high-frequency response. Likewise, the 8.75” woofer’s tuning parameters are coupled to the unique cabinet design, resulting in infrasonic (floor-moving) bass—and refined cohesion between the Alec’s pure aluminum ribbon tweeter and XTL* Bass (patent pending) woofer.
An Audiophile Perspective
Alec illustrates how small changes yield significant results. In our pursuit of life-like sound, we often find that the difference between good and astonishing sound exists in adjustments that are nearly undetectable in measurement, yet to the listener, result in dramatic improvements.
Understanding this concept is fundamental to Alta’s approach, and is evident in Alec and every model we offer. Through countless hours of experimentation and listening, we found that the delicate fine tuning of crossover values which would normally be considered within tolerance, reveals the refined qualities of audiophile sound. These small changes can be the difference between merely listening to a pair of speakers and being transported to the time and space of a performance. They are the final component in achieving the waveform cohesion that defies the senses and produces inarguably lifelike sound.
*Extended Transmission Line — 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.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Alta Audio ALEC SPEAKERS
- Analog Matters — online and in-store — Ormond Beach, Florida, United States (website)
- Audio compositions — in-store — Newark, Delaware, United States (website)
- Audio Video Invasion Inc — in-store — Plainview, New York, United States (website)
- AudioART — in-store — Sudbury, Massachusetts (website)
- David Lewis Audio — in-store — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (website)
- EQ Audio Video — online and in-store — Barrie, Ontario, Canada (website)
- EQ Technologies — in-store — North Ridgeville, Ohio, United States (website)
- Galen Carol Audio — online and in-store — San Antonio, Texas, United States (website)
- Heartbeats + Headshells — in-store — Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States (website)
- Leesburg Listening Room — in-store — Virginia, United States (website)
and 5 more verified dealers