In 1972 Roy Allison, who had just stepped down as President and Chief
Acoustic Engineer of A.R. (Acoustic Research) after having created the most
lauded loudspeakers of his generation, began extensive research into room
surfaces to determine how changes in loudspeaker design could produce the
greatest fidelity, clarity and imagery possible. Not content with speakers
that tested right in an anechoic chamber, Mr. Allison wanted to build
speakers that would reproduce recordings in the kind of rooms people live
in. Mr. Allison studied the effects of corners, ceiling height, room
dimensions, windows, furniture and even people, on the sound produced by
various loudspeaker designs.
Two years later, predicated on that research, Allison Acoustics® was born.
For the next fifteen years, Roy Allison’s company produced what critics
called the best loudspeakers in the world. Today, many of those
loudspeakers are still in service to owners who say they would never part
with them. A loyal, incredibly devoted following has surrounded the work of
Roy Allison and his legendary speakers such as the Allison One, Allison Two,
Allison Three, Allison Four and Allison CD-9.
Last year a group of audiophiles, business people and sound engineers came
together in Danville, Kentucky, just south of Lexington, to purchase the
assets of Mr. Allison’s original company. They wanted to reproduce the
audio excellence that had been the stock-in-trade of Allison Acoustics.
The group quickly realized that their job of recreating that amazing clarity
and imagery would be a great deal easier if Roy himself were part of the
effort. A search was begun and Roy Allison was located, living in West Palm
Beach, Florida in relative obscurity.
Coaxed out of retirement, Roy agreed to once again take the role of Chief
Acoustic Engineer. The 55,000 square foot Allison®, Inc. factory in
Danville is now humming with the production of Roy Allison’s patented
loudspeakers. The first group of Allison One speakers is now ready for
distribution to fine quality audio dealers everywhere. They have the same
dual tweeters, dual mid-ranges and dual 10" woofers each as the original
Allison Ones as updated by Mr. Allison in the 1980’s to accommodate the
needs of digital technology. Only the enclosures have been changed,
reflecting an updated yet classic design in a variety of fine furniture wood
species.
The initial offering of these exceptional loudspeakers will be sold as
Allison One Signature Loudspeakers. Each will be signed and numbered by Roy Allison and the initial offering will be limited to 300 pairs. When this commemorative edition has been sold, the company will continue to offer Allison One loudspeakers with the same incomparable fidelity. The enclosure
design will be somewhat different but will still feature fine furniture wood
species in a variety of finishes.
Allison Three Loudspeakers should be used in a room corner. If it were to
be moved away from the corner along one wall, the missing side wall could be
replaced by another Three System placed side-by-side against the first one.
The radiated sound pressure from each system would have the same effect on
the other system as would its own reflected pressure from a corner side wall
and the performance of the pair along one wall would be the same as that of
a single system in the corner. Allison Threes will be available early in
2002.
Allison Four Loudspeakers remain one of the most popular high end bookshelf
speakers produced. The upward firing 8" woofer and dual tweeters and
mid-ranges create a dispersion similar to that of the Allison Ones but
require far less space. The Four is a two-way system with a single woofer
and two tweeters. But its extreme low frequency response and its smoothness
in the high frequency range gives the Four outstanding clarity. The system
should be used with its back close to a room wall and with the woofer
radiating upward into at least 10 inches of unobstructed space. These
speakers will be available by summer of 2002.
Allison Theater One Systems, consisting of two Allison Ones for flat wall
placement, Two Allison Threes for rear corner placement and a Center Channel
speaker (with the six 10" woofers proved by the Ones and Threes, no
sub-woofer is required) will also be available in 2002. The extraordinary
finishes and exquisite attention to detail combined with the .legendary
Allison clarity, dispersion and imagery, make a home theater audio system
from Allison unlike any other.