Loudspeakers

Rated at an above-average 88dB sensitivity, in practice this elegant standmount achieved closer to 85dB (84.5dB/1kHz and 84.9dB averaged 500Hz-8kHz) in our tests. This is in keeping with a two-way of this stature, particularly one engineered to deliver a typically uniform forward response trend and without presenting a killer load to the partnering amplifier. The latter amounts to a very 'driveable' minimum of 5.7ohm/175Hz at just –6o, and sub-8ohm from 105Hz-800Hz, representing a 6ohm rather than a nominal 8ohm specification. The maximum swings in impedance phase are –55°/84Hz/16.6ohm and +65°/1kHz/12.2ohm – again, perfectly 'manageable'.

The response, meanwhile, measured on an axis midway between the treble and mid/bass units [Graph 1] shows two small dips of 2-3dB at 900Hz and 2.9kHz, contributing to the ±2.1dB and ±2.4dB response errors, although the trend is generally orderly if slightly downtilted. The impulse response is clean, with phase-inverted treble, while the CSD waterfall [Graph 2] shows mild, quickly suppressed cabinet modes and other resonances associated with each dip. The soft dome treble is free of the abrupt breakup we typically see with high stiffness domes, rolling off above 26kHz to achieve 38kHz (–6dB re. 10kHz).

Low frequency performance [green shaded area, Graph 1]is impressive for a single 180mm polymer driver working over a 58Hz-2.1kHz (–6dB) bandwidth into a limited enclosure volume. Distortion is just ~0.5% at 90dB SPL and the reflex port, tuned to 34Hz, supplements the bass extension down to a deeply impressive 45Hz (–6dB re. 200Hz). PM