Audio Esoterica Issue 1 - 2018

The new McIntosh XRT2.1K line-array loudspeakers are 2.1 metres high and between them boast an almost alarming driver count of 162, each speaker having six 203mm-diameter bass drivers, two 165mm low midrange drivers, 28 upper mid-range drivers of 55mm diameter, and a staggering 45 of the 19mm tweeters. (Our Thiele-Small parameter calculator just melted.) The bass and low-mid drivers were specifically created for the XRT2.1K, their honeycomb cones manufactured from a combination of nano-carbon-fibres and Nomex - “amazing low-frequency extension”, promises McIntosh of these extremely stiff yet lightweight diaphragms combined with their very long throw design. Find out more: www.synergyaudio.com…

The new McIntosh XRT2.1K line-array loudspeakers are 2.1 metres high and between them boast an almost alarming driver count of 162, each speaker having six 203mm-diameter bass drivers, two 165mm low midrange drivers, 28 upper mid-range drivers of 55mm diameter, and a staggering 45 of the 19mm tweeters. (Our Thiele-Small parameter calculator just melted.) The bass and low-mid drivers were specifically created for the XRT2.1K, their honeycomb cones manufactured from a combination of nano-carbon-fibres and Nomex - “amazing low-frequency extension”, promises McIntosh of these extremely stiff yet lightweight diaphragms combined with their very long throw design. Find out more: www.synergyaudio.com…

Boulder has softened the lines of the casework on the second iteration of its 1110 stereo preamplifier, with rounded edges that include radii and curves, while the front panel now features a reproduction of the topographical map of Flagstaff Mountain near Boulder HQ. Internal improvements from increased use of surface mount devices include better ground paths, thermal management and noise floor, while a new 64-bit, multi-core ARM processor handles supervisory functions including management of turn-on/turn-off, input selection and user interface, error notification, display driver, web page generation, and HTML- or IP-based external control. Also new is a CMOS-actuated fully-balanced stepped volume control that can be programmed for step resolution, start-up level, maximum output level, and custom volume scaling. More information from www.absolutehiend.com…

Boulder has softened the lines of the casework on the second iteration of its 1110 stereo preamplifier, with rounded edges that include radii and curves, while the front panel now features a reproduction of the topographical map of Flagstaff Mountain near Boulder HQ. Internal improvements from increased use of surface mount devices include better ground paths, thermal management and noise floor, while a new 64-bit, multi-core ARM processor handles supervisory functions including management of turn-on/turn-off, input selection and user interface, error notification, display driver, web page generation, and HTML- or IP-based external control. Also new is a CMOS-actuated fully-balanced stepped volume control that can be programmed for step resolution, start-up level, maximum output level, and custom volume scaling. More information from www.absolutehiend.com…

Focal’s new Kanta N°2 is the first three-way floorstanding bass-reflex model to pair this French company’s unique beryllium dome tweeter with drivers using its latest ‘Flax’ cones. The 25mm inverse-dome beryllium tweeter is coupled with a 165mm Flax cone midrange driver and two 165mm Flax cone woofers; Focal’s quoted frequency response is 35Hz to 40kHz ±3dB, and the sensitivity is specified a high 91dBSPL/W/m. Find out more from www.nadist.com.au…

“As grandiose as Verdi... as innovative as Aida”, promises Sonus faber of its new creation, delivering unique technologies including a Damped Apex Dome tweeter, a Stealth Ultraflex System to purify the rear-firing bass reflex port, a Zero Vibration Transmission suspension to isolate the speaker from the floor - and an internal vibration-killing Tuned Mass Damper structure similar to that used in skyscrapers, using anti-phase oscillation and kinetic-thermal conversion to ‘ground’ unwanted energy. More information from www.synergyaudio.com…