Foreword / YouTube Video Review
These speakers were loaned to me to review by a viewer. I was not paid nor did I receive any other form of compensation for this review.
All my reviews are done on my own time with great care to give you all the best set of data and information I can provide in order to help you make a well-informed purchase decision. I offer this for free to all who are interested. In return, if you want to support this site please see the bottom of this review for ways you can help. It is greatly appreciated.
The review on this website is a brief overview and summary of the objective performance of this speaker. It is not intended to be a deep dive. Moreso, this is information for those who prefer “just the facts” and prefer to have the data without the filler.
- Technical features
- Diamond tweeter
- Solid body Tweeter-on-Top
- Continuum cone FST™
- Anti-Resonance plug
- Biomimetic Suspension
- Matrix™
- Aerofoil cone bass units
- Flowport™
- Description 3-way vented-box system
- Drive units 1x ø25mm (1in) diamond dome high-frequency
- 1x ø150mm (6in) Continuum cone FST midrange
- 2x ø200mm (8in) Aerofoil cone bass units
- Frequency range 20Hz to 35kHz
- Frequency response 28Hz to 28kHz (+/-3dB from reference axis)
- Sensitivity 90dB (on axis at 2.83Vrms at 1m)
- Harmonic distortion
- 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m on axis)
- < 1% 80Hz – 20kHz
- < 0.3% 100Hz – 20kHz
- 2nd and 3rd harmonics (90dB, 1m on axis)
- Nominal impedance 8Ω (minimum 3.0Ω)
- Recommended amplifier power 50W – 500W into 8Ω on unclipped programme
- Max recommended cable impedance 0.1Ω
As of this writing MSRP is approximately $9500.
CTA-2034 (SPINORAMA) and Accompanying Data
All data collected using Klippel’s Near-Field Scanner. The Near-Field-Scanner 3D (NFS) offers a fully automated acoustic measurement of direct sound radiated from the source under test. The radiated sound is determined in any desired distance and angle in the 3D space outside the scanning surface. Directivity, sound power, SPL response and many more key figures are obtained for any kind of loudspeaker and audio system in near field applications (e.g. studio monitors, mobile devices) as well as far field applications (e.g. professional audio systems). Utilizing a minimum of measurement points, a comprehensive data set is generated containing the loudspeaker’s high resolution, free field sound radiation in the near and far field. For a detailed explanation of how the NFS works and the science behind it, please watch the below discussion with designer Christian Bellmann:
IMPORTANT SETUP INFO: This speaker was measured with the reference point at the tweeter. Speaker was broken in. No grille.
Measurements are provided in a format in accordance with the Standard Method of Measurement for In-Home Loudspeakers (ANSI/CTA-2034-A R-2020). For more information, please see this link.
CTA-2034 / SPINORAMA:
The On-axis Frequency Response (0°) is the universal starting point and in many situations it is a fair representation of the first sound to arrive at a listener’s ears.
The Listening Window is a spatial average of the nine amplitude responses in the ±10º vertical and ±30º horizontal angular range. This encompasses those listeners who sit within a typical home theater audience, as well as those who disregard the normal rules when listening alone.
The Early Reflections curve is an estimate of all single-bounce, first-reflections, in a typical listening room.
Sound Power represents all of the sounds arriving at the listening position after any number of reflections from any direction. It is the weighted rms average of all 70 measurements, with individual measurements weighted according to the portion of the spherical surface that they represent.
Sound Power Directivity Index (SPDI): In this standard the SPDI is defined as the difference between the listening window curve and the sound power curve.
Early Reflections Directivity Index (EPDI): is defined as the difference between the listening window curve and the early reflections curve. In small rooms, early reflections figure prominently in what is measured and heard in the room so this curve may provide insights into potential sound quality.
Early Reflections Breakout:
Floor bounce: average of 20º, 30º, 40º down
Ceiling bounce: average of 40º, 50º, 60º up
Front wall bounce: average of 0º, ± 10º, ± 20º, ± 30º horizontal
Side wall bounces: average of ± 40º, ± 50º, ± 60º, ± 70º, ± 80º horizontal
Rear wall bounces: average of 180º, ± 90º horizontal
Estimated In-Room Response:
In theory, with complete 360-degree anechoic data on a loudspeaker and sufficient acoustical and geometrical data on the listening room and its layout it would be possible to estimate with good precision what would be measured by an omnidirectional microphone located in the listening area of that room. By making some simplifying assumptions about the listening space, the data set described above permits a usefully accurate preview of how a given loudspeaker might perform in a typical domestic listening room. Obviously, there are no guarantees, because individual rooms can be acoustically aberrant. Sometimes rooms are excessively reflective (“live”) as happens in certain hot, humid climates, with certain styles of interior décor and in under-furnished rooms. Sometimes rooms are excessively “dead” as in other styles of décor and in some custom home theaters where acoustical treatment has been used excessively. This form of post processing is offered only as an estimate of what might happen in a domestic living space with carpet on the floor and a “normal” amount of seating, drapes and cabinetry.
For these limited circumstances it has been found that a usefully accurate Predicted In-Room (PIR) amplitude response, also known as a “room curve” is obtained by a weighted average consisting of 12 % listening window, 44 % early reflections and 44 % sound power. At very high frequencies errors can creep in because of excessive absorption, microphone directivity, and room geometry. These discrepancies are not considered to be of great importance.
Horizontal Contour Plot (normalized):
Vertical Contour Plot (normalized):
Additional Measurements
Impedance
Response Linearity
Horizontal Frequency Response:
Vertical Frequency Response:
Step Response
Group Delay
Burst Decay
This data is full anechoic where most spectral decay type graphics are created using quasi-anechoic data. For more information on the differences between Burst Decay and Cumulative Spectral Decay (CSD) graphics please see Section 6.5 of the ARTA User Manual linked below. I would like to extend a professional "thank you" to Ivo Mateljan for this software.
Harmonic Distortion
Harmonic Distortion at 86dB @ 1m:
Harmonic Distortion at 96dB @ 1m:
Dynamic Range (Instantaneous Compression Test)
The below graphic indicates just how much SPL is lost (compression) or gained (enhancement; usually due to distortion) when the speaker is played at higher output volumes instantly via a 2.7 second logarithmic sine sweep referenced to 76dB at 1 meter. The signals are played consecutively without any additional stimulus applied. Then normalized against the 76dB result.
The tests are conducted in this fashion:
- 76dB at 1 meter (baseline; black)
- 86dB at 1 meter (red)
- 96dB at 1 meter (blue)
- 102dB at 1 meter (purple)
The purpose of this test is to illustrate how much (if at all) the output changes as a speaker’s components temperature increases (i.e., voice coils, crossover components) instantaneously.
Multitone Distortion
The following tests are conducted at (4) approximate equivalent output volumes: 70/79/87/96dB @ 1 meter. The (4) voltages listed in the legend result in these SPL values. This test signal is dense, similar to pink noise and excites the entire spectrums listed below at the same time. The test signal lasts 30 seconds. This is different than the sine wave test signal used to measure frequency response. The purpose of this distortion and compression test is to illustrate how much (if at all) the output changes as a speaker’s components temperature increases (i.e., voice coils, crossover components) over time.
Given the test signal is similar to pink noise and exciting the entire spectrum at the same time I also include compression results, which is captured at the same time distortion is captured. Sometimes these results differ from the compression results you see above (namely with powered designs incorporating DSP-based limiting).
Note: The KLIPPEL software shows compression in the positive scale.
The test was conducted in (3) manners:
- Full bandwidth (20Hz to 20kHz)
- 80Hz to 20kHz
The reason for the two measurements is to simulate running the speaker full range vs using a high-pass filter at 80Hz. However, note: the 2nd test low frequency limit at 80Hz is a “brick wall” and doesn’t quite emulate a standard filter of 12 or 24dB/octave. But… it’s close enough to illustrate the point.
- Full bandwidth (20Hz to 20kHz)
- 80Hz to 20kHz
Parting / Random Thoughts
I only demoed this for a little bit in my living room, set to mono and then on an AVR using the center channel output. I had a quick turnaround on this guy.
- Very large and neat looking center channel featuring Bowers’ trademark turbine tweeter tube.
- Measured sensitivity of ~88.4dB @ 2.83v/1m with F3 = 48hz and F10 = 32hz show this speaker can get loud and low but would still benefit from a subwoofer (of course, I can’t imagine someone having a center channel and not a subwoofer but alas…)
- Enclosure seems free of resonance.
- Response linearity is very poor. Many in the audio circle discuss the Bowers & Wilkins “sound” with respect to the treble bump and this speaker is no different. The treble is 3-5dB higher than the midrange which yields an extremely unbalanced and - in my opinion - unnatural sound. It is quite fatiguing.
- Aside from the treble, the midrange response is quite unnatural as well with a strong peak at ~1khz which results in instruments and voices being extremely “forward” sounding.
- In regards to the purpose of this speaker, being a center channel, the horizontal response is reasonably wide for the most part. However, the midrange has a comb filter effect that results in a narrower response in the heart of the midrange (~400-600Hz) compared to the upper midrange (1-3kHz). The difference in horizontal radiation here is roughly ±40° to ±80°, respectively. This speaker is a prime candidate for thick sidewall absorption to balance out the strong peak ~1kHz which is due to the wide horizontal radiation in this region. In short, the horizontal radiation of this speaker is bad and I wouldn’t advise using this speaker without serious sidewall absorption.
- The vertical radiation is roughly ±20° with some strong lobing between 3-5kHz.
- Distortion and compression overall look good and indicate this speaker can provide quite a bit of low-distortion output.
- Directivity shifts a few times (~1.2kHz, 4kHz) which indicates this is a 3-way design. This in itself isn’t bad. However, a more ideal design would not show these “handoffs” as evidently as this design does from one driver to the next and would instead have a more linear profile instead of the rise-> flat-> dip-> rise-> flatline profile we see (20Hz-> 500Hz-> 1.2kHz-> 4kHz-> 10kHz). Applying EQ in these areas will not be as straightforward as it would be with a speaker that has a more linear sound power response.
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