While the new power amplifier PA1 was our main introduction at the Vienna High End, a ‘mystery guest’ in our room could not be missed by any visitor: a passive loudspeaker of our own design. We had been searching quite a while for a passive loudspeaker to use at the PA1 introduction but were not satisfied with the options we tested. So about 4 months ago we decided to assemble a ’study model’ ourselves with all the knowledge we gathered over the years.
Coincidently our ‘jack of all trades’ employee Mark Devlaeminck has a CNC production facility in his basement (he supplies half of Amsterdam’s hospitality industry with custom built speakers) and so we were able to make progress relatively quickly. We stayed close to the LS1 concept with a rounded edge wide baffle cabinet and the Seas drivers we know so well, but the passive version needed a larger internal volume and we settled on a two way loudspeaker with passive radiator for some low frequency extension.
To obtain a frequency response that came close to the LS1’s with just a passive crossover turned out to be a tour the force. There’s a very delicate balance between neutrality (= complexity) and an ‘open’ sound (= simplicity). But the end result surprised everybody, including the many visitors of our Vienna room. So inevitably this passive loudspeaker will be our next project… (whether it will be called “LS2” is yet to be decided however).
Please enjoy interviews with Eelco Grimm and Guido Tent about the PA1 and the passive loudspeaker in these show report videos.
More news: The Absolute Sound offered the PA1 their Most Innovative Product of the Vienna show Award. Robert Harley writes:
“The PA-1 addresses a form of distortion (crossover points that constantly shift with signal-induced heat) that affects all Class A/B amplifiers with an innovative output stage built from 96 small-signal transistors mounted on a heat-conducting circuit board.”
Stereophile’s Ola Bjørling’s interviews Eelco Grimm about the passive loudspeaker.
Stereophile’s Ola Bjørling’s interviews Guido Tent about the PA1.
Native DSD interviews Eelco Grimm about the PA1.
