It's not about how much it's about how.

We underutilise our senses and as a result when we do experience nuance - we remember it.

A loudspeaker cabinet has at least as much to do with the sound as speaker drivers. If this does not initially make sense let's consider the phono cartridge. Cartridge mavens understand well the importance of chassis material. From Koetsu stone bodies to the plethora of Denon 103 chassis options the descriptions and discussions concerning the sonic attributes from these chassis are endless. The cost of a D103 can more than quadruple depending on what material the aftermarket chassis is made of. Koetsu lovers compare sonic attributes and differences in stone materials from onyx, jade, coral stone, blue lace etc... each having their own distinguishable sound.

This is concerning the resonance characteristics of a very small transducer's chassis. The difference in the physical amplitude between a phono cartridge and a loudspeaker is quite enormous. I propose that a loudspeaker's chassis material would then be even more critical than a cartridge's. The difference in amplitude will make a loudspeaker cabinet's resonant nature more easily discerned. When we consider that the majority of high end loudspeakers use MDF as the primary material, under glossy veneers,  then we can understand perhaps one of the short comings the industry has accepted in the pursuit of profit over fidelity. MDF sounds like mud if you sit down and do a comparison of it with with almost anything else - even cardboard sounds better.

There is an argument that dampening all resonance is the best approach however this is fantastic thinking. In reality some percentage of unwanted vibration always remains and the most heavily damped materials are most often grossly uneven across the audio spectrum. They give back what they cannot damp in the most unfortunate of ways. Rigidity, transmission and dampening are what I look for in speaker building material. Most importantly dampening must occur in proportion to what is natural to the ear. This is much like amplifier distortion: it is not the lowest amount of distortion which is most desirable but the harmonic nature of what there inevitably is. This concept can be applied in the same way to unwanted resonance in loudspeakers.

Add to the cabinet the additional complexities of a crossover and a horn and we have a matrix which is more influential than speaker drivers by themselves. These interactions are the most complex and difficult to model of anything in the audio chain and thus it has become the most mysterious, misunderstood, and exploited aspect of the audio market. This and the small detail that more than 95% of an audio amplifier's energy is lost within the loudspeaker indicates that it is here the main challenge resides. The endless decisions, experimentations, measurements and litmus listenings - all with the poor roadmap if limited modelling ability - results in the high cost of time, money, thought and effort. Due to the dismaying complexity it is easy to get disoriented and thus extensive and regular experience with live music, along with speaker design experience, are not only helpful but perhaps essential.

Hemingway said about writing that the most essential thing a writer can have is a: "Built in, Bulletproof, Bullshit detector." (I propose P. W. Klipsch would agree - wherever he may be.)

Knowing what to throw away and being willing to throw it away, despite the cost, time and effort, does not come easy or cheap.

With the Hadron we have reached a point in performance where 48 hours of thermal stabilisation is not just readily apparent it is transformational in the speakers performance.

The three dimensionality of the presentation that develops on day two causes customers to routinely contact us concerning the metamorphosis in performance.

Is it the string or the wood which manifests the sound of a Gesú or Stradivarius? 

Hadron Production Detail

Hadron Production Detail

Here are a few details of the Hadron cabinet production.

The layers are bonded in a hydraulic press under high pressure.

Milling cabinets out of solid blocks of plywood might appear to be overkill however this is a process  derived after a long evolution of building cabinets in various ways, measuring and listening to them at each step. 

This expensive and elaborate cabinet is not a product of theory. After years of trial and error, many versions of various cabinets evolved into this. It was an empirical process.

Braces and supports are not added. They are integral in the layers themselves. This not only adds strength but also provides paths and nodes for resonance distribution within the material.

The philosophy is not to eliminate resonance entirely (which is impossible). Reduction in amplitude and distribution over the entire construction is one step in resonance management. The characteristics of material internal dampening are critical.

The first part is not like a musical instrument which resonates intentionally over a broad frequency band. Here we would like to distribute resonances and lower amplitudes. The second part is to be mindful of the nature of resonance which inevitably remains and are internally damped by the material. This last part is very much like a musical instrument. Since we cannot eliminate resonances completely the remainder must be damped with pleasing qualities. Just like amplifiers - is not as much the amount of distortion but the nature of it which is important.

The cabinet shape is a fundamental and critical aspect of resonance management. Here a Fibonacci arch is implemented which is far more potent in distributing harmonic reflections than a similarly proportioned rectangular chamber.

The port is designed into the layers and milled out of the solid wood.

The result is an annealed, solid wood construction which handles resonances evenly.

With considerations of this kind the material of the cabinet itself is critical. It has been recently been made popular with the Dennon 103 re-housing movement (and others that have followed) that a phono cartridge's performance is subject to the material it is housed in.

Sugano San knew this as early as the Rosewood Supex cartridge production of the 1970's and was further mapped out by him in the the evolution of Rosewood, Urushi laquer coated Aluminum, Onyx and other semiprecious stones the Koetsu line utilized over the following decades.

 The loudspeaker is an electro-mechanical transducer ust like a cartridge however its amplitudes are far greater than a phono cartridge's. It should then be easy to understand that a material's resonance characteristics in a loudspeaker are of great importance.

One interesting aspect of this construction method is that the wood which has been subjected to stresses and pressures in manufacture and bonding processes is annealed in the milling process. Not only is an annealed product stronger but it is also more "at rest" which improves its resonant qualities.

Hadron loudspeakers are now available with shorter lead times.

Please email for sales and further information.

 

More Mojo

It has been a busy first half of the year with orders and new projects. Here is a pair of Mojo III heading for delivery. 

The main driver has been updated with new CNC wound field coils and improved magnetic pole pieces and magnetic design. One of the issues with these field coils is that they only open up after 24 hours of power up. No matter how much we tell people this they don't really believe it until after the first 24 hours, after which, they excitedly inform us of how essential this is. 

Dampening plate details... to handle the extra energy and preventing the aluminium from running away with it. 

Mr. Slagle's excellent nickel core magnetics.

The crossover has been updated to very good effect. This has created a new version of Mojo.

The paint work is evocotive of a dust storm with its varied colouration. This pair is heading for West Texas. Run in material will probably include some Thunderbirds and Stevie Ray Vaughn - just because....

In the background is some foreshadowing of a new project - the Foundation Turntable. More on that in a following post.

So here is the new Mojo version 2, looks the same, sounds significantly better.

We have been busy and will post again soon. 

Until then, burning the midnight oil and making lots of noise.

The Hadrons and Hong Kong.

The Hadrons have arrived in Hong Kong. 

You are welcome to come hear them at: 18 Java Street, Room 304, North Point. Please contact Emmanuel Lebreton from Baoling Alternative Audio to book a private session with your favourite music. 

We are also getting ready for the showroom in Singapore. More to come as this developes. 

You can follow the latest news on our blog or send us a message if you want more current details.

In early March the showroom will host an open house for public demonstration.

We are currently accepting orders for 2019 delivery.

Hadron: Product descriptions, specifications and the most common question: "How does it sound?".

A manufacturer must offer product information and I would like to do this in the following context.

As perfectly natural as it is to request information and specifications it is difficult to provide, it in a useful way, for several reasons.

The first reason is that audio manufacturer specifications are uncontrolled publications with no independent oversight agency. People can literally say whatever they like about their product. The result is that specifications have simply become a boasting platform of commercial interest, and little else, with no common language or regulation. What a manufacturer means by 20hz to 20,000hz frequency response has little relation to what a collective consciousness understands it as. To enter into this arena is compromising at best.

Much of what we are looking for in audio is not described in specifications.

As a result, it is understandable that, specifications are often misunderstood.

In this context here is the following information about the Hadron Loudspeaker.

The Hadron has several interesting design features.

Drivers are high efficiency, mixing what is considered vintage technology, like low Xmax, fabric surrounds, curvilinear paper cones, field coils, etc... with newer technology like Mylar, Beryllium, and more recent horn expansions such as JMLC.

The bass driver breaks the 100dB barrier at 101dB efficiency, with field coil magnet, exponential, curvilinear paper cone and textile surround. It has an Xmax of 4mm and a moving mass of 18g. 

The compression driver in its horn is 115db efficient attenuated with nickel core transformer. It features copper clad, aluminium, edge wound, ribbon voice coil, copper faraday stabilised magnetic field and Beryllium diaphragm with Mylar surround. It has an extended response to 25,000hz.

The JMLC horns are individually designed with the cabinet to align the specific drivers physically in the time domain.

Acoustic centres of the drivers are located within the crossover frequency wavelength distance.

These two elements combine to provide point source presentation with minimised acoustic lobing.

Cabinets are modelled with golden section curvatures providing even proportions and cancelations of rear waves. Surfaces are amorphous to randomise, cancel and reduce reflections of medium and high frequency levels. They are constructed from selected coniferous woods which are laminated and then milled from a single block. They are finished with resin which has appropriate resonance characteristics as well as an attractive appearance.

The rear wave, reflex alignment is a critical element. There are many, many variations. The Hadron's alignment has been derived from the vintage genre which allows the driver to maintain its speed with a more generous volume and port size than is commonly used today. 

Crossovers are the product of reductive design and overbuild philosophy. Countless steps are taken in modelling, proving, measuring and listening for performance before being distilled, element by element to be made as simple as possible. Component size and quality are then selected to grossly exceed requirements for lowered losses and robust reliability. Crossover point is near 950hz.

Room response will vary depending on room and placement. It is not unreasonable to expect 40hz and below in an average sized room. We also offer an additional small sized, open baffle bass system which matches in speed and triode amplifier character with response flat to 20hz with 15hz at -3db. Few find the need for this augmentation.

"How does it sound?" 

The response is reasonably flat and overall distortions are low. There are nice waterfall, and transient response plots. However the real intention is have music after the modelling and measurements are done. The ear is still given priority to ensure the music remains intact at each stage. 

When asked about drivers the inclination is to reply: "Is it the string or the Stradivarius which makes the sound?" 

When asked how much distortion, the reply: "How much would you like?" comes to mind.

In the end it is about the human adeptness, care and attention which goes into each loudspeaker. In a familiar restaurant it is easy to know who is, or is not, in the kitchen when the plate is set on the table. In much the same way it is identifiable when a manufacture lives up to this claim or does not. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. The rest, in my humble opinion, is essentially smoke.

The Hadron Loudspeaker

Hear it for yourself.

Please email us to book an appointment, further information or to place an order.

New Hadron - Fresh out of the oven...

Here is a quick peek at the new Hadron in the early stages of assembly.

1.2m in height and weighing in at 80kgs each.

It features a horn designed to physically time align the specific drivers among other unique characteristics.

There is a wide range of options for finishing and colours so that these speakers can be an asset in any decor.

This pair is destined for Hong Kong upon completion.

We are currently accepting orders.

Please contact us if you would like more information or book a listening session.

More information will be posted here soon.

Hadron Production Part II

Hadron Production Part II

The next steps in production...

After the external milling in complete it is possible to see the annealed curved shape...

 combining with the internal structure.

The rear panel location in recess.

Driver aperture.

Front panel overview.

Internal chamber.

Construction details.

Rear panel aperture.

Cut away overview.

Next will  be the finishing process .

Until then...