For 45 years at the forefront of high-end loudspeaker design, American firm Von Schweikert Audio has been hand-crafting state-of-the-art loudspeaker systems. The company has won over 300 industry awards, including numerous Product of the Year awards.
Company president Albert Von Schweikert used a new 8-inch woofer from ScanSpeak of Denmark, which has a cone made of fiberglass nanotubes! He explained that upon closer inspection, you can see hollow glass tubes woven together and coated with a gray, sticky compound that, he says, feels like silicone.
The speaker cabinet is made using Albert’s patented “Tri-Wall Laminate Construction,” which uses a layering of three very different materials, each with a different natural “Q” factor. The three layers are bonded together with a rubber adhesive, which itself is another barrier to the mechanical transmission of vibration. The outer layer of this composite consists of a sheet of MDF. This is a “medium” quality material that, when used alone, has a relatively high degree of sound transmission. The middle layer consists of a sheet of synthetic stone made from crushed gravel and other minerals. The third and inner layer is a hard felt (which has an extremely low Q factor). The result is a three-layer construction.
The speakers are designed to sound best when placed fairly close (only 10 to 20 inches) to the wall behind them.
The 8-inch speaker in an efficient enclosure offers deep bass that is delivered with incredible punch, rich in detail and clarity. The midrange is reproduced with coherence, attractive fluidity and realistic vibration. Human voices are clearly reproduced, with excellent focus. The upper registers of the tweeter are clear, clean and extremely well-made.
Specifications
System Type: Two-way dynamic system with 8″ woofer and 1″ tweeter.
Bass Loading: Quasi-transmission line using four chambers with tuned port.
Frequency Response: 30Hz to 40 kHz, +/- 3dB. (1dB tolerance in the midband).
Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, dropping to a low of 5 ohms at 30Hz tuning frequency.
Sensitivity: 90dB @ 1watt/1 meter. May be placed against the wall to save space.
Size: 40″ tall x 16″ wide x 10″ deep
Weight: 86 lbs. each, 106 lbs. in shipping carton.
Recommended Power: 10 watts for low level listening and up to 200 watts music power.