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Crescendo
True-to-the-Music
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Crescendo full-range loudspeaker |
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The ultimate speaker can reproduce the music like a live experience, however such speaker doesn't exist. There are many different design philosophies, what design brings us closest to the live experience? This depends on your preference.
When listening to live music, what do you enjoy most? The sound or the music? Without a doubt it's music. But when choosing a system we tend to focus on the sound, especially the sound qualities that are easiest to discern (extension, resolution, dynamics, soundstaging, etc.). Most designers focus on these qualities too. Often it's assumed these sound qualities will also bring musical enjoyment in the long term, but of course that's not the whole truth.
The Crescendo doesn't do the deepest bass or the highest treble, however what is reproduced is closer to the real thing than any other design we've heard so far. It will bring you the music performance in all the beautiful natural colors, timbres and richness that we experience live. It keeps the musical performance together, and individual instruments keep their own sound. On long term it offers endless variation, each recording is a new adventure.
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loudspeaker or musical instrument?
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The Crescendo is skillfully made by Hans Kortenbach (Musical Affairs). It's designed by Cees Pel and Hans Kortenbach, based on years of experience with it's predecessors (Auris, Sonatine).
A PHY-HP widerange unit is used, made by Mr. Salabert (21cm/8" paper cone, high efficiency (98dB), alnico magnet, lifetime warranty for first owner).
The unit's bronze frontring transfers energy to the cabinet which amplifies the energy transmitted by the unit. Where this speaker significantly differs from similar looking designs is that the unit's bronze basket is mounted in an internal wooden frame, isolated from the rest of the cabinet, allowing the entire cabinet to act as a true resonance box. The thin walled cabinet is constructed like a musical instrument like a violin or cello, made of the best sounding tone woods (high speed woods and bracings), finished with violin varnish. The entire cabinet is totally in phase with the unit, following it with incredible high speed (attack and decay are not delaying, this has to be heard to be believed!). It's not dampened or filtered, but totally free from uncontrolled resonances! (within respectable volumes). Of course it's easy to control resonances by dampening or making even a dead cabinet, but that would also kill energy, dynamics. The 'life of music' is precious and can't be substituted by power. This design allows for an unmatched musical performance.
The back and bottom of the cabinet are fully open, the advantage of the open baffle principle is kept: no interfering sound pressure, the music simply sounds free, a highly addictive quality. For most people, after listening to this speaker for a few weeks, it becomes impossible to go back to closed or semi-closed designs.
The Crescendo comes standard as a single driver speaker with the
PHY-HP silk insulated pure silver voicecoil driver
(most people prefer this version). But can also be delivered with the PHY-HP tweeter, for this version the combination with the PHY-HP copper voicecoil driver is recommended. The tweeter is mounted upwards, a reflector exactly projects highest frequencies into the soundfield without the usual phase problems. It provides a better integration than a 'dual concentric' construction.
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Auditioning
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Prices are about €6000 a pair. They require a very good and honest source and amplifier (our system costs about €20000-30000). Any shortcomings are exposed (even equipment with a good reputation often fails). Don't blame this speaker!
Not everyone will be impressed at first, most people need time before the magic starts unfolding. It's not a speaker for showing off pounding basses, transparancy, soundstaging, etc. It's not a speaker for people that like the usual 'high-end sound'. It's a speaker for people who want to forget about sound and take a musical trip.
For info and auditions (in Utrecht, the Netherlands):
TEL: FAX:
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