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In a nutshell

Every component is able to reproduce even the fainthest details in a recording. Developed and built in Canton Zurich Switzerland this product represents Swiss precision and Quality. Latest engineering techniques guarantee that the loudspeaker will only reproduce the incoming signal. No more - No less. A powerfull, integrated amplifier with an altered output impedance features a dynamic yet gentle sound. The low resonance cabinet reduces ringing and audible distortion - even at higher outputs. Simple design on the outside - Sophisticated design on the inside. Developed for people who not only want to hear sound but also understand it. Every single screw was distinctly placed. A product for the most demanding applications. This loudspeaker is not a gadget, it is a tool for honest and authentic sound.

Philosophy

This product unites modern technology and methods with Swiss precision. Scientific measurement methods, analytics and problem solving skills are our strength. Some say you cannot measure what you hear. I'm afraid that it's the other way around.

Why that complicated?

It isn't. It just appears like it. At the end the outgoing signal and the incoming signal waveforms have to look identical - No more, no less. Sound can be measured very well. There's no magic needed just good engineering. It sounds off but: To develop a good loudspeaker ears are not needed.

Is this really necessary?

Yes. Unfortunately. The sound is not only emitted by the speaker membranes. It is also emitted by the enclosure surfaces that get mechanically excited by the motor vibrations and by the sound within the loudspeaker leaking to the outside via the bass port. The result is a mix of all these sounds. We try to reduce the unwanted sounds from the enclosure.

Why all this effort?

Boundaries such as walls, ceilings and ground reflect sound waves. If you would measure the loudspeaker inside a building, you'd measure the building+loudspeaker. We don't want that. We just want to see the loudspeaker so we hang the loudspeaker on a 20 Meter tall crane.

I'm not interested in engineering

Got it. Just plug the speaker in. Everything is ready to go.

I can't hear the difference

Don't under estimate your abillities. Everyone can hear it.

Your methods are weird

Absolutely.

Performance

Ribbon tweeters are better

We don't know. They are usually larger and break-up earlier. Due to their size they start to beam the sound earlier.

Performance

Metal enclosures don't ring

The material properties of metal are different but the challange stays the same - All objects can ring. Be it wood, plastic, metal, diamond.

I don't like horns

Well implemented you cannot hear them.

Bass reflex systems ring

This depends on the damping (not the fluffy stuff inside the box). Our system doesn't ring look:

Measurement Report

Does one need lots of experience to build it?

Books, Standards and curiosity are sufficient.

Are you self-confident?

Fortunately not. No day passes by where we are not questioning and improving our methods.



Why should I buy Sondoutes Loudspeakers? Good speakers already exist.

It is true. There are already a lot of great products from well known brands on the market. Companies are constantly seeking for new ways to stand out. Be it by offering loudspeakers with integrated Room-EQ, advanced connectivity options, calibration microphones, subwoofers, multi-channel options, and more. With such a large set of requirements there have to be compromises somewhere. It is why we at Sondoutes invest most of our time analysing even the slightest acoustic mistakes to improve the reproduction. When you go into this level of detail problems can get complex quickly. That's why we try to keep the design as simple as possible. Where does distortion come from? What mechanisms are causing it? Can it be reduced? It is easy to generate a sound using a speaker, it is very hard to prevent it from ringing-out. Our speakers are critically damped through the whole frequency range. Structural resonances are damped using multiple material layers and bracing. The motor distortion is reduced by a voltage/current source hybrid amplifier. The signal waveform is retained by using all-pass filters. Every unit is hand calibrated and measured. We conduct outdoor full space measurements on a 20 meter crane that offer a stupendous frequency resolution. Even subtle, narrow-Q Resonances could be seen this way. In other words we are missing nothing that could get between you and your music. How many other manufacturers could claim the same? By the way, the absolute peak Sound Pressure Level is 110dB at 1m.





High-End.

The unbelivable clarity makes things appear that you've never heard before. You will probably have to go through your favourite music all-over again to discover the sound layers you've probably never heard on other loudspeakers or headphones. Every nuance, texture and spatial cue will be reproduced with an unheard precision. The neutral reproduction allows for a super listening experience without arteficial manipulation, coloration or distortion of the sound. The latest motors and materials were integrated that are able to reproduce high dynamic content. This product was developed for people who not only enjoy music but also the authenticity of the recording - including width, height and depth. 2 Loudspeakers are suffiecient to do this.





Hearing what's there

This loudspeaker shows what's there without adding any sound or coloration. Sophisticated measurement methods and dedicated electronics guarantee neutral and controlled reproduction of sound and imaging. Every nuance can be heard. Decisions can be made with ease. Developed in Switzerland for people who'd not only like to hear but understand sound.





How are the Products tested?

- Air Leak Test
- Waveguide Cavity Test
- Motor Response and Distortion Test
- Cross-Over Filter + Test
- Eigen-Mode Suppression Test
- Linearize Phase Response + Test
- Resonance Test (exterior)
- Spinorama
- Final High-Resolution on-axis linearization (on a 20 Meter crane)
- Listening Test
- Print Measurement Results

There is a measurement Report available: Measurement Report




How do you make a loudspeaker sound so real?

You immediately notice if a loudspeaker is not performing well but you can't put your finger on it. If you don't know what's wrong you can't improve anything. The first step is to collect data. This anechoic data however, is still not sufficient as we don't know where the resonances come from. The half-plane data is combined with data collected from accelerometers attached to different spots on the enclosure. Furthermore, a measurement is conducted to determine the bass reflex port pipe-resonances. Now we exactly know where the resonances are coming from and how loud they are. We can finally start working on reducing the resonances and to repeat all measurements again until we are satisfied with the performance. The resonances are now imperceptible but different pitches are still not played equally loud and the sound from the tweeter is not arriving at the same time as the sound emitted by the woofer. It is time to develop a filter that reverses this effect by making all pitches equally loud and delaying the signal so that the sound of all motors arrives to the listener at the same time.
A loudspeaker sounds good when it doesn't change the incoming signal.

A Loudspeaker shall:
1. Be quiet.
2. Immediately stop emitting sounds after an event.
3. Play all pitches equally loud.
4. Play all pitches equally loud of-axis.
5. Play all pitches at the same time.
6. Make the output waveform look like the input waveform.
7. Not add new tones (distortion).
8. Emit all pitches from the same point in space.

Everyone can build a loudspeaker using these criterias. You can do it too. I'm sure your design will sound great.
The thing is that our ear is so good that if you played music and you simultaneously played a tone that is 1000x quieter than the music - You would hear both the music and the 1000x quieter tone. Errors of 0.1% can still be heard!





Features

- Linear Frequency Response
- Linear Phase Response (Retained Waveform shape)
- Smooth Directivity Transition Waveguide
- Critically damped - No Ringing
- No Bass Reflex Noise
- Smooth and Dynamic
- Super wide and deep imaging (with the center in the center)
- Bass 30Hz - 22kHz (-3db)

But can it reproduce rectangular signals?
Yes. Take a look at page 4: Measurement Report




Does accurate mean it will sound harsh?

No. Accurate means that smooth music will sound smooth and harsh music will sound harsh. The Loudspeaker will not change the sound. It is why the speaker can be used for reproducing all music genres. The smoothness is most noticable when listening to classical music. If you've listened to un-amplified acoustic instruments like violins or pianos before you will notice that acoustic instruments played through the loudspeaker will sound the same (indistinguishable in 8/10 cases). The benchmark is not set by other speakers, the benchmark is set by reality.




Does neutral mean it will sound boring?

No. This means there is no hollow or boxy sound. Nothing is "over-hyped". There are no resonances the suddenly jump at you. It helps building up trust and makes everything more relaxed.




For Music studios or at home?

Both. The acoustic requirements are the same. A good loudspeaker doesn't change the signal. This is valid for listening at home, in the studio or whereever. Acoustically it makes no sense to distringuish between "hifi" and "Pro". A speaker that doesn't change the signal will sound good.




How to judge the Speaker performance for people in a hurry.

It is recommended to compare the sound of a loudspeaker with the sounds that we humans experience in our every day life. If you close your eyes listening to a human voice through a loudspeaker and you can't tell whether the sound is coming from a real person or a loudspeaker - You probably found a very good product! For people that never listened to such an unaltered re-production this comes very unexpected. They usually open their eyes to check whether there really is no person standing in front. The only requirement for a loudspeaker to do this is not to alter the incoming signal. It is incredibly difficult to design such products because the hardware itself does everything but not-altering the signal. Good speakers are acoustically invisible, you shouldn't be able to hear the loudspeaker. The sound isn't fatigueing. Even after listening to music for several hours at moderately loud levels. You can listen to music all day long. The interesting thing with a crowd listening to such a system: The audience is quiet. People in the audience are completely absorbed by the amount of acoustical information.

Step Response of the loudspeaker. We see a sharp spike on the oscilloscope screen and little ringing.

The sound from the bass reflex system arrives later than higher pitches. The oscillation is neither over- nor underdamped. Physists call this situation a critically damped system. You get all the benefits from bass reflex systems with a tight bass.


A rectangular pulse is visible on an oscilloscope screen. It shows that the loudspeaker is able to maintain the waveform of complex signal shapes.

Since all pitches (except for the bass) arrive at the same time it is possible to create rectangular waveforms. This is very difficult to do as allpass filters are required. Pure delays are not enough. Most loudspeakers cannot do this. Notice that nothing is ringing before or after the event. An almost perfect reproduction of the incoming signal. You will hear the music and not the loudspeaker. If you are wondering why there is an over- and undershoot, this was because the Tweeter was set slightly louder than the woofer. This error was fixed. We've not yet updated the image above.

Hold on.
There's More.



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