AshKNaim Audio has released the second in its Ovator series of loudspeakers. The Ovator S-400 floorstander is smaller and more room friendly than the original S-600, and it comes in at a far more pocket friendly price.
The S-400 uses Naim’s remarkable wide-bandwidth 46mm BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) driver, which covers six octaves from the mid bass to the very top of the treble frequencies, ensuring that no crossover point operates in the most critical range of human hearing.
Two 6.5” long fiber paper cone bass drivers complete the driver complement, living in their own sealed 15 liter enclosures, with the whole lot housed in a curved 40 liter cabinet made of multi-laminated MDF. A leaf spring system decouples the cabinet from the plinth and crossover above 12Hz.
Gary Pearce and I have heard the Ovator S-600 and it’s a very serious piece of kit at a price closer to $20K. The BMR is a very clever way around the conventional mid to tweeter discontinuities and crossover issues and it offers a supremely coherent sound. We’ll be heading off to listen to the S-400 when the Naim NZ dealer roadshow hits Auckland.
Specifications are as follows:
Frequency response (in room): 36 – 35000Hz
Sensitivity: 88dB for 2.83Vrms
Nominal impedance: 4 Ohm (Minimum impedance 4.0 Ohm)
Suggested power amplifier rating: 25 – 130W (8 Ohm rating)
Weight: 31Kg each
Dimensions (including spikes and grilles):1060 x 330 x 345mm (H x W x D)
NZ RRP is $7,300
More information can be found at www.naim-audio.co.nz
