AshKI’ve always thought that active speakers made a lot of sense. At least you’re assured that the people designing the drivers and enclosures actually chatted to the amplifier people before they all went ahead with the product. With any luck, they’re on one and the same team, maybe even the same person.
The alternative is the old fashioned way – buy a speaker from company A and match it with an amp from company B. As we all know, that can lead to great results but it can also lead to the company C, company D, company E ad nauseam upgrade roundabout. Matching the amps to the speakers and optimizing the crossovers for that specific combination has to be the logical way to go.
I’ve got an appointment booked with some ATC active speakers in the near future but another active option is now available in NZ from Terry Humphries at Audio Reference in Hamilton, who is bringing in Australian brand SGR Audio.
The CX4F model is a seven driver, four-way floorstander with 650 watts of power. The drivers are purpose designed and custom built for SGR Audio and comprise of:
1″ soft dome tweeter
2″ soft dome midrange
6″ paper cone mid-bass
4 x 6″ long-throw paper cone woofers
The enclosure is a sealed cabinet design with a 50mm thick front baffle, which is a diffraction minimised design covered in black leather. There’s a choice of timber veneer or high-gloss paintwork.
Other features include:
Class AB amplifier channels with all analog active crossover circuitry.
Individual hi, mid and mid-bass level adjustment +/- 3dB adjustment.
Selectable high pass crossover
Subwoofer output, 40Hz LR4 low-passed with level adjustment +/- 6dB
Selectable room gain compensation
RCA single ended & XLR balanced inputs
Microprocessor controlled with auto signal detection and auto standby
Real time monitoring with clip detect and self protect mode
External power supply with custom low noise transformer
Display out connection for use with external VU meter and clipping indicator
The price in NZ is $11,995, which makes these speakers seem like a lot of audio gear for the money (no power amps needed remember). I’ll have to set up a trip down SH1 for a listen in the near future.
Ash, I would like to take you up on your threat to come for an audition of these amazing SGR speakers.
You are right in saying that these offer a lot of audio gear for the money, but it is actually way more than that.
After attending the Munich High End Show last year I then popped over the Australia to find out what all the fuss was about concerning SGR, suffice to say, after hearing all the many and varied speakers at the show, and after just one day with SGR I immediatley signed an agreement and placed an order with them, thats how good I think they are.
SGR speakers are unique and very special at all levels, I dont know of any speaker at 2x the price that comes close to what these babies can offer.
It took them 7yrs to get to this level, everything is unique and custom made / designed for or by SGR, nothing is off the shelf.
These are worth getting in your car and coming for an audition, once you can get you head around selling both your amps and speakers to buy into the SGR experiance there would be no looking back and no regrets. I would like to offer a challange to all audiophies to come and discover SGR, the difference is significant.
Terry
Ooh ooh, can I come too?