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Promotional flier from the introduction of the Audio Artistry Beethoven-Grand at the 1998 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, USA

 

The Beethoven-Grand

 

                 

The Beethoven-Grand achieves a new level of realism in music reproduction!

To fully appreciate the veracity of this claim we invite you to listen to the speakers with state-of-the-art recordings of sounds you know well. Then compare what you hear against live music, not simply other loudspeakers. Only then will you grasp the significance of the Beethoven-Grand’s accomplishment.

Sit down, relax and enjoy the open view on the orchestra. The size, proportion and definition of each instrumental and vocal image are portrayed with uncanny accuracy. The effortlessness with which you can follow every instrumental inflection is truly extraordinary. Note how detailed and vibrant are the quiet passages between powerful climaxes, how the sound engulfs you and yet never masks even the finest nuance. Note the texture, the silkiness, sonority, brashness, and pace of the music. Yet, through all of this, the Beethoven-Grand merely sits in front of you, seemingly unrelated to the sonic landscape that has opened up before you. The loudspeaker is so clear and dynamic that your mind is readily drawn into the illusion of "being there".

The Beethoven-Grand is the culmination of our loudspeaker development work and is a significant refinement of the highly regarded Beethoven. We have strengthened its output capability in the bass by doubling the driver complement of each of the two dipole woofers to a total of sixteen 12 inch drivers! We have strengthened and further refined the performance of the lower midrange by using four 10 inch drivers on each side instead of two. One benefit of this new driver complement is that the load on the 8 inch midrange drivers has been substantially relieved. All of this in an effort to even further reduce alterations* that a speaker contributes to the replication of a recording. Finally, a very carefully designed four-way, battery-powered electronic crossover/equalizer provides spectrally tailored input signals to four stereo power amplifiers. Consequently, we have removed all crossover components between power amplifier and speaker voice coil. Now, the amplifiers that drive the Beethoven-Grand assume maximum control over the motion of each diaphragm, resulting in quicker and cleaner response. The three lower frequency radiators and amplifiers need only handle about two octaves of music spectrum each, while the tweeter channel covers four octaves. This narrow spectral division in combination with an easy speaker load maximizes the performance of each power amplifier.

Add to this our hallmark and unique implementation of the dipole sound source concept for freedom from box sound and reduced room excitation, and you will discover a new state-of-the-art for sound reproduction in the home.

* Close attention was paid to all forms of alteration, whether originating from sound volume, timbre, timing, spatial presentation or off-axis response. Extensive research, supported by new measurement techniques, was applied to the selection of electrical components, drivers and baffle design. Our goal for the Beethoven-Grand was the replication of recordings with accurate timbre and timing at realistic volume levels over the entire frequency spectrum, all with the greatest sense of ease, clarity and presence.

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Beethoven-Grand Specifications

The Beethoven-Grand Loudspeaker System consists of two Main Panels, two Woofer Units and an active Crossover/Equalizer. Three stereo amplifiers or three pairs of mono blocks of equal voltage gain are required to drive the Main Panels. One stereo amplifier or one pair of mono blocks are required for the Woofers.

Complete System

Frequency response   20 Hz to 25 kHz, +/- 2.5 dB anechoic 
Sensitivity    
90 dB equivalent at 1 m, 2.83 V
Radiation pattern
     dipolar below 1400 Hz
Room size      400 - 1000 sqft (35 - 87 sqm)
Listening distance     8 - 18 ft (2.4 - 5.4 m)
Placement     3 ft (1 m) minimum distance to adjacent walls for Main Panels.
                      Woofers along side walls or next to and outside of Main Panels, 
                      not in room corner.
                      Woofers and Main Panels at about same distance from listening position.

Main Panel

Frequency range     70 Hz to 25 kHz
Drivers     four 10" paper, two 8" Kevlar, one 1" soft dome driver, each panel
Driver ranges     70 Hz to 250 Hz Lower Mid, 250 Hz to 1.4 kHz Upper Mid, 
                          1.4 kHz to 25 kHz Tweeter
Impedance, min.     8.5 ohm Lower Mid , 3.2 ohm Upper Mid, 5.5 ohm Tweeter
Suggested amplifiers     3 x 100 W each Panel, equal voltage gains, 
                                       less than 0.1% distortion, 
                                       damping factor 20 or larger (including cable)
Size     72"h x 13.5"w x 6"d (1.83 x 0.34 x 0.15 m)
Weight     100 lb. (45 kg) ea.

Woofer

Frequency range     20 Hz to 70 Hz
Drivers     eight 12" drivers each dipole woofer
Impedance, min.     5.5 ohm
Suggested amplifiers     100 W each Unit, damping factor 20 or larger
Size     58"h x 15"w x 22"d (1.47 x 0.38 x 0.56 m)
Weight     180 lb. (80 kg) ea.

Crossover/Equalizer

Gain     unity, non inverting
Inputs     two XLR, balanced, 38k ohm, transformer coupled, Left and Right channel
              (optional XLR to RCA input adapters with pin 2 hot, pin 1 & 3 to RCA shield)
Outputs     eight XLR, balanced, 400 ohm
                 Woofer - Lower Mid - Upper Mid - Tweeter, Left & Right channels
                 (optional XLR to RCA output adapters with pin 2 hot, pin 1 & 3 to RCA shield)
Controls     Woofer: 12 dB level adjustment range from front panel
                  0 / +6 dB with internal jumpers
                  On/Off low frequency cut below 40 Hz (-6 dB/oct highpass)
                  Main Panel: Lower mid, Upper mid, Tweeter level, 5 dB range each, internal
XLR connectors     pin 2 (+), pin 3 (-), pin 1 (chassis / signal / safety ground, can be
                              disconnected from input connector with internal jumpers)
Power required     +12 Vdc / 0.25 A, -12 Vdc / 0.25 A
Power plug     XLR male, pin 2 (+12 V), pin 3 (-12 V), pin 1 (chassis / safety ground)
Size     4.5"h x 17"w x 8"d (0.12 x 0.43 x 0.20 m)
Weight     15 lb. (7 kg)
Power supply     External, plug-to-plug, UL/CSA/CE approved
Output     +12 Vdc / 0.5 A, -12 Vdc / 0.5 A
Power plug     XLR female, pin 2 (+12 V), pin 3 (-12 V), pin 1 (chassis / safety ground)
Weight     5 lb. (2.3 kg)
Charger assisted battery power supply optional

-------------------------------------------------------

Demonstration at 1998 CES

 

 

What you hear is not the air pressure variation in itself 
but what has drawn your attention
in the streams of superimposed air pressure variations 
at your eardrums

An acoustic event has dimensions of Time, Tone, Loudness and Space
Have they been recorded and rendered sensibly?

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Last revised: 02/15/2023   -  © 1999-2019 LINKWITZ LAB, All Rights Reserved