Having
the right proportion of bass does not guarantee success.
If the highs are not well integrated, the harshness that
ensue will "turn-off" most listeners.
After
much soul searching, the eventual winner is the RT1C from
HiVi. This tweeter is a budget exotic.
Instead of a diaphragm made out of fabric or metal, the
RT1C uses a piece of Kapton film with a pattern of aluminum
conductors. The resultant effect resembles a ribbon tweeter,
minus the fragility and cost.
The
low cost of the RT1C carries with it a penalty, a
fairly high cross point. From my tests, 4,500Hz is about
the lowest it can go without distorting. Fortunately, the
W5-704 is able to extend up to this frequency.
The
RT1C does have a hidden advantage that atones for its high
crossover frequency. It is in its thiness. From the front
to the back, it measures a grand 17mm. Because of this slimness,
the acoustic centers of the RT1C and W5-704 fall nicely
for a symmetrical second order crossover to sum magnificently.
No cancellation is observed on either side of the crossover
frequency. A rare instance of textbook summing in the real
world.
The
3dB gain at the crossover frquency is indicative of a Butterworth
High and Low Pass network at 12dB/octave. It may appear
excessive but no exaggerated sibilance was detected when
subjected to a variety of music.
Test
Driving the Oriole
The
Oriole acquitted itself well when put to the test. From
classical to jazz and rock, no listener fatigue was encountered
after playing the entire day. Just soothing, relaxing background
music. An excellent companion in combating stress in our
daily lives.
SPECIFICATIONS
Speaker
Type |
2-way
Bass Reflex Bookshelf |
High
Frequency Transducer |
HiVi RT1C-A Isodynamic Tweeter |
Low
Frequency Transducer |
Tang
Band W5-704s 5" PPM Midwoofer |
Crossover
Frequency |
4,500Hz |
Crossover
Network |
Butterworth
Low Pass (12dB/oct) |
|
Butterworth
High Pass (12dB/oct) |
Frequency
Response (+-3dB) |
50Hz-20kHz |
Sensitivity
(1 watt / 1 meter) |
85dB |
Nominal
Impedance |
8
ohms |
Enclosure
Internal Volume |
13
Liters |
Enclosure
Internal Dimensions (WHD) |
7" x 12-1/2" x 9" |
|