The Millennium Loudspeaker
 

Coincident Speaker Technology is proud to announce the introduction of a new reference loudspeaker which represents a sonic breakthrough in audio reproduction.  The Millennium loudspeaker sets a new standard in transducer technology and sonic accuracy.  Quite simply, the Millennium passes more musical information with less of its own character than any loudspeaker extant.  While this may sound similiar to the hyberbole expressed by many audio manufacturer's, in this case the claims made are true. 

Design Goal - 

To create the finest, full range loudspeaker in the world that would be state of the art on both micro and macro levels and could be driven by the finest amplifiers without compromise.  While not inexpensive,the speaker still had to be affordable to the serious music lover.  The speaker had to possess the holographic imaging qualities of the best point source transducers, reveal low level detail of the finest electrostatics and provide the explosive impact and dynamics of the largest cone based speakers. 

This loudspeaker would utilize only the very best drivers, a completely rigid, non resonant enclosure and the most transparent crossover components.  No detail, no matter how seemingly minor, would be deemed insignificant if sonic quality could be compromised. 

In order to be driven by state of the art triode and OTL tube amplifiers, speaker sensitivity had to be at least 92db and equally important, the impedance modulus had to be nominally 14 ohms, never dropping below 10. 

Drivers - 

To build a state of the art loudspeaker requires the use of state of the art drivers.  No amount of crossover manipulation or driver massaging will transform inferior drive units into a superior loudspeaker.  The Millennium uses only the best tweeter, midrange and woofers, regardless of cost.  Not only are the individual drivers the most accurate money can buy, but equally significant is that all drivers blend seamlessly to create a coherent, almost crossoverless sonic presentation. 

To virtually replicate the incoming signal requires drivers capable of lightning speed and high power handling capability.  This mandated the use of metal driver technology for the tweeter and midrange/woofer units.  The desire for realistic weight and impact and low frequency extension dictated the use of very special high mass, large magnet, paper treated cone woofers arranged in pairs. 

Tweeter: The 1" titanium dome uses a powerful double magnet assembly for high power handling capability and a very low resonant frequency of 550hz.  Vented pole piece and special cavity damping techniques reduces spurious metallic resonances to insignificance.  While most other tweeters use flimsy, highly resonant front plates made of thin plastic, the Millennium tweeter's front plate is manufactured from thick aluminium. 

The dispersion characteristics of this tweeter is so wide that flat frequency response is maintained to beyond 20khz at 30 degrees off axis.  Truly incredible performance!  This is the only metal dome tweeter that has all the inherent advantages of the genre (less breakup due to higher rigidity, very accurate transient tracking, etc...)  with none of its vices (metal can resonances that when excited create a metallic, edgy sound).  The Millennium tweeter is highly detailed, refined and pure sounding yet at the same time is smooth as silk. 

Midrange/Woofers: Only the finest 5" magnesium cone units were deemed appropriate and were therefore selected.  These SEAS sourced drivers are part of their state of the art Excel line.  Excel combines the best designs with SEAS' experience in material technology and production.  Only the most skilled crafstman make them by hand and only after carefully inspecting each part to ensure the highest quality and absolute consistency.  The goal?  A loudspeaker without compromise. 

Indeed, these drivers are the most expensive units of their type because quite simply, they are the best.  The extremely stiff, yet light cone (only 9.6 grms.) gives tremendous bass precision and midrange detail. 

To ensure high power handling capability,high sensitivity and a high impedance modulus, holgraphic imaging,vanishingly low distortion and unrivalled detail retrieval, dual 5" units arranged in a D'Appollito configuration was decided upon. 

Special Features: 

  • Precision cast and surface treated magnesium cone coupled to a natural rubber surround prevents any sign of midrange resonance;
  • Very large magnet structure for improved sensitivity and transient response;
  • Heavy copper rings mounted above and below the T-shaped pole piece greatly reduces non linear and modulation distortion and increases overload margins;
  • Copper plating of the top and bottom plates and a solid copper phase plug enhances the effectiveness of the copper rings and improves heat conduction away from the pole piece;
  • Very stiff and rigid injection moulded chasis made from high purity magnesium keeps the critical driver components in perfect alignment. 
The net result is midrange/woofer performance that sets a new standard for detail delineation, imaging precision combined with dynamic realism. 

Woofer: To accomplish the goals of high sensitivity and high impedance, coupled with low frequency performance that is dynamically unrestrained, weighty, impactful and a seamless blend with the sonic characteristics of the mids and highs, required the use of a pair of the finest 8" woofers money could buy.  The woofer chosen for the Millennium uses a huge magnet assembly with a 2" voice coil.  A very stiff, specially treated paper cone is almost impervious to cone break up or flexing.  It uses a novel long stroke, low reflexion magnesium basket that is so rigid that unwanted movement is totally prevented.  The thick yet flexible natural rubber surround effectively damps the cone and reduces distortion to vanishingly low levels. 

The dual woofers are specifically tuned to provide very tight and articulate bass response with tremendous impact and dynamic explosiveness. 

Enclosure - 

To create a loudspeaker with the imaging qualities of a mini monitor and at the same time provide the realistic weight, impact, and dynamics of a large speaker mandated the use of two enclosures per channel.  Therefore, the tweeter and midrange/woofer drivers are housed in a very compact enclosure of its own.  The front of this enclosure has bevelled egdes going right to the drivers to eliminate diffraction affects so that imaging and high frequency purity will not be adversely affected. 

The dual 8" woofers are mirrored imaged side mounted in a separate enclosure that has an internal volume 4 times that of the top enclosure.  The very narrow profile of the system ( a mere 8" wide) chosen to maximize spacial reproduction, is maintained by making the woofer enclosure very deep (23").  The side mounting of the woofers also proves highly advantageous in providing flexibility to best load the woofers to individual rooms and avoid standing wave problems. 

The use of  two enclosures ensures that the purity and imaging qualities of the tweeter and midrange will be unaffected by the large size required for the woofer enclosure.  Furthermore, the air turbulence created by the large movement of the woofers will not be passed to the tweeter and midrange thereby eliminating intermodulation distortion that is so prevalent in competing speakers. 

All Coincident enclosures are constructed from the most rigid, non resonant material we have tested; 1" MDF hardwood.  Additionally, all Coincident enclosures are tuned to a sonically benign fundamental resonant frequency of 350hz.  Unique to the enclosure built for the Millennium  is the use of alternating wall thicknesses of 1" and composite 2".  This technique provides for even greater enclosure rigidity which becomes necessary to deal with the massive movement of the system's dual 8" woofers. 

Furthermore, internal standing waves have been effectively banished due to the computer designed enclosure dimensions. 

In short, Coincident enclosures have virtually no sound of their own.  Therefore, the Millennium's reproduction takes on an open, spacious quality only previously heard in boxless speakers. 
 

Crossover - 

All Coincident crossovers are first order designs ( for reasons of sonic purity and phase coherency) utilizing the finest polypropylene capacitors, large gauge air core inductors and metal oxide resistors and are matched to within 1%.  The entire crossover is hardwired eschewing circuit boards or terminal connectors because they degrade sonics and deteriorate over time.  All Coincident crossovers are computer designed and then fine tuned by scrupulous aural evaluation. 

First order crossovers can only be used with drivers possessing the following qualities: 
 

  1. High power handling capability.
  2. Smooth roll off characteristics.
  3. Wide bandwith.
The Millennium drivers are quintessential examples of the above noted characteristics.  All the drivers can handle in excess of 200 watts continuous, have no resonances within the audible range and are capable of flat frequency response greater than 2 octaves beyond their crossover points.  Additionally,all drivers used in the Millennium are matched to within .1db to ensure absolute unit to unit consistency and precision preformance. 

The Millennium loudspeaker was conceived with only one goal in mind; to create the most accurate loudspeaker possible.  Fanatical attention to detail was paid because in a speaker this revealing everything matters.  From the quality of the high density acrylic plates upon which the binding posts are mounted, to the brass screws used to attach them, nothing was left to chance or assumed to be insignificant.  The Millennium is a labor of  passion and vision, not to mention four years expended on designing, listening, testing, listening, manufacturing, and listening.  An audition of the Millennium will forever change ones perception of what is possible in loudspeaker performance.  It is THAT GOOD!  The fact that this speaker will sell for as little as it does makes the Millennium a truly monumental achievement. 
 
Specifications:
Frequency Response:  28hz - 35khz 
Impedance: 14 ohms ( never dropping below 10 ) 
Sensitivity:  92 db @ 1m -1 watt
Power Requirements: 7 watts - 300 watts
Dimensions: 50" H x 8" W x 23" D 
Weight:  135 lbs ea.
Driver Compliment:  1 - 1"  Titanium Dome Tweeter
(per speaker)  2 - 5"  Magnesium Dome Midrange/Woofers
2 - 8"  Paper Treated Woofers 
Connections: One pair of binding posts for tweeter/midrange 
One pair of binding posts for woofers 
Passive  internal crossover included for woofers. 
System must be biwired. 
Only one amplifier required to drive the entire speaker.  However, separate amplifier may optionally be used for the woofers.   

 
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