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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:
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Precision cast and surface treated magnesium cone coupled to a natural
rubber surround prevents any sign of midrange resonance;
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Very large magnet structure for improved sensitivity and transient response;
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Heavy copper rings mounted above and below the T-shaped pole piece greatly
reduces non linear and modulation distortion and increases overload margins;
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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;
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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:
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High power handling capability.
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Smooth roll off characteristics.
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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: |
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| 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 |
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2 - 5" Magnesium Dome Midrange/Woofers |
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2 - 8" Paper Treated Woofers |
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| Connections: |
One pair of binding posts for tweeter/midrange |
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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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