Specs -- Carmelita Active
- Biamplified with electronic crossover and EQ
- Frequency response -- 30 Hz - 40 kHz +/- 3 dB on axis (in room)
- Peak SPL -- 105 dB (pair playing music at 4 m [13'] in mid-sized room -- 4.5 m x 7.3 m x 3.0 m (15' x 24' x 10')
- Fully enclosed, not dipoles, makes placement easy
- Listening area
- Full spectrum 2 m wide @ 4 m (6.5' wide @ 13')
- Very tight vertical dispersion and relatively narrow horizontal dispersion conserves recorded ambience, reduces interaction with the room, and sharpens the soundstage, yet is wide enough to avoid a headphone effect
- Crossover -- 1st order @ 500 Hz -- far below the disturbance-sensitive hearing region of 1 kHz - 3 kHz; entire midrange and treble carried by the electrostatic elements; minimum phase operation through crossover region
- Secondary partial crossover -- 1st order at 5 kHz -- limits upper treble from half width of ESL panel -- controls dispersion and flattens response without an electrical rolloff network
- 2.5.5 way, quasi-line configuration
- Woofer mounted below ESL array; ESL panels employ half-split-response (1.5 way ESL), additional woofer in back covering deep bass only
- Woofer radiation pattern mates well to ESL array
- Excellent phase alignment for soundstage focus
- Vertical image stability
- Recorded image height is well presented, even above tops of speakers
- Four DSP presets; standard are: very near wall; normal; far; and console
- ESL panels
- One panel in each speaker, mounted in a barometrically isolated sub-enclosure, 18 cm wide x 20 cm high [7"H x 8"W]
- Protected by an integral barrier
- 260 square cm [40 square inch] forward radiating area per array
- Tough, stable, injection molded, ABS stator frames
- 66-element, parallel wire, stator electrodes (total of 132 electrode elements per panel)
- Unique panel construction and materials are immune to the effects of wide and rapid temperature and humidity swings
- Optimal sonic membrane material
- Thickness less than 1/15th of a sheet of 20 lb paper -- lighter than the air it is driving
- Acts as a virtual air driver with force applied evenly over its whole surface -- no breakup, no coloration
- Properly damped, unlike see-through electrostatics
- Introduces absolutely no midrange or treble coloration, and distortion is far below audibility
- Will not lose its tension or degrade over time
- 1.5 way tweeter/mid design controls horizontal dispersion and eliminates electrical EQ network
- Woofers
- 16.5 cm [6.5"], paper cone, extra low distortion, low inductance, high resolution, very long excursion driver with neodymium magnet structure
- Operate far below their breakup frequencies and their Xmax for practically no cone coloration
- Seamless acoustical integration with the ESL
- Strong, accurate bass, not boomy dance club bass
- Direct connection to amplifier creates maximal damping factor and thus maximizes cone control
- Enclosure
- Sealed (acoustic suspension) for best woofer transient response, minimal group delay, and best integration with electrostatic panel
- High mass, 25 mm [1”] thick, well damped, well braced walls for negligible enclosure radiation
- Baffle step (diffraction interference) is reduced with front edge scoops, which are also visually interesting
- Amplifiers
- Input
- True balanced XLR
- Operates well, however, with RCA adapter (supplied upon request).
- Input impedance: 10 kΩ balanced to ground
- Maximum gain: 32 dB (x40 voltage gain)
- S/N ratio: >113 dBA (20 Hz – 20 kHz, A weighted)
- Damping factor: >1000 (20 – 1000 Hz)
- Distortion: < 0.0005% (THD, DIM, SMPTE)
- Mains power – <150 Watts playing music at full gain (assuming 12 dB crest factor, 6 Ω average impedance), <1A on 120V mains – 95% efficiency typical, starting from 1/8th maximum power -- very green
- Works from any mains worldwide without adjustment
- Built-in surge protection
- IEC cord inlet with power switch -- uses standard power cords worldwide
- Diaphragm polarization supply
- Mains power -- 0.1 Watts to 1.0 Watts, depending on mains voltage -- very green
- Works from any mains worldwide without adjustment
- Built-in surge protection
- IEC cord inlet with power switch -- uses standard power cords worldwide
- No transformer or oscillator -- high reliability, and no radiated or conducted noise to affect your other components
- Weight -- 16 kg [35 lbs] each
- Dimensions: 43 cm high x 20 cm wide x 33 cm deep [17" H x 8" W x 13" D]
- Heirloom quality materials and finishes used throughout for lifetime operation, yet all are recyclable
- Designed, engineered and made in the USA
- Warranty -- 5 years on all components against defects in materials and manufacturing
- Modular construction and simple disassembly for straightforward repairs, even in the field
- Miscellaneous
- 10 mm [3/8"] thick, wool felt to kill internal edge diffraction
- Appearance options available (custom finishes/paints, custom wood veneers)