Specs -- Valentina A8

Frequency response, on axis, ±3 dB

30 Hz - 20 kHz in medium to large rooms
20 Hz - 20 kHz in small rooms

Maximum continuous SPL from pair at sweet spot

112 dB in small room at 8’ distance [2.5m]

108 dB in medium to large room at 13' [4m]

Peak transient SPL at least 6 dB higher

Dispersion pattern: Unipolar: enclosed cabinet eliminates backwave, easy setup compared to other electrostatics

Listening area

20° horizontal dispersion at 15 kHz

6.5’ wide at 13’ [2m wide at 4m]
4’ wide at 8’ [1.2m wide at 2.5m]

Controlled dispersion -- uniform frequency response over a known angle; rolls off rapidly beyond

conserves recorded ambience

sharpens the soundstage

reduces interaction with the room, especially reducing wall splash
involves the room enough, however, to avoid in-your-head imaging

Remote control: level, mute, input, preset, on/standby

Inputs

Analog

Balanced XLR in and through
Single ended RCA in and through

Digital

AES (balanced XLR)

Optical S/PDIF (TOSLINK)

Coax RCA S/PDIF

All have through outputs, except optical sends its through data from coax output

Input circuit automatically engages whichever input has a signal

Adjustable gain by way of remote control; no effect on resolution or S/N

Crossover: 2nd order @ 500 Hz

Far below the disturbance-sensitive hearing region of 1 kHz - 3 kHz
Entire midrange and treble carried by the electrostatic elements
DSP (Digital Signal Processing) implementation, which functions exactly according to design intent, unlike complex passive crossovers

Secondary partial crossover on electrostatics

Resistor-only 1st order passive at 5 kHz
Limits the upper treble from half the width of ESL panel
Controls dispersion and flattens the electrostatic aperture effect roll-up response without an electrical rolloff network

Built in equalization

Idealizes the frequency response
Provides three room boundary reinforcement corrections, selected with the remote control
Adapts the bass response to a wide range of speaker placements relative to walls, or can be used to boost or cut bass

airLayer feature

High grade, silk ring-dome tweeter mounted on outboard side of each speaker
Adjustable level from off to overly loud
Its sound is reflected from each near side wall
2^nd order crossover at 2 kHz
When adjusted to be just slightly on, enhances the sense of spaciousness
When adjusted to higher volume, provides extra treble for informal, off-axis listening

Driver configuration

2.5 way, WTW (Woofer - Tweeter - Woofer) quasi-line
Woofer radiation pattern mates well to electrostatic array
Reduces room mode coupling, eases placement
Excellent phase alignment for image focus
Vertical image stability
Minimal floor bounce effect

Electrostatic panels

Two identical panels in each speaker, mounted in a barometrically isolated sub-enclosure
Vertical array; 7” x 16
Protected by an integral barrier
80 in² [520 cm²] forward radiating
Tough, stable, injection molded stators
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 (air load exceeds in-band mass load)
Acts as a virtual air driver with force applied evenly over its whole surface -- no breakup, no coloration
Properly damped, unlike see-through electrostatics, for most accurate transients
No midrange or treble coloration
Distortion is far below audibility
Will not lose tension or degrade

Woofers

Two identical, 8” [25.5 cm], low mass, long excursion, alloy cone, low distortion, low inductance, high resolution drivers connected in parallel
Operate far below their breakup frequencies for nearly ideal pistonic motion and thus practically no coloration
Seamless integration with the electrostatics
Strong, accurate bass, not boomy club bass
Tight, palpable impact and slam
Direct connection to the amplifier eliminates the effects of speaker cables

Enclosure

Sealed --fast woofer transient response, low group delay, tight integration with electrostatics
Walls high mass, 1” thick [25 mm], well damped, well braced; negligible vibration
2.5” [63 mm] thick, solid hardwood baffle is stable and rigid, yet free of resonances
Baffle step is reduced by front edge scoops, which are also visually interesting
Modest backward tilt

Maintains time alignment between drivers and thus sharpens image
Causes the image to appear above the speakers, not from down on the floor

Plinth

2.5” [63 mm] thick
Solid, hard maple, painted to match cabinet
Choice of high durometer rubber feet or spikes

Amplifiers

Two amplifiers in each cabinet, one for the woofers and one for the electrostatics and airLayers
Input impedance (analog)

XLR: 44 kΩ, balanced to ground
RCA: 54 kΩ

S/N ratio

111 dBA Digital input
109 dB Analog input

Power (each speaker) 1000W RMS maximum
Damping factor: >1500
Distortion: < 0.001% (THD + Noise)
Frequency response: 10 Hz – 50 kHz, +0/-3 dB
Efficiency: 92% at full power – very green
Mains power: 17 Watts idle; 220 Watts max.
Self-adapts to any mains worldwide
IEC cord inlet with power switch and fuse drawer -- uses standard power cords worldwide
Fuse: Slow blow; 12A for 120V or 6A for 240V
Built-in surge protection

Weight -- 28 kg [62 lbs] each with standard plinth

Dimensions

Speaker enclosure: 36" tall x 10.2" wide x 8.9" deep [91 cm tall x 26 cm wide x 23 cm deep]
Plinth: 12" wide x 14" deep x 2.5" thick [30 cm wide x 35 cm deep x 6 cm thick

Heirloom quality materials and finishes used throughout for lifetime durability, yet all are recyclable
Designed, engineered, and built in the USA
Warranty -- 5 years on speaker components, 2 years on electronics, against failures caused by defects in materials or manufacturing
Modular construction; field repairable
3/8" [10 mm] thick wool felt above and below electrostatic panels suppresses edge diffraction
Appearance options available (custom finishes/paint, custom woods)

Specs -- Valentina A8

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