As Easy As Bbc
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday September 17, 2001
THE words ``Made in Britain" on audio equipment usually mean you can expect hi-fi sound quality, particularly when they appear on loudspeakers. But that wasn't always the case.
Forty years ago, the loudspeakers being made in England sounded so inaccurate and coloured that the BBC didn't think any were good enough to put in its studios, so it took the unusual step of designing its own. Manufacturers that wished to supply speakers had to obtain a licence then build speakers that were exact copies of the BBC's reference monitors.
The most famous of the BBC designs was the LS35A. Produced by several British firms, including Rogers, Spendor and Chartwell, the speakers were identical except for the brand on the grille. It was a clever move by the BBC, because it got exactly the speakers it wanted at the right price, thanks to the fierce competition between manufacturers.
It was also good news for the British loudspeaker industry, because the BBC designs quickly became benchmarks for sound quality, forcing all manufacturers to build speakers that sounded as good, or better.
Sonique's tiny 3.5 MkIII design is reminiscent of the LS35A. It's slightly larger but the cabinet is just as strong. Recessed into the 24mm-thick front baffle is an 83mm-diameter bass driver made in Denmark by Vifa. It sports a rigid, cast-metal basket fitted with a long-throw polypropylene cone.
High frequencies are handled by a Vifa 27mm-diameter soft-fabric dome positioned at the bottom of a shallow horn. Sonique surrounds the horn's mouth with three layers of treated felt, cut with star-shaped patterns to control high-frequency dispersion.
The crossover, which is completely handmade in Sonique's small South Australian factory, uses heavy-gauge, air-cored coils. To ensure maximum electrical efficiency they're linked to just a single ceramic resistor and four state-of-the-art Bennic capacitors, each rated at 400 volts. Each speaker cabinet measures 26cm high x 17cm wide x 27cm deep and weighs 6kg.
Like the BBC's LS35A, Sonique's 3.5MkIII combines flat frequency and phase responses with low harmonic distortion. These traits mean it will reveal inadequacies in recording and performance techniques. The slightest breath intakes are glaringly obvious and the same is true of stereo imaging you can hear if a vocalist varies his or her angle to the microphone. Tone production is glorious, with the individual timbres of different instruments clearly revealed.
As with all small speakers, the 3.5MkIIIs can't skirt the laws of physics, so there are inevitable restrictions on bass level and extension, but the superb midrange clarity and detail should more than compensate, particularly if the speakers are in a small room where big bass is not possible and high volume levels undesirable.
Info file
Sonique 3.5 MkIII loudspeakers
Price: $999
Sonique Audio Pty Ltd
86 Rundle Road, Salisbury South, SA 5106
(08) 8285 9722
info@sonique.com.au
www.sonique.com.au
© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald