I have a secret. ProAc is one of my very favorite loudspeaker makers. Despite the fact that Stewart Tyler turned me down for an interview a couple of years ago, ProAc is still my first choice when I win the lotto. His speakers are beautiful, sound even better, and he is the single most copied loudspeaker designer in the DIY scene.

 

Two new events in ProAc loudspeaker news this month. First, ProAc now offers ribbon tweeter versions of two of their venerable floorstanders. The ProAc Response D38R and ProAc Response D80R are the two models that receive the ribbon treatment. According to ProAc, the only thing these two share in common with their conventional predecessors is cabinet size. Polypropylene bass drivers, the new damped 60mm x 10mm ProAc ribbon tweeters, and new crossovers fill the traditional looking enclosures.

 

In addition to the above refreshes, ProAc has launched a new flagship, the ProAc Carbon Pro 8. The 49" 147 pound ProAc Carbon Pro 8 uses a pair of brand new 8" polymer impregnated carbon weave bass drivers. Two 3" midrange domes are mounted in a polymer impregnated carbon weave horn, or waveguide, and the complement is rounded out by ProAc's new ribbon tweeter. The conventional looking cabinet design sits atop a carbon composite plinth. According to ProAc, the 4 ohm 88.5dB ProAc carbon Pro 8 sounds like an electrostat without the drawbacks, and will handle as little as 10 watts, or up to 500 watts, making it very amplifier friendly. $40,000 let's you join the club.

 

The two way ProAc Response 2.5 is arguably one of the best loudspeaker designs of all time. It's certainly the most copied. The ProAc Response D38 has long been an object of my speaker lust, and the addition of the ribbon is an intriguing hook. The ProAc Carbon Pro 8 looks like a more than worthy scion to that heritage. Now I just need to find $40,000 in the sofa cushions.

 

 

 

 

Tannoy has quietly added the Definition line of loudspeakers. The updated series now consists of two floorstanding models and a bookshelf.

 

The new models in the Definition line return Tannoy to their roots, as all three models use Tannoy's dual concentric design with no additional tweeter. The Tannoy Definition DC8 bookshelf utilizes a single 8" Tannoy dual concentric driver, comprised of a treated paper cone with rubber surround, and Tannoy's 1" titanium tweeter mounted in their tulip waveguide.  The 88dB Tannoy Definition DC8T goes down to 42Hz, and will handle up to a 175 watt power source. The 40" floorstanding Tannoy Definition DC8T ups the ante by adding a second 8", and plumbs down to 33Hz at 89dB with amplifiers up to 200 watts. The 44" Tannoy Definition DC10T gets down to 30 Hz at 92dB with amplifiers up to 250 watts. All three models are rear ported, and come in high gloss black, cherry or dark walnut. Notable are the curved enclosures of these units are constructed with plywood instead of MDF, so these cabinets are bound to be very rigid.

 

No pricing info yet on the new Tannoy Definitions. These are good looking loudspeakers, somewhat reminiscent of Wharfedale's Opus series. I happen to use Tannoy loudspeakers, and I can't praise them enough. If you have a dealer near you, go listen to a set of these new Definitions, or one of Tannoy's other lines. Tannoy may not be one of the manufacturers you have in mind for your new loudspeaker purchase, but they will be after you go audition a pair.

In what may likely be the first of many such announcements, NHT Loudspeakers has announced that they are shutting their doors.

The letter released yesterday by NHT states that after 22 years in business they will be selling through existing inventory and closing their doors approximately March 31. They state that they will continue to offer customer service and repairs. Bankruptcy is not stated as the reason for this drastic announcement, and it appears that their motivation is a reinvention of the NHT brand. Nevertheless, the doors at NHT will be closing, and one wonders whether we'll see another product with the NHT badge ever again.

 

AV Enthusiast wishes those at NHT the best. Hopefully they will emerge from this with a direction that ensures their future success. I hope that I don't have to write any more articles like this one, but in this economy I'm afraid that NHT won't be the only one, just the first.

 

 

 

 

RBH Sound has added two models to their Signature Series of loudspeakers, the RBH Sound 8300-SE and the RBH Sound 8300-SE/R.

 

The front ported RBH Sound 8300-SE loudspeaker towers over most floorstanders at 55 3/8" in height. Driver compliment includes three 8 inch aluminum woofers, two 6.5 inch aluminum midrange, and a one inch textile dome tweeter. The RBH Sound 8300-SE/R loudspeaker ups the ante by utilizing upgraded 6.5 inch midrange drivers with phase plugs, a liquid cooled Scan Speak silk dome tweeter, and a modified crossover optimized for the driver upgrade. These hefty bad boys tip the scales at 115 pounds each, and those looking for full range floorstanders will be happy to hear that they are rated to go down to 22 Hz before significant roll off in the frequency response occurs. The 8300 twins will be available in approximately 30 choices of veneer, just like the rest of the RBH Signature Series. If you've ever seen an RBH Signature loudspeaker in burl walnut, you know how incredible their enclosures look.

The $7999 RBH Sound 8300-SE and the $8449 8300-SE/R aren't in everyone's budget, but you'll be hard pressed to find loudspeakers that provide this much sonic and aesthetic value in this range. Try to find an RBH dealer if you're interested in quality loudspeakers that provide big sound for both hi-fi and home theater use. They're well worth an audition.