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.