It's time for a new build/prototype thread!
Thank you to everyone who followed our previous threads (Inkognito subwoofer, 10D subwoofer & SBS.1 Active speakers), all those products are now commercialized and available for purchase world-wide from our website.
Our next project is the Sigberg Audio MANTA.1 Active loudspeaker. Before diving into the details, let's quickly compare it to our SBS.1 speaker, as there are several similarities. Some may notice the same ".1" at the end of the name. This indicates the same for both speakers: That it is designed to play with a subwoofer. Target -3dB roll-off point will be 90hz just like the SBS.1. It also shares the same 5.5" coax driver. For those interested in more information about the story behind the SBS.1, we recently wrote an article on that topic.
So, what's new and different with the MANTA.1?
- The MANTA.1 is significantly larger. Preliminary dimensions: 35x60x35cm (~14x24x14 inches).
- It will be a "large bookshelf", the size is similar to the JBL L-100 Classic (custom stands will likely be available)
- The bottom end is handled by a powerful 12" woofer, which means more than twice the surface area (729cm^2 vs 308cm^2) dedicated to midbass duty.
- While the SBS.1 is a 2.5-way, the MANTA.1 is a true 3-way design.
- The MANTA.1 has twice the amplifier power compared to the SBS.1
- The chamber for the coax driver has three slots on each side, aimed to control / extend directivity.
Our current SBS.1 active speaker can play more than loud enough for most purposes and rooms. It's precise, punchy and plays louder than any similar sized speaker without audible compression. But some want not just loud, but L O U D, and some have larger than average rooms. Thus, the MANTA.1 will carry on the legacy of dynamics and effortless reproduction from the SBS.1 and supersize it. The midbass capacity is more than twice the SBS.1. We are talking a dedicated 12" driver for midbass (rolling off at 90hz). Similar to the SBS.1 5.5" midbass driver, this new 12" driver has a stiff suspension optimized for bass/midbass rather than subwoofer duty. And while we use the same coax as in the SBS.1, since it's now a 3-way design, its capacity is significantly increased as well. All these changes of course also translate to even lower distortion at both moderate and high playback levels.
Extended directivity
EDIT 2021-12-16: The speakers are now redesigned to have acoustic ports in both chambers, and the directivity is now controlled to a greater degree than a traditional speaker all the way down to 100hz. Updated description of this here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ers-prototype-build-thread.28255/post-1024762
While we have a working prototype, it's still early days. We expect a lot of experimentation and possibly alternative designs before we know the final effect achieved with this approach. But we can say already that this sounds, well, different. Vocal reproduction is likely to become a particular strength. The precision and articulation of imaging / soundstage and stereo effects are also very promising.
What happens next?
In the same way we've done with our previous products, we will share photos of testing and the prototypes, measurement results, design decisions and more! The first prototypes are already up and running and the sound is very promising, so more information will follow soon! Stay tuned!
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