Spinorama measurements of a $19 center speaker (Andersson / Pure Acoustics)

[Ageve]

Here are measurements of the Andersson HIS 2.1 / Pure Acoustics Supernova center speaker.

It was purchased new by me 11 years ago, for ~19 USD (199 SEK).

Andersson is an old Swedish brand that used to make radios, but these days it's just bottom of the barrel OEM.

This center was also sold under the name Pure Acoustics:

Supernova C - Pure Acoustics

Looking for Supernova C ? Here in Pure Acoustics you can find Supernova C in high quality. For more details, visit our website.

www.pure-acoustics.com

I measured at 10 deg increments, using a homemade speaker turntable.

It might look like I forgot to correct the bass response, but I didn't:

As expected with a MTM design, the horizontal directivity is bad, but this one takes it to another level. It might be possessed:

It's probably not a surprise looking at the measurements, but it sounds horrible. It's almost comically bad, with a very boxy/muffled sound anywhere except right in front of the tweeter.

I tried to "fix" it with EQ, but it's no use. You can get rid of the huge bass peak, but everything else just changes depending on where you sit.

I have attached two recordings, 30cm from the tweeter (best case scenario) with and without EQ.


Teardown:

Dual baffle, piano finish and a detachable grille, all for the price of a McDonalds meal with dessert.

Steel bolts. Maybe Danny Richie can turn it into a hifi-speaker by replacing them with tube connectors.

 

[Curvature]

Front page material

 

[Matias]

But... Why all the effort to measure this?? I don't get it. Nice work anyway.

 

[Ageve]

But... Why all the effort to measure this?? I don't get it. Nice work anyway.

Thanks. I think it's interesting to measure both good and bad sounding speakers.

This is one of the worst speakers I have heard when it comes to horizontal directivity, and I thought it would be fun/interesting to see how that looks in a spinorama measurement.

From the user manual:

...high quality speakers of exceptional design at an affordable price. After years of research and development, and by manufacturing all parts ourselves – from the voice-coil to the uniquely-designed crossover – Pure Acoustics is able to offer you speakers of superior value.

Each speaker component has been designed and engineered with first-rate materials to produce exceptional sound. Our speakers offer the best of it all – high-quality sound, hand-made solid construction, and a remarkably stylish appearance. We welcome you to witness the results. Our team’s dedication to quality, reliability and attractive design has created some of the best-value speakers you can find today.

 

[Jeromeof]

As expected with a MTM design, the horizontal directivity is bad, but this one takes it to another level. It might be possessed:

A Possessed Speaker

 

[Talisman]

A Possessed Speaker

I laughed a lot at that image

 

[TheBatsEar]

It might be possessed

Even so, you get a lot for the money, no need to sell your soul.
I want to see EQ that optimizes for estimated in room response.

But... Why all the effort to measure this?? I don't get it. Nice work anyway.

I think we are all looking for a diamond in the rough, something like the $9 Apple dongle.

 

[TonyJZX]

these are white van speakers

you can get a pair of bookshelves for $99 delivered you know they gonna be shite

BUT saying that its important to see how shite benches so you can recognise it when you see it, regardless of price

 

[Vladimir Filevski]

I think it's interesting to measure both good and bad sounding speakers.

Yes!

This is one of the worst speakers I have heard when it comes to horizontal directivity, and I thought it would be fun/interesting to see how that looks in a spinorama measurement.

Common to almost all centers speakers with MTM design, so ... flip it 90 degrees, if space allows.
Sound/measurements can be improved by closing the bass-reflex tube and stuffing the enclosure with rockwool or polyester fluff - peak at 150 Hz will be tamed by a few dB and 2 kHz dip will disappear.

 

[TheBatsEar]

you can get a pair of bookshelves for $99 delivered you know they gonna be shite

I don't see this as a guaranteed outcome. You can buy active speakers for less that have builtin DSP and amazing capabilities.
Say the Edifier MR4 or Neumi Something-Something.

 

[Ageve]

Sound/measurements can be improved by closing the bass-reflex tube and stuffing the enclosure with rockwool or polyester fluff - peak at 150 Hz will be tamed by a few dB and 2 kHz dip will disappear.

Here's a measurement with the port blocked, and damping material added.

The 150 Hz peak is reduced by ~4.5 dB.

It didn't fix the 2 kHz dip though. It's most likely caused by poor driver matching. The midwoofer is playing well above it's linear range (crossover frequency is 3800 Hz).

The small peak at 1.2 kHz is gone (caused by a resonance (port or enclosure with less damping), see other near-field image above).

The lack of bass makes it sound bright, but most of the horrible boxiness/muffled bass is gone. It still sounds bad, but much better than before, as long as you stay on axis.

 

[Vladimir Filevski]

Here's a measurement with the port blocked, and damping material added.

Nice! Thank you!

The 150 Hz peak is reduced by ~4.5 dB.

most of the horrible boxiness/muffled bass is gone.

This was expected...

It didn't fix the 2 kHz dip though.

but this was not. I thought this dip was caused by the vent resonance, but no - it is coming directly from the woofers, so no cure here.

 

[kemmler3D]

Thanks for doing this, I think measuring truly bad speakers is also helpful for perspective, and to dramatize the sorts of design errors that are sometimes highligted in Amir or Erin's reviews, but at tiny amplitudes compared to this.

Still, that 150hz resonance is just a joke. They certainly heard that in the factory (I hesitate to suggest there was even an acoustic design phase per se) and still said "eh, ship it".

 

[Vladimir Filevski]

Any chance for impedance vs frequency measurement? Just curious...

 

[Ageve]

This is the horizontal directivity 0-90 deg, for comparison with Stereophile measurements. (Not that I think they'll ever review this speaker, but still ):

I also measured the on-axis response with and without the grille attached.

The added damping material was removed before measuring, and the port was open.

By the way, the bass response is quite similar to the GR Research X-Voce / AV123:

AV123 / GR Research X-Voce Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the AV123 hybrid open/closed baffle center speaker. It sold for $499 when the company was in business. GR Research seems to be selling the same speaker as a kit ($239 for pats, $250 for flat pack you assemble/finish). No, I...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Any chance for impedance vs frequency measurement? Just curious...

Sorry, I dont have an impedance meter.

 

[mhardy6647]

Here are measurements of the Andersson HIS 2.1 / Pure Acoustics Supernova center speaker.

It was purchased new by me 11 years ago, for ~19 USD (199 SEK).

Andersson is an old Swedish brand that used to make radios, but these days it's just bottom of the barrel OEM.

This center was also sold under the name Pure Acoustics:

Supernova C - Pure Acoustics

Looking for Supernova C ? Here in Pure Acoustics you can find Supernova C in high quality. For more details, visit our website.

www.pure-acoustics.com

View attachment 374023


I measured at 10 deg increments, using a homemade speaker turntable.


View attachment 374025


It might look like I forgot to correct the bass response, but I didn't:

View attachment 374026

View attachment 374027

View attachment 374029

View attachment 374030

As expected with a MTM design, the horizontal directivity is bad, but this one takes it to another level. It might be possessed:

View attachment 374031

View attachment 374032

View attachment 374033


It's probably not a surprise looking at the measurements, but it sounds horrible. It's almost comically bad, with a very boxy/muffled sound anywhere except right in front of the tweeter.

I tried to "fix" it with EQ, but it's no use. You can get rid of the huge bass peak, but everything else just changes depending on where you sit.

I have attached two recordings, 30cm from the tweeter (best case scenario) with and without EQ.


Teardown:

Dual baffle, piano finish and a detachable grille, all for the price of a McDonalds meal with dessert.

View attachment 374034

Steel bolts. Maybe Danny Richie can turn it into a hifi-speaker by replacing them with tube connectors.

View attachment 374036

View attachment 374035

View attachment 374037

On the plus side, it's got (one, it appears) air core inductor.

 

[Ageve]

On the plus side, it's got (one, it appears) air core inductor.

That's probably why the bass is so clean and uncolored, with no smearing.

Here are a few more (short) recordings. All were done on-axis at 50 cm distance (on a stand), except for One Clear Voice, where I moved the mic from side to side 0-30 degrees, just to show how bad the horizontal directivity really is.

When listening to the recordings through my HD650 headphones, it sounds very similar to how the Andersson actually sounds in my room. I usually don't like it when people post recordings of loudspeakers, but when the problems are this obvious, it makes more sense.