If there were
an award for Most Relentless R&D - this speaker would be a top
contender. The first model appeared on the scene in 1998 based on a
proprietary radial driver technology invented by Steve Deckert and
manufactured by Bob Ziegler.
This technology spawned a host of different loudspeakers starting with
the RL-1's which we'll sadly always remember as the speaker that debuted
on the very day the Twin Towers Collapsed on 9-11-2001.
In the eleven years that followed there have been four models of the
Radial Loudspeaker, each receiving rave reviews and all of them still in
service today. But behind the scenes was a secret model that no
one knew about because it was constantly being perfected so it was never
released. Fully qualifying as the product of an obsessed mad
scientist's dream this is the phenomenal result of Bob Ziegler's ten
year secret project that consumed literally tens of thousands of hours
of his time.
The HR-1's come from a long lineage of Radial loudspeakers and are
clearly a product that exemplifies the technology to it highest
potential.
Read the rest of this page and find out why we've gone to so much effort to bring this nearly perfect speaker to market.
Steve Deckert -
owner DECWARE
High
Fidelity
Engineering
The secret is the the omni 360 degree wave front made possible by the
hand built Radial Drivers. Because the energy from the driver is
spread across 360 degrees, wall reflections will have only a fraction of
the energy that regular loudspeakers have in any of the typical
reflection points.
|
Of course we all know wall reflections are what kill a well
focused sound stage and prevent pin point imaging with regular
loudspeakers and that putting acoustic treatments on your walls (that
actually work) can cost more than the speakers themselves! Since very
few people want to hang ugly quadratic diffusers on all four walls, the
Radial driver technology is going to sound superior in the vast majority
of rooms. Regular speakers simply can't compete and this is how we
know it has better sound.
|
|
|
92.5 dB
with
1
watt
at
1
meter
32Hz ~ 22kHz
4 ohm nominal impedance
50 watts RMS/150 watt PEAKS
Minimum amplifier size 2 watts.
14 x 14 x 38 inches
41 lbs ea.
6 inch radial driver
6 inch mid-range driver
4 inch ribbon planar tweeter
8 inch passive radiator
Pre-loaded plinth bass design
As good as the Radial design is, when compared to an articulate forward
firing driver in a conventional cabinet where the driver is pointing
directly at you, there is a loss of mid-range presence. The
Radials have an organic and laid back mid-range... one that lives in a
huge three dimensional space. That said, the original radial
designs would often put you in the tenth row back from center stage
even if the recording was more up front and immediate. For this
reason we tried combining the radial driver running full range as it
always has, with a forward firing mid-range driver.
Our first attempt was the RL-3's which got rave reviews,
but despite the positive press, still had minor issues with the
blending of the different drivers on different axis's. This made
it somewhat troublesome to set up right in a given room. Getting it
right would give the same insane imaging of the original Radial, same
organic mid-range but with a tangible mid-range presence that remains
true to the recording. It only took another 8 years of relentless
development and several UN-named prototypes to get it perfect. But
with the HR-1's it is, and you have truly the best of both technologies
blended so seamlessly you will never hear the speaker itself, only the
sound hanging in the space called your room.
These speakers are so neutral they truly ARE difficult to hear.
They simply vanish as soon as you turn them on. Excellent at low
levels, great micro detail, but very surprising dynamics and scale when
turned up a touch... and from such a modest sized speaker. You
won't find anything lacking, nor will you need a sub-woofer.
These are not "hi-fi" speakers of the typical stereotype, you know,
smooth and beautiful but you always know your listening to a
speaker... the HR-1's have the speed and refinement to resolve
some amazing fidelity - so much so that audiophiles from the world
of great horns and audiophiles from the world of great electrostatic
panels will both feel very pleased when listening to the HR-1's
- A speaker worthy of the very best - even insanely expensive amplifiers.
- A speaker smaller in size for a perfect disappearing act.
- You won't find many speakers that look better than these.
- A sound based on perfect frequency balance, time alignment, and imaging.
- High efficiency so you can now own a really good lower power amplifier.
- Super easy setup - they disappear so well you can't screw it up!
- Nothing images better, not other omni's, not other conventional speakers.
The radial project started in 1996 as part of our room acoustic tests.
Turning
Point
Audio,
appropriately named in this time of diminishing
expectations, is dedicated to preserving the Art and Old World
Craftsmanship that is the polar opposite of most of today's mass
production.
All
TPA loudspeakers are hand made by the same master craftsman
that
produce Decware Loudspeakers.
|
