Quadral Aurum-Altan 2w stand mtg speaker ribbon tweeter bass reflex
Our aim is for you to be able to enjoy quadral loudspeakers in your home for a long time.. Compact sound giants for purists
HI-FI CHOICE 07/11 (UK)
Recommendation , Price/Performance: OUTSTANDING AUDIO 07/10 (Germany)
Price/Performance winner Digital Tested 04/10 (Germany)
85 points, Result: VERY GOOD AUDIO TEST 02/10 (Germany)
Musically an undisputed talent and technically a superb piece of engineering with a masterly finish: that's the new ALTAN from quadral. Its unadulterated reproduction of the fundamental tones is down to the quadral ALTIMA® diaphragm, made from a compound of aluminium, titanium and magnesium. And the high trebles come over exceptionally accurately and effortlessly thanks to quadral's new ribbon tweeter. The crossover network gives this duo precisely the support it needs to make music with unequalled homogeneity and vitality. The ALTAN can handle even really high levels of volume, and the sound it generates is what you'd normally expect from a bigger unit.
Winner of What Hi-Fi Sound & Vision EDITORS CHOICE award.
Facts
- small compact speaker for hi-fi aficionados
- for use as compact hi-fi speakers or as satellites for highest level home cinema
- wide-range playback
- exactl location of individual voices
- low and crisp bass sounds from a delicate bass reflex enclosure
- Altima® Cones (aluminium, titanium and magnesium), for neutral sounding playback on the highest level
- brand new ribbon tweeter for delicate high tones
- hand made enclusures
Short
The development requirement for the Aurum Altan VIII was to create a compact speaker for true hi-fi aficionados. The result is a version very close to the original. The Altan VIII shines with a fascinating wide-range playback that allows you to exactly locate individual voices. Low and crisp bass sounds harmoniously out of the delicate enclosure, and you can truly feel the pressure of the bass reflex principle. Further notable assets are the Altima® Cones that provide unrivalled neutral sounding playback of the fundamental tone range. The spirit of the Altan VIII is rounded off with a brand new ribbon tweeter that chisels delicate high tones with vitality. The excellent technical quality is underscored by its elegant appearance; its handmade enclosures have been polished to a high gloss in black or white. Whether for friends of compact hi-fi speakers or for use as satellites for highest level home cinema.
Long
A name with a good sound and a long tradition: Altan VIII from quadral. As a newly developed model from the Aurum series, it is re-entering the line-up and is queuing up with the other known qualities from Aurum. The development requirement for the Aurum Altan VIII was to create a compact speaker for true hi-fi aficionados. The result is a version very close to the original.
The developers wanted to find the physical limits with minimal dimensions, which they managed to do in exemplary fashion. They created balanced characteristics that feature the homogeneous interaction of its speaker chassis. The Altan VIII shines with a fascinating wide-range playback that allows you to exactly locate individual voices. Low and crisp bass sounds harmoniously out of the delicate enclosure, and you can truly feel the pressure of the bass reflex principle. Further notable assets are the Altima® Cones that provide unrivalled neutral sounding playback of the fundamental tone range. The spirit of the Altan VIII is rounded off with a brand new ribbon tweeter that chisels delicate high tones with vitality.
The excellent technical quality is underscored by its elegant appearance; its handmade enclosures have been polished to a high gloss in black or white. Whether for friends of compact hi-fi speakers or for use as satellites for highest level home cinema: Aurum’s excellence is audible and not a question of size.
Specifications
Reviews
Type: 2-way Design principle: bass reflex
Nominal/music power (W): 70/120 W
Frequency response (Hz): 38..65.000 Hz
Crossover frequency (Hz): 2400 Hz
Efficiency (dB/1W/1m): 87 dB
Impedance (Ohm): 4..8
Tweeter: ribbon
Woofer: 170 mm Ø ALTIMA® (aluminium, titanium and magnesium)
Cabinett: (H x B x T) in cm: 40,5 x 22,2 x 34,55 cm
Weight in kg: 12,6 kg
This Aurum Altan is particularly neat, specially designed with German technology. Its performance can challenge the best amongst the high-end class.
The music alone captures our attention and that is how it should be. The dynamic range is wide, providing a smooth sound, particularly impressive when the music reaches a crescendo. Quadral gives a fine performance up to a high frequency. The mid-range and treble arrangements deliver decent stereo imaging to our ears.
When you think about high-end speakers we doubt that Quadral, a German product, would appear in your mind. Even though it is already a wellestablished product, the company is not yet well-known in the Asian market. Indeed, to date, it has essentially made a name for itself within the European market.
Quadral makes its speakers from realwood veneers; they fi rmly believe that this contributes to the resulting sound. The Aurum Altan VIII is both solid and light, its diaphragm shape tending to beam the highest frequencies in the vertical plane. It minimises internal resonance which can interfere with sound accuracy and it helps reduce any ceiling refl ections. The result is a solid frame, able to resolve musical texture.
Exclusive design Quadral’s ribbon-type tweeter deserves attention. This design is used for midrange and the treble driver looks exotic. Furthermore, setting up a high frequency unit in the middle of the driver can only be described as a unique design. Setting the tweeter in the centre of the mid-range unit helps with source integration and separation, thereby expanding the ideal listening range. Using ribbons within the treble design is good overall but not ractical for low frequencies as sizes and electrical confi gurations vary. Quadral only properly uses a 115mm conventional mid/bass driver for bass control.Placed in the middle of a room, these speakers show their full capabilities. The presentation is reasonably wellcontrolled and accurate, there is no sound disappearance.
Inevitably, testing this product for a short moment of time may not immediately make us embrace these speakers; the character of the sound created is not majestic which may mean that some users may disregard this product. However, given the opportunity over a few days, its full potential certainly shines through.
Essentially music With a composition such as the Symphony No. 7 from Shostakovich, Quadral is able to distribute the sound evenly without much interference. The music alone captures our attention and that is how it should be. The dynamic range is wide, providing a smooth sound, particularly impressive when the music reaches a crescendo. Quadral gives a fine performance up to a high frequency. The mid-range and treble arrangements deliver decent stereo imaging to our ears.
These speakers ensure stable stereo imaging and accurate representation. This accuracy can be felt in the way in which the speakers deliver every single note. The enclosure adjusts the driver’s natural tendencies so that the sound never comes across as being coarse or piercing. The high frequency is indeed lacking so that it can feel a little over-dominant at mid-range. However, such a deviation does not prevent Quadral from handling music such as Eminem or Nirvana with confi dence.,, but apart from this issue, there is very little else that can be cause for complaint.
The Aurum Altan VIII is not superior as such but when placed next to other source speakers, its amplification is excellent and overall, these speakers satisfi es our listening needs.
LIKE: The incredible quality of the unit; its accurate, detailed audio reproduction, its active mid-range and treble sections
DISLIKE: Low frequencies are sometimes distorted at higher volumes
WE SAY: Though not an established brand name in the high-end market, Quadral demonstrates with its Aurum Altan VIII that it can compete with the best in the class
