THE ANTHOLOGYS
BY: JIM HOLTZ & CURT CAMPBELL
Jim: The design goal I established for this project was to come as close as possible to the full sized Statements II in overall performance but lower costs and offer a different driver configuration that would allow a less imposing cabinet for better WAF. I had no interest in designing yet another Statements variation but rather establish a new design that offers top notch performance through careful driver selection with low distortion, excellent midrange for all types of music and exceptional dynamic range for home theater use.
Major specifications
An 3 way MTMWW vented design featuring Dayton RS225-8 aluminum cone woofers, the The Seas 22TFF fabric dome tweeter, and the SB Acoustics SB15 coated paper driver drivers housed in an open back cylindrical enclosures.
Nominal Impedance
I'll call this one 6 ohms as the impedance curve has a 4 ohm minima at 80 Hz, but like the Finalists, spends more time above 6 ohms as it does below. The minima is 4.3 ohms at 20 Hz, and again dips below 5 ohms between 50 and 120 Hz, but then spends the rest of its time above 5.5 ohms at higher frequencies. The worst amplifier load is 5.6 ohms and -25 degrees at 58 Hz. This suggests an easy load for any reputable 6 ohm rated amplifier.
Dimensions: external: 11" wide, 24" tall, 15.5" deep
Basic Sensitivity: Approximately 87 dB / 2.83v / 1 meter
Max SPL: (Modeled at woofer published Xmax) 110 dB / 1 meter
Driver Selection
Statement II performance in a smaller, more cost effective package?
You be the judge...
Jim: Midrange purity is a top priority in the Anthology’s. Curt and I tested several drivers in the price range we were shooting for and settled on the SB Acoustics SB15NRXC30-8 coated paper driver as the best candidates for the job. They are ultra-low distortion and rival much more expensive 5” drivers for sound quality.
I’m a ribbon lover but only when they can be used in the appropriate application. The SB15’s will cross high enough to integrate well with a ¾” tweeter which offers the off axis dispersion we were aiming for. The Seas 22TFF was the winning candidate for the job. It offers flat response, spectacular off axis dispersion with extremely low distortion at a very affordable price.
The woofers are the tried and true Dayton RS225-8’s. They are low distortion with an F/3 in the low 30’s and affordable. You simply have to spend several times their cost to equal or exceed their performance.
Curt: During previous testing, our initial concern was that a large magnet assembly would impede the rear pressure wave and cause cavity resonance in the cylindrical enclosure. During testing with the SB Acoustics SB15NRXC30-8 however, this proved not to be the case.
LISTENING IMPRESSIONS
Jim: If you are in love with detail, realism, and a big realistic soundstage like I am, the Anthology’s won’t disappoint you. They’re smooth, detailed, and dynamic with the right amount of bite to realistically recreate the performance you’re listening to.
The Anthology’s will be compared to the various Statements and the Finalists since they are all open back designs. The Anthology’s are not designed to replace any of them but rather to offer an additional lower cost and smaller profile option with big dynamic performance and a stellar midrange. Their reduced height offers WAF benefits that make it easier to build just one more speaker! Take your pick and enjoy!
Curt: Ha! I can't add a word to what Jim said. I could easily spend the rest of my days listening to the Anthologys as my main speakers. That they come in at a lower cost than the Statement II's is just icing on the cake.