Waterfall Audio introduces glass speakers
By David Carnoy, CNET.com
07/01/2008
If you're not supposed to cast stones at glass houses, it's probably not a good idea to throw them at glass speakers--especially when they cost US$5,400 a pair. No word on whether these superslick towers are shatterproof, but we're glad to hear that the French company Waterfall Audio is introducing its line of glass loudspeakers to the American market at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show this week.
According to the press release, Waterfall will showcase its two flagship models, the Victoria EVO and Iguascu EVO, which are named for the "famous waterfalls in Africa and South America, respectively."
The release goes on to say that the "Victoria EVO and Iguascu EVO are slim, pure-glass towers standing 40 inches high but just 10 inches wide. The Victoria EVO, a three-way/four-driver design, includes Waterfall's proprietary, downfiring, 8.5-inch passive woofer, the Iguascu (34 inches tall by 10 inches wide) employs identical drivers (including the passive woofer) in a two-way/three-driver arrangement. Both models use a key Waterfall technology: The Acoustic Damping Tube (ADT), which performs near-total damping of mid- and low-frequency "back-wave" artifacts, and precise damping control of midrange reflections, allowing the speakers to produce superbly accurate, high-end performance within their effectively undamped glass enclosures."
"The Waterfall designs also feature drivers designed and manufactured by French partner Atohm--the 6-inch bass/midrange unit in both the woofer and midrange (Victoria) positions. This custom-alloy-diaphragm driver achieves superbly low-distortion output with impressive dynamic range. The Atohm tweeter is a 3/4-inch silk-coated dome design capable of smooth, unobtrusive, yet remarkably extended treble. Ultra-linear crossover topologies grace both models, with best-grade components such as polypropylene capacitors employed throughout. The use of "doubled" low-frequency drivers delivers enhanced power-handling, while the exclusive downfiring passive woofer, an exceptionally low-profile design effectively disguised within each speaker's base, extends useful low-bass output to well below 38 Hz (Victoria) and 48 Hz (Iguasçu)."
Waterfall says the speakers will be available in the US by March 2008, with the Victoria Evo retailing for US$5,400/pair and the Iguascu Evo US$3,900/pair. Unfortunately, there's no mention of a center-channel speaker or I'd be all over this for my new surround sound setup.
