Audio Physic

Audio Physic has completely revamped their classic series with the new Classic Center 2 center channel at $1595, the Classic 3 bookshelves at $1795, and the Classic 5, 8, 12, 15, 22, and 25 floor-standers, ranging from $2495 to $4995. They have also introduced a new model in their high-end series, the Midex at $12495.

The Classic 5 (2-way tower at $2495) and Classic 8 (2.5-way tower at $3295) are the entry-level floor-standers. Both of the Classic 5's drivers were specifically developed and designed for that model. The powerful mid-woofer has a cone made from woven glass fiber that combines low weight with high internal damping. Sound-disrupting internal vibrations of the cone are, thereby, effectively prevented. Both drive motor and suspension ensure rich bass performance and impeccable step response at the same time. The fixed phase plug reduces compression effects which can lead to imperfections, especially in the sensitive mid-range. In addition, the heat generated during operation can more easily escape from the system, so performance remains unchanged, even at higher volumes. The tweeter uses a silk dome and a powerful drive motor. The slightly horn-like shape allows a sensitive adjustment of the sound radiation behavior in the transition zone between mid and high frequencies. Thus, the spatial image remains homogenous and three-dimensional even somewhat outside the sweet spot. Another important feature is the crossover's intelligent architecture. Instead of using a classic printed circuit board, the Classic 5 comes with a point-to-point wired crossover with high-quality components such as film capacitors. When you need a little extra punch, the Classic 8 is the model of choice. Based on the Classic 5 (with which it shares the same slim silhouette), the Classic 8 ups the ante rather significantly in terms of presence and power delivery. This has been achieved by adding a dedicated woofer with an extra-strong motor system to provide bass-support for the midwoofer. This 2˝-way design offers quite sufficient power to fill even large rooms easily.

The Classic 12 and Classic 15 ($3795) are very similar floor-standers with the main difference being finish options. Their two and a half-way system operates on a ventilated volume. The reflex port radiates into the space between enclosure and plinth, allowing for a uniform coupling to the room. This greatly simplifies room setup. For the first time, the unique Audio Physic dual-basket design is being used in the Classic series. This ground-breaking design drastically reduces the mechanical transmission of micro-vibrations between drivers and enclosure. While the woofer and mid-woofer are both equipped with glass fiber cones, the surrounds, motors, and voice coils are optimized for their respective frequency spectra to achieve optimum playback fidelity. The midrange driver has a fixed phase plug to improve the ventilation of the oscillating system. The very important midrange clearly benefits from these efforts because, within this particular frequency range, the human ear is especially sensitive and immediately detects tonal colorations. Both models are capable of reproducing tonal colors and human voices as naturally and concisely as previously only available from higher priced loudspeakers. The tweeters are elaborately ventilated as well, so that the soft domes are always working at ideal operating conditions, even under heavy loads. Thanks to the powerful motor and the low self-resonance, the tweeters achieve exemplary signal integrity, far beyond the audible range. Finally, a small horn-shaped sound guide surrounds the actual dome and ensures a seamless transition between mid and high frequencies. So, even outside of the so-called sweet spot, you will be able to enjoy excellent imaging.

Similarly, the Classic 22 and Classic 25 floor-standers ($4995) are very similar, except for finish and cabinet construction details. The CLASSIC 22's elaborate cabinet is made from solid MDF with real wood veneer and features numerous internal bracing structures, resulting in a very rigid enclosure. Like its predecessor, the Classic 20, the Classic 25 uses a unique Sandwich Cabinet Construction. This consists of a strong, internal core to which back-painted glass panels are glued from the outside with elastic acrylate adhesive stripes. Because of the completely different resonance characteristics of glass and MDF and the damping properties of the elastic acrylate, vibrations of any kind are very effectively subdued. Unwanted "cabinet sound" is simply not an issue any more. The Classic 22 and 25 inherit another special design feature from the Classic 20, the invisible woofer. It is placed in its own sub-enclosure inside the internal cabinet with its bass-reflex vent located at the bottom of the cabinet, opening towards the loudspeaker's base. A piece of high-tech ceramic foam in front of the opening prevents undesirable chuffing noises common to other bass-reflex designs. The woofer inside the Classic 22 and 25 has grown in size compared to its predecessor. It now measures 8 inches in diameter, providing a significant improvement in low-end performance. The soft dome tweeter and glass fiber midrange used in these models are very similar to those in the Classic 12 and 15 while the hidden 8-inch woofer is a paper cone.

The Classic 3 bookshelf model is, like the Classic 5, a 2-way design, and it uses the same custom-designed tweeter and midrange. All of the Classic 5 details above apply to the Classic 3. The sound is very similar with, of course, a slightly diminished bass capability due to its smaller size.

Because it carries most of a movie's dialogue, the center loudspeaker is of vital importance for the over-all performance of any multichannel system. That was more than enough reason to design the Classic Center 2 with the same attention to detail that Audio Physic applies to all its loudspeakers. Hence, the Classic 15 was chosen as the design starting point. The Classic Center 2 uses exactly the same drivers and the same crossover network as its larger sibling. Thus, you can be sure that the Classic Center 2 will be a perfect acoustic match for all the loudspeakers in the Classic range.

The new Midex 3-way floor-stander boasts a plethora of innovative Audio Physic technologies. For example, instead of placing the woofers next to each other below the tweeter and the midrange driver, they flank the other drivers, with one woofer on the top and the other at the bottom of the baffle. This placement helps avoid uncontrolled effects of room acoustics in the bass region, enhancing low-frequency fidelity significantly. The Midex cabinet uses their sandwich construction and has an internal reinforcement structure made from open-cell ceramic foam. This very expensive, high-tech material is unique in that it consists mostly of air, surrounded by a network of ceramic that's nearly as hard as diamond. Ceramic foam is very light but extremely stiff and strong. By using ceramic foam for reinforcement, they can create a very stiff cabinet without wasting internal volume, as compared to using conventional materials. This means that the Midex is acoustically a lot larger than its outside dimensions suggest. In its internal structure, the Midex also features a honeycomb sandwich board, a material first used in their flagship Reference loudspeakers. At a fraction of the weight of conventional materials, this sandwich board is very light and rigid and is a lot better in avoiding unwanted vibrations and resonances than the commonly used MDF. Of course, the tweeter, midrange, and woofer drivers are specially-designed models using advanced technology closely related to their iconic Virgo model. Other pioneering Audio Physic technologies featured in the Midex include the unique damping of the cross-over network and the connection terminal. The latter, as with all of their loudspeakers, is equipped with high-end Nextgen connectors by WBT.