Wharfedale Aston – Heritage Limited Edition – Quick Look
All Image Credit: Wharfedale
Wharfedale has announced the latest addition to its Heritage Series of loudspeakers, the new Aston standmount speaker. This 2-way, limited edition, compact stand-mount loudspeaker, was designed by Wharfedale’s Director of Acoustic Design, Peter Comeau, and is limited to just 500 pairs, with a choice of mahogany, walnut or black oak wood veneers.
The Aston’s wood veneered cabinet is a 2-way vented box bass reflex design. It is constructed using a multi-layer cabinet design of various woods which helps to distribute panel resonances and reduce noise and distortion. Additional cabinet damping is provided by an inner layer of high-density particle board that is bonded to an external sheet of MDF using special glue with resonance-damping properties. The included grill is magnetically secured to the recessed baffle and is said to help reduce reflections.
Both the tweeter and bass drivers are new purpose designed units specifically for the Aston.
The design of the new 1 inch (25mm) soft dome fabric treble driver uses a ceramic magnet motor system, and employs a damped rear chamber which absorbs vibrations from the rear of the diaphragm helping to create a more detailed treble reproduction and top-end smoothness. The new 6 inch (15cm) bass/mid driver uses a carbon fiber cone and high performance motor system. It is complemented by a new profiled phase plug that helps to provide a smooth and natural-sounding upper mid-range, the complete design being supported by a rigid die-cast chassis. An extended LF performance of -6dB @ 44Hz, and correct loading is provided by a pair of rear facing ports.
Crossover between the two drivers occurs at 2.3KHz and uses air-cored inductors and polypropylene capacitors. With the final overall frequency response claimed to be 55Hz – 20KHz (+/-3dB).
Finally, Wharfedale has purpose designed a pair of open-framed stands for this model. They are constructed from high-carbon steel and glass inserts and are partially filled with a damping material to reduce unwanted sound transmission.
Specifications:
- General Description: 2-way vented-box / standmount
- Enclosure Type: Bass reflex
- Transducer Complement: 2-way
- Bass Driver: 6″ (150mm) black Carbon Fiber cone
- Treble Driver: 1″ (25mm) soft dome
- Sensitivity (2.83V @1m): 86dB
- Recommended Amplifier Power: 25-100W
- Peak SPL: 95dB
- Nominal Impedance: 4Ω
- Minimum Impedance: 3.9Ω
- Frequency Response (+/-3dB): 55Hz – 20kHz
- Bass Extension (-6dB): 44Hz
- Crossover Frequency: 2.3kHz
- Cabinet Volume (in liters): 10.8L
- Dimensions (HxWxD): 13.5 x 8 x 10 inches, 340 x 200 x 255mm
- ASTON Stand (HxWxD): 560 x 265 x 255 mm
MSRP (stands/no stands) – pair:
- US: $2,500
- UK: £1,999/£1,699
- EU: €2,500
For more information visit the UK Wharfedale web site.
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