Bookshelf Speakers — Shinjitsu Audio Hiro

The Hiro is a high-efficiency two-way horn loudspeaker from Shinjitsu Audio, a small workshop in Arizona that builds every speaker to order. It is the middle model of three complete systems, above the compact Atom and below the Magnum, and the maker aims it at medium-sized listening rooms. Each pair is assembled, voiced, tested and packed by hand, with a build time of six to eight weeks, and sells for USD 4,000.

Key specs that matter

The treble comes from a Beyma CD171Fe/PK compression driver loaded by a 12-inch ME45 constant-directivity horn. Below it a Markaudio CHR 120 extended-range woofer covers the lower band, with a copper or silver cone to choose from. Shinjitsu gives a range of 40 Hz to 20 kHz and a sensitivity of 93 to 94 dB, the exact figure depending on the resistor fitted in the horn circuit, with a nominal impedance of 8 ohm. The listed dimensions are roughly 102 cm high, 24 cm wide and 46 cm deep. Amplifiers from 8 W upward are supported, with no stated upper limit.

Engineering and use context

The horn, driver and crossover form a separate module the brand calls Horn X2, which sits on a hardwood plinth on top of the bass cabinet. Placing these parts outside the box isolates them from cabinet vibration and internal air pressure. The Continuum crossover inside the module is a proprietary network meant to make horn and woofer act as a single source, and it ships with resistor and capacitor sets so the owner can change horn level and crossover slope. Keeping the design to two drivers avoids splitting the midband across several crossover points. The enclosure is built from Baltic birch plywood with solid hardwood faces, offered in walnut, oak or cherry, while Arizona rosewood, acacia and wenge add USD 200. Because each piece of wood is picked individually, grain and colour differ slightly between pairs. Cabinet drawings, port data and crossover schematics are not published.

Pairing

High sensitivity is the point of the Hiro, and Shinjitsu names single-ended triode amplifiers such as 300B designs, push-pull valve amplifiers, class A transistor amplifiers and ordinary integrated amplifiers as suitable partners. According to the maker, a big amplifier is unnecessary for everyday playback volume, which opens the door to low-power valve designs. Speaker cables are not included with the pair.

Alternatives

The Shinjitsu Atom is the compact model of the range, a box about 51 cm high with a 6-inch B&C ME20 horn, the same Beyma compression driver, a Markaudio CHR-70 woofer and a price of USD 1,495 per pair.