Bookshelf Speakers — Franco Serblin Accordo Goldberg

The Accordo Goldberg is a two-way compact stand-mount loudspeaker from Franco Serblin of Vicenza, Italy, and a larger development of the original Accordo. It keeps the specular design, in which each speaker of a pair mirrors the other, and the handcrafted arch-shaped wooden cabinet, while using a different mid-woofer, a new load and a bigger enclosure. Unlike the first Accordo, the Goldberg stand is an optional purchase and does not carry the crossover.

Key specs that matter

High frequencies above about 2.5 kHz go to a 29 mm silk-dome tweeter by Ragnar Lian, with a low resonance of 330 Hz. Below that works a 180 mm microsphere cone with an aluminium dust cap. Stated response is 39 Hz to 23 kHz and sensitivity is 87 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m. Nominal impedance is 7 ohm, with a minimum of 3.8 ohm at 5,500 Hz, and the maker recommends at least 40 W per channel. The speaker measures 40.5 cm high, 24 cm wide and 43 cm deep, and a pair weighs 25 kg unpacked or 28 kg packed.

Engineering and use context

The very stiff solid wood body follows an arched profile and is decoupled with aluminium-magnesium parts to control resonance, and a rear port loads the woofer as a bass reflex system. Its filter network is phase-coherent, and the maker specifies hand-selected components for it. The minimum impedance point lies above the crossover, inside the tweeter band. Finish is solid wood combined with chrome and aluminium metal parts. An optional dedicated stand, also with chrome aluminium fittings, raises the speaker to a height of 74 cm; a pair of stands weighs 16 kg unpacked and 23 kg in its boxes. At launch in the United States the pair was listed at USD 13,475, with stands adding USD 2,500.

Pairing

The nominal rating is an easier load than that of the first Accordo, yet the dip in the treble region calls for an amplifier able to cope with a load under 4 ohm without strain. Owners of the older model can compare the two directly, since the Goldberg keeps the same tweeter. The power recommendation and moderate sensitivity suit integrated amplifiers or power amplifiers of moderate to high output in a room of about 20 m2.

Alternatives

The Franco Serblin Accordo is the original stand-mount of the family, with a 150 mm sliced paper cone, 4 ohm impedance and its crossover built into the stand.