Bookshelf Speakers — Audio Physic STEP

The Step is a compact two-way design by Audio Physic, the German company that has refined this model name through several generations over roughly four decades. It was designed for rooms without space for floorstanders, and Audio Physic says it re-engineered the current version from the inside out while keeping the styling of its predecessors. The previous Step Plus had the same height and width, weighed 5.5 kg and vented its bass port at the rear. The current model comes in black or white high gloss plus ebony or walnut real wood veneer.

Key specs that matter

A 39 mm HHCT III tweeter sits above a 150 mm HHCM III midwoofer. The quoted frequency range runs from 50 Hz to 40 kHz, sensitivity is 87 dB and nominal impedance is 8 ohm, while amplifiers of 10 to 120 W are advised. The cabinet measures 320 mm high, 175 mm wide and 250 mm deep and needs a footprint of 175 x 300 mm. Each speaker weighs 7.5 kg.

Engineering and use context

The cabinet shape reduces standing waves inside the box, and a slight rearward tilt compensates for the phase difference between the midwoofer and the tweeter at the listening position. Ceramic foam fills the role of bracing and absorber - this stiff, open-pore material acts like a labyrinth, so energy emitted into the enclosure is lost in its pores. The midwoofer uses a CCAC cone, an aluminium cone coated with ceramic to make it light and very stiff, combined with Active Cone Damping, an Audio Physic method in which a silicone and rubber ring on the outer edge of the cone suppresses partial oscillations in the metal diaphragm. Instead of a single frame, the HHCM III driver has two separate baskets, which mechanically decouple the suspension from the chassis. The crossover was redesigned with selected parts, and the WBT terminal is decoupled from the cabinet in the Vibration Control Terminal arrangement. Bi-wiring terminals can be fitted on request. Audio Physic also offers the Step as rear speakers in its own surround systems.

Pairing

Being an easy load with a low power floor, the Step works with low-powered integrated amplifiers, tube designs and bigger transistor models within the advised range. Its small footprint suits stands or wide shelves, and it can join an Audio Physic front pair in a multichannel setup.

Alternatives

The Audio Physic Spark is a larger three-way compact model in the same catalogue, with a 4 ohm rating and a dedicated woofer.