Floorstanding loudspeakers — Lowther Acousta 117

The Acousta 117 is a front horn-loaded tower made by Lowther, a company started in Kent, England, in 1934 by Paul Voigt working together with O.P. Lowther. The model is the newest member of the Acousta family and returns the name after more than two decades out of production, as a tribute to the period when the company was led by Donald Chave. Every pair is handmade in Northampton, England, and finished in bespoke matched wood veneers.

Key specs that matter

Inside sits a single 8 inch Lowther full-range drive unit, with the PM6A as the recommended choice. That unit pairs an alnico magnet with the whizzer cone devised by Voigt. Lowther also lists the DX2, DX3, DX4, EX2, EX3, EX4, PM6C and PM7A as alternative 8 inch drivers for this enclosure. Quoted frequency response runs from 35 Hz to 20 kHz. Sensitivity is given as 98 to 105 dB depending on the room, with a typical system efficiency above 100 dB, and nominal impedance is 8 ohm. The speaker stands 905 mm tall, 470 mm wide and 375 mm deep, and the maker lists its weight as 27 kg.

Engineering and use context

The 117 is a direct development of the earlier Acousta 115 and 116, a front-facing folded horn design. Lowther states that the new model brings key improvements to build, materials and acoustic quality over those predecessors, together with minor changes to appearance. The enclosure is described as a backloaded Voigt horn built from Baltic birch plywood, and the company notes that the design does not depend heavily on corners for its bass response. The drive units themselves are assembled in the company's Norfolk atelier, and Lowther cones for them are hand-treated, air-dried and cured in natural sunlight. Pricing is configured per order according to the chosen veneer finish and drive unit. The manufacturer calls the Acousta a design that has defined single-driver reproduction for generations and states that the original model found its way into the home of Jimi Hendrix. The company presents it as the most cost-effective model in its current range.

Pairing

As a single-driver design with no crossover, the Acousta 117 connects to the amplifier directly through the chosen 8 inch unit. Because the drive unit is selectable, the final electrical character of each pair follows whichever Lowther driver the buyer selects.

Alternatives

The Lowther TP2 is a larger floorstanding corner horn from the same maker, weighing 70 kg and designed for the PM4A drive unit.