Floorstanding loudspeakers — Silent Pound Challenger II

The Challenger II is a 3.5-way constant-directivity floorstanding loudspeaker from Silent Pound, the Lithuanian company from Kaunas founded by Audrius Balčiūnas. It was revealed at the 2024 Warsaw audio show and costs from EUR 27,999 including VAT, GBP 27,995 or USD 34,999 per pair. The warranty runs for five years.

Key specs that matter

Two 300 mm woofers, custom made for Silent Pound, work in an open-back dipole bass section. Two 160 mm mid-woofers and a 25 mm compression driver form an enclosed MTM array with an integrated waveguide front. The crossover uses high-order slopes of third and fourth order. Frequency response is 30 Hz to 18 kHz within ±3 dB, sensitivity is 88 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, and impedance is 4 ohm nominal with a minimum of 3.2 ohm. Silent Pound recommends 100 to 400 W of amplifier power. Each speaker measures 124 x 36 x 35 cm and weighs 60 kg.

Engineering and use context

With its back open, a dipole sends bass forwards and backwards with opposite polarity, so less energy goes to the sides, which changes how the bass interacts with the side walls compared with a closed box. The waveguide around the compression driver controls its dispersion so that it matches the mid-woofers at the crossover, which gives the constant directivity in the name. In an MTM layout the two mid-woofers sit above and below the high-frequency driver, which narrows vertical dispersion and keeps the acoustic centre in one place. The midrange enclosure uses a patent-pending control method. Steep crossover slopes reduce the overlap between drivers, so each works only in its intended range. The frame is CNC-formed steel with a damped sandwich of MDF and steel over an internal MDF frame, and the front panel is MDF or real oak. The crossover sits in the 10 mm steel base under tempered glass, where it is visible and away from the drivers' vibration. A removable magnetic fabric frame covers the open rear. Adjustable steel legs carry Soundcare spikes, and gold-plated binding posts accept banana plugs or spades. Finishes are white or black fine-textured powder coat, a solid oak front or a custom RAL colour, and a Special Edition adds hand-curved oak and brushed stainless steel.

Pairing

The low nominal and minimum impedance call for a solid-state amplifier with good current capability, within the recommended power range.

Alternatives

The only other model in the range, the Silent Pound Bloom, is a compact stand-mount, so the Challenger II has no floorstanding sibling.