Floorstanding loudspeakers — Lockwood Loudspeakers Lockwood Academy II

The Academy II is a floorstander from Lockwood, the British loudspeaker company whose monitors have been used on more than 1,200 recordings. Pete Townshend of The Who has bought many pairs over the years for his home studios and for commercial studios including Ramport and Eel Pie, and The Who recorded ten albums on Lockwood speakers.

Key specs that matter

It uses Lockwood's 15 in Green HPD/SL dual concentric driver, with the high-frequency unit placed at the woofer's centre. Frequency response is 30 Hz to 20 kHz, sensitivity is 94.9 dB and nominal impedance is 8 ohms. The power rating is 75 W. The cabinet is birch finished in walnut veneer, measures 536 x 308 x 856 mm and weighs about 38 kg.

Engineering and use context

The tweeter radiates through the middle of the large cone, so both sources share the same axis. This makes the speaker a point source, with treble and bass arriving from one location and in time with each other at any listening angle, which is why the design has long been used in studio monitors. The 15 in cone gives a large radiating area, so the driver reaches high levels with little excursion, and it accounts for the high sensitivity. The HPD designation refers to the high power dual concentric driver type long associated with British monitors. The crossover is hand-built with high-grade components, and connection is through pure copper binding posts designed by Tom Evans Audio Design. The walnut veneer is applied by hand, so the grain pattern varies between pairs. The smaller Academy uses a 12 in version of the dual concentric driver in a more compact cabinet. Lockwood traces its roots to carpenter Stanley Timms, who began building radio cabinets inspired by British television broadcasting in 1936, and a later partnership with the BBC led to the Lockwood monitors. His son Andrew Timms, now chief executive, still delivers speakers personally to some long-standing clients. The Academy series was introduced as Lockwood's first range aimed at private listeners rather than studios. Pair number one of the new series was reserved for Pete Townshend.

Pairing

With its high sensitivity and steady load, the Academy II needs little power and suits low-output valve amplifiers, including single-ended triodes. The modest power rating calls for care with high-powered amplifiers at high levels. It suits rooms of 20 to 40 m2.

Alternatives

Lockwood's Academy scales the same concept down to a 12 in dual concentric unit.