Полочная акустика — Audes Llc. Maestro 005

The Maestro 005 is a small two-way shelf loudspeaker from Audes LLC, whose address is Pae 3a in the Estonian town of Jõhvi. The company traces its history to the RET radio receiver factory registered in Tallinn in 1935, whose later products carried the Estonia name, and it has used the Audes name since 1992. The Maestro section of the Audes catalogue lists five models - the 146 and 116 floorstanders, the 106 bookshelf, the 025 center and this 005, which is the smallest of the group.

Key specs that matter

Audes quotes a frequency range of 75 Hz to 20,000 Hz at plus or minus 3 dB, with the low frequency corner at 50 Hz measured at -6 dB. Sensitivity is 90 dB for 2.83 V at 1 m, and nominal impedance is 4 ohm. The rated maximum is 40 W for long-term power and 70 W for short-term power. A 5.25-inch paper cone mid-woofer and a 1-inch fabric dome tweeter divide the band at 2,900 Hz. The cabinet is 325 mm high, 160 mm wide and 228 mm deep, and each speaker weighs 6 kg. Paint finishes are black, silver and white.

Engineering and use context

Both drivers come from Peerless and are magnetically shielded, which Audes specifies so that the speaker can stand next to a CRT television or monitor without causing problems. Inside the tweeter, magnetic liquid improves the transfer of heat from the voice coil to the magnet system when the speaker receives high-power signals. The mid-woofer cone is made of specially soaked paper. The enclosure is tuned as a bass reflex system, and the maker points out that despite the small cabinet the bass extension makes it possible to leave out a subwoofer in a budget home theatre. Audes also describes the sensitivity as a very high figure for a compact loudspeaker. The crossover point is much higher than in the 106, which pairs a 1-inch tweeter with a larger 6.5-inch woofer of Audes manufacture. The painted finishes also differ from the walnut veneer and black paint offered for the other bookshelf in the range.

Pairing

Any partnering amplifier or receiver should be specified for loads of this value, and its output should respect the modest long-term rating. For a multichannel system the 025 center from the same series uses two 5.25-inch mid-woofers and a 1-inch tweeter, also shielded Peerless units, with 91 dB sensitivity and the same impedance, in a 560 mm wide cabinet weighing 9 kg.

Alternatives

The Audes Maestro 106 is the larger bookshelf in the series, with a 6.5-inch Audes woofer, 86 dB sensitivity and an 8 ohm load.