Полочная акустика — Odeon Audio Orfeo

The Orfeo is a two-way compact loudspeaker from Odeon Audio, the German maker that builds its speakers by hand in Germany. The model has been in the range for twenty years with more than a thousand owners, and in 2024 it was updated with a new cabinet design, new dimensions and, for the first time, an internal wooden bass-reflex tunnel. Odeon's current range also includes the Nova S compact floorstander and the Celeste, Helix, Semper and Carnegie models.

Key specs that matter

Odeon uses a 25 mm impregnated fabric dome tweeter with a copper voice coil, a special design made by Audax in France and loaded by a birch plywood horn made by Odeon. The low and midrange driver is a custom Scan-Speak unit from Denmark with a coated, hand-made cellulose cone, a rubber surround and a fabric spider. The crossover point is 2,200 Hz. Frequency response is 40 Hz to 21 kHz, sensitivity is 90 dB and nominal impedance is 8 ohm. The speaker is 41 cm high, 22 cm wide and 32.5 cm deep. Finishes are poplar, oak, walnut and walnut root.

Engineering and use context

The birch plywood horn in front of the tweeter works as a mechanical amplifier, raising its efficiency and controlling its dispersion, which contributes to the high sensitivity. The wooden bass-reflex tunnel introduced in the 2024 version replaces a conventional port tube inside the cabinet. The cabinet is made from MDF that is up to 1.8 times heavier than standard MDF, increasing its mass and lowering wall vibration. The crossover uses parts with a maximum tolerance of 1%, film capacitors and Mundorf coils, and it is wired by hand point to point and mechanically secured against vibration. The whole crossover is mounted on the acrylic plates that also carry the terminals. Internal wiring is German oxygen-free copper with a multiple-shielded high-frequency cable. The coated cellulose cone of the Scan-Speak driver is light and self-damping, while its rubber surround permits the long excursion needed for deep bass. Handmade construction and the choice of four wood finishes reflect Odeon's small-series production in Germany.

Pairing

The Orfeo works with valve amplifiers of modest power as well as solid-state designs, in a room of about 20 m2. Its compact size suits stands or sturdy shelves.

Alternatives

The Odeon Nova S is a compact floorstander from the same maker with response from 38 Hz and 91 dB sensitivity.