Полочная акустика — Gershman Acoustics Studio XdB

The Studio XdB is a two-way loudspeaker from Gershman Acoustics of Canada that combines a compact monitor enclosure with a dedicated stand containing the brand's patented Bass Trap. The maker presents the complete assembly as a floor-standing speaker, since the stand is an integral part of the acoustic design rather than an optional accessory. The pair was priced at USD 11,995 with the stands included.

Key specs that matter

Driver complement is one 8 inch aluminium woofer with a double magnet structure and one 1 inch silk dome tweeter, a modified Peerless unit made in Denmark. Its crossover is hand built and wired point to point. Gershman rates frequency response at 23 Hz to 24 kHz, sensitivity at 87 dB and nominal impedance at 6 ohm. Recommended amplifier power spans a wide band of 70 W to 500 W per channel, so both moderate and very large amplifiers fall inside the stated range. The full assembly measures 94 cm high, 25.4 cm wide and 35.6 cm deep, and it weighs about 31 kg.

Engineering and use context

The Bass Trap built into the stand is a Gershman patent. Its job is to absorb the back wave radiated from the rear of the woofer and, according to the company, to extend low frequency response beyond what an enclosure of this size would normally reach. This explains the deep bass figure credited to a single woofer. Gershman calls the principle Back-wave Control Technology - tuned venting and an interior matrix create a pressure difference between the main cabinet and the base, so bass energy is led into the isolated stand. A Mass Loading Device, a solid disc on top of the enclosure, is added to the structure to lower resonance in the cabinet and stand, and IsoAcoustics Gaia 2 feet are fitted under the base to decouple the speaker from the floor. Because the stand and the enclosure work as one system, the speaker is meant to be placed as a complete unit rather than lifted onto a separate stand or shelf.

Pairing

The recommended minimum power, together with the modest sensitivity, points to a solid-state amplifier or a higher-powered valve design over a modest single-ended triode. The nominal load is not a demanding figure, so most integrated amplifiers with a stable output stage in that power class can drive the pair. In a 20 m2 room the combination of the compact footprint and the stated bass extension may remove the need for a separate subwoofer.

Alternatives

The Gershman Studio II is a stand-mount two-way model from the same catalogue designed as a conventional monitor for a separate stand.