Полочная акустика — Stenheim Alumine Two

The Alumine Two is a passive two-way bookshelf loudspeaker from Stenheim, the Swiss loudspeaker maker, and the model Stenheim describes as where it all started for the company. It is the smallest model of the Alumine line, which also includes the Alumine Two.Five, Three and Five and the Alumine S10 subwoofer, while the Reference line, with the Reference Ultime Two, Ultime Three and Statement, sits above it. An SE version adds a crossover with no cost limit, upgraded or custom internal wiring and upgraded binding posts, with parts from Mundorf, Jantzen, Audyn, Myflex and Jupiter.

Key specs that matter

A 16.5 cm treated paper cone covers bass and midrange, and the tweeter is a 2.6 cm fabric soft dome with subtle horn loading. The enclosure is ported at the front. Frequency response is 45 Hz to 30 kHz, and sensitivity is 93 dB measured in half space. Power handling is 100 W RMS and 200 W peak, and Stenheim gives 5 W as the minimum amplifier power. Nominal impedance is 8 ohm, with a minimum of 6 ohm. Each speaker is 23 cm wide, 33 cm tall and 27.5 cm deep and weighs 17 kg, or 102 x 26 x 32 cm and 26.3 kg with its stand. Stenheim gives a five-year extended warranty on registration.

Engineering and use context

Stenheim builds the enclosure from thin aluminium walls, using hidden fixings and proportions based on the golden ratio, and only a small volume of damping material inside. An aluminium enclosure is far stiffer than wood at the same wall thickness, which is why thin walls are possible. Horn loading on the tweeter raises its efficiency, contributing to the high sensitivity, together with the front port. The crossover is a high-order, phase-coherent, low-loss design. Because the impedance stays high and the speaker is efficient, Stenheim states that even low-powered valve amplifiers give optimum results. Two stand types are offered, the Classic with round steel tubes and a higher model built from box-section aluminium. Standard colours are supplemented by custom Full Black, Ivory and Mocca finishes with black front and rear panels.

Pairing

The Alumine Two suits single-ended valve amplifiers and other low-power designs, and transistor amplifiers within its power rating also suit it. Stenheim's Alumine S10 subwoofer is aimed at owners of the Two and Two.Five who want more bass extension.

Alternatives

The Stenheim Alumine Two.Five is the next step up in the Alumine line.