Напольная акустика — Ayon Audio Ayon BlackRaven

The BlackRaven is the three-driver member of the full-range Black loudspeaker series from Ayon Audio, the Austrian specialist in valve amplification and digital sources. With a single tweeter and two cones per side it uses the fewest drivers of the five towers in the current catalogue, which also contains the BlackHeron, BlackFalcon, BlackEagle and BlackCrane. Ayon describes it as the evolution of the ceramic speaker series it built between 2003 and 2010 - the Seagull, Hawk, Falcon and Eagle - updated with ceramic cone technology that arrived nine years later. Its current price in North America is USD 13,980 per pair.

Key specs that matter

Ayon specifies a 2.5-way layout. At the top is a 1.2-inch Cell-Ceramic tweeter, below it a 6.7-inch ceramic cone covering bass and midrange, and a second 6.7-inch ceramic cone that works only in the bass. Ayon gives crossover frequencies of 1,000 Hz and 2,300 Hz and a response of 35 Hz to 30 kHz at -3 dB. Sensitivity is 92 dB for 1 W at 1 m with a 4 ohm nominal impedance, and the recommended amplifier range starts at 5 W and ends at 120 W. Each tower is 111 cm tall, 35 cm wide and 23 cm deep, and the weight per speaker is 35 kg.

Engineering and use context

Ayon fits the bass cones with purpose-made voice coils of a chosen impedance, and this lets the acoustic crossover stay at a simplified 6 dB slope. The cabinet is an elliptical shell of instrument plywood that the company describes as almost undamped. An elongated elliptical front plate is intended to throw output far into the listening space and close to all around the cabinet. The overall construction carries Ayon's Airflow Damping System label. A switchable bass boost is provided on the speaker, the input panel uses WBT NextGen terminals, and the internal wire is made to Ayon's own specification. Real wood veneers in high-gloss French Walnut, Tineo and Etimo are standard, and other veneers can be ordered.

Pairing

Ayon says the BlackRaven is easy to operate with low-powered tube and solid-state amplifiers, and adds that high-powered designs suit it too. The low power floor puts small single-ended valve amplifiers inside the maker's window, provided they are comfortable with a low nominal impedance.

Alternatives

The Ayon BlackHeron is the next Black-series tower, a 3.5-way model with an extra 6.7-inch ceramic cone, four crossover points and 93 dB sensitivity in a 116 cm cabinet.