Напольная акустика — Davis Acoustics Courbet n°5

The Courbet n°5 is a four-driver, three-way column speaker produced by Davis Acoustics of Troyes, the French brand set up by Michel Visan in 1986. Within the Courbet series it sits above the two-way n°4 and below the n°7 and n°8, and Davis calls it the thinnest floorstander of the range. The company's aim was a slim column that fits a compact cabinet around four drivers while keeping bass output competitive with the larger models in the family.

Key specs that matter

The n°5 uses four drivers in total. A 28 mm soft dome tweeter sits above a 13 cm midrange with a Kevlar cone, and two 13 cm woofers with carbon cones reproduce the low frequencies, with the signal split at 400 Hz and 4,000 Hz. All three cones share one diameter, and the carbon woofers differ from the Kevlar unit only in membrane material. Sensitivity is 90 dB and impedance is quoted as 4 to 8 ohm, with the upper frequency limit at 25,000 Hz. Power handling is 100 W nominal and 160 W maximum. Each speaker measures 98 cm high, 16 cm wide and 25.5 cm deep and weighs 18 kg. Davis lists matte black, white and grey finishes, and the pair price is EUR 3,000.

Engineering and use context

Using three drivers of the same diameter is what keeps the front baffle so narrow in a cabinet just under one metre tall. The enclosure is built from 19 mm medium density fibreboard and is tilted backward, which Davis uses across the line to prevent internal standing waves. A horizontal partition placed at about two thirds of the height splits the inside into two volumes, with the pair of woofers loaded in the lower section and the midrange in the upper one. Each section has its own bass reflex vent - a large circular port on the front for the woofers and a small one on the rear panel for the midrange. Davis builds the drivers in its own Troyes plant, and the complete speaker is manufactured in France.

Pairing

With its high sensitivity and variable impedance, the n°5 is specified for use with any hi-fi amplifier, and its nominal rating is the continuous power it is designed to accept. Davis also describes the speaker as usable in home cinema setups in addition to two-channel hi-fi systems.

Alternatives

The Davis Acoustics Courbet n°7 is the next floorstander in the series, pairing the same Kevlar midrange with a 17 cm carbon woofer in a 110 cm tall cabinet.