Напольная акустика — Gauder Akustik DARC 750 MK II

The DARC 750 MK II tops the numbers in Gauder Akustik's own DARC technical table - no other model of the aluminium series is taller, heavier or rated for more power. The Renningen maker built it around a component it describes as new to hi-fi, a diamond midrange diaphragm 90 mm wide, which lets diamond membranes cover everything from 600 Hz up to 80,000 Hz. Below that module sit four woofers stacked in a narrow tower, the arrangement also found in the DARC 240 and DARC 500. The German list price is EUR 599,998 for a pair, double that of the DARC 500 MK II.

Key specs that matter

This is a four-way quadruple bass reflex design with a diamond mid-high unit. Impedance is 4 ohm, and Gauder rates power handling at 1,280 W. Each tower stands 201 cm tall on a 30 cm wide, 45 cm deep footprint and weighs 170 kg. Drive units are hand-selected black XPulse bass cones, a ceramic bass and midrange driver, the wide diamond midrange and a diamond tweeter. Beyond the brushed natural aluminium and powder-coated versions in black, white, silver or anthracite, this model is also offered in black high gloss and anthracite high gloss. No sensitivity or frequency response data is released.

Engineering and use context

In the DARC 250 and DARC 500, a 50 mm diamond dome handles the midrange above a ceramic cone. Swapping it for the larger diaphragm lets the diamond section start far lower, and Gauder states this avoids beaming, improves the impulse response and allowed a more elaborate crossover. The ceramic unit, the two diamonds and their 3D-printed rear housings are built as one assembly on a shared aluminium flange. The crossover is symmetrical with 60 dB per octave slopes and includes Time Delay Control, which delays the tweeter so all bands leave the baffle together. The cabinet interior has two ported chambers and one sealed chamber. Its walls are aluminium ribs separated by long-fibre dampers, a construction whose development received funding from the German Federal Ministry of Research, and on brushed versions every rib is brushed by hand before lacquering. The Big Foot base uses four adjustment screws with a fine gear and four scales that show the distance to the floor.

Pairing

Given its low impedance and high power rating, the speaker is aimed at strong transistor amplification with ample current reserves, and bi-amping through the WBT NextGen terminals is supported. Jumpers set bass and treble level to minus 1.5 dB, linear or plus 1.5 dB.

Alternatives

The Gauder Akustik DARC 500 MK II keeps the four-woofer tower and ceramic plus diamond layout with the smaller diamond midrange and a lower weight.