Напольная акустика — Ceratec effeqt mk IV

The effeqt mk IV is a slim tower loudspeaker from Ceratec Audio Design of Worpswede, Germany, a company led by the Ranke family. Founder Ulrich Ranke previously established the eton brand and invented the patented hexacone membrane technology, and his sons Constantin and Julius now run the firm with him. The effeqt belongs to the Ceraclassic range of design loudspeakers, alongside wall-mounted and other effeqt variants and the vita. In North America the mk IV was offered at USD 2,499 per pair in polished chrome and at USD 1,675 per pair in anodized black or silver, with free shipping included.

Key specs that matter

Ceratec describes the mk IV as a 2.5-way bass-reflex system. Two 105 mm paper-cone midbass units work with a 22 mm silk-dome tweeter. Rated frequency range is 40 Hz to 25 kHz, and sensitivity is 84 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m into a nominal 4 ohm. The recommended amplifier range is 100 to 150 W. The column is 130 mm wide, 130 mm deep and 1240 mm tall, and it rests on a round base 260 mm in diameter.

Engineering and use context

Ceratec's column is aluminium with a round cross-section, a shape Ceratec chose so that parallel inner walls do not set up standing waves. In a 2.5-way layout the two midbass units share the low range, and just one of the pair carries on upward to hand over to the tweeter, which keeps the column narrow without a separate midrange driver. The small square footprint lets the speaker stand in rooms where a boxy tower would dominate the space, and the wide circular base keeps such a tall, thin shape stable. The polished chrome version comes with a black grille, with other grille colours available. The company stresses high-grade materials such as glass, aluminium and polished stainless steel, and its stated approach is to keep the technology inside and in the background of the design. The effeqt family also includes wall-mountable versions in four sizes, offered in black, silver, white or custom RAL colours.

Pairing

The modest sensitivity means the mk IV needs more drive than typical towers to reach a given level, and the low nominal impedance favours a solid-state amplifier with comfortable current into low loads, within the power band that Ceratec recommends. For a 20 m2 living room a compact integrated amplifier or a slim streaming amplifier with that output fits both the electrical demand and the minimal look of the column.

Alternatives

The Ceratec effeqt t is the taller 1660 mm version of the same column with an identical driver complement.