Напольная акустика — Blumenhofer Acoustics Gran Gioia MK 3

The Gran Gioia MK 3 belongs to the Gioia series of Blumenhofer Acoustics, the range in which the German company says it pushes its horn concept further than in its other lines. The current series also includes the Gioia 2x220 and the Corona 4x180. The MK 3 follows the Gran Gioia MK 1, MK 2 and the Gran Gioia 2x10, all of which now appear in the maker's legacy archive. The step to the third version came with a woofer developed by Blumenhofer itself, which the company introduces as a 16 inch unit.

Key specs that matter

The Gran Gioia MK 3 is a two-way speaker. The woofer measures 380 mm and hands over at 850 Hz to a compression driver that has a 75 mm titanium diaphragm and a 1.4 inch horn throat. The quoted range is 35 Hz to 20 kHz within plus or minus 2 dB. With an efficiency of 100 dB, it is the most sensitive model of the current Gioia series, ahead of the Gioia Colossal and the Gioia 2x220. Impedance is 8 ohm nominal and the maximum power input is 150 W RMS. A single cabinet is 1335 x 550 x 840 mm and weighs 100 kg. The packaging consists of two crates of 94 x 64 x 128 cm, each 75 kg gross, plus a third carton of 120 x 60 x 49 cm at 35 kg.

Engineering and use context

The midrange horn faces forward and uses what Blumenhofer describes as a new phase plug technology. The woofer works in a cabinet that combines horn loading with a harmonic bass reflex tuned through a port facing the floor. The walls are 19 mm birch plywood with structural bracing, and the horn is formed from an HDF complex material. A supertweeter is offered as an option - a compression driver with a 1 inch throat and a 36 mm membrane made of HT polymer. Time alignment between the drivers can be set with a micrometric adjustment, and the horn level can be changed in two steps of 1 dB. The crossover carries a switchable impedance linearisation for the transition frequency. Adjustable spikes support the cabinet, and the warranty period is five years. True wood veneers can be made in the company's workshop.

Pairing

Blumenhofer lists the MK 3 as tube friendly, so valve amplifiers belong to the partners the maker has in mind. Its gold-plated tellurium copper terminals are arranged for bi-wiring and bi-amping, allowing the woofer and the horn to be driven by separate amplifiers.

Alternatives

The Blumenhofer Gioia 2x220 is a lighter floorstander of the same series with two 20 cm woofers, a 4 ohm load, 300 W RMS handling and a 60 kg cabinet.