Напольная акустика — Venture Audio Grand Ultimate MKII

The Grand Ultimate MKII is a passive floorstanding loudspeaker from the Venture Audio Ultimate range. Its predecessor, the original Grand Ultimate, was the model on which the other floorstanders of the series were built. For the MKII version Venture enlarged the cabinet, fitted the newer 7 inch CFGC underhung midrange driver shared with the Xtreme and the Ultimate Reference, and revised the crossover with better-quality components. In the series it sits between the Ultimate MKII and the Ultimate Reference, with the Xtreme above them all.

Key specs that matter

Six drivers make up the three-way layout - a 2 inch AGC full-range dynamic tweeter, the 7 inch underhung midrange and four 7 inch CFGC woofers. Venture quotes a response of 22 Hz to 60,000 Hz. Sensitivity is 92 dB, and the nominal impedance is 4 ohm. Amplifier power of up to 400 W can be applied without clipping, according to the maker. The minimum break-in period is set at 100 hours of playing time, far longer than the 24 hours given for the smaller models of the range. Each speaker is 140 cm tall, 35 cm wide and 53 cm deep and weighs 80 kg, and the cabinet is finished in ebony under high-gloss lacquer.

Engineering and use context

In a CFGC cone, long carbon fibres are laid into the graphite composite following a pattern Venture keeps to itself, and their low mass keeps cone weight down while adding stiffness. Its crossover has first-order slopes of 6 dB per octave, and the parts are soldered directly to one another by hand, with a test on every component prior to fitting and a second one once the network is complete. First-order filters leave neighbouring drivers overlapping over a wide band, and Venture began designing its own drivers in 2001 precisely so they would behave well under such gentle slopes. Internal wiring is Venture's own cable, built from high-purity copper with silver plating, a construction the brand has used since 1987. For the Ultimate Series Venture laminates its cabinet walls from alternating HDF and hardwood layers and divides the interior with vertical and horizontal braces.

Pairing

With its high sensitivity the speaker needs relatively little power for normal levels, though its low impedance calls for an output stage able to supply plenty of current without strain. Solid-state stereo amplifiers or monoblocks rated into low impedance are the natural match, and the power limit covers most of them.

Alternatives

For a larger passive tower from the same maker, Venture Audio offers the Ultimate Reference, using four 9 inch woofers, a 6 ohm impedance and a 148 cm tall cabinet weighing 120 kg.