Напольная акустика — LORENZO AUDIO LABS LM1

The LM1 is a four-way tower from Lorenzo Audio, the Spanish company founded and led by designer Miguel Lorenzo Castro. The current version is called LM1 MK2, and the pair carries a US price of USD 200,000. Each cabinet is machined on 5-axis CNC equipment and then completed by hand in the workshop of a fourth-generation craftsman, with seven layers of high-gloss varnish.

Key specs that matter

The LM1 splits the band between four drivers. A 16 inch Great Plains Acoustics woofer with a paper cone and alnico magnet handles the bass, an 11 inch Supravox paper cone midrange, also with alnico, covers the middle band, and a 1 inch Radian compression unit using a beryllium diaphragm covers the treble. Above it sits a 1 inch Visaton super tweeter with a titanium alloy diaphragm. Crossover points are 200 Hz, 1,500 Hz and 10 kHz. Lorenzo quotes 20 Hz to 35 kHz, 96 dB sensitivity and an 8 ohm nominal impedance. Each speaker measures 172.5 x 55.5 x 62.5 cm. The MK2 weighs 220 kg, against about 200 kg for the earlier version.

Engineering and use context

Enclosure walls are 62 mm thick, built from phenolic laminated wood with an elastomer constrained layer between plies, and Panzerholz is used in critical areas. The woofer section is loaded by two rear-venting reflex ports turned by hand from tonewood, while the midrange and tweeter chambers are sealed. The phase-optimised crossover is first order for the cone drivers and third order for the horn-loaded units. It is welded by hand without printed circuit boards and uses parts from Duelund, Jupiter, Mundorf and Pathaudio. Internal wiring combines copper, silver and gold conductors, depending on the source. The cabinet stands on solid steel feet with Panzerholz bottom pieces, and the binding posts are mounted in special wood. Veneer choices include Macassar Ebony, Elm Root, Ziricote, Walnut Root, Tamo Ash and Pau Ferro, alongside White Ebony and a black lacquered wood. The size and mass of each unit mean that moving one needs a team of people and a sturdy floor.

Pairing

Lorenzo gives a very wide amplifier window of 20 to 500 W. The high efficiency lets low-power valve amplifiers drive the LM1, while large solid-state designs can also be used within that upper limit.

Alternatives

The Lorenzo Audio LM6 is a smaller three-way floorstander built around a 15 inch dual-concentric driver in a sealed cabinet.