Напольная акустика — Pylon Audio Opal 23

The Opal 23 is the middle tower of the original Opal series and the first model in it to use two woofers. Its maker, Pylon Audio, grew from a small local workshop into a large producer of loudspeaker enclosures, and besides its own models it builds cabinets for other European brands at its site in Jarocin, where it also runs an anechoic chamber. Pylon positions the Opal 23 as a practical speaker for a first or second serious stereo system, and the pair has been listed at EUR 900 including VAT.

Key specs that matter

Per side there are two 18 cm PSW 18.8 CS woofers and one 25 mm PST T-50/8 silk dome tweeter in a two-way configuration. Frequency response spans 38 Hz to 20 kHz. Nominal impedance is 4 ohm and efficiency is 89 dB, with power handling of 100 W nominal and 150 W peak. The enclosure is 190 mm wide, 1000 mm tall and 300 mm deep, and Pylon states a weight of 17 kg per speaker. The recommended room area is 20 to 35 m2.

Engineering and use context

Driver placement is midwoofer-tweeter-midwoofer, with the tweeter mounted between the two woofers so the layout is symmetrical above and below the dome. Because the acoustic centres sit close together, Pylon notes that the speaker can be heard from a short distance, and it suggests the Opal 23 for a home recording studio as well as a living room. The woofer diaphragms are cellulose paper with an extra coating, held in stamped steel baskets. Walls, top and back are 18 mm thick, while the front baffle is 22 mm to reduce vibration of the panel that holds the drivers, and bracing is added at the most stressed points of the box. A magnetic cloth grille and spike feet come in the box. Standard finishes are black ash, walnut and wenge in PVC veneer, and at extra cost the factory offers a natural wood front with a matt black body, a gloss black front with a wood body, or full black or white lacquer.

Pairing

Because the speaker presents a low-impedance load, the partnering amplifier needs solid current reserves. The fairly high efficiency lets moderate amplifier power reach normal levels in the rooms Pylon specifies.

Alternatives

Pylon's Opal 23 mkII keeps the same cabinet size but adds a graphene-reinforced textile dome with 50 percent more diaphragm area, polymer woofer baskets and air-core crossover coils, rated at 90 dB with the top extended to 30 kHz.