Напольная акустика — Rockport Orion

The Orion is a tower speaker with three drivers and three ways by Rockport Technologies, designed by founder Andy Payor and built in Maine, where each pair receives final approval from Payor and company president Josh Clark. Rockport first showed it to the public in Munich during May 2022, at High End. At its debut it was priced at USD 133,000 per pair and positioned between the Cygnus and the Lyra, and later US pricing was USD 159,000 per pair in standard finish or USD 171,000 in custom colours.

Key specs that matter

Three custom drivers are used. The bass unit is a 13-inch carbon fibre sandwich cone, and it is joined by a 7-inch carbon fibre sandwich composite midrange and a 1.25-inch beryllium dome tweeter mounted in an aluminium waveguide. Quoted bandwidth is 20 Hz to 25 kHz at -3 dB, with 4 ohms nominal impedance and a sensitivity of 90 dB SPL at 2.83 V. The stated minimum amplifier power is 50 W. Each speaker is 1,278 mm tall, 363 mm wide (516 mm with the feet and outriggers fitted) and 671 mm deep, and weighs 163 kg.

Engineering and use context

The Orion introduced the DAMSTIF II enclosure, which combines a cast aluminium inner structure with an aerospace carbon fibre outer shell, consolidated by a high-mass damping core. The cabinet consists of three primary parts - a single-cast aluminium housing, an outer carbon fibre main housing and an outer carbon fibre baffle shell. More than 52 kg of proprietary damping compound fills the cavity between the aluminium and carbon fibre layers. No fasteners are used to assemble the enclosure, as damping agents and epoxies bond the components together. The crossover is tuned by hand. With its deep bass extension, the maker presents the Orion as a true full-range loudspeaker that does not depend on a separate subwoofer.

Pairing

Its modest nominal impedance calls for an amplifier offering solid current delivery into lower impedances. Because the bass driver is large and the bass extension is deep, a room of at least 20 m2 gives the cabinets space to be positioned away from walls. The wide outrigger footprint also needs to be allowed for when measuring the placement area.

Alternatives

The Rockport Lyra is a larger three-and-a-half-way floorstanding model by Rockport that uses two 10-inch woofers and two 6-inch midrange drivers in each cabinet.