Напольная акустика — EgglestonWorks Oso

The Oso belongs to EgglestonWorks' Artisan Series, the Memphis-based manufacturer's more attainable range that sits below its Signature models such as the Andra. Every EgglestonWorks speaker is built in the company's own Memphis factory, and the Oso was conceived to bring full-range bass from a slim cabinet by moving the woofer onto the side of the enclosure.

Key specs that matter

The Oso is a three-way design with a 1-inch fabric dome tweeter, two 6-inch midrange drivers and a single side-firing 10-inch woofer. Frequency response is 28Hz to 24kHz, sensitivity is 87dB and nominal impedance is 4 ohms. The cabinet measures 23.5 x 46.4 x 114.3cm and each speaker weighs about 52 kg. Connection is through a single pair of copper binding posts.

Engineering and use context

The side-firing woofer is the key engineering decision. A 10-inch driver mounted on the front baffle would force a wide cabinet, whereas placing it on the side keeps the front narrow while retaining the cone area needed for deep low-frequency output, so the speaker reaches below 30Hz from a slender footprint. Twin 6-inch midrange drivers share the load across the midband, reducing the excursion each one needs at a given level. At the rear, a slot port of the type EgglestonWorks also uses on the Nico Evo, Emma Evo, Kiva and Viginti models vents the bass enclosure, designed to vent the enclosure without audible air noise at high output. Cabinets are hand-built and hand-finished, and the brand's Custom Color Program lets buyers specify almost any paint colour, so each pair can be matched to a room. EgglestonWorks' design process combines listening with measurement, with a physicist on staff evaluating cabinets, drivers and crossover parts. The substantial weight reflects heavily built enclosures intended to keep panel resonance low.

Pairing

A 4-ohm nominal load combined with moderate sensitivity calls for an amplifier with solid current delivery rather than a low-power design, and well-regulated solid-state integrateds and power amplifiers of around 100W per channel and above are the natural partners. Because the woofer fires sideways, placement should allow some space between the woofer side and the nearest wall, and the rear slot port also needs clearance from the wall behind. The single pair of binding posts means the Oso is designed for single-wiring.

Alternatives

EgglestonWorks' own Kiva 2 offers a related floorstanding design with somewhat higher sensitivity within the same range.