Напольная акустика — TIDAL Sunray

TIDAL, a German company building audio systems since 1999, offers the Sunray floorstanding loudspeaker, shown here in its third-generation G3 form. It is a dynamic four-way design split into three modules with multi-chamber cabinet construction, and it combines diamond diaphragms above 300 Hz with ceramic and aluminium-sandwich drivers below.

Key specs that matter

A 30 mm Gen3 diamond tweeter with a neodymium motor handles the treble. Below it, a 126 mm Gen2 diamond midrange uses a neodymium under-hung motor, as does the 170 mm Gen3 black ceramic mid-woofer. Six 192 mm aluminium-hexacone sandwich woofers with long-excursion motors cover the lowest octaves. TIDAL quotes a sensitivity of 89 dB, a minimum impedance of 4.2 ohm and power handling of 150/300 VA, and it calls for more than 30 watts of amplification. Each speaker stands 208 cm high, 33 cm wide and 60 cm deep and weighs 320 kg without packaging.

Engineering and use context

TIRALIT forms the cabinet, a proprietary material TIDAL developed for enclosures. Drivers are fixed to a stainless-steel isoplate that is mechanically decoupled from the cabinet walls, so driver vibration is not passed directly into the box. The crossover follows the brand's uno-pulse concept, with the lowest tolerance components TIDAL can source and a separate chamber that isolates the network from the air pressure inside the enclosure. Its main division leaves the upper range to the two diamond units and the lower range to the ceramic and hexacone drivers. TIDAL also specifies six 250 mm passive radiators for the G3, tuned so that each reaches its own F3 point, a scheme the maker links to easier placement in a listening space. The whole column rests on an isolation frame with high-gloss polished stainless-steel footers. Finish choices are midnight black piano lacquer or hand-picked wood veneers finished in clear piano lacquer. In the United States the G3 version carries a retail price of USD 450,000 in midnight black gloss.

Pairing

A minimum impedance that stays comfortably high, combined with moderate sensitivity, lets conventional solid-state amplifiers drive the Sunray, while powerful monoblocks leave reserve for the six-woofer bass section. The mass and height of each column mean the floor structure and access through doors and stairs need planning ahead of installation.

Alternatives

Within the TIDAL range, the AKIRA floorstander uses a three-and-a-half-way layout, diamond tweeter and midrange at 158 kg per speaker.