Напольная акустика — Legacy Audio Valor

The Valor is a floorstanding speaker system from Legacy Audio of the United States, built as a four way design with eight drivers plus a three driver ambient array, and powered for the bass and ambient sections by amplifiers inside the cabinet. The list price is USD 100,000 per pair, and the system comes with the Wavelet 2 processor.

Key specs that matter

Two 4 inch AMT tweeters are bridge mounted in a post convergent array above a 1.5 inch coaxial midrange whose diaphragm combines titanium and polyester, in a precision waveguide. A 14 inch carbon and pulp midwoofer with a neodymium motor runs as a dipole, and two further 14 inch cones of the same type form a super cardioid bass array. Two 12 inch aluminium subwoofers with 480 oz motors and 3 inch four layer voice coils are assisted by two 12 inch passive radiators with 2 inches of travel. Crossover points are 65 Hz, 800 Hz and 6 kHz. Response is 12 Hz to 30 kHz within 2 dB, and sensitivity is 100.5 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m. The cabinet is 67 inches high, 16.25 wide and 18 deep on a 20.75 inch square base, and each speaker weighs 288 lb.

Engineering and use context

The built in amplification is split by section - 1 kW for the subwoofers, 750 W for the bass array, 500 W for the midwoofer and 500 W for the ambient array. The Wavelet 2 is a 64 bit DSP unit with two inputs and eight outputs, and it also runs the Stereo Unfold algorithm, developed with Bohmer Audio, that feeds the ambient drivers. Connections include a single set of speaker terminals at 4 ohm for the upper range, two balanced XLR inputs for bass and subwoofer at 10 kohm, and one XLR input for the Stereo Unfold signal. Without surcharge the Valor comes in four oak and satin colours, while rosewood, walnut and high gloss black or white cost extra, and custom exotic veneers are offered on request.

Pairing

Because only the bass and ambient sections are powered, the tweeters and midrange still need an external stereo amplifier, and Legacy recommends at least 60 W for that duty. Given the 100.5 dB rating, a modest valve or transistor amplifier can cover this role. The processor also acts as the system control point, so a source can feed the Wavelet 2 directly, and the three XLR connections carry its outputs to the powered sections of each speaker.

Alternatives

Within the same catalogue, the Aeris XD offers a smaller Legacy tower as an option below the Valor.