Напольная акустика — Estelon XA

The XA is a three-way floor-standing model of the Estelon X series, designed and built by Alfred & Partners, a design studio in Tallinn, Estonia. The company was set up by Alfred Vassilkov, who according to Estelon had more than 25 years of loudspeaker design work behind him before starting his own brand.

Key specs that matter

All three drivers come from Accuton. An 11 inch ceramic sandwich dome woofer covers the bass, a 7 inch mid-woofer of the same ceramic sandwich dome type sits above it, and a 1.2 inch ceramic inverted dome tweeter takes the top. Estelon quotes a frequency response of 25 Hz to 28,000 Hz and a sensitivity of 89 dB at 2.83 V. Nominal impedance is 6 ohm, reaching a minimum of 3.5 ohm at 60 Hz, and the power rating is 200 W. Each speaker is 1370 mm high, 450 mm wide and 640 mm deep. Net weight is 85 kg per piece, while the shipping weight reaches 130 kg per piece. Estelon suggests a room of 25 to 60 m2.

Engineering and use context

The enclosure follows what Estelon calls the E-lon shape, a streamlined sculptural form. Estelon lists a special casting process, a proprietary marble-based composite and extensive use of sub-structural stiffening spars as the core of its construction. In the drivers, all moving elements are ventilated with the stated aim of a resonance-free response. Internal wiring is from Kubala-Sosna. The finish is a multicoated automotive-grade lacquer in gloss or matte. Each coat is sanded by hand, and the last one is polished by hand to a mirror surface. The owner manual carries two sign-offs, a technical test passed by engineer Harry Jurgenson and a listening test passed by Alfred Vassilkov as head of research and development. The speakers arrive on transport wheels, which are swapped for the supplied spikes once the XA is in its final position, and special cloths for cleaning and polishing come in the box. Estelon permits only dry cleaning of the cabinet and names a silicone-free DuPont Sontara cloth impregnated with Krytox for the Liquid Gloss finish. Speaker cables attach to pole terminals placed on the back of each cabinet.

Pairing

The minimum amplifier power stated by Estelon is 20 W. With the impedance dipping in the bass, the chosen amplifier has to drive that lower load in the bass without strain.

Alternatives

The Estelon XB Mk II is the current three-way tower of the X series, with a 220 mm Accuton woofer and a net weight of 69 kg.