Напольная акустика — Estelon YB

Estelon of Tallinn, Estonia, a family operated company, lists the YB as a separate line outside its X-Series and A-Series, and the three-way passive tower is now built as the YB Mk II. Above it in the catalogue sit the X-Series models, the Extreme and the Forza Ultra. Unlike several larger models of the brand it uses a sealed-box cabinet with no port, and Estelon recommends it for rooms of 25 to 50 m2.

Key specs that matter

Two suppliers provide the three drivers - a 220 mm aluminium cone woofer from SEAS, a 148 mm sliced paper cone mid-woofer from the Scan-Speak Revelator series and a 26 mm beryllium dome Illuminator tweeter, also from Scan-Speak. Frequency response is quoted as 30 to 40,000 Hz. Nominal impedance is 6 ohm, falling to a minimum of 3 ohm at 52 Hz, and sensitivity is 86 dB at 2.83 V. The power rating is 150 W, with 30 W named as the minimum amplifier power. Each speaker stands 1260 mm tall, 332 mm wide and 394 mm deep, and weighs 45 kg.

Engineering and use context

Estelon forms the cabinet from its proprietary marble-based composite, with curved external and internal surfaces that eliminate parallel walls to help reduce standing waves. A mix of natural and synthetic damping materials fills the interior. The woofer uses a lightweight aluminium cone mounted in a low-loss rubber surround, while the slices in the mid-woofer cone are filled with a proprietary damping glue that reduces and modifies the break-up modes of the driver. In the crossover Estelon uses custom transformer-core coils, oxygen-free copper air-core coils, SESGO capacitors and Mundorf wire-wound Supreme resistors. The crossover points sit at 80 Hz and 2 kHz, with a third-order transition from woofer to mid-woofer and a second-order transition to the tweeter. Each crossover is tested electrically before final assembly, and the drivers are wired to it with Kubala-Sosna cabling. Finishes are Black Gloss, White Gloss, White Matte and Red Racing, plus a Champagne Gold Limited Edition.

Pairing

Because the load dips to its minimum right at the bass frequencies, an amplifier able to hold its current output as the impedance drops is the sensible partner.

Alternatives

The Estelon XB Diamond Mk II is a larger floorstander of the brand, a bass reflex three-way design with Accuton ceramic drivers and a diamond membrane tweeter.