August 31st: "A high-pass filter for Hagen². Fresh from our Berlin laboratory, we are delighted to share something new. Inspired by Srajan Ebaen of 6moons, the idea of equipping Hagen² in the Alberich² system with a high-pass filter—preventing large bass excursions at higher levels—has proven to be brilliant. Srajan illustrated this with an outboard analog crossover. While convenient, not everyone has access to one. Hence we are now developing our own pure analog solution. First listening sessions are truly inspiring: greater clarity, effortless flow and a natural ease especially with classical music. More to come."
In short order we learnt of the Virtual Hifi Viper building in an 80Hz high pass via premium 200µF alu/oil Mundorf capacitor tapped via the optional 2nd '+' binding post to avoid a switch in the signal path. Now comes Voxativ's own take for Hagen² riding atop his RiPol subwoofer dad Alberich². This is exciting for numerous reasons. Ideology meets the real world and adapts. The classic widebander ethos long identified with saying 'never' to passive filter parts. It became a core tenet of its religion. If said widebander was a hard-hung 10.3" Zu/Eminence with pro-audio roots, it needed no LF protection. If it's a 5-incher like Hagen or Viper, eliminating two octaves of bass from its voice coil has ever more benefits as SPL and LF escalate. It reduces stroke-related distortion and maintains lower temps for less dynamic compression.
Splitting not the atom but signal into high and low passes can be done externally in the digital domain. Think CoLinear's DSP-8c, an 8-channel DAC with volume control and extensive browser-based DSP, filter coefficients even time delay for the mains to sync up a sub whose own digital latency or placement upsets time alignment. It can be done externally with an analog crossover. Think Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box or Sublime Acoustics K231 or K235. It can be done digitally via built-in smart bass management of FutureFi integrated amplifiers like Lyngdorf, NAD or Wiim; or with a subwoofer's high-pass built onto its plate electronics. The Virtual/Voxativ wrinkle eliminates high-pass adjustments by fixing the filter transition to the recommended value. Building it into the speaker eliminates an extra box and its cabling. Executing the high pass analogue eliminates even minor digital latency. In practice it turns a 1-way widebander like Hagen² into a 2-way, just not with a classic presence-region filter between mid/woofer and tweeter. It moves the filter to ~80Hz hence octaves away from our hearing's critical range to let an active woofer press its full advantage just in the bass. It's obvious how the quality of such a high pass is instrumental in preserving a widebander's signature directness. All of its signal must first pass through it. But as Marie Adler's initial experiments at Voxativ report, dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight can be very sexy when he wears Prada. Behind the puritan preacher's tent, exciting widebander heresies are afoot…
Voxativ's website
