Vintage Sonab OD11 Speakers by Stig Carlsson. Little Masterpieces, 1974 + +

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		$123.50
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Vintage Sonab OD11 Speakers by Stig Carlsson. Little Masterpieces, 1974 + + Picture(s) and Description:

You're bidding on a pair of black Sonab (Sweden) OD11 speakers in exceptional operational and very good cosmetic condition.Devised and designed by my speaker hero, Stig Carlsson, this matching number pair dates from 1974. Drawing upon his research into "ortho-acoustics", Carlsson firmly believed that the anechoic chamber used for conventional speaker testing/designing was virtually redundant when it came to speakers existing in the real world, or at least in living rooms where placement, furnishings etc. could not be assumed.Carlsson also contended that very early reflected sound, as well as direct sound, from the speakers was advantageous to full and attractive musical reproduction. Thus his speaker designs sought to exploit "omni-directional" properties and fill the room with sound rather than to attempt a narrow, focal presentation. The OD11, in many ways the most resolved and versatile of Carlsson's designs, features a 6.5"paper-cone woofer, inclined at an angle, behind a small Alnico-backed tweeter, also placed diagonally to the square of the cabinet. The rear of the box is ported and the ingenious interior bracing/baffling arrangement means that the box is internally "longer" (as far as low frequencies are concerned) than the exterior would suggest. Each cabinet can be placed on its side, any side (in a bookcase for example) or stand on the floor, the small integral feet ensuring the bass is still free to roam. Stereo imaging is still remarkably good (again, depending on where the speakers are placed) but the reflection-friendly orientation of the drivers means that the sweet spot can also be oddly large. In fact they do, as Sonab claimed, have the ability to make the "walls disappear". It's a dramatic effect. I love it. So, on to these. The 6.5" drivers are the original Peerless SC165s units so coveted by Sonab-fanciers. They have breathtakingly natural, full low bass, and this pair has had their foam surrounds renewed with rubber versions - they've also been thoroughly doped, cones included, with silicon (looks a bit weird, sounds great). The tweeters have been replaced with far superior (and very expensive) ObiT22 cone tweeters - made specifically in Sweden as Peerless AlNiCo replacements, and endorsed as best-of-the-best parts by the Carlsson Trust. In truth they sound far better than the originals, with wonderful, lucid, soaring reproduction and none of the distortion or fragility of the Peerless. It's a magnificent upgrade. Crossovers are original and in no need of refreshing; Carlsson used only high quality film caps and air-core inductors. The original blue treble attenuator jumpers are present and function well.The sound from all of this is deeply impressive, driver matching is excellent, and both presence and accuracy is first-rate. Bass-extension is nothing short of miraculous given the box size, the mids are liquid and even and the tops, as mentioned, simply shine. The matt black boxes are in very nice condition for their age (with minimal signs of wear) and cabinet joints are tight. Grilles are also great, straight and strong. Speaker cable connection is now bare-wire with a simple joining terminations - the small gauge DIN sockets of the original connectors were a weak-point, sonically. Each box is 26cm x 26cm x 26cm and 6.6kg. Please note that the Sonab cardboard box in some photos is not included in the auction, though please check out my other auctions for more tasty hifi classics and rarities. Pickup is from Annandale during business hours or I can courier Australia-wide (please ignore the calculator and send your postcode for a quote). International buyers are welcome but again, ignore the calculator and contact me prior to bidding. This is a no-reserve auction. Good luck!