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High-End Fullrange Driver Loudspeakers



This might very well be one of the best-sounding loudspeakers you'll ever hear.

For eight years now we've impressed every person who has auditioned
our products. Many claim that our loudspeakers set the standard with which they compare
other loudspeakers. Our objective is to improve on that standard.

PRODUCTS

 

A BRAND NEW PHI LOUDSPEAKER RANGE

FOLDED TQWT, DTTP and  EXOLINEA® aperiodic tuned pipes.

PHI has embarked on the design and manufacture of a brand new range of tuned pipe loudspeakers. The price range of our line-up has been broadened, ranging from affordable 'desktop' and 'bookshelf' loudspeakers to our customary high-end units, in both our customer and materials driven be[spoke] series and our per[form] range, where the fidelity is largely determined by the exact form of the loudspeakers.

We have maintained our minimal Dieter Ramsian design aesthetic by using solid wood in conjunction with engineered materials. This latter will be the highest quality Birch Plywood, chosen for its appearance as much as its proven sonic qualities.

Our focus, as always, is on full and wide range loudspeakers, assisted with appropriate high and low frequency transducers where deemed necessary.


PHI BESPOKE

Our be[spoke] range remains an extension of this set of loudspeakers.

Bespoke design and manufacture allows the use of any and all exotic and iconic drivers, boutique materials and components such as speciality capacitors, rare tone woods and gold and silver wiring.

We adhere to our design principles and philosophies, but accommodate any client request supported by these constraints.

 

 

VIEW AVAILABLE TONEWOOD FINISHES HERE >

GALLERY

 

Siderium DTTP

Ultra-Low Bass Stereo Audiophile Loudspeaker System.

The Siderium is our be[spoke] loudspeaker for the purist. Constructed from solid American walnut, it excels in any kind of music and has bass extension and clarity far beyond what would be possible with traditional designs. The unique DTTP (Double Taper Tuned Pipe) design is a world first and provides a level of realism, involvement and immediacy that compares with that of any loudspeaker, at any price point.

 

Siderium detail

NEW DESIGNS


 

On the work bench: The Steropes - a folded TQWT
Floor-Standing Stereo Audiophile Loudspeaker System.

As first offering from our new per[form] stable, this loudspeaker employs a principle which cuts down on the size of tuned pipe speakers by folding the upper part of the speaker taper behind the lower part. The upward tapering geometry of the unit not only makes for attractive looks, but ekes the last drop of performance out of the already beautifully-constructed, German-designed driver set. The loudspeaker accepts a range of drivers without needing structural modification, allowing an easy upgrade path to more exotic components.

Features include sensitivity in excess of 95dB/2.83V at 1m, an easily driven load impedance, a minimal first order filtering network and solid 30mm hardwood and birch ply construction.

 

Keep watching this space.


On the right: a concept sketch of this new design.

 

 

 

Depicted below are the shells of another speaker range we are developing. Also on the table, a range of small, affordable, high-performance wall-mounted loudspeakers.










HISTORY - THE CYCLOPS
































 

The Cyclops was PHI's first commercial loudspeaker. It came about after a lengthy search for drivers for a tapered quarterwave pipe, itself intended to display the virtues of the Sonic Impact T-Amp. We found that this little amplifier simply couldn't drive the ported boxes we had at hand and the intention was to build a pair of high-efficiency loudspeakers with small fullrange drivers. An almost impossible feat, we realised.


The initial Cyclops was a spare-no-expense solution to building a loudspeaker around these 75mm Kevlar drivers, able to outperform commercial loudspeakers priced up to ten times higher than our intended sale price. It was a tall order, but we pulled it off. Measuring 91dB/Watt at 1m, the efficiency couldn't exactly be called high. But it was high enough to do the T-Amp justice and it was just about as much as one could coax out of a 3 inch driver without using a impractically large horn. The initial Cyclops had a concrete base with cavities filled with lead shot. The enclosure was entirely hand-made from a sandwich of MDF and solid Sapele mahogany; the filter box from beech, Panga-panga and glass. This elaborate filter and crossover box sported a custom designed adjustable MOSFET pre-amplifier as well as high quality passive crossover components. Interconnects were custom designed; NOS vintage components were used. At one point we counted four rare earth metals in the design. It was, in short, a lot of hard, expensive work.

Reviews were flattering to the extent that the Cyclops is still in production. The original was a tough act to follow. We created the downPHI® from the original Cyclops – a bit taller and sleeker and in some ways better. We went back to the original but amended the filter unit, housing many of the components inside the boxes as one has come to expect. We adapted the aesthetic to our current two-tone design feel. The present incarnation of this loudspeaker is much less elaborate than the original and, predictably, sounds a bit better. But it was by no means easy.


 


 


The Sonic Impact T-Amp

The downPHI®

 

 

 

REVIEWS

Dick Olsher's Black Dahlia Website, June 2010
http://www.blackdahlia.com/html/tip_71.html

"I thought to slip in the Cyclops II here, a bi-pole tapered pipe, by PHI Hi-Fi Innovation as it happens to be one of the best full-range designs I have ever heard."
Jonathan Noble

AVSA MAY 2008 - REVIEW BY DEON SCHOEMAN
"...the PHI 58.40b Cyclops is a remarkable speaker in many respects. Its application is limited, and it requires careful matching of ancillary equipment. But in the right electronic company, with music suited to its particular talents, these speakers deliver a world-class performance."
Deon Schoeman

VIEW WOOD FINISHES HERE

[Bubinga] Suggested retail price R26 379- /pair
Prices for speakers made in other wood types will be made available on request.

t these links:












MATERIALS

 

USING HARDWOODS IN LOUDSPEAKERS


PHI offers a number of woods for the construction of loudspeaker enclosures.

Below is a list of woods we have used, with some notes as to the tonal and mechanical character of these woods. Using tone woods for loudspeakers and in particular referring to the tonal characteristics of woods may sound alarming to those committed to neutrality in sound. The truth is that any material one may use for the construction of a loudspeaker has some kind of sonic signature. This does not mean that reproduction would be coloured - we, at PHI, are probably as committed to tonal neutrality as any audiophile, and our loudspeakers are constructed with this as our foremost requirement. But, all things being equal, one might as well know the character of the material one chooses.


 

Kiaat


An excellent value local wood known for its durability, look and stability. Sonically it falls in the walnut and maple fold, with a clean and transparent sound, slightly favouring high frequencies.

African Rosewood, Bubinga


One of the best value woods that one can obtain locally. Shares some excellent tonal characteristics with "real" rosewoods such as a slightly dark and woody sound mildly accentuating lower and middle frequencies.

Afrormosia


Wonderfully dark wood in a medium to high price range. Similar in sound to Merbau - rich and resinous, though perhaps slightly more favouring of the upper mids than the latter..

Beech


Beautiful strong light coloured wood that finishes perfectly. Tonally "powdery" and "midsy".

Birch


An old favourite in loudspeaker building, particularly in the form of plywood. Lively sound.

Burmog


Even-grained wood with similar tonal and mechanical characteristics to mahogany, favouring mids and upper mids.

Iroko


Even-grained wood with similar tonal and mechanical characteristics to mahogany. Beautiful yellow colour that turns to a rich brown as it ages.

Jacaranda


A very soft and light wood. Inexpensive, but has some surprisingly attractive patterns and a good neutral sound.

Maple, Birdseye Maple


Probably one of the best looking and sounding lighter woods. Difficult to find wood with as many "eyes" as this piece, but well worth the search. Somewhat expensive. Sound described as transparent and "silvery".

Merbau


Very attractive dark resinous wood. Medium-priced but becoming rare now. Rich sounding.

Oukoume


Soft, light coloured wood with similar characteristics to birch. Even-grained and silky. Relatively inexpensive. Lively sound.

Padauk


Stunning reddish wood - similar to rosewoods in tone, though perhaps less rich sounding. Medium to high price.

Panga-panga, Partridge wood


Stunning dark and very underrated wood. Tonally neutral to slightly bright, but hard and difficult to work with. Not expensive, but should be.

Pau Marfim


Very nice light coloured wood with very little figuration or texture that's not particularly expensive. Dense and hard with a punchy and brilliant sound.

Poplar


Inexpensive soft light wood more suitable for the inside of loudspeaker enclosures. Clean and lively sound in such an application.

Purple Heart


Even textured dense wood with an exceptional purple colour. Excellent tone wood - smooth sounding with a slight favouring of middle and higher frequencies.

Sapele Mahogany


Forward mahogany-like sound, slightly favouring middle frequencies. Excellent workability, even grain. Beautiful dark colour but with little or no figuration. Medium-high price.

American Walnut


Wonderfully figured chocolaty brown wood with a sound similar to Maple: clean and transparent, perhaps slightly favouring mids, upper mids and highs. Somewhat expensive.



CONTACT DETAILS

e-mail:        information phi-audio.com
Telephone: +27 7
3 848 6707
Workshop:  +27 79 405 8867
Fax:           +27 86 518 3482

12 Kloof Road

Gordon’s Bay

7151

Our operation is spread over three locations at present, all in the Cape peninsula. Workshop visits are therefore not possible at present, but will be possible to arrange by appointment in the not-too-distant future.

Business hours are from 10h00 to 20h00



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