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County Durham-based Neat Acoustics have not one, but three new loudspeakers to show at Cranage Hall this time.
Firstly, after a short absence, Neat’s best-selling Iota (one of the smallest genuine HiFi speakers ever made) gets a refresh with a new bass-mid unit and an improved crossover. The cabinet has also had a slight re-design with a sculpted edge.
The outstanding planar-magnetic tweeter remains the same as we couldn’t find anything better!
Two all-new models will also have their world debut at the Audio Show.
The Momentum J-S and Momentum J-6 are high-end designs based on Neat’s flagship Ultimatum range.
The main differences between the Ultimatum and Momentum models are:
- The Momentum cabinets are constructed from MDF instead of the more costly birch ply of the Ultimatum cabinets
- The upward-firing super tweeters of the Ultimatum have been left off the Momentum designs, but the main tweeter (A Sonolex fabric dome in the Ultimatum) is a wide-bandwidth AMT Jet tweeter made by German manufacturer ELAC.
- The downward firing isobaric bass units in the J-6 are 164mm Peerless drivers (as used in the Orkestra)
The J-S is a medium-sized stand mount design using the same bass-mid drivers as the Ultimatum XLS in isobaric configuration. It also uses the decoupled baffle of the XLS to reduce cabinet vibration, sculpted around the tweeter to minimise diffraction effects.
The tweeter is the exceptional JET tweeter from ELAC, an advanced development of the Air Motion Transformer principle first proposed by Oskar Heil in the early 1970s.
This tweeter reproduces rich and transparent high frequencies that Neat feel is the perfect balance of clarity and smoothness.
The J-6 is a floorstander based on the Ultimatum XL6, with Neat’s own bass-mid driver paired again with the ELAC Jet tweeter. There are also two downward firing bass units in isobaric configuration, acting as an integral subwoofer.
In common with all Neat speakers, the crossover is a carefully-judged filter using the finest quality components, chosen after many hours of listening.
The J-6 is mounted on Ultimatum-style, laser-cut steel feet, raised on four aluminium spacers allowing the bass units to work in an optimal manner.
The Momentum speakers will be available in late summer. Finishes and prices TBA