How different Diatone speaker models sound from DS-77 to 3000

How different Diatone speaker models sound from DS-77 to 3000

Being interested in the differences in the sound of acoustic systems, questions involuntarily arise as to what is the difference between speakers of the same brand, but in different price ranges, or of a similar level of lines, but different years of manufacture.
In my practice of hobbies, the field of Diatone speaker systems that has been most trampled upon is the field of Diatone acoustic systems, as it turned out that I have a weakness for them at the genetic level, or, more simply, “like”. Namely, I like the sound of Diatone titanium and tiboron domes, I like their form factor ZY (in most models ZY, but rarely there are FI), I like the clarity of the lower register and the very high speed of sound. I will tell you about the models in an approximate personal historical retrospective, in what order I bought them, and accordingly I heard them. The first speakers we heard from Diatone, after a whole host of European models, were the Diatone DS-77EX.

This is the very first 77 model and it is the simplest in sound in the line.

The speakers were priced at ￥62,000 each (124,000 yen per pair) in 1985. The weight of these speakers was 21 kg and these are the lightest speakers in this line.

Already in the 77ex Diatone was able to draw a dotted line of the main features of the sound, but of course this is “not the same” in comparison with subsequent variations from the subsequent modifications.

Despite the similar woofer, the main difference from the other 77s lies entirely in the midrange and a little in the treble. It doesn't sound as detailed as later versions.

The first thing I fell for about the Diatone DS-77EX was its appearance. The acoustics are fantastically beautiful, after the European “columns”, there are beautiful metal rims around the speakers that shine under the light.

The sound was quite good, but the midrange resolution was not very high. In addition, from such a large speaker (32 cm), I expected very deep bass, but it was smooth and not hypertrophied.

On the Diatone DS-77EX model, of course, I was not able to appreciate and taste the global delights of the Diatone sound, but I still have a good opinion about the acoustics.

Later I came up with the idea of ​​trying Diatone, but immediately decided on the top-end Diatone DS-3000.

I wanted to buy once and completely close the topic of speaker systems in the setup. But it didn't work out. The acoustics came with stiff suspensions and I was not experienced enough in these nuances. As a result, I was extremely surprised by the almost absence of bass in speakers with giant (32 cm) woofers. But in essence, what should I have expected from them, since with a larger volume and weight (52 kg per speaker), the acoustics used a woofer of the same size as in the “small” 77ex. In my opinion, another mug of the midrange speaker (4th band) made of aramid, instead of a dome, was also dubious. It turned out that the treble and midrange were the same as in the smaller 77s, and this whole thing was enhanced by just another midrange mug (16 cm). There is an expectation of some kind of strange merging of the midrange with the midrange (there are 2 midrange speakers) from such tricks.

In reality, the acoustics sounded thinner in the lows (I think the main reason was the stiff suspensions and quite possibly the amplifier, since I later came across the fact that top-end large Diatone speakers simply require hellish top-end amplifiers for sound).

I really liked the midrange, very detailed, the trumpet, the saxophone, the creaking of the door - it was all frighteningly real. But for the rather large money that I paid for the Diatone DS-3000 (I bought them in Russia) there were too many questions. I expected that I would get speakers with fantastic resolution, deep bass, ideal in general, but there were many factors (oak surrounds, probably an amplifier) ​​that did not allow me to experience this. It is quite possible that these speakers should have been kept until better times (the acoustics themselves were produced in 1984 and cost 520,000 yen per pair, approximately ~$5200 in 1984 - crazy money).

What did I try to get the sound out of them? Oh, these were not so simple models. These were amplifiers from the Pioneer A-616 to the Marantz PM-15S1! The sources were both CD players, for example Philips CD-104, and Wadia 121 DAC on Saber ES9018!

As a result, I expected more from such a high financial investment, I could not realize sound based on the audio path that existed at that time, I did not even bother to process the suspensions (although I purchased the liquid in Japan for this). That is, in fact, the main disadvantage was that the Diatone DS-3000 were actually too expensive for me, I could not afford to own them. Before you grimace, think about it—their cost was a year's salary.

General impressions of the Diatone DS-3000 - excellent acoustics, extremely high resolution, excellent detail, the middle register is very detailed, the sounds of trumpet and sax are frighteningly natural. The lower register, taking into account the solid suspensions, was not good, and all other problems followed - lightness, etc. Surely the stiff suspension of both the woofer and one of the midrange speakers had a significant influence on this.

As a result, I said goodbye to this top-end acoustics, and I was even noticeably at a disadvantage. Although there is nothing to complain about, I had a good experience using a top-end speaker system while still not a mature audiophile.

I would buy the Diatone DS-3000 again - yes, I would be quite ready for this, and later, several years later, I even tried to buy them again, but the price of these acoustics has increased very much.

The Diatone DS-3000 is a decent acoustic if you can afford it.

After the Diatone DS-3000, I purchased the Diatone DS-77HR (124,000 yen per pair, 1987).

I was impressed by how dramatically different these speakers were from the 77EX. The 77HR had excellent resolution in both the mid and high ranges, and the bass was very clear and fast. To this day, I consider these speakers an unshakable metric of super quality for affordable money.

Luxury speakers, don't be fooled by all sorts of stories trying to degrade these acoustics - the higher the class of your amplification and source, the better the sound you get. Only in the top-end tract you can feel that the 77HR has been simplified a little, but it simply cannot be compared with the price. An indicative example may be that, having also owned the top-end Diatone DS-1000, I listened to the 77HR without any problems - these were arithmetically average equivalent partners. Of course, the DS-1000 simply has amazing resolution, delicacy and richness of sound at the same time, the 77HR presents this a little more simply, but on the side of the 77HR there is clearly greater scale and spaciousness of sound. You will feel the enormity of the sound event more clearly on the Diatone DS-77HR. But of course, the DS-1000 will delight you with accuracy, speed and impeccable sound.

Diatone DS-77HR speakers have very rich sound thanks to pure titanium domes without boron powder on top. There is honey and juice in the music, the violin flows and cries. If your top speakers have abandoned you, don’t go to all lengths; they will be temporarily replaced without any problems while you are busy looking for new tops, Diatone DS-77HR. Or maybe you won’t give a damn about these searches at all.

Diatone DS-77HR has a rich, bright sound character, very fast, clear, detailed, transparent, with a clear holographic appearance, you can easily see where the instrument is. The scale of sound. The acoustics sound great even in very noisy rooms thanks to the ZYA.

The next attempt to evaluate changes in the Diatone line was the Diatone DS-77z acoustics.

The main difference between these speakers was the tweeter, which had migrated from the top models; now it was covered with foamed boron on top - a kind of brownish coating fried at 15,000 degrees. Using this method, the company combated the resonances (coloring) that titanium produces. To the ear, this is expressed in reduced sibilance, but the richness of the sound has also become less.

Visually, I personally think the Z also doesn’t look as impressive as the HR, due to the fact that the rims are not shiny, but matte dark gray, but this is a matter of taste.

Compared to the Diatone DS-77HR, the Diatone DS-77Z has slightly less highs, which makes them a little less juicy. Therefore, despite the fact that the 77z acoustics are more advanced, purely based on the emotions of what the sound gives, I am on the side of the 77HR. Although they are very close and there is no such torment as to which one to choose, which copy is in better condition, choose the one, but if both are ideal, I would personally choose the DS-77HR. The midrange in the 77z remains purely titanium (except for the fact that it is a hybrid with an aramid bowl).

Diatone DS-77Z is a cool adult acoustic, with very expensive sound compared to comparable analogues these days.

For example, Onkyo recently released a replica of its acoustics from the 80s - Onkyo DS-77, priced at $6,000. Guys, the Diatone DS-77Z definitely sounds better, especially in terms of detail and transparency!

Impressed by the sound capabilities of the Diatone DS-77Z, I became interested in slightly older lines and purchased the Diatone DS-501.

Diatone DS-501 - 1982, this is the forerunner of the 77ex model. The price is impressive, 82,000 yen per piece or 164,000 yen per pair.

But it was clear that Diatone had not yet thought of the luxurious low-frequency speakers that were later installed in the 77s, so the low frequencies sounded more “smeared” in the 501s. The huge midrange dome and the high frequencies, of course, caught the eye. They look yellowish in appearance, but they are titanium, albeit “fried” at high temperatures.

The acoustics sound quite good and are similar to the 77HR/Z series, but the sound is dirtier and less accurate, unfortunately. Therefore, you can be sure of choosing between 77 and 501 and choose 77HR/HRX/Z. It’s already difficult to choose 501 or 77EX, because 501 will have more detail, especially in the midrange.

Another interesting event was the purchase of bookshelf speakers from Diatone, which were quite expensive in retail - Diatone DS-500.

1988, 92,000 yen per pair, essentially shelves with a price tag of about 1000 dollars!

Unfortunately, the retail price does not correspond to the sound quality. I expected to hear from them a miniature copy of at least 77s, but I was quite disappointed. Diatone DS-500 produced a brightened sound (reading - there is little meat in the instruments and little depth in the lows). Their low modern market value for a used one fully reflects their real sound capabilities and for the money that they are asking for a ds-500 now they are at ease, but then, in 1988, if I had bought them for $1000, I would have been very disappointed.

The acoustics are detailed, but bright and somehow “without zest”.

The next acoustics I purchased was a Diatone DS-1000.

Oh, friends, these are absolutely gorgeous acoustics - impeccable ultra-high detail, juice in the sound, it is even tarter than the 77HR. The speed of the low frequencies is simply fantastic, in metal you listen and are amazed at how clearly and quickly the beater, etc. can be shown. Fantastic resolution in the midrange and high frequency range. Indescribable.

Minuses? Of course they exist, these floorstanding speakers are small, they are clearly smaller than the 77HR and have a shallow lower register. Yes, you can live with it with pleasure, which is what I did while remaining a listener of these speakers for a year or more, but you listen - you understand how cool it sounds, and you want, you want a deeper low end, so that right now - and right away...

Diatone DS-1000 is an excellent acoustics. The creators assured that it was superior to the more expensive Diatone DS-2000, for example in speed, and therefore for their elite model Diatone DS- 10000 , they chose not the DS-2000, but the DS-1000 as the base.

I have only rave impressions about the acoustics - incredible transparency, detail, speed, juice...

In the wake of this, of course, it was interesting where Diatone ended up in its research into top-end sound. And she came to the conclusion that she completely abandoned titanium in the domes, forming them entirely from boron and calling this technology B4. This is a wildly complex and expensive technology; today probably no one is able to do this level of work for acoustics. 15000 degrees in an inert gas is 3-5 times hotter than the surface of the Sun, form a dome only from boron, use DUD (winding a voice coil directly onto the dome), new generation HD suspensions, ADMC from the Hi-End 8000 model, etc. .

Phew, exhale.

And here I have Diatone DS-1000ZA.

The size of these 1000ZA was clearly larger than the old DS-1000.

But unfortunately, where Diatone came in the 90s did not suit me at all. This pure boron from which the domes were entirely smelted, instead of bright emotions, gave a rather gray sound. Perhaps it is perfectly smooth in terms of frequency response and some other parameters, but it sounded boring, ordinary, and not very interesting. I didn't get an emotional connection with the performer. If you listened to small-piece jazz, then this was not noticeable, everything was academic, but more active genres, alas, aggravated everything. Heavy metal on this model was unbearably dreary to listen to, no juicy cuts of fuzz guitar, no furious trills of drums, boring. Of course the acoustics were a disappointment.

Yes, of course I’m biased in taste, but I demonstrated the sound (head-to-head comparison) of the Diatone DS-1000 and DS-1000ZA to at least 4 audiophiles interested in purchasing them, and all 4, at different times, chose only the Diatone DS-1000.

They are very different in character. The Diatone DS-1000 leaves the feeling of rock speakers, fast, juicy, tasty. A slight sensation, as if the equalizer ticked, when the midrange and treble are higher, the midrange is slightly lower (but the midrange is exemplary, ultra-detailed), and the DS-1000ZA gave a very refined, properly gray tone sound (thanks to pure boron, I guess).

I would like to complete this short excursion with the Diatone DS-2000, which is now in my tract.

They came out in 1985, at a price of 336,000 yen, for those who have an easier time, let him think that it was $3,400 in the 80s.

Of course, these are excellent acoustics. Now it really has that lower register bass that I wanted to hear, but I also received some disappointment. The transparency of these speakers was lower than that of the old Diatone DS-1000. Perhaps this is a consequence of deeper bass, which hides some of the nuances of midrange and high-frequency resolution. The second point is brightness, I lack the brightness in the Diatone DS-2000, I like it brighter, like the DS-1000 or DS-77HR did. The DS-1000 is brighter by the way than the DS-77HR!

The third point is gain, this is what I encountered in the top Diatons back on the DS-3000, when I couldn’t open them even with the help of the Marantz PM-15S1.

I went through quite a few top-end amplifier models in conjunction with the Diatone DS-2000, and only with the rather iconic and cool-sounding powerhouse Yamaha P2200 did I finally recognize my favorite Diatone sound.

The Yamaha P2200 was able to produce amazing sound from the Diatone DS-2000, but guys, it’s not serious, it’s such a hellish effort to select/sort out amplifiers. The DS-1000 sounded great with anything, they were limited only by the class of the amplifier, and I can say the same about the DS-77HR/HRX/Z.

Diatone DS-2000 with Yamaha P2200 - amazing sound, ultra-detailed, lively, beautiful, fast, thick - fantastic. If the HF brightness was a little higher, I would be simply happy. But of course, I didn’t become truly happy for the reason that in my home setup, in addition to the Diatone DS-2000, I have a Yamaha NS-1000, which convincingly showed what truly high resolution is - there are simply prohibitive stars in the midrange and high-frequency range. But as always, there is a drain on the quality of the bass sound. Here the Diatone DS-2000 takes the palm, showing meat and a wall of sound and speed with good top-end detail.

Diatone milestones in posters

The Diatone brand turns 71 in September 2022, can you imagine? You might argue that the company's history ended in 1999, when Mitsubishi's audio division, Diatone, was closed. But you are slightly mistaken, this did not stop Mitsubishi itself from periodically releasing some audio components under the Diatone name. Nevertheless, in 2016, on its 70th anniversary, the already legendary Japanese brand Diatone officially returned (so far only to the automotive sector (car audio)), and only for Japan, but this, you see, is also great news. Check out the poster below commemorating Diatone's 70th anniversary in 2016. It captures milestones in the company's development from Diatone's point of view.

I see the DS-5000 and simpler models from the early 80s (505, 503, etc.). Diatone DS-77HRX and even older beauties from the 70s. At the same time, there are no later magnificent models on the poster, especially from the top price segment (DS-10000, DS-20000, DS-A1 (700,000 yen per pair)), i.e. The emphasis in advertising is on the mainstream. First, a little history. The Diatone trademark was registered in September 1946 as a division of the Mitsubishi company for the production of loudspeakers. The company initially produced monitors for NHK (Japan Broadcast Corporation) on its speakers, which gained popularity in Japan. Truly, the Diatone brand is one of the most legendary and beloved in Japan itself, where a huge number of Diatone speaker systems were sold, which are still valued to this day. The Japanese tried their best to show that they could make acoustics no worse than JBL and succeeded in many ways, creating acoustics with their inimitable surround and natural sound, which still has many fans today. This is not surprising, because even the standard and quite affordable Diatone DS-77HR produces amazing sound quality that can satisfy 80 percent of lovers of good high-fidelity audio. Sparkling highs, precise and clear lower register, phenomenally detailed mids, airiness and completely live sounds of double bass, violin, piano, trumpet, saxophone - this is Diatone's strong point, one might say that orchestration is their pinnacle. In 1999, the Diatone brand was officially closed and... Let us rejoice, friends, that in 2016 Diatone was revived.

….the text is shortened, you can read the full version by opening the link….

Let's remember the first poster in the review dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Diatone and the flagship Diatone DS-5000 speaker systems depicted on it.

This acoustics appeared in 1982 at a price of 495,000 yen each, don’t rub your eyes, and accordingly 990,000 yen a pair. Almost a million yen if you tip the change. I think you understand what a monstrous cost this is, all the more interesting is that there was something so amazing in these speakers that had never happened before.

But first of all, from the poster we clearly see the positioning of the DS-5000 as the flagship in the 50x line. If you attributed these acoustics to the later generation 1000-3000-2000, then this is not so. The 5000 model line consisted of simpler ones: ds-501, DS-503 and DS-505. Accordingly, the youngest was Diatone DS-501. I was the owner of such an acoustic model and am familiar with its sound firsthand. But in fact, there was an even younger model (the prototype of the future DS-66 model) - Diatone DS-73D - 59,800 yen for one or 119,600 yen for a pair. For example, DS-501 cost 82,000 yen per piece, 164,000 yen per pair, all in the same 1982. Below the poster shows the entire line without its flagship:

And with him, but without one model, apparently the photographer had some kind of complex about the number 5, as the following photo shows:

So, let's go back to Diatone's flagship DS-5000 in 1982.

For a million yen they offered you a 40cm cone-type woofer. The diffuser had a honeycomb-like structure with an outer surface made of aramid.

Yes, the speaker has ceased to be paper, it has become made of aramid (a derivative of Kevlar, but devoid of overtones/colors).

Aramid, by the way, was Diatone’s favorite material; it even used it in the production of speaker cables (yes, there were some), which I suggest you admire in the following rare photographs.

And how it all works:

If you don’t really understand the phrase about the dynamics of the Diatone DS-5000 acoustics – “The diffuser had a honeycomb-like structure,” then I’ll give a picture that explains this point. The picture is borrowed from advertising pictures for the younger model Diatone DS-73D.

As you can see, the honeycomb-shaped structure under the diffuser gives high rigidity to the speaker and does not weigh it down much. This is one of the unique features of Diatone speakers. A little more about aramid and honeycombing (translation).

Aramid fiber has the property of high strength and high elasticity compared with conventional material, and it has the excellent characteristic of obtaining moderate internal loss even at low density. Aramid fiber is used as a material for a honeycomb diffuser and is impregnated with a special resin composition (the resin itself has large internal losses). The honeycomb structure is formed by sandwiching an aluminum-honeycomb element. The result is light weight, high rigidity. Large magnets are mounted for the magnetic circuit, and the total magnetic flux is 286,000 Maxwell!

Estimate the size of the DS-5000 from the audio cassette.

A mid-range driver with a diameter of 25 cm serves the mid-frequency range. As for the cone, an aramid honeycomb structure is used, the same as that of the woofer. The second mid-range driver has a cone diameter of 6.5 cm. It is a DDD cone made of titanium and boron. It is created by molding with an accuracy of 1/100 mm by deep drawing titanium using a proprietary molding method and is sprayed with boron at extremely high temperatures. In addition, the diffuser adopted in the DS-5000 greatly improves the growth of boron diffusion, which leads to boronation of the base material (titanium) with boron with crystal growth. This, combined with the hardness of the boron, suppresses the inherent sound of titanium metal.

In addition, paying attention to the processing of sounds after leaving the speaker, the setting suitable for the best model ensures that the sound is perfect in the field of sound perception. The tweeter has a dome diameter of 2.3 cm. As for the cone, it is a boron titanium dome DUD technology, like the midrange. In addition, DS-5000 realizes high-speed reaction and improves transient performance by using resin sheet as the slurry material and a three-layer sandwich structure with fiber membrane on both sides.

The acoustics use oxygen-free copper windings with the highest purity. In addition, focusing on gold with a low tendency to ionize - each connecting element uses a gold-plated oxygen-free copper crimp terminal. The volume of the upper and mid range can be controlled using the corresponding knobs on the front panel. The body of the DS-5000 is designed using all the know-how companies. The final design was achieved by creating more than 40 body prototypes and selecting the best design.

The baffle plate is made by orthogonally joining good quality Lavan plywood, and the other part is made of double-leaf softwood stone slab. In addition, solid walnut material is placed at the center of the reflector plate to suppress intermodulation distortion due to mutual interference between the mid, high frequency and low frequency ranges. The input terminal has two pairs of terminals, independent for the low frequency, mid and high frequency ranges, and is capable of connecting two amplifiers.

A set of stands in the form of bushy cubes DK-5000 was created for the speakers, in the amount of 8 pieces at a price of 18,000 yen. These are wooden cubes measuring 9x9x9 centimeters.

The DK-5000 uses Canadian maple, which is superior in vibration damping performance, and has an internal structure configuration that is structurally divided into 12 blocks. This makes the vibration weakening more beautiful. In addition, you can customize the bass characteristics by adjusting the tuning method. Oxygen-free copper pads are included in the package. In addition to the DS-5000, the DK-5000 stands (cubes) can also be used as a mounting block for other speaker systems, such as the Diatone DS- 3000, DS-2000, DS-1000HR, CD player or amplifier.

Diatone DS-5000 stands on DK-5000 stands.

From all that has been said, looking ahead, I see that the Diatone DS-5000 had all the features of the future series of Diatone speaker systems (DS-77,1000,3000,2000), taking a step beyond its line (501,503,505).

Already in the next 1983, the acoustics will enter the market, incorporating the know-how of the millionaire acoustics (990,000 yen) Diatone DS-5000 - more modest in size, but still with the same amazing new technologies - a tweeter made of boron titanium, when carbide sputtering took place and foamed boron in an inert gas, speakers with a honeycomb sandwich structure, etc. The name of this amazing speaker system is Diatone DS-1000.

But let's return to the line of five hundredths.

How did the 500th line differ from its flagship, what was sacrificed? To do this, I propose to consider the pre-top model 505 and the most budget one, which doesn’t even bother to get an “A” in the name – DS-73D.

So, the model is Diatone DS-505. It appeared in 1980 and, accordingly, was the flagship for some time (until the appearance of the DS-5000 in 1982). The price of the DS-505 was also an immodest 380,000 yen.

This is a 4-way speaker system that is equipped with the latest woofer with a 32 cm aramid diffuser. Aramid fiber is an aromatic polyamide fiber and has high strength, high elasticity, low density and moderate internal loss as a feature of the material itself.

The voice coil has a Young's modulus that is 3 times that of ordinary polyamide film, using polyimide film with high heat resistance and cold resistance, greatly improving the input impedance.

The midrange driver (midbass) has a diameter of 16 cm and is also made of aramid fiber + honeycomb.

The midrange has a diameter of 4 cm and uses DUD technology and a sandwich structure. The speaker is a titanium dome covered with boron.

The tweeter uses the same boron-titanium diffusion technology, has a diameter of 2.3 cm and uses an ultra-strong strontium magnet.

Characteristics of Diatone DS-505:

4 bands, 6 ohms, 28-40,000 Hz, 90 dB.

Power 30 watts (100 watts maximum)

Size 422×720×425mm

Weight 42 kg one piece

Having examined the characteristics of the DS-505 and DS-5000, you can see that the ancestor from 1980 is smaller in size, weaker in power, a little dumber in sensitivity (90 dB versus 93), but otherwise it is actually a copy of the future flagship for a “million” yen.

Admiring the Diatone DS-505, let's see what the company pleased the less demanding listener with the example of the younger model Diatone DS-73D. On the poster it is depicted against the backdrop of an evening city, and the squares along the bottom seem to me to symbolize discreteness, the advent of a new digital era of audio. After all, it was in 1982 that a new media appeared on the market - the CD-Audio disc and the first CD players. An attentive viewer can see a CD flying in the upper right like an alien saucer in the sky. Those. there is a clear hint that the Diatone DS-73D speakers are ready to display new, higher quality audio. Therefore, the letter D in the model name can most likely be interpreted as an abbreviation of the word Digital. In other words, if you thought that the company did not pay enough attention when designing the junior model, then you are mistaken.

The acoustics appeared in 1982 at a price of 119,600 yen per pair, and I wouldn’t call that a low price. However, the size of the acoustics was rather large - 68 cm in height, 37 cm in width and 33 in depth. The weight of one speaker is 21 kg. Sensitivity 91 dB. Power 80 watt. Resistance 6 ohms. Reproducible frequency range 35Hz〜30kHz.

It was a 3-way speaker system with speakers measuring: LF: 32cm MF: 10cm HF: 2.5cm

Let's see what they write about these speakers in Japan (free translation):

Speaker systems aimed at matching the digital source through the use of original technology know-how. The woofer has a honeycomb-shaped sandwich structure, and the material of the diffuser itself is polycraft - paper impregnated with a special resin. The result is a higher specific modulus - 4 times better than paper and 11 times better than polypropylene. Also, distortions due to vibrations are also significantly reduced. The midrange driver is made of a new acoustic material CFP - this is polypropylene with a large addition of high-carbon carbon fiber, obtained by molding using original molding technology, which results in the implementation of a cone with high material homogeneity. In the middle of the speaker, a dome made of ω-titanium is used, which is lightweight and has high hardness, which improves performance in the high-frequency region.

The dome-shaped tweeter has a diameter of 2.5 cm and is responsible for high frequencies. The speaker uses DUD technology and a titanium dome. ω-titanium is a titanium cone whose surface elasticity is increased by processing in a special atmosphere to make it a DUD structure to integrate the coil and cone, thereby realizing broadband sound transmission. Improved high-frequency attenuation performance, good linearity, input impedance and other various characteristics.

For internal wiring, OFC copper wires with low DC resistance are used. There is an intensity control for mid and high frequencies. At the zero point of the control it is disabled (direct path). The front side of the speaker cabinet uses a symmetrical arrangement of speakers, which improves the localization of the sound image.

In 1984, in the wake of the success of the 73D, a special version of the Diatone DS-73DAV was released, pictured below.

It differed from 73D in that it was shielded, i.e. it could be placed next to a CRT television. And besides, it had an AV equalizer that allowed you to get the best sound for watching TV programs.

Those. it was still the same Diatone DS-73D model, but with a number of improvements necessary in real life. Below I will show some amazing photos of such systems.

….the text is shortened, you can read the full version by opening the link….

On the eve of Diatone's 40th anniversary, it was decided to create premium speaker systems that would incorporate everything that the company's engineers are capable of, without regard to cost. This is how the Diatone DS-10000 Klavier (piano) was created, costing 700,000 yen per pair.

Each of the speakers was subjected to slight aging so that the acoustics immediately sounded at the maximum of their capabilities.

The acoustics were created to the limit of engineering capabilities; the speaker system was developed using all the technologies possessed by Diatone specialists.

It is worth noting that in the same 1985, larger Diatone DS-2000 speakers were released, but the size of the Diatone DS-10000 was almost identical to the size of the 1983 acoustics - Diatone DS-1000, and not 2000. Why did this happen if the company decided bring out the best she can?

Indeed, both the DS-1000 and the new DS-2000 were considered in detail as a basis for the Diatone DS-10000. But the company’s specialists, after numerous experiments, came to the conclusion that the best and ideal basis for premium speakers was the DS-1000 model, since it turned out to be significantly faster in terms of displaying attack and presenting subtle nuances than the DS-2000, which proved to be more slow. These are not my words, these are the conclusions of the company's engineers.

So, the DS-1000 model was chosen as the base for 10000. But we already know that the body and its material have undergone significant changes (piano soundboard + special painting).

Further, the high-end DUD technology was completely transferred in the same quality of execution that was in the Diatone DS-5000 model.

The woofer, 27 cm in size (like the DS-1000), was a sandwich of resin-impregnated aramid and aluminum honeycomb on the back side. But the sandwich design in the DS-10000 was optimized using computer modeling (let me remind you, we are talking about 1985, not everyone had a ZX Spectrum yet). The speaker coil was wound with precision, increasing efficiency.

The DMM structure, unique to Diatone, was also used - the magnetic circuit and a durable aluminum cast frame are integrated into a single whole, which completely suppresses the vibration of the magnetic circuit parts and supplies energy to the diffuser without loss.

The 5cm midrange driver is reinforced with a diffuse boron dome (titanium + boron) and uses a DUD (voice coil wire wound around the driver itself, like a coil) - the result of this is that the impedance and transient response are significantly improved. The suspension is tangential with a three-layer structure of butyl rubber with the hardness of polyamide fiber. The Diatone DS-10000 uses an auxiliary frame that uses a vibration system through the suspension.

The dome-type tweeter has a diameter of 2.3 cm. Similarly, a diffusion boronized DUD is used, which was achieved by multi-stage processing, which was first reproduced in the DS-5000 model. This elongated shape gives maximum strength with a limited vibration diameter, further enhancing the cone's superior performance. As with the midrange, the subframe uses machined parts and amazingly maintains precise motion through vibration damping of the driver itself.

All wiring inside the speaker uses very thick linear oxygen-free copper wire of varying diameters. In addition, gold plating is applied to all sleeves where the wire is crimped (to eliminate electrical current distortion on the metal surface). Moreover, in an effort to achieve overall high performance and reliability, a radial power supply system has been adopted, which ensures the proper supply current for each element through careful analysis of current density. In addition, a large special capacitor designed specifically for this circuit was used.

In general, you can see that the Diatone DS-10000 were DS-1000 speakers brought to perfection. Everything that could be improved in this acoustics was improved - wiring, electronic components, two speakers with the DUD method (HF and MF), housing material, damping frames - it was certainly an amazing product!

This anniversary speaker also had its own unique DK-10000 stands worth 100,000 yen per pair.

But this was just the company's dawn in the audio space. 7 years later, in 1992, the company released the Diatone DS-20000 model, which would be larger in size (but still smaller than the classic DS-2000) and already with a sky-high price of 1,000,000 yen per pair!

Diatone DS-20000 (1,000,000 yen per pair, only 300 pairs produced, same as DS-10000).

….the text is shortened, you can read the full version by opening the link….

In 1988, the company released posters of the mainstream model Diatone DS-77HRX. This is an acoustic that incorporates a lot of the positive technologies of the higher models and is offered at the magical price of 124,000 yen per pair and with excellent sound that can satisfy most music lovers, except the most meticulous. From personal experience I will say that the Diatone DS-77HR/HRX/Z is the golden mean of audio.

Let's see what they write about this acoustics on the website audio-heritage.jp (abbreviated translation):

The speaker is based on the previous Diatone DS-77HR, which became the company's best-selling speaker system, delivering full range and super sound.

The woofer is a 31 cm cone type, using an aramid, hybrid honeycomb diaphragm for low frequency performance.

Aramid hybrid honeycomb diaphragm uses aramid hybrid FRP for the outer surface of the diffuser with cellulose fibers on the back side. Aramid hybrid FRP includes aluminum fiber as an aromatic polyamide fiber material with low density and moderate internal loss in addition to high strength and high elasticity and amorphous silica with high rigidity to the structure within the layer. Those. two materials are used when weaving the diffuser. This results in a material with a high specific elastic modulus and an optimal loss coefficient. In addition, the cellulose fiber material on the back side is excellent in internal loss.

By combining these two materials into a honeycomb structure with different physical properties, like a cone structure, we realize the fusion of high rigidity and moderate internal loss with high sound quality. The body has a high frame rigidity.

The mid-range speaker measures 10 cm.

The conical part is adopted as a layered hybrid diaphragm, which combines aramid organic fiber and high-strength carbon PAN type inorganic fiber.

PAN - high strength carbon fiber - is made from polyacrylonitrile as a raw material and has an extremely high specific modulus. Thanks to the interweaving of this material with organic fiber aramid and the intra-layer structure obtained by weaving the material, we have precisely balanced the high specific modulus of elasticity and loss coefficient.

The central part of the midrange cone uses a titanium SR dome, which balances the high specific modulus and loss coefficient.

The dome tweeter has a diameter of 2.5 cm and uses a DOR (titanium + boron) dome to reproduce high frequencies.

Boron is used as a diffuser material with a titanium base, which strongly promotes the diffusion growth of boron with a high physical property value and attracts excellent characteristics such as high specific modulus of elasticity, high durability/weather resistance, suppression of titanium overtones (color). In addition, by transferring the driving force generated in the voice coil to the cone without loss through a DUD structure combining the cone and voice coil, transient sensitivity, frequency cutoff, linearity and input impedance have been improved.

Boron is used as a diffuser material with a titanium base, which strongly promotes the diffusion growth of boron with a high physical property value and attracts excellent characteristics such as high specific modulus of elasticity, high durability/weather resistance, suppression of titanium overtones (color). In addition, by transferring the driving force generated in the voice coil to the cone without loss through a DUD structure combining the cone and voice coil, transient sensitivity, frequency cutoff, linearity and input impedance have been improved.

For the body structure, we adopted a high-rigidity resonant structure, which fully utilizes Diatone's patented technology and attempts to improve musical resolution.

Special stands for the DS-77 HRX acoustics were also developed - the model name of the stands is DK-77X.

The DK-77X is made from the same high-density particle board as the speaker cabinets. The standing wave is eliminated by reducing the parallel planes in the structure. The case had two finishes: walnut and black. There was also a similar color variation for the DK-77X racks.

When translating the text from Japanese, unfortunately, I could not understand some points and they were abbreviated, what remained is also a little chaotic, but just understand, our languages ​​are very different and for an adequate translation you need a language specialist in Japanese, who is also interested in audio and eager to translate a ton of information out of boredom. Therefore, I see such “bad” translations as a better solution than none at all.

So, we learned that the Diatone DS-77 HRX is a consistent evolution of luxury models that incorporates the achievements of even top-end systems. The Tiboron tweeter was an achievement of the top-of-the-line Diatone DS-1000 in 1983. And in 1988, you see its embodiment in a much cheaper model, the diffuser is no longer made of pure aramid, as in earlier models, but uses a fabric made of a hybrid material that balances the characteristics of aramid and PAN, combining the best. Also the patented housing was pretty good.

The acoustics work with any amplification, but from my experience, the higher the class of the device, the better the sound you will hear. In practice, I saw no limit to the sound quality of this system. The higher class you connect the amplifier and source, the sound becomes seriously better and better. I've used 77 series acoustics with a ton of amplifiers - and it's always been wonderful - the sound was holographic, incredibly clear and spacious, fantastically good.

Here is a shortened list of what these speakers were paired with - Pioneer M-90 (top), Onkyo M-506R, Onkyo A-919 (top), Marantz PM 15S1, Marantz PM 6001, Sansui a607DR, Victor Z11, Yamaha A-2000 (top ), Yamaha B-70 (top), etc.

1988 was also marked by the release of a grand top-of-the-line model costing 2 million yen – the Diatone DS-V9000. 4-way acoustics weighing 125 kg each speaker.

Amazing innovative technologies were used in acoustics - a special ADMC magnetic system, for example. The woofer had a diameter of 40 cm. And the tweeters used the new B4C technology. She represented the following. Previously, in top models, Diatone sprayed boron onto a titanium substrate - this was done for the reason that it was impossible at that time to form a dome entirely from boron. But in the V9000 model this was achieved thanks to B4C technology. B4C (pure boron) tweeter dome has a specific elastic modulus 5 times better than titanium and 2.2 times boronized titanium (ti-boron), and also has moderate internal loss since it is non-metallic. However, since boron has a very high melting point 2450°C, it was impossible to turn it into a dome shape using traditional technology.

In Diatone, this problem was solved by plasma spraying at a fantastically high temperature of 15,000 ° C (for example, the surface of our Sun has a temperature of 5500-6000 degrees, i.e. Diatone created a temperature 3 times higher than on the surface of a star) using its own method of plasma spraying and firing at high temperature in an inert gas atmosphere. This made it possible to obtain a pure boron dome with a strong connection between the B4C particles.

Together with B4C, all the company’s previous technological achievements – DUD and DM – were used. It was a fantastically cool speaker system, but I would like to talk about a cheaper model that was released in 1989, namely the Diatone DS-V5000.

The cost of the pair was 1,100,000 Japanese yen.

The weight of one speaker was 84 kg, the size of the woofer was smaller than that of the V9000, the more usual 32 cm. The mid-bass midrange had a size of 18 cm. Another midrange speaker was 6 cm, and the tweeter was 2.3 cm.

What was interesting was that, compared to the old series, new, super aramid or super aramid fiber was used in the bass and midrange dynamics. Below is a little free translation from Japanese.

Super aramid fiber gave a significant increase in elastic modulus of 40% in addition to high strength, excellent vibration damping characteristics, low weight (25% of the weight of carbon fiber). Using super-aramid fiber for the top surface of the honeycomb diaphragm, they achieved a hybrid structure with excellent performance, excellent specific modulus and moderate internal loss, comparable to paper (!). The acoustics used the new ADMC-i (Advanced Magnet Circuit-impulse) system - a further development of the basic ADMC technology for the low-frequency and mid-range speakers.

It realizes high-speed response by further controlling the AC magnetic field. By minimizing the density of the AC magnetic flux passing through the magnet and suppressing the vibration of the operating point of the magnetic circuit by the DC magnetic flux, the operation of the magnetic circuit against transient response is stabilized. Stability in the time axis region relative to the alternating magnetic field is improved by suppressing the total amount of generated alternating current magnetic flux density component and improving symmetry.

The midrange driver is magnetically shielded at the rear using spheroidal graphite cast iron, which eliminates electromagnetic interference. B4C (pure boron) dome is used for the midrange and tweeter. B4C shows an elastic modulus 5 times better than titanium and 2.2 times ( the sound speed value is 12.1 × 1011 cm2/s2) boronized titanium diaphragm, and the sound speed value indicating the speed of sound propagation is 11 km/s. In addition, the internal losses are very high, which cannot be realized using metal diaphragms. However, although B4C has excellent performance, it has a very high melting point of 2450°C, so the problem of extremely difficult dome-shaped molding has arisen.

In Diaton, B4C was melted by placing it in plasma with an ultra-high plasma temperature of 15,000°C or more by the initial plasma spraying method, and it was sprayed onto the surface of the object at high speed to form a film. After thermal spraying, firing was carried out at high temperature in an inert gas atmosphere. By doing this, we have strengthened the coupling between the B4C particles by realizing a pure boron dome. In order to take full advantage of the superior performance of the B4C diaphragm, a DUD (Direct Voice Coil Mount to the Speaker Body) is adopted for the midrange driver and tweeter. With DUD design, through integration cone and voice coil, the driving force generated in the voice coil can be transmitted without loss.

In addition, it is securely fixed in the body with DM, and the solid block is realized by monocoque structure, where the plate part of the magnetic circuit is installed directly. The hybrid structure of rigid steel wire and copper wire is adopted as the protective grid of the midrange and tweeter.

The speaker layout is made close to each other to realize optimal localization of the sound image of a 4-way speaker system. To avoid reflections in the mid-high frequency range, a series of small spherical protrusions are used that calculate the optimal shape and size of the micro-dome on the surface to prevent diffraction.

Spherical protrusions on the rim of the speaker.

The crossover circuit is designed using computer simulation and has extremely low DC impedance and distortion. The capacitors were selected by carefully measuring each one. The wiring was made with high purity oxygen-free copper. The input terminals were gold plated (real gold). The front panel thickness was 38 mm. The back panel was made of Sitka lumber with excellent damping characteristics and beautiful sound, used in the production of pianos. Other parts of the body use double-layer softwood particle board. On top is walnut veneer for high rigidity and weather resistance.

I think now you understand how complex and unique Diatone's top-end speaker systems were. But what happened in the very initial range? And here the company was incredibly generous, and the following year, 1990, actively advertised the Diatone DS-66Z model.

The price for a pair of 66Zs was 92,000 yen (46,000 yen per speaker). This acoustics was comparable in size to the top-end Diatone DS-1000, but was equipped with a bass reflex to increase output in the lower register located at the rear.

The woofer had a diameter of 27 cm and was a familiar hybrid sandwich made of aramid. In the DS-66Z, amorphous silica has been introduced into the hybrid cone structure, which improves the strength by 15% compared to previous versions. In the middle of the range, a driver with a diameter of 10 cm is used. It is also made of aramid in the conical part, but in the center it is equipped with the latest omega-titanium dome with a high specific modulus of elasticity, and improved internal losses.

The dome-shaped tweeter with a diameter of 2.5 cm operates in the high frequency range. The dome material is boron, which has excellent characteristics (sprayed onto a titanium base), such as high response speed to input signals and suppression of the inherent sound of metal material. Due to the fence and DUD structure connecting the speaker and voice coil, the driving force generated in the voice coil is transmitted to the dome without loss. As a result, we improve transient sensitivity, high frequency limit, linearity and input impedance. In addition, the unit structure uses a hybrid DM structure - the entire plate is mounted integrally with the frame to reduce natural resonance.

The DS-66Z has a magnetic shielded design and will not negatively affect the screen of even a CRT TV.

The wiring for the woofer and midrange, tweeter is separated, as was previously done in top models! In the acoustics we used an Orient laminated core for the coil, oxygen-free copper for the wire, carefully selected according to the nominal value

Twelve most unusual speakers

We continue our series of reports about the most amazing technology - next up is a story about old acoustics, when creating which the engineers did not restrain themselves at all. As a result, it is still impossible to look at these speakers of the past and today without awe. They either came to life straight from the pages of science fiction novels, or came to us from another world.

Empire Grenadier 9000M

This is the kind of grenadier Empire made! The model was produced from 1967 to 1973, it provided a radiation pattern from 360 to 140 degrees (thanks to the use of acoustic lenses). The frequency response was a record for those years from 20 to 20,000 Hz (there is also a “super tweeter” for frequencies from 5 KHz), a 15' speaker worked on the bass, the maximum power input was 100 W. The price at the start of sales is $299.95. The height of the acoustics is 74 cm, diameter is 56 cm. Chunky bedside tables.

Hitachi Lo-D HS-10000

Five-lane giant, produced in the late seventies of the twentieth century. Cellular 30 cm speakers on the bass (woofer and passive radiator), then a scattering of “support from above” - 6 cm, 3.5 cm, 1.8 cm and 0.9 cm. All speakers are unique, with flat diaphragms filled resin. Height – 1.8 meters, frequency response from 20 to 20,000 Hz, sensitivity 89 dB.

The Grundig MONOLITH 190
Genesis clearly takes a lot from this model. 24 speakers and 4 built-in amplifiers in each speaker ensured fully active activation of 188.5 cm giants. The acoustics were produced from 1979 to 1983, their power units had standard characteristics - the distortion level did not exceed 0.1-0.2%. Frequency response - from 20 to 25,000 Hz, the set of speakers included 8 x 17.5 cm woofers for the bass, 7 x 3.7 for the midrange and 7 x 1.9 cm tweeters. One column weighed 83 kg.

Acoustic Research AR9

Acoustic Research AR9 1978 – 1982 releases weigh 59 kg each - and offer a number of such advanced technical solutions that even today there is a real hunt for them at auctions. Two 30 cm woofers emit sideways, their operation is optimized to dampen standing waves up to 200 Hz. The speakers were extremely difficult to amplify for their time - a sensitivity of 87 dB and a drop in resistance to 3.2 Ohms dictated the need to use extremely powerful and stable transistors with them. Frequency response: from 18 Hz (the body volume of 120 liters with a height of 134 cm allowed this) to 30,000 Hz, for this band were responsible (in addition to the mentioned bass drivers) 20 cm, 3.8 cm speakers and 1.9 cm tweeter; Moreover, the latter used liquid cooling technology.

Dahlquist DQ-10

In 1974, speakers cost $395. An absolutely crazy design with a phase matrix of speakers on different planes. The first speakers to deliver a truly three-dimensional, holographic soundstage. The price to pay was crazy amplification requests and limited bass. To create proper support “from below”, it was recommended to purchase a branded passive subwoofer Dahlquist DQ-1W Passive Subwoofer, as well as a crossover for connecting to speakers - Dahlquist DQ-MX1, and then start amplification again. The frequency response of the model ranges from 37 to 27,000 Hz, resistance is 8 Ohms, input power is up to 100 W.

Onkyo Scepter 500

Costing 580,000 yen at the time of release in 1978, these speakers were equipped with huge 38 cm W3801 woofers, the power of their magnetic system reached 11,000 Gauss (low frequency response - from 25 Hz). Further, everything is even more interesting - proprietary drivers D6540 A+H 4003S with a sectoral horn worked on the midrange, then a system of horns and acoustic lenses D3520A, H2014P, AL80 worked on the high frequency, and the super tweeter worked in the range up to 35,000 Hz - thanks to the use of the TW3001 horn. 96dB sensitivity and 120W power input – oh baby, yes! This acoustics could play really loudly – ​​the maximum sound pressure reached 117 dB! Massive cases weighing 97 kg and 200 liters of case volume (with a height of 130 cm) are the finishing touches.

Diatone DS-5000

1984, classic four-way speakers with 40 cm bass drivers (as many as 286,000 Maxwells) and 25 cm mid-bass drivers (honeycomb diaphragm - made of aramid fibers and aluminum). Next they work - a 6.5 cm dome speaker DUD (diaphragm and coil are a single design) with a boron diaphragm, the tweeter (2.3 cm) is similarly designed. The bodies are made of deflector plates (plywood and walnut), the finishing quality is exceptional, but what is special about them? For a second - the frequency response is from 20 to 60,000 Hz, this is absolutely unique for the eighties! The applied technical solutions allow these speakers not only to compete on an equal footing, but also to surpass the most modern examples of High End speakers. Input power is 250 W, resistance is 6 Ohms, and sensitivity is 93 dB. With a height of 105 cm, the acoustics weigh 87 kg.

JBL S119

Yes, JBL were like that. A two-way strip with an omnidirectional study diagram, a bold experiment. A 20 cm 108H bass driver and 4 x 2.5 cm LE20T-2 tweeters were used - they guaranteed a frequency response from 40 to 20,000 Hz with a sensitivity of 86 dB and a resistance of 8 Ohms. The acoustics first appeared in 1972 and were offered for 111 yen, and were re-released in 1988 (positioning was aimed at owners of cinema systems, magnetic shielding of the speakers was added). During this time, it became more expensive - a new model could be bought for 256,000 yen.

Sony ESPRIT APM-8

Square speaker cones are not a fashion, but a necessity to achieve standard sound! Sony released several variations of such speakers in the eighties. Sandwiches made of aluminum with aluminum cores and cast baskets with ring magnets connected to them through four special cylinders are an absolutely revolutionary design. 807 cm2 for the bass, 144 cm2 for the lower middle, 24 cm2 for the midrange and 5.8 cm2 for the treble - all this gives a frequency response from 25 to 30,000 Hz with a sensitivity of 92 dB and a resistance of 8 Ohms. Peak power 500 W, weight of one speaker 102 kg, price – 1,000,000 yen. The speakers were produced from 1979 to 1982.

Pioneer S-F1

Super rarity - and, again, with square diffusers, also located coaxially. In total, no more than 100 pairs of these speakers were produced; the model was produced from 1979 to 1982. Four-way, the speakers are as follows: 40 cm on the woofer, 15 cm on the midrange, 6 cm on the treble and 2.6 cm on the super-tweeter. 94 dB sensitivity, 150 W input power and 8 ohms resistance. Price at the start of sales: 850,000 yen.

JBL Paragon D44000

Fetish of collectors from all over the world. Owning these speakers is like having a Rolls Royce from the 1940s in your garage. Produced from 1957 to 1984. the cabinet contained a horn stereo system that produced absolutely magical sound. A three-way unit with 96 dB sensitivity (frequency response up to 15,000 Hz), a resistance of 8 Ohms and an input power of 125 W had branded speakers on board: a LE15A woofer, a midrange driver with an acoustic lens 375 and a horn H5038P, a tweeter 075 (also with acoustic lens). 263 cm wide and 72 cm high, weight 316 kg (even the support legs are not four, but six)! It was the most expensive mass-produced acoustic system until the early eighties of the twentieth century.

Technics SB-10000

Not a single selection of super-speakers of the past would be complete without them! The company's 1000-series set was offered in 1980 for 5.45 million yen (the acoustics could be purchased separately for 2.5 million yen; there are reports of 1.2 million yen, but, apparently, this is the price per piece) - system for multi-millionaires. The technological solutions used still cause “shock and awe” today. The EAS-35HD04SA tweeters with a boron diaphragm are housed in a horn and operate up to 35,000 Hz. The EAS-10HM03-N midrange speakers are also enclosed in a horn - their polar pattern extends over 150 degrees. The EAS-46PL01S bass drivers work in their own housing (the volume is as much as 300 liters). All horns are made of aluminum and are not subject to aging due to exposure to air humidity. Sensitivity 95 dB, resistance 6 Ohms, power input 300 W, weight of one speaker 140 kg, height 111 cm.

SYSTEM IN THE HIENDMUSIC WORKSHOP

For a person who positions himself as a top audio consultant, it is logical - what do you listen to yourself? Moreover, the surest way to determine how much you can trust a person offering advice in a particular area is to see where his own methods have led him. In my case, it’s to listen to the sound of systems that I consider reference.

Huge Sound showroom - here the music always sounds perfect!

The most uncompromising system is assembled in our Huge Sound showroom , and in this article I will talk about the system that has been pleasing me in my workshop for three years. This is literally a workshop where work was carried out on the restoration of vintage acoustics in order to study certain aspects of its work, so let's leave the design of the room out of the equation. This is an attic room in an old country house, where it was convenient to spend a lot of time experimenting with different equipment, and it was here that I wanted to build something unusual - fundamentally different from the traditional High End.

As a result, an active multi-amping system was born with separate amplification for each of the four bands, an active subwoofer and additional super tweeters. I got the idea to build something similar during my first experiments with biamping , when I came across a vintage active crossover Sony TA-900 Esprit. A unique component, the likes of which simply do not exist on today’s consumer audio market. You can find something similar among professional devices, but in terms of flexibility of settings they will still be inferior to the “esprits” from the eighties.

Multiamping system in my workshop

There are two such active crossovers in the system. This is necessary to ensure the intersection of frequency bands. The fact is that active crossovers cut frequencies like a knife, preventing mixing, and if you install one such device, the bands will be divided only according to the selected fixed frequency - for example, 300Hz or 500Hz. This was provided for in the Sony APM acoustics, for which these crossovers were created. But in the Diatone DS5000 acoustics, which became the basis of my system, the bass driver plays up to 500 Hz in its upper range, and the midbass goes down to 120 Hz in the lower range. The mixing of frequencies from 120 to 500 Hz between two speakers, their smooth “stitching” is ensured by the internal crossovers of the acoustics, and with the transition to external crossovers it is necessary to install two devices to achieve a similar result.

Why Diatone DS5000? For the music that I love - mainly prog rock and hard rock of the 70s and heavy metal of the 80s-90s, these speakers are perfect, but you know, I wouldn’t raise my hand to use modern acoustics of a comparable level for my design.

Here it is appropriate to say a few words about the difference between the top acoustic models of the eighties and the best examples of modern acoustic systems. More precisely, what exactly is the advantage of the latter.

Acoustic speakers consist of three main elements: drivers, cabinets and internal crossovers. All vintage speaker cabinets are made from high density MDF. It was an excellent material for its time, but it is significantly inferior to complex structures made of aluminum or composites in terms of controlling internal resonances. The purpose of the housing is to provide a monolithic mounting of the speaker, while remaining completely inert to sound waves and microvibrations. Speaker cabinets from Wilson Audio , Stenheim or Magico solve these problems 100%, while vintage wooden chests always add extraneous sounds to the sound. The Diatone DS 5000 tried to solve this problem with a front wall made of solid cherry of a special breed, but it could not be completely eliminated. In addition, modern acoustics have made significant strides forward in terms of architecture. The design of Wilson Audio cabinets, for example, allows you to adjust the “head” with the midrange speaker and tweeter in four positions, due to which incredible focusing of the sound stage is achieved - the music does not sound from the speakers, but as if in a huge hanging ball, and this ball is equally good can be heard from anywhere in the room. Vintage speakers cannot boast of anything like this.

Diatone speakers are, without exaggeration, the technological pinnacle of their time. The complex design of diffusers with honeycombs made of titanium thread, unique fabric surrounds with special impregnation, a titanium midrange dome coated with boron - for its time, absolute space. Only the best modern speakers have been able to surpass these solutions. This is how Stenheim makes its speakers from a specially developed polymer that is light and paper-thin, but incredibly dense. Due to this, the acoustics play equally well heavy Metallica guitar riffs and subtle nuances such as closing lips on vocal recordings. Magico ceramic speakers are very technologically advanced, but only specific high-current amplification can make them breathe. Overall, I would say that the Diatone speakers are still comparable to the best modern models, and the only major problem with them - drying out of the surrounds - has, fortunately, been completely remedied.

Diatone DS5000 and DS3000 speakers in my workshop being restored.

But in terms of internal crossovers, top modern speakers smash the top vintage to smithereens. Let me remind you that an internal crossover is a device that distributes the signal entering the speaker into frequency bands - high to the tweeter, low to the bass, middle to the midrange. The transparency of the sound of the acoustics depends on how much this device can transmit an electrical signal without loss. Crossovers of vintage speakers are assembled according to a primitive design, using elements of average quality, which, moreover, have deteriorated their characteristics over time. They hide microdynamics, and as a result, it is almost impossible to “dissolve” vintage acoustics in the room, achieving the effect that live music sounds in the open space directly in front of you - a big plus of top-end modern acoustics with new generation crossovers . With vintage, you will hear the sound coming from the speakers all the time. You will hear not the music, but the system.

I put the word almost in italics because I did dissolve Diatone in my workshop. For this, an active system was needed, in which there are simply no internal crossovers - they are completely turned off from the process.

This is achieved this way. From the source, the signal goes to the preamplifier - a powerful and transparent Audio Research SP3, which has undergone complete restoration . From the two line outputs of the preamplifier, the signal is sent to a pair of active crossovers. The upper crossover is responsible for the mid-frequency dome, midbass and subwoofer (I will talk about its role in the system below). The frequency band 125-1250 Hz is removed from the crossover and sent to the Solo KT66 tube amplifier, from which it is sent directly to the midbass without terminals via speaker cables inserted into the speaker housing. The 1200-8000 Hz band works with the same Solo KT66, is routed to the native speaker terminals and is distributed by the only preserved section of the internal crossover between the titanium-boron dome and the native tweeter. There are losses in microdynamics in this link, but getting rid of them would entail such technical complications that I decided to put up with this imperfection.

The lower crossover is responsible for the line of super tweeters and bass drivers. Although the original Diatone titanium tweeters are considered good, in reality they are quite weak. I installed additionally more powerful and louder JBL 2405H tweeters. Many people think that tweeters are only needed for “tsk-tsk”, but in fact they are responsible for the “air” of the music. With the advent of powerful dedicated super tweeters, the music space seems to have expanded exponentially. Of course, “tsk-tsk” also became much more interesting. Super tweeters in the band from 8000 Hz and above are enlivened by a single-ended amplifier using a 6F3P tube, specially designed by Sergei Glazunov (author of the Solo KT66).

The most interesting solution is in the low frequency region. Several times I heard the perplexed question “why does an acoustic system with an 18-inch bass driver need an additional subwoofer?” Is there really not enough bass? It's not about the quantity of bass, but about its quality. Traditional "woofers" can have a narrow short-throw suspension (like the Diatone DS5000) or a wide long-throw one. In the first case, the bass turns out to be fast and well articulated, but not deep enough, and in the second case, it turns out to be juicy and deep, but poorly developed.

The subwoofer allows you to achieve fast, articulate, and at the same time deep bass. If you cut off the infra-low below 50 Hz from an 18-inch woofer, then the remaining frequencies in the range of 50-500 Hz begin to sound cleaner and more intelligible. The music seems to filter out the indistinct murmur. This “rumbling”, when redirected to the subwoofer, acquires a qualitatively different energy and density, turning into powerful low-frequency support - a solid foundation of sound. It is best to configure the subwoofer in antiphase - in this case, the main bass blow is produced by the speakers, and the subwoofer plays the low-frequency “tail”. Switching on in phase, in which the sub is synchronized with the acoustics, leads to a tiresome beating of the bass in the chest, which, however, is exactly what some people like.

The subwoofer is also connected directly to the speaker cable without terminals. It works in tandem with the Sansui 907MR transistor integrated circuit. The important thing is that all amplifiers are consistent in sound. The Solo KT66/Sansui 907 combination was formed empirically, but it turned out to be very successful. Experiments with other amplifiers led to the collapse of the whole sound picture, and after testing a dozen different devices, I stopped looking for an alternative.

The main source in the system is the Micro Seiki RX5000 vinyl player. Of course, with all the possible upgrades described in the article 7 steps to vinyl absolute . I closed the question of the cartridge/tonearm combination forever as soon as I heard a pair of Air Tight /Morch DP8. For reproducing rock from the 70s-80s, nothing could be better, because the Air Tight/ Morch DP8 reproduces vinyl identically to recordings on a magnetic master tape, and such recordings are the standard. The other cartridge sits on a heavy Ikeda tonearm and is used to play later records - from the late 80s to early 90s. Such albums have narrower grooves and a low-flex cartridge with a large dynamic range on a heavy tonearm is better suited for full playback. I wrote in more detail about WHY A PLAYER HAS TWO TONEARMS The turntable also has a third cartridge/tonearm pair. To play classical music, I have a Fidelity Research FR1 mk3, but I rarely listen to such music, so the cartridge is installed on a weighted Micro 505. If I were a more passionate lover of classical music, I would put it on a Fidelity Research FR64 or on an SME M2R12.

Micro Seiki RX5000 in the workshop

The phono stage is the author’s “Aragorn”, the testing of which was discussed in the article The Great Battle of Phono Stages . Actually, after this test, I bought myself a prototype of “Aragorn” in the technical building. At the moment, it is possible to order “Aragorns” in cases covered with piano varnish, but they do not fit into my rack in terms of dimensions.

Nakamichi 1000 is a special love. You don’t always have time to tinker with records, and if you want to listen to music for half an hour, a cassette deck is the ideal quick solution. Among the recent discoveries, studio cassettes from the 80s are sold specialized websites , many of which are superbly recorded. Some cassettes become even better alternatives to records. The deck is connected to the system via the DBX dynamic range controller, a studio device that allows you to increase the dynamic range of recordings while listening.

Digital sound is provided in the system by the Tascam DA-3000 for professional needs. I write tests for it in DSD 5.6 format from various phono cartridges to help customers determine the configuration of their players. As a music source, the Tascam DA-3000 does not reach a high level, so all the albums of the post-vinyl era that interest me are recorded on cassettes from a three-unit DSC Scarlatti.

The power supply in the system is Fisch Reference Line. Cammino cables . Vibration decouplers made of sorbothane are installed under all components. Connectors and terminals are treated with connection improver Conta+

The system is complicated, requiring increased attention, care and maintenance, but I like it exactly the way it is. I listen to rock music on it with great pleasure, and for audiophile delights there is an uncompromising system in our Huge Sound showroom, which is the subject of a separate article.

I invite those who want to get a high-quality vinyl tract, assembled “to measure” for a certain budget, to audition in the workshop. With me you can listen to the same tracks performed by a dozen and a half heads in different price categories, hear the difference between several different tonearms and drives, evaluate the effect of a granite-marble sandwich on the sound - and all this in half an hour, without long switchings and reconfigurations. To solve this problem, the Tascam DA-3000 works in the system.

I invite those who want to build a top-end, uncompromising audio setup from scratch or improve an existing one to the showroom For those who want a very good setup, but do not have the budget to buy an uncompromising one, another demo system is installed in the workshop - simpler than active, more affordable than uncompromising, but very soulful and musical.

To sign up for an audition and complete custom-made vinyl tract, write