The new SB Acoustics 9.5" Satori WO24TX-4 and WO24TX-8 Textreme woofer models, with an increased rated power at 90W, are an important reinforcement for the Satori range, which now offers extensive options for speaker designers.
The company was one of the very first speaker driver manufacturers to announce the adoption of TeXtreme materials for cones and diaphragms and, although it wasn't first to market with TPCD material diaphragms it was probably the brand that most contributed to its market recognition and acceptance. The fact that SB Acoustics launched TeXtreme-based drivers in its Satori high-end audio range, designed by Danesian Audio, was a clear sign of the performance that Frank Nielson and Ulrik Schmidt managed to achieve.
The correct terminology for this type of speaker products is actually Thin-ply Carbon Diaphragms (TPCD), and TeXtreme is actually only a constituent part of these cones. Originally developed for aerospace and Formula 1 applications, Swedish company Oxeon perfected the TeXtreme technology based on thin-ply and spread tow principles. In 2016, Oxeon successfully applied its TeXtreme thin-ply carbon reinforcements to create a new type of speaker diaphragm. The significant technical and commercial success led Oxeon to spin off its audio-related business to a dedicated, highly focused company — Composite Sound, which has now expanded TPCD to a whole new level thanks to its new metamodel generation of cones and diaphragms.
Like other manufacturers, SB Acoustics first experimented the full potential of TPCD in the high frequency range, with a version of its successful Satori TW29B beryllium tweeter and launched the Satori TW29TXN-B Advanced TeXtreme dome tweeter. The advantages and similarities with the Beryllium version was evidenced by Vance Dickason's Voice Coil test bench. As he stated, "I have no doubt that this tweeter performs admirably. As far as the TeXtreme diaphragm goes, so far it seems to be a less costly substitute for beryllium. I have done informal subjective comparisons of the TW29TXN-B-4 to a very good sounding aluminum diaphragm, and the TeXtreme diaphragm sounded very detailed with more high-frequency content. And comparing the TW29TXN-B-4 to a high-end beryllium dome tweeter, I thought that in terms of detail and definition, TeXtreme is very close, with the beryllium sounding a bit "warmer" and the TeXtreme a bit more forward."
The fundamental design, with its proprietary six-spoke cast-aluminum frame, and a completely open below the spider (damper) mounting shelf for cooling has been consistent through the four models launched so far. Additional cooling for these driver is provided by large vents in the voice coil former, as well as pole vent. The TPCD cone assembly consists of a curvilinear inverted single piece “bowl” shaped cone, with compliance provided by a generous NBR surround that has a mostly shallow transition to the cone attachment, with the remaining compliance coming from a flat BIMAX spider.
The 5" Satori MW13TX-4 midrange, reviewed by Vance Dickason in January 2022, was probably one of the most well-accepted models in the range and we can find it in numerous hifi speakers, from renown brands and DIY speaker builders alike. This was followed by the larger 7.5" Satori MW19TX-8 midbass woofer, reviewed by Voice Coil February 2022. Click on the links for the full versions of those characterizations.
As the previous models have shown, the TPCD cone with the SB Acoustics Satori motor system makes these woofers a good candidate for high-end, two-channel home theater or studio monitor system designs. The new larger SB Acoustics 9.5" Satori WO24TX-4 and WO24TX-8 woofer models now offer improved piston operation for its diameter ratio, a large optimized motor system (with a 1.36kg magnet) with under-cut pole piece and dual shorting rings, and a linear symmetric suspension design for improved dynamic performance.
The remaining feature set, including the vented cast aluminum chassis, the soft low damping rubber surround for optimum transient response, and non-conducting fiber glass voice coil former with long life silver lead wires attached 180° apart for improved stability, are similar in design to the remaining series, just substantially larger. The 9.5" Satori WO24TX woofers are also offered with gasket and bolt hole protrusions for reduced coupling to the speaker cabinet, important given its additional net weight of 3.9kg.
www.sbacoustics.com
