"With the resurgence of high-quality vinyl playback gear and Hi-Res digital music, Atlantic Technology’s AT-3 is a loudspeaker that delivers stunningly accurate full-range sonic performance that’s a perfect complement in a pure two-channel music system," says Paul Fredrickson, Business Development Director at Muto Communications. "At the same time, the AT-3’s outstanding extended low-end dynamics are perfect for a multi-channel home-theater system. How does Atlantic Technology offer such extraordinary bang for the buck in a compact tower cabinet design? The answer is H-PAS."
In 2011 Atlantic Technology introduced its patented bass system called H-PAS (Hybrid Pressure Acceleration System), breaking the conventional “Iron Law” of speaker acoustics that you can’t have deep bass and good sensitivity in a reasonably sized enclosure. H-PAS uses a proprietary cabinet design that directs the woofer’s back wave through an internal inverse horn structure for a continuous compression of the back wave and couples it to an acoustic bass trap chamber. The chamber expands the effective enclosure volume at low frequencies, filtering out parasitic resonances and distortion to clarify bass exiting the front cabinet port. As a result, the AT-3 delivers extended deep bass at high output levels with exceptionally low harmonic distortion.
As Atlantic Technology explains, the AT-3 also uses a new, lightweight, high-resonance 6.5-inch woofer. This driver features a lighter, rigid, concave formed fiberglass cone with greater uniformity, continuity and reduced cone breakup possessing an instant, pulse reaction and unmatched transient response for improved clarity and lower distortion. The driver’s inherent lightning-fast transient response reacts and stops 3 to 5 times faster than heavier, low-resonance drivers. The net result, along with H-PAS, is bass that extends to 29Hz (-3dB) at Sound Pressure Levels that exceed 106dB, while Bass harmonic distortion is under 3 percent. "Comparable performance in a conventional loudspeaker would require woofers triple the size in an enclosure at least twice as large," the Massachusetts-based company states.
High-frequencies are handled by a new 1-inch liquid cooled silk dome with superior transient response. The crossover frequency is lower than a typical 2-way speaker, blending with the woofer, while the foam tweeter “frame” ensures uniform dispersion, response smoothness and tonal balance (with or without the grille attached) for better imaging and a more enjoyable listening experience. A three position switch on the back panel changes the output of the tweeter to compensate for different room acoustics and personal taste.
The woofer-tweeter alignment combined with the low crossover point for a 2-way speaker, with its symmetry and phase characteristics optimize side-to-side lateral dispersion, enhancing stage depth and imaging while reducing unwanted floor and ceiling reflections. The parallel second-order crossover uses components of the very highest quality with 1% value tolerances.
Other additional high-quality details elevate the AT-3 design. Those include heavy-duty cast iron feet with adjustable spikes to solidly couple the speaker to carpeted flooring, while optional rubber feet are provided for hardwood floors. Gold-plated binding posts can accommodate heavy-gauge cable or banana connectors plus there are removable terminal straps for bi-wiring. For uncluttered installation, the cabinet back features two cable holders. "The AT-3 is a speaker of extraordinary high performance intended for use in top-shelf music or home theater systems. The cabinet has an elegant curved shape and is painted in a beautiful hand polished metal-flake, gloss-black fine furniture finish. Detachable magnetic grille frames with acoustically transparent cloth provide an easy option between appearance and performance," Atlantic Technology adds.
www.atlantictechnology.com
