Audio for the descerning listener
Below are the six steps employed by VZA to produce fast and dynamic lifelike sound.
Small lightweight driver:
The VAN ZYL Audio Frontline Horn uses the excellent Jordan JX92S, a small lightweight, full range driver. The lightweight cone allows it to accelerate and decelerate very quickly, tracking the complex music signal accurately over the entire audible range.
Reduced Amplitude:
Because the lightweight driver is rear loaded in the VZA Frontline horn, the displacement (amplitude) required to produce sound pressure levels equivalent to conventional enclosures is reduced. This reduction in displacement means that the driver does not need to travel as far and as fast as in conventional enclosures. The advantage of this is that the inertia is reduced, which means that the driver is better able to stop and change direction without overshoot or ringing. This has a huge impact on the driver’s ability to accurately track the fast pulses in dynamic recordings.
The reduced demand for excursion consequently allows the driver to track the finer details of the instruments’ multiple harmonics, which usually gets lost in slower, heavier speakers.
Horn Loading:
Since the driver is Horn Loaded, the signal is amplified
acoustically which results in a very large and powerful presentation. What's
unique about the VZA Frontline horn is that with a small, lightweight and
accurate driver it really delivers this dramatic presentation and detail down
to the lowest octaves.
Acoustic damping:
Since the
driver is loaded (damped) by the horn over its entire bandwidth, it is not
allowed to freely jump around and resonate at will.
Electronic damping (no crossover):
The Jordan
JX92S driver is connected to the amplifier directly, without the need for a
crossover network. This means that the amplifier has maximum control (damping)
on the driver. The presence of a choke (crossover component) in the signal path
reduces the effective damping factor by at least 50%. A 50%
reduction in damping will have a detrimental effect on the dynamic transients
that characterize live instruments. The loss of damping negatively effects
sound quality by softening the overall transient impact on the hard leading
edges present in live music.
Ribbon tweeter:
The VZA Frontline uses a light and fast Aurum Cantus G2Si ribbon tweeter for the extreme
highs with a first order crossover at 21500hz. The tweeter is added to fill in
the most extreme highs.
