Continuum Specifications

 

 

The "continuum" of performance expands even further in the form of the Continuum A.D. MKII™ monitoring system. As an evolutionary step forward from the Timepiece 2.1, it too reveals the inner-most details of your recordings and playback system -- and more. Building upon the foundation laid by its predecessor, it advances into regions of performance where its smaller sibling could not venture. The reproduction of recorded sound is presented with a majestic sense of authority and dynamics often only experienced at a live performance. The most subtle of nuances and micro-dynamics are brought into breathtaking focus, yet they are never masked by the extreme dynamics all "Millennial Reference Series.™" products are renowned for.

Emotionally, the Continuum A.D. MKII™ becomes a transport into a boundless continuum of sonic envelopment. Logically, It represents a more mature development of the technologies comprising the "Millennial Reference Series.™" From inception, this model was designed for professional monitoring use while offering the refined qualities demanded by the devout enthusiast. It offers even lower distortion, greater power handling, a more authoratative presentation and a more tightly controlled vertical dispersion than the Timepiece 2.1. After your first listen you will agree that the Continuum A.D. easily commands the title of "The New Reference for the New Millennium."

In the quest for excellence, the course of Natural Law directed the ultimate form of the Continuum A.D. MKII™. Performance and the underlying laws of acoustics dictated the choice of technologies -- not existing market demands. Why? -- because market demands change over time but natural law does not. The consequence is a product that fulfills the requirements of multiple applications. Accuracy, controlled and constant dispersion, power handling, finish and user features allow the Continuum A.D. MKII™ to be equally at home in any of the following applications:

 

STUDIO MONITORING --- HIGH END HOME AUDIO --- HOME THEATER

 

Below we have listed a general overview of the feature set that distinguishes the Continuum A.D. MKII™ from other products. In reviewing it you will understand that it is SYSTEM design that is important in developing "world class" products -- NOT the marketing hype that over emphasizes one or two features of a product that may or may not really offer an improvement over the existing art. Compare and see if any other manufacturer offers as much in-depth system engineering, performance and timeless beauty at two, three and even many times the price!

ACOUSTIC WAVEGUIDE TECHNOLOGY

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The Continuum A.D. MKII™ utilizes our proprietary waveguide technology to provide a level of performance that cannot be achieved by any other method. Due to the incredible dynamic range, controlled dispersion, unparalleled bandwidth, imperceptible distortion and extreme linearity offered by this technology, the Continuum A.D. MKII™ renders well-recorded musical performances with a realism that must be heard to be believed.

The professional user will find that it’s razor sharp accuracy reveals the most subtle nuances in recording technique as well as making faults and mistakes in the process easy to identify. This innovative two-way system boasts only a pair of eight inch woofers in union with a 1inch soft dome tweeter as the power source driving the waveguide. Yet, you will find it out-performs most multiple driver systems commanding considerably higher prices.

The theoretically ideal loudspeaker would consist of a single drive unit covering the entire audio spectrum. Several such designs have been attempted but all have fallen far short of this goal. The only practical recourse designers have is to separate the audio band into narrower segments and assign a specific driver to cover that segment. As one subdivides the audio spectrum into smaller band segments, the demands placed on any single driver assigned to cover that band are reduced. Taken to extreme, this philosophy leads to multi-driver arrays (woofer, low-mid, high-mid, tweeter, super tweeter, etc.) in order to reduce the performance requirements of each individual driver in the system. Multiple driver designs and their associated crossovers offer minimal benefits and introduce significant problems. Their unnecessary complexity, size, cost, phasing errors and erratic dispersion properties are all the result of inferior transducer design.

The simplest approach of dividing the audio spectrum into two segments is well documented in engineering literature as the best compromise to the single, ideal driver concept. There is one caveat to this method though. If midrange distortion and frequency “beaming” effects typically caused by the low frequency driver are to be avoided, the crossover frequency to the high frequency driver must be kept as low as possible. This places a great performance demand upon the driver covering the high frequency segment of the spectrum.

A single drive element solution, as provided by our waveguide technology,is a vastly superior alternative to any multiple driver (more than 2) method. It covers the entire spectrum from below 1kHz. to the limit of audibility while virtually eliminating a multitude of common errors and thereby achieves the required level of performance. For a more in-depth review of this technology click on one of the following.

The Problems With Horns

The Problems Without Horns

Diffraction

Dispersion

Efficiency

Time Domain

ALUMINUM CONE WOOFER

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The woofers used in the Continuum A.D. MKII™ were chosen specifically for the fact that, due to their rigid aluminum cones, massive magnet structures, cast magnesium frames, power handling and incredibly low distortion, they have no equal in their size class. The ported alignment chosen for the Continuum A.D. MKII™ allows it to operate throughout its intended operating range (from 30Hz. on up) without being excursion limited at any frequency! This simply means you can use its full electrical power capability without suffering from the typical onset of distortion that accompanies higher input power levels. Such distortion usually occurs in conventional woofers when they are operated at lower frequencies and is due to their mechanical suspension and voice coil/motor limitations.

The rigid aluminum cone operates as a true piston throughout its entire range. Midrange distortion due to “cone breakup” is just not an issue as it is in paper, plastic or even modern composite cone formulations. A phase plug is used at the center of the cone as opposed to a traditional dust-cap to help further avoid distortion and increase power handling. Although this type woofer does not offer operation to frequencies much above 1 kHz., this does not present a limitation as it is crossed over to the waveguide below that frequency. Were it not for the extended bandwidth of the waveguide, one would be required to use an additional midrange driver with this woofer.

Bass performance is so deep and well controlled that the woofers chosen could be easily used in a stand alone subwoofer design. Being implemented as they are in the Continuum A.D. MKII™, the addition of a separate subwoofer is totally unnecessary. You will find that this fact alone greatly increases the perceived value of the Continuum A.D. MKII™. For a more in-depth review of this technology click on the link below within our Theory Section.

Piston Power

PROPRIETARY DUAL CAVITY BASS LOADING

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Back wave energy from the woofer is channeled through a short transmission-line type absorber that increases the loss of unwanted energy above box resonance. Frequencies from about 100 Hz. to around 2,000 Hz. (depending on enclosure volume) are reflected inside a conventional ported design and create pressure peaks or "standing waves." This will often happen at a few select frequencies and at a very high level or volume with respect to all others. These tones will then re-emanate by "pushing" their way through the woofer cone. Not only does this effect cause undesirable peaks and dips in the frequency response, but worse, it emanates delayed in time and tends to "linger" with respect to the original program material. This is the most frequent cause of that "boxy, bloated, and muddy" bass sound produced by so many ported speakers.

One of the most common and inexpensive methods for reducing this effect is to use an absorbent material to "stuff" the enclosure. Such materials absorb the unwanted higher frequency energy and more (to a point) is usually better. The only problem with this approach is that the amount stuffing used for optimum absorption will over damp the box resonance that is fundamental to the operation of a ported design. Designs that permit the use of more optimal levels of stuffing include the "sealed box" design (anemic bass or very large) and the "transmission-line" design (very good but large, complex and expensive). Both of these put far greater demands upon the woofer than a ported design at the lowest frequencies. This is the primary reason ported enclosures are the most popular. One could say the customer gets the most "BOOM for their buck" in the average ported design -- boom being the operative word here.

The Continuum A.D. MKII™ design objectives called for a "hybrid" approach that has been successfully implemented by the use of inner chambers that absorbs and diffuses unwanted upper bass and midrange tones. The compact size and bass extension to 30Hz. of a ported design has been achieved with a superior transient response and freedom from the "boxy" sound often associated with them. Such performance is usually attributed to only the finest transmission-line systems. The moment you listen to well-recorded performances of the upright bass, timpani, electric bass as well as the kick drum and toms of a drum kit, you will realize how poorly and artificially these instruments are reproduced on most systems. The bass accuracy of the Continuum A.D. MKII™ is seldom if ever equaled in a ported design!

CONSTRAINED LAYER CABINET CONSTRUCTION

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The Continuum A.D. MKII™ enclosure design employs the innovations of advanced aerospace technology. Research in vibration control has yielded simple and efficient methods for the reduction unwanted structure resonance’s. These techniques are very cost effective in comparison to traditional methods. Many manufacturers go to great lengths to eliminate the undesirable coloration and distortion that is the consequence of enclosure vibrations. Unfortunately, the brute force use of heavy and/or exotic materials often used by others also carries a disproportionately high price tag as well as extreme size and weight. The Continuum A.D. MKII™ achieves similar results using the constrained layer method of vibration control and thereby avoids such astronomical cost, size and weight issues. You can easily hear the difference and your wallet (not to mention your back) will thank us. For a more in-depth review of this technology click on the link below.

Constrained Layer Damping

PRECISION CROSSOVER ALIGNMENT

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The Continuum A.D. MKII™ employs a true 4th order, in phase, symmetrical Linkwitz - Riley crossover. Although the field of speaker crossover networks has been a subject of much debate, Filter Theory is a virtually complete science, at least with regards to the types and orders of filters encountered in loudspeaker design. All of the possible iterations and combinations have been worked through by many researchers over the years and one alignment has been consistently shown to be superior ... the Linkwitz - Riley. While some may still take issue with this fact, the combination of symmetrical vertical dispersion of the resultant radiation pattern, minimized driver interaction and driver protection are all optimized in this alignment.

The Continuum A.D. MKII™ crossover frequency is set at 750Hz.That is over two octaves lower than many other 2-way systems on the market!The drivers are wired "in-phase" and the final response produces a very exact "in phase" acoustical response. One way to check for this in the lab is to invert one of the drivers' polarity and measure the frequency response. If the drivers are truly in-phase at crossover there will appear a "null" or dropout at the crossover frequency. The deeper the null, the more in-phase the drivers are at crossover. The Continuum A.D. MKII™ crossover is so accurately aligned at the factory that a very deep null of greater than 18dB is produced. This high degree of accuracy produces near ideal vertical dispersion characteristics thereby minimizing any variations encountered when moving from a seated to a standing position.

Crossover components are all of a high grade in critical signal pathways. Polypropylene capacitors, air core inductors and precision resistors are used where there is a benefit to do so. All components are hand soldered and inspected. Final crossover adjustment to achieve a response of +/- 2 dB (+/- 1dB typical) is performed on the production line for each and every enclosure. A "Proof of Performance" graph of the magnitude and phase response is included with each enclosure. For a more in-depth review of this technology click on the link below.

Crossover Alignment

VALUABLE USER FEATURES

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For professional applications, a Neutrik™ "Speak-On" connector that provides a quick and positively locking speaker cable termination is available upon request. All Veneer Upgrade versions include Cardas Binding Post and Internal Enclosure Wire at no extra charge. Other upgrade options include Sonicap or Auracap capacitors installed in the crossover and cryo-treatment of the entire crossover assembly as well.

Bi-Wiring is also made possible by the use of individual gold plated binding posts for both the woofer and tweeter section. Passive Bi-Amping may be realized using them as well.

ELEGANT FINISH

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When any Veneer Upgrade Option is selected, the enclosure side panels are finished with real wood veneers and quality lacquer top coat. The front panel is finished with top quality paint and clear-coats as well. It is then hand polished in a process that yields a glass like luster that is one of our distinguishing hallmarks. Note: A front cover grill IS NOT AVAILABLE!!! One should never hide a pretty face. Special veneers including many exotic species and mirror finishes are available upon request.

FULL FIVE YEAR WARRANTY

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All components are protected from defects in materials and craftsmanship for a full FIVE(5) years from the date of purchase. Return shipping fees will be paid by SP Technology Loudspeakers, Inc. within the continental United States or to the Port of Departure.