STAND MOUNTED LOUDSPEAKER
"the Endeavour turns accepted notions of the established audio swings and roundabouts on their head, surprising and delighting in equal measure."
Since its foundation, Wilson Benesch has invested heavily in ambitious research and development projects in the fields of materials science and manufacturing. The Endeavour exploits more than two-decades of work, to incorporate a multitude of cutting edge Wilson Benesch technologies.
From the very latest new technology, the Carbon Nanotech Enclosure, to the Isobaric Drive System, the A.C.T. Monocoque and a number of highly engineered, geometrically optimised carbon fibre and alloy components, the Endeavour is a masterpiece of engineering.
Featuring the very latest Wilson Benesch Drive Technology, the Endeavour is capable of delivering wide bandwidth sound from 38Hz to 30kHz. A dedicated Tactic II midrange drive unit sits inside the Carbon Nanotech Enclosure, with a clamshell formation Tactic II Isobaric System taking care of the lightning-fast bass to create a perfectly integrated low-mid range response. At the centre, the Semisphere Silk-Carbon Hybrid dome Tweeter delivers a perfectly tonally balanced and natural sounding high frequency band.
Through expert design and craftsmanship, advanced materials technology has been combined with geometry in every component to created a stand mount loudspeaker design with no compromise. The Endeavour faithfully reproduces the musical ensemble, as though the performers were there in the room before you.
Outstanding Elite
Overall Performance
Super AV Awards 2014
Best Performance
of the Year 2016
Audio Art Awards 2016
Since its foundation, Wilson Benesch has invested heavily in ambitious research and development projects in the fields of materials science and manufacturing. The Endeavour exploits more than two-decades of work, to incorporate a multitude of cutting edge Wilson Benesch technologies.
From the very latest new technology, the Carbon Nanotech Enclosure, to the Isobaric Drive System, the A.C.T. Monocoque and a number of highly engineered, geometrically optimised carbon fibre and alloy components, the Endeavour is a masterpiece of engineering.
Featuring the very latest Wilson Benesch Drive Technology, the Endeavour is capable of delivering wide bandwidth sound from 38Hz to 30kHz. A dedicated Tactic II midrange drive unit sits inside the Carbon Nanotech Enclosure, with a clamshell formation Tactic II Isobaric System taking care of the lightning-fast bass to create a perfectly integrated low-mid range response. At the centre, the Semisphere Silk-Carbon Hybrid dome Tweeter delivers a perfectly tonally balanced and natural sounding high frequency band.
Through expert design and craftsmanship, advanced materials technology has been combined with geometry in every component to created a stand mount loudspeaker design with no compromise. The Endeavour faithfully reproduces the musical ensemble, as though the performers were there in the room before you.
Outstanding Elite
Overall Performance
Super AV Awards 2014
Best Performance
of the Year 2016
Audio Art Awards 2016
Technology
Since its foundation, Wilson Benesch has invested heavily in ambitious research and development projects in the fields of materials science and manufacturing. The Endeavour exploits more than two-decades of work, to incorporate a multitude of cutting edge Wilson Benesch technologies.
From the very latest technology, the Carbon-Nanotech Enclosure, to the Isobaric Drive System, the A.C.T. Monocoque and a number of highly engineered, geometrically optimised carbon fibre and alloy components, the Endeavour is a masterpiece of engineering.
EXPLORE THE FEATURES OF
BY CLICKING THE ICONS
TACTIC II DRIVER
There are no transient delays in nature – when a singer sings, or a drummer strikes you hear the sound almost instantly. But when a drive unit tries to replicate this sound from a recording, the transient response time, although minute, is easily detected by the ear and the brain. When designing a drive unit, it is critical to reduce the transient response time as much as possible. Any delay, informs the brain that what is being listened to is in fact a recording and not a real human voice or instrument.
Wilson Benesch developed the original Tactic drive unit and subsequent Tactic II drive unit around this philosophy. We employed a light cone material, with phenomenally powerful NdFeB Rare Earth Magnets, with a highly evolved motor geometry to optimise flux. The result was a dynamic drive unit that could excurse through the in and out range of its movement during use very quickly and under a high degree of control. The original Tactic design was described as “lightning fast” in the first test reviews.
SEMISPHERE TWEETER
Designed and manufactured in house, the Semisphere has been developed to match the Tactic II Drive Unit, creating seamless integration across the mid-high frequency band. At the heart of the Semisphere is the Silk-Carbon Hybrid Dome. The hybrid dome tweeter, retains the natural sound of a soft dome tweeter, remaining free from sibilance. However the addition of carbon fibre through a proprietary technique, allows the Semisphere to remain flat through the frequency range to 30kHz.
Built around the dome is a combination of highly engineered components, which have been precision machined in house at Wilson Benesch. At the front a curved front plate creates the ideal launch surface for high frequency sound. To the rear of this is a complex motor front and rear plate that hold a ring of six powerful rare earth magnets. The design allows optimal venting and allows the Semisphere to remain cool during extended use.
ISOBARIC DRIVE SYSTEM
On the underside of the Endeavour, two Tactic II drive units combine to create an Isobaric Drive System. The Isobaric Drive is responsible for reproducing incredibly tight and controlled bass response that integrates perfectly with the midrange Tactic II drive unit.
The Isobaric Drive System incorporates two lightning fast, highly dynamic bass woofers which create the full range of bass notes up to 25Hz. Although the Isobaric Drive System operates at a much higher load than the midrange units, the load is shared by two drive units working together, allowing the Isobaric Drive System to remain perfectly integrated with the midrange units. This degree of speed and dynamics cannot be achieved with conventional large woofer designs.
CARBON NANOTECH ENCLOSURE
The curved geometry of the loudspeaker cabinet is expressed in its ultimate form in the world's first Carbon Nanotech (carbon nanotubes dispersed within the resin matrix) speaker enclosure. The Champagne bottle shape is no coincidence providing as it does the near ideal form for controlling the narrow bandwidth of the mid range Tactic II drive unit. This elegant solution not only provides the ideal enclosure for the mid range it also frees the rest of the cabinet to enable the isobaric to function optimally with the largest possible air volume.
A.C.T. MONOCOQUE
A sophisticated three-layer composite structure comprised of carbon fibre, high compression blast core and glass fibre. In terms of energy damping and therefore signal-to-noise ratio, the A.C.T. Monocoque exceeds with consummate ease the materials traditionally used in loudspeaker design.
Wilson Benesch have optimised the A.C.T. Monocoque by creating a curved form. The geometric form of the cabinet negates standing waves by reducing the number of flat surfaces on the loudspeaker surface. Thus any sound waves interacting with the surface of the A.C.T. Monocoque are diffracted across a wide angle and thus diminished. As a result such distortions are impossible for the ear to detect, allowing the loudspeaker to disappear within the listening space; stealth like the loudspeaker creates a wide open and life like soundstage.
KINEMATIC LOCATION
First introduced in the kinematic bearing design in the Wilson Benesch A.C.T. One Tonearm in 1991, the bearing was designed on the principles of kinematic coupling. The fundamental principle of kinematic coupling is to selectively eliminate each one or all of the six degrees of mechanical freedom that any physical body has.
In the Endeavour, three 28mm steel threads, each tipped with a 12.5mm steel ball, meet with three 12.5mm chrome steel balls, held captive inside the floor protector. This creates a triangulated structure, with a contact point of less than 1mm2. This provides high-integrity, stable location of the loudspeaker.
CARBON FIBRE TOP
Following the same principles of the A.C.T. monocoque, the carbon fibre top in the Endeavour and Cardinal have been designed firstly to damp internal cabinet born resonance and secondly to negate standing waves interacting with the loudspeaker surface. The overall effect is a vastly improved signal-to-noise ratio.
The Endeavour top, along with the Cardinal top, is perhaps one of the most complex carbon fibre forms ever created by Wilson Benesch. Developed using industry standard 3D CAD / CAM software, the moulding tool was milled from one solid block of aluminium to tight a high degree of accuracy. Subsequently the resin transfer moulding technique perfected in the A.C.T. monocoque is employed to create a beautifully sculptural carbon fibre form with no compromises in terms of its function.
VARIABLE PORTING
The port tubes in the Endeavour evolve a step beyond those found in the Vertex and the Discovery II. Here the material of choice is carbon fibre, an aesthetic cue that adds to the luxurious, high technology dialogue of the Endeavour design.
Wilson Benesch adds flexibility to the Endeavour by enabling the owner to adjust the bass output. Threaded caps can be screwed into the end of the port tube in order to seal either one or both of the ports. When combined with the Torus, this technique can be applied to reduce the load on the Endeavour’s Isobaric Drive System, improving dynamics and integration with the midrange.
CABINET CONSTRUCTION
The enclosure exerts a considerable influence over the sound of the complete system. A moving coil driver radiates energy by vibrating a diaphragm assembly whose reaction will simultaneously excite the loudspeaker chassis causing it to vibrate in sympathy. The chassis must therefore be ridged and highly damped to prevent it from moving and in turn stop the chassis from dissipating energy as unwanted acoustic output.
Numerous examples of chassis damping are evident in the Endeavour. The A.C.T. Monocoque alone is the most highly damped enclosure ever manufactured. However, Wilson Benesch also employ a highly engineered base board in the Endeavour. This component is hewn from a solid billet of aluminium, creating a ridged structure to which the Isobaric Drive System mounts and also a housing for the A.C.T. Monocoque
silk black
white gloss
oak satin
natural cherry satin
zebrano gloss
birdseye maple gloss
red birdseye gloss
red tulip gloss
burr walnut gloss
walnut gloss
ebonised walnut gloss
// P1 enzo //
// P1 champagne //
// P1 silverstone //
// P1 ettore //
"The Endeavour turns accepted notions of the established audio swings and roundabouts on their head, surprising and delighting in equal measure. But most of all it succeeds in achieving that quality shared by all really great loudspeakers – the ability to put the music first."
Outstanding Elite Overall Performance
Super AV Awards 2014
Best Performance of the Year 2016
Audio Arts Awards 2016
front
side
back
SCHEMATIC
VOLUMES
Poly-alloy hybrid construction
High performance carbon composite A.C.T. monocoque
Carbon-Nanotech mid-range enclosure with carbon fibre port
Isobaric enclosure with dual carbon fibre ports
Variable Isobaric enclosure porting achieved by airflow adapters
4kg precision machined Isobaric drive bass board
2.5-way stand mounted monitor
Impedance: 6Ω nominal / 4Ω minimal
Sensitivity: 89dB at 1 metre on-axis, 2.83V Input
Frequency response: 38Hz - 30kHz +/- 2dB on-axis
Minimum amplification power recommendation: 100 W / channel
Crossover frequency: 500Hz / 5kHz
Height: 1475mm ( 58")
Width: 245mm ( 9.6")
Depth: 435mm ( 17.1")
Volume: 22L
Weight per channel: 70kg (154 lbs)
Aerospace silk black baffle, spine and foot
High gloss satin weave carbon fibre cabinet
High gloss carbon fibre top
Bespoke side cheek options - see FINISHES above
FINISHES
DIMENSIONS
PERFORMANCE
construction
1 x 25mm ( 1") Wilson Benesch Semisphere tweeter
1 x 170mm ( 7") Wilson Benesch Tactic II mid-range drive unit
2 x 170mm ( 7") Wilson Benesch Tactic II Isobaric bass drive units
Drivers
explore
IN 3d
click on the speaker to launch
Wilson Benesch Ltd | Falcon House | Limestone Cottage Lane | Sheffield | United Kingdom | T +44 (0)114 285 2656
Designed and Built by Wilson Benesch 2019 | All rights reserved
"The Endeavour turns accepted notions of the established audio swings and roundabouts on their head, surprising and delighting in equal measure."
Roy Gregory, The Audiobeat, February 2015
STAND moUNTED LOUDSPEAKER
Since its foundation, Wilson Benesch has invested heavily in ambitious research and development projects in the fields of materials science and manufacturing. The Endeavour exploits more than two-decades of work, to incorporate a multitude of cutting edge Wilson Benesch technologies.
From the very latest new technology, the Carbon Nanotech Enclosure, to the Isobaric Drive System, the A.C.T. Monocoque and a number of highly engineered, geometrically optimised carbon fibre and alloy components, the Endeavour is a masterpiece of engineering.
Featuring the very latest Wilson Benesch Drive Technology, the Endeavour is capable of delivering wide bandwidth sound from 38Hz to 30kHz. A dedicated Tactic II midrange drive unit sits inside the Carbon Nanotech Enclosure, with a clamshell formation Tactic II Isobaric System taking care of the lightning-fast bass to create a perfectly integrated low-mid range response. At the centre, the Semisphere Silk-Carbon Hybrid dome Tweeter delivers a perfectly tonally balanced and natural sounding high frequency band.
Through expert design and craftsmanship, advanced materials technology has been combined with geometry in every component to created a stand mount loudspeaker design with no compromise. The Endeavour faithfully reproduces the musical ensemble, as though the performers were there in the room before you.
Technology
From the Carbon-Nanotech Enclosure, to the Isobaric Drive System, the A.C.T. Monocoque and a number of highly engineered, geometrically optimised carbon fibre and alloy components, the Endeavour is a masterpiece of engineering.
Find out more >
TACTIC II DRIVE UNIT
There are no transient delays in nature – when a singer sings, or a drummer strikes you hear the sound almost instantly. But when a drive unit tries to replicate this sound from a recording, the transient response time, although minute, is easily detected by the ear and the brain. When designing a drive unit, it is critical to reduce the transient response time as much as possible. Any delay, informs the brain that what is being listened to is in fact a recording and not a real human voice or instrument.
Wilson Benesch developed the original Tactic drive unit and subsequent Tactic II drive unit around this philosophy. We employed a light cone material, with phenomenally powerful NdFeB Rare Earth Magnets, with a highly evolved motor geometry to optimise flux. The result was a dynamic drive unit that could excurse through the in and out range of its movement during use very quickly and under a high degree of control. The original Tactic design was described as “lightning fast” in the first test reviews.
ISOBARIC DRIVE SYSTEM
On the underside of the Endeavour, two Tactic II drive units combine to create an Isobaric Drive System. The Isobaric Drive is responsible for reproducing incredibly tight and controlled bass response that integrates perfectly with the midrange Tactic II drive unit.
The Isobaric Drive System results in two lightning fast, highly dynamic bass woofers which create the full range of bass notes up to 25Hz. Although the Isobaric Drive System operates at a much higher load than the midrange units, the load is shared by two drive units working together, allowing the Isobaric Drive System to remain perfectly integrated with the midrange units. This degree of speed and dynamics cannot be achieved with conventional large woofer designs.
SEMISPHERE TWEETER
Designed and manufactured in house, the Semisphere has been developed to match the Tactic II Drive Unit, creating seamless integration across the mid-high frequency band. At the heart of the Semisphere is the Silk-Carbon Hybrid Dome. The hybrid dome tweeter, retains the natural sound of a soft dome tweeter, remaining free from sibilance. However the addition of carbon fibre through a proprietary technique, allows the Semisphere to remain flat through the frequency range to 30kHz.
Built around the dome is a combination of highly engineered components, which have been precision machined in house at Wilson Benesch. At the front a curved front plate creates the ideal launch surface for high frequency sound. To the rear of this is a complex motor front and rear plate that hold a ring of six powerful rare earth magnets. The design allows optimal venting and allows the Semisphere to remain cool during extended use.
CARBON-NANOTECH ENCLOSURE
The curved geometry of the loudspeaker cabinet is expressed in its ultimate form in the world's first Carbon Nanotech (carbon nanotubes dispersed within the resin matrix) speaker enclosure. The Champagne bottle shape is no coincidence providing as it does the near ideal form for controlling the narrow bandwidth of the mid range Tactic II drive unit. This elegant solution not only provides the ideal enclosure for the mid range it also frees the rest of the cabinet to enable the isobaric to function optimally with the largest possible air volume.
VARIABLE PORTING
The port tubes in the Endeavour evolve a step beyond those found in the Vertex and the Discovery II. Here the material of choice is carbon fibre, an aesthetic cue that adds to the luxurious, high technology dialogue of the Endeavour design.
Wilson Benesch adds flexibility to the Endeavour by enabling the owner to adjust the bass output. Threaded caps can be screwed into the end of the port tube in order to seal either one or both of the ports. When combined with the Torus, this technique can be applied to reduce the load on the Endeavour’s Isobaric Drive System, improving dynamics and integration with the midrange.
CABINET CONSTRUCTION
The enclosure exerts a considerable influence over the sound of the complete system. A moving coil driver radiates energy by vibrating a diaphragm assembly whose reaction will simultaneously excite the loudspeaker chassis causing it to vibrate in sympathy. The chassis must therefore be ridged and highly damped to prevent it from moving and in turn stop the chassis from dissipating energy as unwanted acoustic output.
Numerous examples of chassis damping are evident in the Endeavour. The A.C.T. Monocoque alone is the most highly damped enclosure ever manufactured. However, Wilson Benesch also employ a highly engineered base board in the Endeavour. This component is hewn from a solid billet of aluminium, creating a ridged structure to which the Isobaric Drive System mounts and also a housing for the A.C.T. Monocoque.
A.C.T. MONOCOQUE
A sophisticated three-layer composite structure comprised of carbon fibre, high compression blast core and glass fibre. In terms of energy damping and therefore signal-to-noise ratio, the A.C.T. Monocoque exceeds with consummate ease the materials traditionally used in loudspeaker design.
Wilson Benesch have optimised the A.C.T. Monocoque by creating a curved form. The geometric form of the cabinet negates standing waves by reducing the number of flat surfaces on the loudspeaker surface. Thus any sound waves interacting with the surface of the A.C.T. Monocoque are diffracted across a wide angle and thus diminished. As a result such distortions are impossible for the ear to detect, allowing the loudspeaker to disappear within the listening space; stealth like the loudspeaker creates a wide open and life like soundstage.
CURVED BAFFLE
Following the same principle as the A.C.T. Monocoque, Wilson Benesch have optimised the design of the Endeavour and the Cardinal baffle, creating a curved profile to reduce flat surfaces on the loudspeaker. Much like a mirror, flat surfaces reflect sound waves directly back in the direction from which they came, with little of the energy of the original wave being dissipated. This type of wave reflection is called a standing wave.
A curved surface on the other hand reflects a sound wave across a wide angle, diffusing the sound wave and in turn dissipating the energy of the original sound wave into many smaller waves. In a listening room, this means that any reflected sound is more difficult to discern and therefore does not detract from the listening experience.
CARBON FIBRE TOP
Following the same principles of the A.C.T. monocoque, the carbon fibre top in the Endeavour and Cardinal have been designed firstly to damp internal cabinet born resonance and secondly to negate standing waves interacting with the loudspeaker surface. The overall effect is a vastly improved signal-to-noise ratio.
The Endeavour top, along with the Cardinal top, is perhaps one of the most complex carbon fibre forms ever created by Wilson Benesch. Developed using industry standard 3D CAD / CAM software, the moulding tool was milled from one solid block of aluminium to tight a high degree of accuracy. Subsequently the resin transfer moulding technique perfected in the A.C.T. monocoque is employed to create a beautifully sculptural carbon fibre form with no compromises in terms of its function.
KINEMATIC LOCATION
First introduced in the kinematic bearing design in the Wilson Benesch A.C.T. One Tonearm in 1991, the bearing was designed on the principles of kinematic coupling. The fundamental principle of kinematic coupling is to selectively eliminate each one or all of the six degrees of mechanical freedom that any physical body has.
In the Endeavour, three 28mm steel threads, each tipped with a 12.5mm steel ball, meet with three 12.5mm chrome steel balls, held captive inside the floor protector. This creates a triangulated structure, with a contact point of less than 1mm2. This provides high-integrity, stable location of the loudspeaker.
"The Endeavour turns accepted notions of the established audio swings and roundabouts on their head, surprising and delighting in equal measure. But most of all it succeeds in achieving that quality shared by all really great loudspeakers – the ability to put the music first."
Roy Gregory, The Audiobeat, February 2015
REVIEWS
awards
Outstanding Elite
Overall Performance Awards 2014
Super AV
Best Performance of the Year 2016
Audio Art, Taiwan
finishes
SILK BLACK
WHITE GLOSS
OAK SATIN
NATURAL CHERRY SATIN
ZEBRANO GLOSS
BIRDS EYE MAPLE GLOSS
RED BIRDS EYE GLOSS
RED TULIP GLOSS
BURR WALNUT GLOSS
WALNUT GLOSS
EBONISED WALNUT GLOSS
*
*
// P1 ENZO //
// P1 SILVERSTONE //
// P1 CHAMPAGNE //
FRONT
SIDE
BACK
VOLUMES
specifications
DRIVERS
CONSTRUCTION
MEASUREMENTS
DIMENSIONS
FINISHES
1 x 25mm ( 1") Wilson Benesch Semisphere tweeter
1 x 170mm ( 7") Wilson Benesch Tactic II mid-range drive unit
2 x 170mm ( 7") Wilson Benesch Tactic II Isobaric bass drive units
Poly-alloy hybrid construction
High performance carbon composite A.C.T. monocoque
Carbon-Nanotech mid-range enclosure with carbon fibre port
Isobaric enclosure with dual carbon fibre ports
Variable Isobaric enclosure porting achieved by airflow adapters
4kg precision machined Isobaric drive bass board
2.5-way stand mounted monitor
Impedance: 6Ω nominal / 4Ω minimal
Sensitivity: 89dB at 1 metre on-axis, 2.83V Input
Frequency response: 38Hz - 30kHz +/- 2dB on-axis
Minimum amplification power recommendation: 100 W / channel
Crossover frequency: 500Hz / 5kHz
Height: 1475mm (58")
Width: 245mm (9.6")
Depth: 435mm (17.1")
Volume: 22L
Weight per Channel: 70kg (154lbs)
Aerospace silk black baffle, spine and foot
High gloss satin weave carbon fibre cabinet
High gloss carbon fibre top
Bespoke side cheek options - see FINISHES above:
Gloss: Piano Black, White, Zebrano, Birds Eye Maple, Red Birds Eye, Red Tulip, Walnut, Burr Walnut and Ebonised Walnut
Satin: Oak and Natural Cherry
gallery
Click an image and then swipe to view the gallery
Wilson Benesch Ltd | Falcon House | Limestone Cottage Lane | Sheffield | United Kingdom | T +44 (0)114 285 2656
Designed and built by Wilson Benesch 2019 | All rights reserved