Tactic driver

Having secured a £250,000 DTi SMART Award from the government as part of the development of the Chimera loudspeaker, Wilson Benesch developed its own drive technology in the shape of the highly regarded tactic drive unit. A blisteringly fast and dynamic multi role drive technology manufactured entirely in house alongside the unique Semisphere tweeter. The tactic drive unit at the heart of the Square Five, is a highly optimised engineered component built to the exact requirements of the Square Series II.

TroikA

Like the Cardinal, the Square Five sees the Troika System implemented for a beautifully seamless, natural and coherent integration of mid and high frequency drivers never seen before at this price point. Mid-range accuracy is achieved with precision matched drive units deployed either side of the Square Five’s Scanspeak tweeter, the same unit seen in the Chimera, which sits at the perfect acoustic centre of the Troika arrangement.

Isobaric drive system

In the Isobaric Drive design, Wilson Benesch extends the performance of the original Tactic drive unit and subsequent Tactic II drive unit, which were developed to produce almost instantaneous response to signal input. This was achieved by employing a lightweight cone material and combining 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 very quickly but with a high degree of control, achieving the Tactic's attested “lightning fast” response while retaining resolution.

By deploying two Tactic drive units line astern, separated by a sealed air volume and with the motor coils wired in parallel, the composite system achieves twice the moving mass and half the compliance of a single driver.  Additionally halving the impedance draws twice the input current and hence doubles the power output. In physical terms, the two drivers of the Isobaric Drive work harmoniously in push-pull motion, dividing the load of  low frequency sound production between themselves. This produces extremely low frequency bass but retains the dynamics often compromised during bass production by a large diameter woofer. As such, the bass frequencies remain perfectly integrated with the midrange.

ABR

At the rear of the Square Five cabinet, a unique, high energy loss diaphragm effectively deals with out of phase energy to improve dynamics and perfectly damp the exuberant capabilities of the world renowned Wilson Benesch Tactic drive unit. Absorbing energy produced by the midrange drive unit into a lossy structure and thus reducing the potential for resonance in the loudspeaker cabinet. Placed directly behind the midrange Tactic Drive Unit, the ABR also enhances the low frequency extension of the drive unit much like a port.

The design of the Square Five allows the amplifier direct control and perfect harmony with respect to driver cone dynamics. The absence of any filter components on the mid drivers ensures a transparent performance, free from phase distortions or colorations brought about by even the most expensive crossover components available. The resulting sound is closer to the real world signal than any other known passive solution.

Cabinet constructiON

The Square Five packs a sonic punch and will appeal to discerning high end listeners who appreciate a natural, balanced and sincere sound reproduction. A variety of noise defeating systems are deployed in the cabinet to achieve vanishingly low levels of noise and coloration, enabling long periods of listening without fatigue or desire to “crank the volume” in pursuit of detail retrieval. These include the carbon composite technologies used in the Odyssey Range have been added to the Square Series II in the form of internal bracing. High and medium mass alloy pads add critical mass damping to the cabinet panels. These measures reduce the noise floor and allow the listener to hear the subtleties of the high performance drive units.

PORT TUBES

The air volume of the Square Five cabinet is divided into three chambers, two of which feature dual ports tubes. One set of port tubes are located directly behind the lower midrange drive unit, with one further set towards the bottom of the cabinet to service the Isobaric Drive System.

The ports have been optimally tuned by adjustments to both their length and diameter to suit the specific  characteristics of the Tactic Drive Unit they service. In general, this permits extension of the frequency response of each drive unit, particularly in the bass register.

MILLED ALUMINIUM FOOT

Situated at the Square Five’s foundation is the Isobaric Module, a high precision alloy monolith hewn from a 15 kg slab of aluminium alloy. This subsystem delivers a multiple number of key functions that are structural as well as acoustic. Referenced to the ground via 14 millimetre precision turned spikes, taken from the ACT C60 shelf, the uncompromising design dictates to two powerful Wilson Benesch Tactic bass drive units. The Square Five’s lightning quick, isobaric bass unit integrates seamlessly with the Troika system to create an exceptionally cohesive, coherent sound field that is free of all phase distortions commonly found in competing designs.

SCANSPEAK TWEETER

Familiar from the Odyssey Range and the Wide Bandwidth Collection, the ScanSpeak Tweeter is a 25mm (1”) fabric-dome tweeter. The tweeter has been modified to a Wilson Benesch specification, featuring an improved magnet assembly and no ferrofluid.

HAND CRAFTED FINISHING

Each Square Five, like any Wilson Benesch product has been built by a team of highly trained craftsmen. The cabinet design, like the Tactic drive units at the heart of the Square Series II, is the result of a fastidious attention to detail and engineering excellence. It is the same team of engineers and craftsmen that are responsible for the Cardinal flagship and for this reason you can be sure that the Square Five is a true high end speaker system