Strata Mini Review
By Ian Bell
March 25, 2008
The Strata Mini loudspeaker from AV123 is one of the most beautiful speakers we have seen - or heard for that matter. Utilizing planar magnetic drivers, they are a steal at just $1995.00/pr. Check out our full review.
Snip:
"The speakers are finished in a pretty “South American Rosewood” with a satin sheen, and capped, at the top, with a glossy black “crown”. The rear portion of the speaker that houses the subwoofer and amplifier is finished in a satin black, smooth vinyl material. The variation between finishes and colors seemed a little distracting to our eyes. We could have gone with one less color/finish component.
The speaker cabinet has a slight tilt-back that phase-aligns the bass, mid, and tweeter drivers. It’s debatable how much of a difference this makes in a casual living room listening environment. But this is a feature typically only found on extremely pricey speakers so we’re not complaining. The driver array is also unique for this price point. A planar magnetic tweeter and midrange are in place to provide an airy, crisp, detailed tone that is extremely articulate at any volume level. Planar magnetic speakers are known for their high frequency output (higher than standard tweeters). But they lack low end response. So accompanying the array is a 5.25” mid-bass driver that handles the lower mid bass spectrum before the powered 8” sub takes over. The sub is powered by a built-in class A/B amp with 350 watts of power. It comes with the typical adjustment controls: Variable crossover, gain, and phase. The Strata’s stated frequency response is 27Hz to 35KHz. "
Read our full Strata Mini review