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Hart Audio Evo1 Active Loudspeaker Review (Part 1)

4/22/2014 2:38:15 PM

A radical loudspeaker concept that challenges audio rules

Hart Audio may not be a household name but David Hart’s Isle of Wight-based business has a refreshing approach to audio design and high-quality UK manufacturing, as well as a growing number of passionate customers appreciating service and bespoke production. Hart Audio sells its speakers direct in the UK so you won’t find its speakers at your local hi-fi dealer.

The new incarnation of the imposing EVO1 commands attention even when it’s silent. Two large, understated enclosures per channel, each boasting a purposeful 12in driver hints that you’re about to hear something different.

Hart Audio EVO1 three quarter view

Hart Audio EVO1 three quarter view

At the heart of the EVO1 is David’s passionate belief that many traditional speaker designs are fundamentally compromised by underwhelming and highly colored bass. This latest design sets out to fix this perceived compromise.

The EVO1 is based on a similar design brought out in 2010 without the lower 12in driver. The new version is claimed to build on the original’s strengths while adding even greater bass extension and refinement. As before, it employs Tannoy-sourced primary drivers housed in extremely rigid, high- density fiberboard enclosures, hand assembled and seamlessly finished in a choice of real wood veneers.

At first glance this substantial twin box per channel design looks like a ‘spot the difference’ competition with a near identical pair of 12in Tannoy drivers located in a similar pair of unfussy enclosures. Closer inspection of the front faces reveals that only the top driver contains Tannoy’s dual- concentric tweeter with the new lower driver employing a form of bass port where the tweeter would be. Looking at the back of each box reveals more remarkable differences. Immediately apparent in the top unit is a beefy, built-in amplifier complete with cooling fins and control knobs covering phase, frequency contour, high and lower-level gain alongside balanced and unbalanced inputs and mains input. Around the back of the base cabinet is the biggest surprise - eight custom-commissioned 4.5in long-throw drivers neatly concealed, firing in phase with the primary 12in drivers, but rearwards.

The ABM (Active Bass Module 16Hz-120Hz flat response) Consists of 8 drive units

The ABM (Active Bass Module 16Hz-120Hz flat response) Consists of 8 drive units

David states that the top 12in driver “deserves to be left to focus on point-source treble and vital mid-band detail”. The addition of the lower box to the ‘stack’ and additional drivers is, therefore, to focus exclusively on extended bass duties. There is minimal overlap in frequency response between top and bottom boxes, but the use of two near identical 12in drivers ensures that sound quality is highly coherent.

The two boxes are separated by four near rigid nitryl rubber balls. These serve to decouple the two boxes by an intended amount. Four further steel balls are seated under the bottom box creating strong points of contact with the floor while enabling a degree of fine tuning in positioning.

The two boxes are separated by four near rigid nitryl rubber balls

The two boxes are separated by four near rigid nitryl rubber balls

The bottom box is arguably where the most radical audio thinking is happening. Internally, there is no damping material and baffles are claimed to be arranged to focus the bass energy generated by all lower drivers to a notional ‘point source’ flowing through the throat of the primary 12in driver.

This lower bass port is clearly vital to this new design, as David believes that “trapped bass can only color the output by exerting unwanted pressure on the cabinet walls and smearing vital detail”.

 

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