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Legacy Audio 2009 Catalog - Online Version
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Still Listening in the 80's?
Consider this: Your speakers were designed to play back a format that is now a quarter century old - the 16 bit, 44.1kHz compact disc. Did you know that stereo and multi-channel 24 bit audio Blu-ray Discs™ are capable of up to 48 dB more dynamic contrast than compact discs? And that Blu-ray’s 192kHz recordings can exhibit more than 4 times the resolution of your CDs?
The HD Experience
Playing the new audio formats with an out of date audio system is like showing off your new HDTV monitor with a VCR tape at slow speed. Hear what you’ve been missing. The LEGACY HD series speakers display the broadest dynamic contrast, bandwidth and resolution in audio. Quick, clear, and with visceral impact. Welcome to a new era of HD listening.
Helix HD Front Mains
Helix is the world’s most advanced loudspeaker system. Impeccable Design
Helix is the result of years of continuous auditory research and driver development led by Legacy Audio’s chief designer and founder, Bill Dudleston. The HELIX speaker system applies cutting edge technologies to establish new performance standards.
- HELIX preserves clarity by avoiding early room reflections.
- HELIX utilizes the exclusive Wavelaunch algorithm for acoustic steering.
- HELIX broadens the listening “sweet spot” via longer projection.
- HELIX delivers greater than 120 dB of SPL full spectrum.
- HELIX utilizes separate amplification for each drive section.
- HELIX benefits from built-in stereo subwoofers powered by 750 watts of ICE power amplification for lower distortion and greater spatial integrity.
The Speaker Array
Building a more dynamic speaker is like constructing a greater geometric pyramid. Achieving higher peaks demands a proportionally greater base (or in this case, bass).
With assistance from component manufacturers from France, Italy and Canada, Legacy has developed a unique family of drivers for the HELIX system. Symmetrically arrayed neodymium mid-bass and midrange drivers provide a carefully shaped directivity pattern that virtually eliminates sidewall and early floor reflections. A pair of 1” tweeters are splayed precisely to compliment this radiation pattern. Each tweeter takes advantage of dual-pole neodymium magnets. A special lens was designed to provide acoustical impedance to the diaphragms and prevent comb filtering.
Deep bass notes emerge from the Silver-Graphite/Rohacell reinforced 15” subwoofer. This ultra-long throw driver is rear firing for the earliest pressurization and rarefaction. Mounted just above this rear woofer is a phase compensated, wave-terminating 15” driver which minimizes buildup of standing waves.
Digital Steering
HELIX architecture is based around a sophisticated digital time-compensating processor. Within the digital matrix, the transfer functions for each driver can be derived via summation and subtraction, parametrically equalized, and then time shifted. The result is accuracy; a totally coherent, spatially integrated, acoustic event. Custom room adjustments are readily implemented via serial/USB port.
Whisper HD Front Mains
By utilizing a special directionally controlled array, the Whisper HD is the most precise imaging loudspeaker system available.
Whisper HD has been proven to:- Improve clarity by preventing early reflections
- Minimize low frequency resonant buildup and placement sensitivity
- Maintain exceedingly low distortion levels
- Deliver a far more realistic dynamic range, via four 15” pistons
- Project a more solid 3-dimensional image
- Generate a sweet spot large enough for multiple listeners
“ I’ve never heard a speaker even begin to do what the Whisper does. It’s the first speaker whose design addresses every major problem in recreating music. It is not merely an evolutionary refinement in the state of the art, but in fact a revolutionary quantum leap forward. Whispers simply make music sound more alive than any speakers I’ve ever heard.”
Tom Port, Better Records
“The market is full of products meant to fix room problems by controlling resonances and reflections. Dudleston’s approach is to avoid interaction with the room in the first place… The result is a revelation. The Whispers sound far more open with fewer speaker artifacts, than any dynamic speaker in my experience.”
William Heck, The Sensible Sound
Exceptionally clean, not just in detail resolution, but in reproducing dynamics and subtle changes. The Whispers display exceptional air and life with warmth similar to the finest tube amplifiers…These are great speakers”.
Anthony Cordesman, The Absolute Sound
“Whisper comfortably accommodates a room of nearly any size, presents fewer problems of placement than any other large speaker I have encountered, and fulfills each of Bill Dudleston’s design goals and performance claims. The Whisper plays large-scaled works with the sort of grandeur and easy authority I have previously heard only from speakers costing tens of thousands more…A fabulously enjoyable speaker system.
Paul Bolin, Stereophile
Focus SE Front Mains
FOCUS Silver Edition
- Marking a quarter of a century of continuous refinement.
While the Classic was the speaker that first put Legacy on the map, it was the FOCUS that shook up the high end with world class performance in a full range speaker under $10,000. For Legacy Audio’s 25th anniversary, Chief Designer, Bill Dudleston pulled out all the stops for the new Silver Edition version, FOCUS SE.
“I started by re-sculpting the cabinet, making it a bit narrower, yet deeper. I stiffened and angled the sidewalls, front baffle, and cabinet top to avoid parallel surfaces and potential standing waves. Facets were machined into the cabinet corners to progressively narrow the baffle with rising frequency. Even the grille of the FOCUS SE has been sculpted to prevent diffraction."
While the driver tolerances on the FOCUS are a stringent +/- 1dB of the target function,, the FOCUS SE drivers are then performance matched to +/-0.25 dB. The measurement data is then recorded in our database and archived by serial number.
I chose to use Solen metallized polypropylene capacitors imported from France as bypasses in the high frequency network and braided silver cable by Ray Kimber to the upper ribbon. As final assurance, I hand-tune the final crossover network personally, before signing the Silver Edition owner’s certificate.
The FOCUS SE makes a statement of quality and performance that I feel is unmatched by any other company at twice the price.”
Black chromed cone feet, turned from solid brass, properly anchor the speaker to the floor boundary. A knurled adjustable leveling washer and a stabilizing centering disc are incorporated. An elastomeric isolation pad is installed between the cabinet and cone to prevent re-radiation of mechanically induced vibration reaching the listener.
The 14 step Black Pearl finish is cured for three weeks prior to hours of hand polishing and buffing. The completed system is protected by a custom made velvet bag and encased by three inch thick polyethylene foam for transport.
Focus HD Front Mains
Tracking a musical waveform precisely is no simple task for a loudspeaker. Diaphragms must reverse directions more 10,000 times per second, while traveling a total distance as much as two feet per driver in that same second.
The new FOCUS HD incorporates the world’s most efficient magnetic structure (patented AURA technology) in the dual 12” aluminum cone woofers. By achieving more magnetic uniformity in the gap, displacements up to 1” remain tightly controlled and linear. Accompanied by Legacy’s proprietary stepped voltage crossover, the woofers are immune to DC offset and are turbocharged in the first musical octave.
The 7” mid-bass drivers are Legacy’s exclusive silver/graphite technology. Threads of silver are woven into a carbon fiber diaphragm to distribute bending modes across the spectrum, then backed with a layer of ultra-light Rohacell. This remarkable driver exhibits a smooth response over seven octaves, and an unmatched sensitivity of 95 dB (providing 8 times the intensity of a typical high performance 6.5” driver). Beneath the custom phase plug is an additional neodymium wafer. Reverting conventional magnetic losses, the wafer provides a uniform BL product down the entire length of the pole piece.
Classic HD & Studio HD Front Mains
The new Classic HD is designed from the ground up to deliver amazing sound. Great as a front pair in home theater applications; exacting enough for the most critical audiophile. Highs are sweet and clear, vocals are natural and effortless- free of the thin, compressed nasality so common today. Midbass has punch, and bass is solid and well defined.
The Legacy folded ribbon tweeter is suspended between front and rear magnets, delivering four times the volume velocity of a flat diaphragm. This provides high efficiency, wide bandwidth and terrific power handling.
The midrange is our own cast frame design, providing a larger radiating surface for reduced distortion and much higher output capability. The diaphragm is our silver/graphite weave, bonded to a stiff rohacell backer. Tucked under the precisely shaped phase plug is a secondary neodymium magnet which concentrates the magnetic field in the voice coil gap. The result is an ultra-smooth response with incredible dynamics.
To keep up with the speed of the midrange and treble required two custom 8” bass drivers. We tooled a deep and rugged cast frame with an extra large mounting surface to allow long excursion and prevent midbass blurring. The cone mass was optimized to provide extended bass without overhang.
The versatile Classic HD cabinetry is as rich and detailed as its sound. Choose from warm cherry, exquisite rosewood or elegant black pearl finishes.
Studio HD
The new Studio HD is a butt kickin’ compact monitor utilizing the same pleated ribbon tweeter and 8” midwoofer as its bigger brother, Classic HD.
Studio has been a favorite among professionals for a decade. The editor of Pro Audio Review wrote in 2008:
“ An excellent imaging speaker system, the Studio HDs are impressive in the amount of information they convey. On 24 bit/96kHz recordings, the Studio HDs sound very natural with accurate presence and imaging deep and wide. The bass also appeared more accurate than my original Studios.
The transient response is quite good; cymbals reflect the speed and air of a well recorded setup, without a hint of harshness… just like it sounds in the session.
My listening notes contained the word “accurate” over and over. As for negatives with the Studio HDs, I simply found none. - John Gatski, PAR
Center Speakers
You are looking at a selection of the finest center channel speakers in existence. Each is carefully designed to provide optimal coverage and dynamic range for their applications.
Today there is much more demand placed on center channels beyond the previous simple reinforcement of dialogue. From kick drums to collisions, the center speaker is working harder than ever.
The Silverscreen HD is a perfect match for Classic HD, Focus HD, or with TV monitors under 52 inches. It is designed to provide wide dispersion and can be placed above or below the screen. The Silverscreen HD utilizes our pleated ribbon tweeter and our 5.25” silver/graphite midrange housed in a sealed sub-enclosure. The stylish cabinet is well braced to deliver impact from a pair of long throw, high efficiency, cast frame 8”woofers featuring silver/graphite cones and extended phase plugs for smooth, off-axis response.
If you haven’t experienced the Marquis HD, you are missing out on something very special. A worthy companion to Focus SE, Whisper HD and even our flagship tower Helix, the Marquis HD offers the piston area to do the center channel the way it should be done; dual 12” Aura™ encapsulated neodymium motor structures with custom heat sinks, high temperature voice coils and spun aluminum diaphragms offering 1” of linear travel. Our unique Rohacell reinforced silver/graphite 7” with dual pole neodymium drive, and the sweetest ribbon highs…fully unthrottled. Marquis HD can be placed above or below a 60” monitor, or behind a perforated projection screen.
Side and Rear Speakers
The role of the surround speaker is to create a convincing, continuous envelopment for each listener, without introducing distractions such as bright spots, dead zones, or timbre imbalance.
Legacy Audio offers versatility and performance in surround speaker options by providing on-wall, in-wall, stand mount and pivoting bracket designs. You can be assured that each of these speakers is of premium quality and is carefully voiced to integrate within the Legacy line.
The Phantom HD on-wall speaker provides a multi-polar radiation pattern for the ultimate in spatial envelopment. The front firing 8” Silver/Graphite mid-bass and the 1” spiral ribbon tweeter are precisely angled for optimal coverage of the listening area, while the bipolar 5.25” drivers fill the off-axis response. On-wall mounting is accomplished easily with a double keyhole mounting bracket (included) which locks the speaker securely into position.
The versatile Studio HD may be stand or shelf mounted and is extraordinary for rear channel applications. Timbre matched to our renowned tower designs, this compact speaker is in a price performance class of its own. We dare you to compare it to anything near its size. Studio HD may be wall mounted using pivoting brackets rated for 30 lbs (not included).
Subwoofers
Cramming a 12” woofer into a compact box does not make it a subwoofer. By its very nature it will be inefficient, exhibit limited dynamic range, and have inherently high distortion.
Our subwoofers are not just gorgeous pieces of furniture, but have the guts and internal volume to get the job done efficiently. The 15” Silver Graphite cone is bonded to an ultra-stiff Rohacell layer and driven by a massive 35 lb. magnet structures. A high speed rubber suspension is incorporated with a high temperature 3” voice-coil. The voice-coil lead wires are initially braided, then woven into the spider to prevent fatigue from heavy use.
The 750 watt Point One HD subwoofer offers speaker level inputs, stereo line level and LFE inputs; the Xtreme HD also includes a balanced (XLR) input and a carefully weighted down-firing slave radiator.
The 1000 watt Xtreme HD also incorporates a dynamic-braking coil which utilizes driver back EMF to counter overshoot as the driver reverses direction or comes to a hault.
Using two or more carefully positioned and phased subwoofers can further reduce distortion, minimize response variation due to room modes and enhance transient response. See white papers on our website regarding this topic.
Harmony HD In-Wall System
Harmony HD is the no compromise solution when demanding great sound from an in-wall speaker system. Elegant, yet powerful, Harmony is built from the finest components available and utilizes a patented shock mounting system making installation a breeze while greatly reducing wall chatter.
An exclusive multi-chamber construction method enhances performance and allows the main channels to fit between any wall studs on 16” centers. The perfectly matched Harmony HD Center straddles two studs and will deliver exceptional sound quality from your movies and concerts.
IWith a choice of three finishes, Harmony HD is at home with any décor. Choose gloss black pearl for a clean modern look, rich rosewood for a traditional look, or warm cherry for a cozy environment.
“...The Harmony ensemble will forever change your perception of what in-wall speakers can be.”
Performance Rating: 98, Build Quality: 98, - Darryl Wilkinson, Home Theater
in-wall we’ve ever heard…it’s craftsmanship matched its sonic appeal - it was suprisingly deep and dynamic, but very natural sounding through the midrange and highs.”
- Barry Willis - Stereophile, Guide to Home Theater
