Epicon 6
"A group of boys cheered in the Malamut Tavern." Over the years, all the talk of major breakthroughs has been reminiscent of this opening line of Robert Service's famous poem. Dani claims that its Epicon series loudspeakers feature a new magnetic structure that reduces odd harmonic distortion in dynamic units to a degree that is almost impossible to measure. Interestingly, even-order harmonic distortion remains the same: Epicon's total harmonic distortion is low, but the odd-order parts are almost gone.
I think anyone who has heard of the Epicon 6, audiophiles or not, will notice how pure and fluid its sound is, and it really is reminiscent of the ultra-low harmonic distortion of the electrostatic speaker. Dani's CEO, Lars Worre, gives a detailed explanation of the new magnetic structure, and I'll summarize its principles later. However, this effect is independent of the explanation provided.
Of course, the design of the speaker is far more than a low distortion unit, which is the most basic. I'll talk about how the Epicon 6 performs in other ways later. But their low distortion has made them not only interesting as a product, but also a milestone in audio history.
How distortion reduction works
The unit consists of a magnetic structure around a "voice coil" that connects to the part of the unit you see, the part that moves the air. The voice coil moves by magnetic force: as current passes through the coil, a force is applied to the coil, causing the coil to accelerate. Ideally, the force on the voice coil should be determined by the current in the coil. But in practice, magnetic structures are often made of metal, which conducts electricity. Therefore, the coil with a change in current generates an electric current in a metal of a magnetic structure through electromagnetic induction. This current in the magnetic structure, in turn, changes the magnetic field, creating unwanted and unnecessary additional forces on the coil. These induced currents, the so-called "eddy currents", are the source of distortion. The idea of the Dani unit is to eliminate them by making the magnetic structure efficiently non-conductive, thus preventing eddy currents.
Eddy current problems also arise in transformers, which is why they use a laminated structure, where the sheets are separated by a thin insulating layer, so current cannot flow through the sheets. The Danish company Grundfos came up with the idea of developing a more extreme non-conductive electromagnetic structure. The idea is to make a material made of iron particles — making it magnetic — but to apply a non-conductive coating to the particles before forming a material by pressing the particles together. The result is actually a simultaneous stacking of layers in all directions and no conductive.
The non-conductive magnet structure and eddy current reduction are half the reasons for the reduction of odd harmonics. The remaining reduction in distortion is due to the fact that the aluminum and copper rings in the magnetic material create a more linear optimally shaped magnetic field. These loops also reduce inductance. In summary, the unique magnetic material and the magnetic ring together produce a magnetic linearity that remains constant regardless of the signal current, signal frequency, or cone position.
In fact, the idea was developed by Grundfos for high-speed motors, not for speaker units at all. But, fortunately, Grundfos is close to Dani in Jutland, Denmark, about 10 miles away. After a while, the idea of using a magnetic structure for the speakers emerged (according to Lars Worre, the idea was actually proposed by Grundfos). Of course, some work is still needed on how to achieve this, but the idea has a basic correctness and therefore immediately attracts attention. Like many very good ideas, once the idea is proposed, it will seem very natural.
From a measurement standpoint, it is widely assumed that odd-order harmonic distortion sounds terrible and has now disappeared completely. People generally tend to think that distortion in the speaker is caused by the rupture of the unit cone, and in order to minimize this distortion, a lot of work has been done in making the cone. Dani also solved this problem, which uses a special wood fiber unit that seems to work well. However, the distortion of the motor structure is also important, and in the Epicon series, this problem is solved in a new way, as described above. And it does a good job of both auditory and distortion measurements. (The new structure is also said to minimize the problems caused by the hysteresis effect.) ）
As mentioned earlier, the sound effects are immediately perceptible and very pleasant, the speakers sound exceptionally pure and dynamic. I'm ready to believe Dani's statement that that's why unique voices are heard. And the measurements certainly support Dani's claims.
Overall Sound: Frequency limit
Epicon 6's perceived distortion is very low, which is a fusion of dynamic sounds. Of course, other aspects of the sound are still to be discussed, but this low distortion has attracted great interest.
Let me start with the limits of frequency. Dani had an unusual high-frequency unit, consisting of a dome tweeter that was larger than usual (29 mm) and on top of which was a belt tweeter to fill the top of the highest octave — actually far more than that (the belt unit tends to go far). The result is a very high definition of the perceived high frequencies – as mentioned earlier, you'll hear a lot of tiny details that are beloved by enthusiasts, thanks to its ultra-low distortion.
This speaker has high resolution and clarity. The idea of using two tweeters to cover different treble sections isn't new, but in terms of noticeable clarity and resolution, epicon 6 achieves good results. High-pitched percussion from my usual orchestral recordings, Lachmaninoff's Mata, Dallas, ProArte, sounds very much like a real cymbal collision sound, with details that are real in reality and in the recording. In these respects, epicon 6's high-frequency composite units are at the top level and are among the best. If high frequency is synonymous with high end for you, you will feel very happy.
The tweeter does follow Dani's usual practice of being a little hot on the shaft, with the aim of getting people to listen to some off-axis treble. This is usually done to fill in the power response at the top, with the tilt on the shaft filling in some of the high-frequency energy of the reverberation sound field, but the listening position outside the shaft obtains a flat direct reach. If you want to get more high frequencies in the reverberation field, that's enough.
However, you don't have to deviate far from the axis in any direction before responding to a true dive. I estimate that the flattest axis is about 15 degrees or so from the frontal position. But if you tilt 30 degrees to one side, there will be a fairly noticeable roll-off. Trebles are also sensitive to vertical positions, just like the vertical bands one would expect. None of this is a problem – just sit where you should be. But users in less than ideal positions will hear a non-flat response at the top, as if they were arriving directly, although this is not particularly important for listening to music in a normal position.
Associated with the superior performance of the high-frequency unit is a very high level of perceived resolution. Dani has always believed in the importance of being able to hear the details, at least that's what I think (I used to live in Denmark and I've known Dani's people for a long time). People will definitely hear a lot of details here. Even in familiar recordings, one may be acutely aware of the inner details that have hardly been observed before, and the sound inside sounds very clear. Of course, this is always said in audio reviews. But it's true.
On the other hand, epicon 6 really doesn't seem to be subject to any adverse effects from its cabinet. In this world, some designers think it's necessary to make loudspeakers weighing hundreds of pounds to get enough cabinet stability, but Dani seems to have done it with a modest weight (66 pounds) and a very elegant looking box. The admiration is beyond words! This cabinet not only looks elegant and has a modernist feel, but it is really completely free from the influence of sound. Listening to any complex music, you'll be impressed by how much internal structure you can hear.
At the same time, the bass was expanded, with a -3dB point of 35Hz. So, the bass in the room can drop far, if not absolutely as low as 20Hz. To be honest, in my medium-sized room (about 18 feet × 22 feet), the bass is even a little too much. But it's so clear that you can really feel the low-frequency power of orchestra or rock 'n' roll.
The excitement of the music is reflected in the low frequencies, and epicon 6 sounds really shocking. The heavy bass in Rachmaninoff's work mentioned above gives a sense of realism played live by an orchestra. The overall helps to fill in low-frequency dives, which tend to be found on larger landing boxes. Bass may be a bit much technically, but very good musically.
There are no weak voices here, no orchestral masterpieces of the Romantic era sounding like tape recorder ensembles, and no rock 'n' roll sounding like the table radio sounds. When Richard Strauss, Dvořák, Mahler and Wagner — or Pink Floyd — give you some bass excitement, you'll really understand what the two big ports at the rear of the Epicon 6 mean. I love this!
Epicon 6 presents a spacious sound image that completely disappears into the sound field they produce. Point directly in front of the room or slightly inward.
If I were to say an off-topic: this spatial property may be related to some extent the increase in high frequencies as a person approaches the axis, which means that in the absence of inclination (or only a slight inclination position), the lateral movement of the head causes the head to move outward from the speaker to a slight increase. This setup is the opposite of the idea used by others, i.e. to schedule such head movements to reduce trebles, thus creating a time/energy transaction that stabilizes and focuses the image. (There is an idea that the "sound field" is usually largely the product of a lack of image focus in the classical sense, and in most cases this is also the case.) If you want image focus in the classical sense, you can bring the flat axis to you by tilting the speaker so that the axis crosses within a considerable range in front of you! It's worth a try. Since the Epicon 6 is clearly meant to be heard slightly off-axis, you can choose at will.
Overall balance and mid-range
As TAS magazine pointed out from the beginning, the core of music tends to be the mid-range, when in fact, the Epicon 6's mid-range is somewhat behind. In particular, frequency band sounds around 1kHz to 2kHz are fairly low in level. The loudspeaker as a whole seems to show almost some version of the "smile" EQ curve, which used to be very popular in an era when people often used analog EQ devices to manipulate recording and audio systems. This balancing approach is in stark contrast to the current practice of speaker manufacturers with more options to highlight 1-2 kHz. Both have their own points of view: turning up 1-2kHz, the sound becomes "out of the box", and certain types of musical material will be favored. Pull down 1-2kHz, the sound imaging will be more reasonable, you can correct some over-produced music content.
At the end of the day, however, it seems to me that the mid-range needs to be neutrally balanced (I don't like the mid-range is too exaggerated). No matter which part of the band you highlight, there is some natural timbre price to pay. It may sound appealing at first, but the timbre is never quite right.
Of course, one can make EQ adjustments to this area and flatten the entire response. This way, the speaker will sound more balanced. But a major shift to achieve balance through EQ is a tricky thing to do. When the Epicon 6's measurement response was flattened, the sound changed dramatically. This change in broadband balance is indeed quite large, although it looks small on the chart. It has largely changed the sound of the music.
Sound absorption at 1-2KHz is definitely a deliberate decision by Dani, and I think a lot of people will like it. The exact sound of the instrument does change here. Even, the volume of the notes may change. In Moravec's Debussy series on Vox, a closer look reveals that as he crosses the recessed range from bottom to top, the volume drops slightly until the highest note (above 4186Hz) is the note back to level.
But in reality, it sounds very smooth and has no resonance. Its sound is not exactly flat.
While you may enjoy it, when listening to the speakers, you should look closely at the effects to make sure you do enjoy the sound.
summary
The DALI Epicon 6 is an extraordinary speaker. It is at the top level in terms of high-frequency performance, perceived resolution and no cabinet effect, and obviously, this speaker has put a lot of thought into it, and without giving up any of the analytical forces mentioned, the weight is controlled: there is no cabinet problem, but the size and weight of the cabinet are moderate. Most strikingly, the Epicon 6 does seem to have crossed the low distortion barrier of dynamic drive units. This is indeed historic. I hope other unit manufacturers will consider obtaining a patent license from Dani. Once you hear it, you'll never forget it.
Having said all that, you'll still have to listen to your own voice as you would any speaker, understanding the exact radiation patterns and tonal balance options here. Epicon 6 takes a unique approach to these issues, and whether or not this approach satisfies you is up to you. But in any case, this is a speaker that everyone should listen to. Something so important doesn't happen very often. These low distortion units are very necessary. As Schumann said of Chopin's music: "Gentlemen, take off your hat and salute. A genius. ”
Specification:
Type: Floor-standing bass reflex speaker
Unit: 2 x 6" bass/midrange wood fibre pots, 1 x 29 mm soft dome filament membrane, 1 x 10×55 mm belt
Crossover frequency: 700Hz, 2550Hz, 15kHz
Frequency range: 35Hz to 30kHz
Sensitivity: 88dB
Maximum sound pressure level: 110dB
Nominal impedance: 5 ohms
Weight: 66 lbs each (net weight)
Sizes: 9.1 inches× 40.3 inches × 17.4 inches