Reference 3a Loudspeakers

MM DeCapo

         For a company that has been making loudspeakers for over twenty years, Reference 3a is a surprisingly little known name. Designer Daniel Dehay has been awarded many patents for his unique and creative designs, dating back to the mid sixties. Among other things, Mr. Dehay was the first to realize the importance of phase alignment. He patented the motional feedback system, developed the first push-pull isophase woofer system (used by KEF) and was a consulting engineer to Audax (manufactures raw drivers).
          Reference 3a speakers (manufactured in Canada) have garnered accolades from music lovers around the globe. Few speakers have captured the hearts of audio reviewers and audiophiles like the Reference 3a MM de Capo. The number of rave reviews are almost too numerous to count.
         What is it about the design of Reference 3a speakers that make them so special? Though no single element makes a great product, it's the way the elements that make or break a design. However, in the case Reference 3a, there are several interesting factors. Let's explore.
         The most taxing element of a loudspeaker is the crossover. Inside many speakers are complex, multi-element designs using capacitors, resistors, inductors. These components represent the the most "destructive" part of the speaker system, sapping power and inducing phase and timing errors. What if the crossover could be eliminated? Better sound, right? Yes, and Reference 3a has done just that. Here nothing encumbers the path between the amplifier outputs and the midrange/woofer. A single custom made multi-plate paper and oil capacitor protects the tweeter. This simple-is-better philosophy results in a loudspeaker that is incredibly phase and time coherent, is highly sensitive (92dB) and presents a benign impedance load. Almost any amplifier can drive Reference 3a speakers, including low power single ended designs.
         One need not be an audiophile to appreciate the Reference 3a speakers. Immediately one hears the correctness of timbre and harmonic integrity. Spatial recreation is astounding. While many of the qualities we as audiophiles describe with our fancy vernacular, the sense of those individual characters blend into a seamless musicality. Listening to Reference 3a speakers you'll find captured by the music, not by the speaker.

• Proprietary, handmade driver

• Eleven gauge van den Hul silver alloy wiring for the woofer

• Twelve gauge van den Hul silver/carbon wiring for the tweeter

• Drivers matched to within 1dB

• Ultra rigid, ultra lightweight carbon fiber woofer/midrange cone material

• Drivers run at high voltage for 72 hours before matching

• Variable cabinet wall thickness reduces resonance

• Dual suspension tweeter keeps the voice coil centered in the gap at high levels

• Solid copper Cardas jumpers (bi-wiring is recommended)

• Folded pipe linear port design allows near wall placement

• +/- 10 degrees phase accuracy

• Exotic, handmade multi-plate paper and oil capacitor

• Recommended adjustable Corian® stands $750pr

• Frequency response 48Hz - 20kHz

• Sensitivity 92dB

• Impedance 8 Ohms

• Dimensions 11"W x 15"H x 13"D

• $2990 in natural or red Maple, $3289 in piano black lacquer

Veena

        The elegant new Veena offers outstanding performance at very reasonable cost. Following in the tradition of other Reference 3A designs, the Veena employs a very full range driver as part of a two-way system using the simplest crossover possible; a single capacitor. Drivers are precisely placed on the critically sloped front baffle in a perfect alignment for the most coherent propagation of sounds. The 7” direct coupled main driver is complimented with a new custom tweeter. The sophisticated enclosure design uses extensive vertical and horizontal bracing for a rigid, non-resonant cabinet. High quality internal wiring and five-way binding posts complete the design.
        All in all, another wonderfully musical design from Reference 3a.

• 7” directly coupled main driver

• Ultra simple, single capacitor crossover (multiple flat plate, paper in foil design)

• Sloped front baffle time aligns the drivers

• Extensive internal bracing resulting in a solid, non-resonant enclosure.

• Three large pod feet for stability and mechanical grounding

• Very stable, tube friendly, impedance - 8 Ohms

• Sensitivity 89dB

• Frequency Response 42Hz - 20kHz

• Natural Maple, Cherry Red Stained Maple and Piano Gloss Black (optional)

• Dimensions 36" H x 13" W x 5" D (measured at the top)

• $3495
  
  
  
  Review - Enjoy the Music Review