“New Standard Setting Speaker Designs from Reference 3A”

Reference 3A has been making speakers for many years that appeal to the most purist faction of the high-enders, like the well respected MM deCapo i. They have now developed a new Reference 3A speaker line that retains the performance Reference 3A fans would expect, but broaden the appeal to larger market.

Would you be interested in a speaker that has features that read like an audiophile’s wish list? Features such as a direct coupled midrange, meaning no crossover between the speaker and your amplifier, so the sound has impact, immediacy, and purity that could, otherwise, be sapped away by traditional crossover components! How about a Murata super tweeter built right into the speaker, adding air and life, without adding another component. The tweeter and super tweeter do need some crossover work to protect them from being overloaded with lower frequencies, so this is handled in the best possible way, by Mundorf Silver Capacitors, in a first order design that preserve the transparency needed to keep up with that midrange.

Back to that midrange driver it is very unique, and probably needs a little more attention here. Reference 3A describes this driver as a direct coupled hyper exponential 8” or 7”, depending on model, woven carbon fiber driver. It is their own proprietary design, and obviously to anyone who has heard it, this is a high quality, well executed driver, but what makes it particularly special is the broad frequency spectrum that it can handle so well. All frequencies are allowed to come through without overloading the driver and distorting. Most drivers must be protected, but this one simply damps out higher frequencies rolling off in a very natural way that allows it to blend seamlessly with the first order crossover that rolls bass away from the tweeter. Though simple and elegant, this design is not easy to implement, but Reference 3A has had a lot of experience through the years doing just that.

Because of the minimalist crossover design, the speakers are as phase coherent as anything beyond a single driver, crossoverless design, this imparts a sense of life and realism to the music that is often the most elusive quality in most systems. They also incorporate a baffle sloped to the exact extent to time align their drives, so all frequencies are launched from the same plane, creating a seamless coherency between drivers that again add to the illusion of a live performance. The cabinets are designed with varying thickness to control resonance that can smear and obscure advantages of the features, and allow them to go to waste. To top it off, Reference 3A even added Bybee Quantum Purifiers into the design to ensure the signal driving the speakers is as pure as possible. Even the internal wiring is upgraded to an audiophile standard by using conductors from Van den Hul.

The new Reference 3A Episode incorporates all of these high end features, while the Grand Veena adds two 8” bass drivers and a few extra tricks as well . The Veena is smallest of the three speakers and is similar in many respects to the larger speakers .

On top of all the performance features you also get your choice of hardwood finishes, in either standard or high gloss premium. One other thing that is important to mention, all of these speakers are very easy to drive. You only need 5-6 watts to drive the Episode according to the manufacturer, so if you are a fan of SET amplifiers, but would like a great alternative to a horn loaded speaker, this may be it.

Excellent fidelity and looks, with innovative design, and extreme attention to audiophile detail, the Episode is priced in the middle of the other two at about $5500 depending on finish. The Grand Veena is amazingly under $8000, while the smaller Veena comes in at just $3500. All are statement products at their respective price points, and worth giving a listen. Please check out Reference 3A awards and reviews, in particular the Grand Veena review from January in The Absolute Sound is worth a read.

The Reference 3A brand is handled through our UltraSystems store front in New Hope Pennsylvania. Please call or email us to arrange a purchase or audition of these speakers.  Our phone number is: 1 800 724-3305.