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Acapella Audio Arts: FAQ (frequently Asked Questions)

   
1. Who is Acapella Audio Arts?
  Acapella Audio Arts is a company located in Germany dedicated to music reproduction since 1978. They produced one of the (if not THE) first horn speakers as well as the first, safe, working ion/plasma tweeter. Their German website is here.
2. What finishes and colors do Acapella speakers come in?
  The horns can come in any color that can be found as a high-quality paint..The colors usually used are the colors of Mercedes cars (blue, green, red, and white).The speaker enclosures (boxes) can come layered with a faux rosewood veneer, painted (usually black or white) or with a layer of very high quality acrylic (black). There is an extra charge for the acrylic finish on the enclosures, otherwise all options are free-of-charge (but may cause some delay in delivery because Acapella does not stock anything but components in the standard colors).
3. What other products in addition to speakers does Acapella Audio Arts produce?
  They also make fine speaker cables, interconnects, and isolation platforms, all of which are just now becoming available in North America.
4. What Do It Yourself performance-improving modifications can be done to the Campanile and other Acapella speakers?
  The tweeter power cord (European) connector on the back on the tweeter unit can be replaced with a standard, North American IEC connector so that 3rd-party audiophile-quality power cords can be used to power the tweeters. The IEC is a drop in fit and so no modifications to the tweeter chassis is required. The original connector is connected to a common line filter that can be removed and replaced with an audiophile-quality, out-board line filter.

Damping material can be added between the bottom of the tweeters and the cabinet for additional isolation (Fred Crowder, Epic Audio)

Spikes can be put underneath the speakers. Lovan spikes have been used to good effect by Tapsa (TL-Audio).

Stainless steel threaded cones can replace the stock feet 'nubs' on the bottom of the speakers is working well for Brian Ackerman (Artistic Audio).

The speakers can also be put on 1 inch or thicker slab of granite.

Damping 'isolation' platforms can be put underneath the speakers (for example the Acapella Fondato Silenzio bases) [though Hermann Winters at Acapella suggests that this be done only after all other equipment has been adequately isolated].

5. What are these weird tweeters, anyway?
  The ION Tweeter (often called a plasma tweeter) is unique in that it produces sound by modulating an electric spark. Because it has zero mass, there is no delay between the signal from the amplifier and the sound coming out of the tweeter. The rise and fall of each note is reproduced much more smoothly and accurately than that achieved by any other known technology. This technology also allows this tweeter to reproduce sounds at much higher frequencies than most other tweeters (5K Hz to 50K Hz). Because of the nature of full-spectrum harmonics, this fleshing out of the upper frequencies helps smooth and enrich the lower frequencies as well.

Each tweeter is packaged as a self-contained metal, ventilated chassis weighing about 30lbs with an opening in the front (for the sound to come out of) and connectors and adjusters on the back. The chassis contains a tube amplifier/oscillator (containing Siemens PL519 tubes) in addition to the ion chamber that generates the sound. The rear connectors consist of one standard female RCA input connector and one European connector for the power cord. This chassis fits (slides) inside Acapella speakers. It can also be placed on top or beside any other speaker to enhance the speaker's capabilities in the upper registers.

The tweeter uses a quartz rod when generating sonic sparks, and over the course of 10 years or so of normal use, they should be replaced (for a nominal cost from your dealer or Acapella). Pentlabs has replacement PL519's for the tweeters but of EI (Yugoslavian) manufacture. A replacement-parts kit is available containing 4 tubes and 2 quarts rods.

6. Can the tweeters be bought separately?
  Yes, for approximately $6,900.00 USD per pair (call or email for latest prices).
7. How long do the speakers take to break in?
  The tweeters take little or no time to break in (they sound great right out of the box). The mid-range takes about a minimum of 14 full-days and continues improving for the next 2 - 3 months. The bass module takes about 4 - 6 weeks to start loosening-up and also continues improving for the next 3 - 4 months.
8. What amplifiers are people using with the speakers (Violins and Campaniles)?
  Good results have been obtained with the:
  • Edge NL-10 (220 solid-state smooth detailed watts) [Mike and Neli, Audio Federation]
  • the Audio Aero Capitole (50 push-pull EL34-based triode/pentode tubed watts) [Mike and Neli, Audio Federation]*
  • Wolcotts monoblocks retubed with all NOS tubes (240 tubed watts) [Fred Crowder, Epic Audio]
  • Audionet max two monoblocks (500 solid state watts) [Tapsa, TL-Audio]]
  • Audio Physic Strada digitalmonoamp [Tapsa, TL-Audio]
  • Accustic Arts Amp II-AC (~200 solid state watts) [Vince, TriCell Enerprises]
  • Jeff Rowland Model 12(?) (200 solid state watts) [ Jeff Rowland, Jeff Rowland Design Group]
  • Edge Signature monoblocks (400 solid-state smooth and detailed watts) [Mike and Neli, Audio Federation]**
  • EL34 tube-based designs for Acapella speakers that need higher power and SET's (single-ended-triodes) for their more efficient speakers [Hermann Winters, co-founder Acapella Audio Arts]
  • WAVAC HE-833 monoblocks [Brian Ackermann, Artistic Audio]
  • Parasound Halo JC-1 monoblocks (400 solid-state watts) [Fred Crowder, Epic Audio]

Mixed results have been reported for the substantialness of the bass when using the Audio Aero Prestige Monobloc amplifiers (40 watt single ended triode tubed watts) with the Violins and the Campaniles.

*Highly recommended (especially when driven directly by an Audio Aero Capitole CD player (try using balanced interconnects). Winner of best of show in Frankfurt).
**Highly recommended (especially when driven directly by an Audio Aero Capitole CD player)

9. What speaker cable are people using with the speakers?
  Good results have been obtained with the Nordost Valhalla speaker cable (Mike and Neli, Audio Federation and Fred Crowder, Epic Audio) as well as Accoustic Zen and Cardas speaker cables.
10. Are the speakers bi-wirable? Do they accept banana and spade type connectors?
  Yes. Yes.
11. What subwoofers are people using with the speakers?
  Tapsa (TL-Audio) is using the Audio Physic Minos subwoofer for good effect with the Campaniles and complements its very high resolution and control. Another uses 2 with the Violoncello.
12. How are people positioning the speakers?
  Tapsa (TL-Audio) puts the speakers against the long wall in a 6 x 6.7 meters room, 3.5 meters from the inside of one speaker to the inside of the other, 1.25 meters from the front of the speakers to the rear walls, and 4.5 meters to the listeners ears.

Here at AudioFederation we put the speakers along the short wall in a 15x35x24 feet tall room, 8 feet from the inside of one speaker to the inside of the other, 5'4" from the front of the speakers to the rear (beveled) walls, and 14.5 feet to the listeners ears. [Update: Jan 2003 - We moved the speakers about 14 inches farther into the room, and angled them so they are only angled in about 5 - 10 degrees. Much better soundstaging and imaging and bass response is somewhat tighter].

Hermann Winters. co-founder Acapella Audio Arts suggested [as reported by Fred Crowder of Epic Audio] that the location of the speakers in the room is essentially determined by the room's nodes and that there was no one place that worked in every instance. in a long room he preferred the speakers along the long wall closer to the wall. I got the impression that he generally preferred the speakers closer to the back wall rather than out into the room. he also said that the amount of toe-in should be a function of what works best in a particular room.

13. Can the speakers be separated into pieces for moving?
  The Campanile is shipped in 3 sections (top, middle, and bottom) and the middle section can be detached from the horn assembly, if desired, and the tweeter comes in its own 30lb chassis that slides into the back of each Campanile.

The Violon box enclosure can be separated from the horn assembly and the tweeter comes in its own 30lb chassis that slides into the back of each Violin.

14. What components are used in the Campanile?
  The Campanile is built from a ION/plasma tweeter in its own enclosed chassis; a midrange (non-compression) horn, built using a very strong and thick acoustically neutral composite material using a Dynaudio driver; and four 10" SEAS drivers for woofers in individual rather large sealed enclosures (2 woofers per 30" by 12" by 28" heavily braced box).

The Campanile Highs are the same as the Campaniles except that there is significantly more internal bracing and dampening, and more expensive components and Acapella's own silver wiring are used in the cross-over.

15. What components are used in the Violin?
  The Violin is built from a ION/plasma tweeter in its own enclosed chassis; a midrange (non-compression) horn, built using a very strong and thick acoustically neutral composite material using a Dynaudio driver; and one 10" SEAS driver for a woofer in an individual rather large sealed enclosure.

The Violin Highs are the same as the Violins except that there is significantly more internal bracing and dampening, and more expensive components and Acapella's own silver wiring are used in the cross-over.

The Violin High Subs are the same as the Violin but add an additional 10" SEAS driver for a total of two woofers in the rather large sealed enclosure.

16. What online discussion groups discuss the Acapella line?
  The Manufacturer's online discussion forum (translated from German)

 

17. Who are all the Acapella Audio Arts dealers?
 
United States
Audio Federation Boulder, Colorado 303-546-6503
Epic Audio Houston, Texas 713-667-2069
Artistic Audio Aliso Viejo, California 949-362-6080
Canada
American Sound
of Canada
Toronto, Ontario 905-886-7810
The World
TL-Audio Finland email: Tapsa
Pondera Sweden +46-40-29 35 29
(evenings and weekends)
Sensus Australia (02) 93888158
Sounds of Music England 01892 545688

 

email: mike&neli@audiofederation.com
Copyright (c) Audio Federation, Inc.
303-546-6503
November 20, 2002