THE NEW WILSON BENESCH OMNIUM LOUDSPEAKER IS A FLOOR STANDING, 2.5-WAY DESIGN

Wilson Benesch, the South Yorkshire based British HiFi brand, has announced the latest addition to the Wilson Benesch reference loudspeaker line, Wilson Benesch Omnium.

The new Wilson Benesch Omnium Loudspeakers

MODULAR DESIGN

The Wilson Benesch Omnium is a celebration of the “modular design” that Wilson Benesch added to their design philosophy when it released the Odyssey Range in 2001. With each new design, the modular design approach builds upon the lessons learned from its predecessor. the latest evolution of a more than 30-year living lineage.

The modular design of the Wilson Benesch Omnium Loudspeaker

SSUCHY PROJECT

On Wednesday 9th February, Wilson Benesch Design Director Craig Milnes will be one of twenty project partners to present in public for the first time, the outcomes of a Four-and-a-half-year project entitled SSUCHY (Sustainable Structural & Multifunctional Biocomposites from Hybrid Natural Fibres and bio-based Polymers). Wilson Benesch presentation will be entitled “Next Generation Advanced Composite Technologies”.

The world’s first ‘Green Loudspeaker’ is just one of numerous deliverables that was the ambition of the pan-European SSUCHY Project which began in 2017. Europe’s ‘Horizon 2020’ invested €7.4 million to enable 13 Universities, 4 SME’s and several Blue-Chip companies to come together, collaborate and innovate. The objective was to deliver cutting edge science and materials technologies required by the circular economy – with the mission to replace oil-based non-recyclable materials or in effect deliver next generation materials technology.

SSUCHY brought together scientists from across Europe who are at the very forefront of developments in their field. Together with applied engineering expertise, it has been possible to accelerate work that would have taken decades for even the largest of companies. The scientific understanding of how the materials behave at the microscopic level has been validated by measurements of the actual materials. The outcome for Wilson Benesch is the new A.C.T. 3Zero Monocoque. This advanced composite technology structure is the largest single component in the Wilson Benesch loudspeaker enclosure, and it is at the heart of the Eminence loudspeaker. The independently supplied data shows that in terms of both stiffness and damping, the monocoque delivers significant (orders of magnitude) superior damping capabilities than the previous generation A.C.T. Monocoque.

NATURAL MATERIALS, SUSTAINABLE SOURCE AND RECYCLABLE

The Wilson Benesch A.C.T. 3Zero Monocoque is constructed from natural materials that are both renewable and sustainable. Through a collaborative effort with their partners, an exhaustive list of materials and hybridised structural layups were analysed, tested, and evaluated. The resulting biocomposite monocoque is almost entirely free of oil-based material use. Even the resin that the previous generation carbon fibre monocoque used has been replaced with a Bio Resin.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Manufacturing is an energy-intensive process, so as part of the SSUCHY Project, the manufacturing process has also been refined and optimised. Wilson Benesch’s Vacuum Resin Transfer Moulding (VRTM) manufacturing systems have been fully upgraded. Thanks to rigorous testing and development using Finite Element Analysis (FEA), the SSUCHY Team have been able to model and determine optimal resin flow and other critical settings for the VRTM systems. This means that the new A.C.T. 3Zero Monocoque at the heart of the Omnium now requires just half the energy that was used to produce the previous generation monocoque.

WILSON BENESCH OMNIUM FIBONACCI TWEETER

The latest iteration of Wilson Benesch tweeter technology builds upon the 2012 carbon fibre based Semisphere tweeter design.The Fibonacci tweeter faceplate is formed from a carbon fibre composite structure, creating a geometrically optimised waveguide, tailored exactly to the output of the Silk-Carbon Hybrid tweeter dome. This faceplate and the motor is in turn decoupled from the rest of the tweeter chassis, for flat frequency response and ultrawide dispersion characteristics and also optimal frequency and timing integration with the Tactic 3.0 midrange drive unit. This is combined with a proprietary Neodymium magnet.

TACTIC 3.0 DRIVE UNIT

The Tactic 3.0 drive unit retains the isotactic polypropylene cone and the crossover free, directly amplifier coupled design for the midrange drive unit. The direct link is designed for zero-phase distortion.

Isobaric drive unit of the Wilson Benesch Omnium Loudspeaker

WILSON BENESCH OMNIUM ISOBARIC DRIVE SYSTEM (IDS)

The principle low frequency load of the Omnium is delivered by a series of Isobaric Drive Systems. Here two drive units combine to create a clamshell formation, with one drive unit diaphragm facing the other working in a push-pull formation.

CARBON FIBRE COMPOSITE

By removing as many flat, reflective surfaces in the cabinet as possible, and creating complex curved structures, sound waves striking the loudspeaker enclosure are scattered and their energy and therefore audible presence reduced. The Omnium owes much to the curved carbon composite forms of the top and the A.C.T. 3Zero Monocoque.

SOLID BILLET FOOT

The stepped features seen in the Omnium’s foot are a reference to its larger sibling the Eminence. Hewn in house by Wilson Benesch from a single billet of aluminium to reduce an 80kg solid billet of aluminium by more than half, to create a single 38kg Omnium loudspeaker foot.

The solid aluminium foot of the Wilson Benesch Omnium Loudspeaker

WILSON BENESCH OMNIUM SPECIFICATIONS

1x 25mm (1”) WB Fibonacci Hybrid Tweeter

1x 170mm (7”) WB Tactic 3.0 Bass High

1x 170 (7”) WB Tactic 3.0 Midrange

1x 170 (7”) WB Tactic 3.0 Bass Low

3x 170 (7”) WB Isobaric Drive System Bass Low

Sensitivity: 89dB

Impedance: 4.5 Ohms Nominal

Frequency Response: 28Hz – 30KHz +/- 2dB Recommended Power: 100 Watts Minimum

Dimensions Centimeters: 180cm H // 63cm D // 28cm Baffle Width // 59cm Widest Foot Dimension

Dimensions Inches: 70” H // 24.8” D // 11” Baffle Width // 23.2” Widest Foot Dimension

Weight: 140kg (309lbs)

Supplied in two halves: Lower enclosure: 110kg (243lbs) Upper enclosure: 30kg (66lbs).

The angled top of the Wilson Benesch Omnium Loudspeaker

WILSON BENESCH OMNIUM PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

MSRP: GBP £98,000 per pair, shipping now.

HiFi Pig Says: It’s very interesting to see how companies like Wilson Benesch are involved in making manufacturing more ‘green’, while continuing British manufacturing traditions.

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