Wilson Benesch Fibonacci Series Omnium Loudspeaker (pair)

Fibonacci Series 2.5-Way Electric, 4-Way acoustic, Floor Standing Speaker

OMNIUM - FROM LATIN "OF ALL".

30-YEARS OF LOUDSPEAKER DESIGN DISTILLED IN ONE UNCOMPROMISING PRODUCT.

The name Omnium was chosen in recognition of this landmark, the name means of all, and it is a reference to the heritage of three decades of research and development that has come before it. Whilst the Omnium references all that has come before it, it is also a product that marks the dawn of the next generation of materials technologies developed through a collaborative research and development project – SSUCHY.

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. This formidable component governs over the energy above by way of the 14mm tie bolts that generate a metric ton of compressive pressure through the Omnium enclosure. This is the foundation, ground zero and arbiter of performance.

Omnium stands boldly as the industry-leading design in this market sector from the pioneers and leaders in composite loudspeaker design.

TACTIC 3.0 DRIVE UNIT

The structure at the centre of the diaphragm plays a critical role in the behaviour of the drive unit. Commonly referred to as the “dust cap”, the name understates the importance of this component. In the Tactic 3.0, Wilson Benesch added the Fibonacci Element.

Produced in house using additive manufacturing technology, the Fibonacci Element can be printed according to pre-designed parameters. Such is the precision of the additive manufacturing software, that the Wilson Benesch design team can see in cross-section and design three-dimensionally the optimal layup of carbon fibre and nylon, defining both stiffness and weight across the structure. The result is a new geometrical form that is comprised of a double curvature with both open and closed aspects in the form of a lattice structure again borrowed from natural geometry. 5 different materials and adhesives provide significant improvements in both the accuracy of the frequency response and the reduction of distortion.

This is a critical aspect of the relationship between the drive unit and its ability to integrate with the roll off of the tweeter and bass drive units. In the past, several materials have been drawn upon to enable the fine-tuning of this marriage. Additive Manufacturing has opened up a new chapter in the pursuit of this subtle but extremely important aspect of loudspeaker design. For the first time, the principal aspects of this structure can all be adjusted in a way that was previously impossible.

FIBONACCI SILK-CARBON HYBRID TWEETER

The latest iteration of Wilson Benesch tweeter technology builds upon the Semisphere tweeter design pushing it into the next generation. As with all Wilson Benesch designs, the advances of the previous generation are built upon an iterative research and development pathway. With the Fibonacci tweeter, advances have been made within the structures adjacent to the motor and the hybridised dome. The Fibonacci tweeter faceplate is formed from a carbon fibre - nylon composite structure creating a geometrically optimised structure - the Fibonacci Element - that has been inspired by sacred geometry found in nature. In terms of acoustic performance, the faceplate delivers a new benchmark in terms of flat frequency response and ultrawide dispersion. In addition, the Fibonacci Element is decoupled from the motor and tweeter chassis which almost entirely eliminates structural borne resonance within this critical structure that surrounds the tweeter dome.

A.C.T. 3ZERO BIOCOMPOSITE MONOCOQUE

The Fibonacci Series introduces a full line of loudspeakers from the Wilson Benesch brand that are built from the new A.C.T. 3Zero biocomposite Monocoque. The new monocoque marks significant advances not only in terms of the acoustic performance of the Wilson Benesch reference line, but it also represents a deliberate and conscious move toward natural, renewable and sustainable materials technology.

ISOBARIC DRIVE SYSTEM

The principal low-frequency load of all loudspeakers in the Fibonacci Series is delivered by the Isobaric Drive System. Here two Tactic 3.0 Drive Units combine to create an Isobaric Drive System. The Isotactic Drive System is responsible for reproducing an incredibly tight and controlled bass response that is perfectly integrated with all other woofers in the loudspeaker chassis, particularly the midrange Tactic 3.0 drive unit.

STEALTH: CARBON FIBRE COMPOSITE TOP

Wilson Benesch fit a beautifully sculptural carbon fibre composite top to its reference line loudspeakers. The forms are inspired by natural, organic shapes, curves and free flowing lines found in nature. The carbon fibre tops are extremely complex forms are created using a combination of hand sculpting in clay which are in turn measured using a laser and in turn loaded into advanced 3D digital computer aided design (CAD) software at Wilson Benesch. By importing data in this way, Wilson Benesch are able to use powerful software algorithms to further optimise the 3D form before manufacturing. When a longitudinal sound wave strikes a flat surface, sound is reflected in a coherent manner. However, the reflective nature of a structure varies according to the shape of the surface. Uneven surfaces will diffract sound wave energy, rather than reflect it directly with little reduction in the energy of the sound wave which it perceived as colouration in the HIFI system. Therefore the complex ‘stealth like’ form is critical to the performance of the loudspeaker. By removing any flat, reflective surfaces and creating a highly complex structure, any reflective sound energy is scattered. This diminishes its energy and also avoids standing wave patterns within the listening space that are easily detected by the human ear as distortion or colouration.

DIRECT MIDRANGE DRIVE UNIT COUPLING

Wilson Benesch started development of its own drive unit diaphragms, including those made from a carbon fibre/epoxy matrix in 1995. Research was conducted using alternative hard dome materials. Without exception, Isotactic Polypropylene was favoured for its natural sound and the ability of this material to absorb energy and avoiding complex breakup modes in the diaphragm. This critical material characteristic allows the Wilson Benesch design team to achieve mechanically and acoustically what would otherwise be implemented in complex crossover designs with a series of inductors and capacitors. This reductive approach to crossover design maintains phase, linearity and the degree of control over manufacturing and design of both the drive unit specifications and the enclosure air volume allows Wilson Benesch to eliminate all crossover components in the midrange drive units of most Fibonacci Series models running the drive unit directly amplifier coupled.

PRECISION CNC MACHINED FOOT

One of the most important principles in structural engineering is loading. All modern buildings are built upon solid foundations. It is the reference point for everything above it, transferring the load of the structure into the ground. Within loudspeaker design, it is crucial to create a stable point from which the drive units can propagate complex and accurate waveforms that we appreciate as music.

The Omnium foot is machined from a 120kg slab of high-grade aluminium alloy, which is then combined with two extension plates that are bolted to the main structure with high tensile bolts. Add hand-wheels and the spikes; all design and manufactured in-house at Wilson Benesch and the whole foot assembly weighs in at 30kg.

13MM STEEL TIES: COMPRESSION IN THE VERTICAL AXIS

The Omnium enclosure is held under tons of compressive force using 13mm threaded steel bars which tie from the aluminium loudspeaker mid-plate into the Omnium foot. In turn there is a 13mm steel tie from the mid-plate into the top-plate. These vertical steel ties exert tons of compressive force in the vertical axis where the first resonant modes will emerge.

ENGINEERED FOR YOU

"Wilson Benesch is a prestigious British brand. We have been impressed by its products more than once. It is the first manufacturer in the world to use carbon fibre composites to make speakers and is one of the companies that truly fully masters carbon fibre technology. Looking at Wilson Benesch from many different perspectives; such as technology application, production tech and sound performance; one can appreciate that the company is superior to many others"