Tasmanian speaker specialist Pitt & Giblin has entered the high-end audio space offering highly-refined active loudspeaker designs engineered by a team with a deep understanding of live music.
Hobart-based Pitt & Giblin was founded by childhood mates Ross Giblin and Jack Pitt whose long-standing partnership combines years of expertise in professional audio and refined electroacoustic engineering. The symbiotic partnership sees Giblin authoring the industrial design while engineer Pitt is charged with the acoustic and electronic configuration in the company’s dual product core (yes, there’s seemingly an element of duology here).
Of course, the standout element of Pitt & Giblin’s retro-themed industrial design is the unique, and rather beautiful, constant directivity waveguide used in both the company’s entry-point Superwax Mini and flagship Superwax. The waveguide is locally handcrafted in a painstaking, labour intensive process casting solid bronze via a ‘green sand’ methodology. Once polished, the bronze attains its attractive lustre. The waveguide’s coupling with the 25mm (1 inch) compression driver is precision CNC-machined for a seamless interface. The end product is visually unique in terms of its colour, texture and patina patterning.
In the case of the 2-way active Superwax Mini, the waveguide is integral to the birch ply enclosure design and is mated to a bass reflex-supported 350mm (15 inch) woofer featuring a large neodymium magnet motor. The cabinet’s rear panel houses the Hypex Ncore FA123 plate amplifier. The amplifier features a host of connectivity options including analogue balanced XLR (in/out) and unbalanced RCA while the digital socketry includes AES/EBU via XLR (in/out), S/PDIF via coaxial RCA (in/out) optical Toslink and USB 2.0 for computer configuration. A Hypex remote control drives the Superwax Mini’s volume, input selection, etc.
Analogue signal to the Superwax Mini is converted to digital via the built-in analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) which, in turn, hands the signal over to the built-in digital processor. The DSP sends the digital signal to the on-board amplification. The Hypex Ncore amplifier is bridged to provide 250 watts for the bass driver and 100 watts to the compression driver. The amplifier features a bass extension mode.
The flagship Superwax is almost twice the size of its sibling. This time, the same constant directivity waveguide-mounted compression driver is housed in its own dedicated wood veneered enclosure. The lower cabinet is a sturdy, heavily braced birch ply construction with the configuration now including a 250mm (10-inch) midrange driver in its own sealed trapezoidal sub-enclosure. The low registers are handled by dual 350mm bass drivers. The on-board amplification is upgraded to a Hypex Ncore FA503 plate amplifier providing a total of 950 watts, with 500 watts for the bass drivers, 350 watts for the midrange and 100 watts to the compression tweeter.
In discussions regarding the Superwax, Ross Giblin told SoundStage! Australia, “Our partnership strives for a fine balance between the best possible sound quality and aesthetic beauty” going on to state, “Whether you crave intense dynamics, punchy bass, or the delicacies of highly detailed textural elements in acoustic music, there’s something to be enjoyed for everyone. Its broad appeal extends beyond pure acoustic performance, the distinct design elements and material choices speak a universal language. Turn it up.”
Indeed, we’ll be doing that when the Superwax lands at SoundStage! Australia’s HQ in the coming weeks.
For the Superwax and Superwax Mini active loudspeaker systems Pitt & Giblin offers a variety of wood finishes. Bespoke finishes can be provided by special request. Pitt & Giblin speakers are available direct via the company website (details below).
Pitt & Giblin Loudspeakers
Price: Superwax Mini AU$14,850, Superwax AU$25,000
Manufacturer Direct: Pitt & Giblin
Hobart, Tasmania
Australia
www.pittandgiblin.com.au
