hv0512en-ceratec - Essence For High Res Audio

05/20 12
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p. 5
Nothing but
Reference
Sound
Sound Meets Design
- Column Speakers
Ceratec Effeqt mk III
- Highest Build Quality
p. 14
the Truth
p. 23
- Surround Processor G68SL and Loudspeakers
DSP-3200 from Meridian
- HiFi Streaming System for Highest Demands
- Loudspeakers with Digital Correction
Splendid Achievement p. 18
Reference Cable
- Samsung BD-D8909 Reviewed
- Blu-ray Player with HDTV Twin Receiver
- Gigantic Harddisk Capacity
- Tchernov Audio Cuprum Reference IC RCA
- Hand-Made Quality Cable
p. 21
05/2012
Floor-standing speakers Ceratec Effeqt mk III ■ 14
Tinsel Angels
„Sound quality meets design“ – that‘s the company philosophy of the Bremen
loudspeaker manufacturer Ceratec. The improved mk III version of the established floor-standing speaker Effeqt are new in the portfolio. We have ordered the
gold shimmering special brass-finish model just in time for the holiday season.
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05/2012
Floor-standing speakers Ceratec Effeqt mk III ■ 15
One probably has to come from a harbor town and really be into
shipbuilding in order to build a speaker with a high-polished
brass finish. Our test specimens of the Ceratec Effeqt mk III
indeed shine like the metal fittings of an exclusive sailing yacht;
the surface almost looks like real gold. This will surely match
somehow unusual, fancy interior designs, especially when there is
a lot of reddish-brown wood around. For those with a more subtle
taste the Effeqt mk III is also available in mat aluminum or highgloss black. Depending on the finish, a pair of Effeqt mk III costs
between 1,300 and 1,850 Euro, the hand-polished brass version
will set the customer back 2,500 Euro.
Tech facts
Effeqt mk III
Indeed the roots of Ceratec can be found in the hanseatic city
of Bremen, Germany. There the Ceratec speakers are being
developed and mostly assembled manually. The Effeqt mk III
rely on proven loudspeaker design concepts and now have been
completely technically revised for the third time. The base of the
1,25 meter high column speakers still is a massive aluminum
continuous casting profile that is extremely stable and resonancefree thanks to its typical grooves, and at the same time looks
very elegant and fancy. All speaker drivers have been installed
into a glued MDF baffle, which further reduces the already low
resonances of the cabinet. In order to suppress unwanted
reflections on the baffle it has been completely covered with a
damping foamed material. As the baffle is only little more than
10 cm wide, the Ceratec developers have installed two especially
powerful 4“ woofers from Peerless int the bass reflex housing.
The chassis parameters of the woofers have been carefully
attuned to the small cabinet volume, and the designers gave
them very effective double-magnet drives. The 1.2“ tweeter
from Wavecore is responsible for a qualitatively appropriate
treble range, a high-quality driver that is well-known from diverse
audiophile loudspeakers of other renowned manufacturers. A
heavy, round security glass plate serves as the foot of the slim
speaker (the footprint diameter is only about 13 cm). This plate
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05/2012
Floor-standing speakers Ceratec Effeqt mk III ■ 16
incorporates four metal spikes for good stability and also the
connection terminal for the loudspeaker cables. The clamps are
sturdy, gold-plated and also take bigger cable cross-sections with
a firm grip. In order to reach the terminals and to connect the
cables to the Effeqt mk III the speakers must be temporarily laid
down on the floor. Besides the use of new drivers, changes in the
revised version of the Effeqt mk III include an improved crossover
network and an optimized position of the drivers on the front
baffle. The goal of these measures was to build a definitive highfidelity loudspeaker that at the same time integrates perfectly
into livingroom environments, thanks to its aesthetically pleasing
shape and materials.
Lab
The Effeqt mkIII proves to be a very balanced speaker in our
lab. Under slight angles, the sound pressure level only deviates
maximally 3 dB from the ideal line between 100 Hz and 20 Hz,
which is very good for a loudspeaker of that construction type. As
expected, the frequency response slightly drops below 100 Hz,
a tribute to the slim cabinet and the small drivers. In practice,
frequencies down to 70 Hz can be perceived in a musically
relevant way. The measured noise spectrum of the Ceratec can
be described as good-natured, the decay even is exemplary.
Listening test
With an efficiency of 85 dB the Effeqt mk III can also be used
with smaller high-quality amplifiers without a problem – in
smaller rooms. This speaker anyway has not been built for high
volumes and certainly won‘t be purchased as a party speaker.
In our listening test we predominantly used acoustic recordings
and voices, which the Ceratec reproduced with excellent
spatial qualities and a very tangible midrange. They neither
overemphasize nor discolor certain frequencies, the voices of
artists like Johnny Cash appear almost palpably in the listening
room and benefit from the impulsive character of the Effeqt mk III.
The assertive fundamental frequency range is complemented by
a subtle bass that certainly doesn‘t reach into the deepest depths
>>>
Floor-standing speakers Ceratec Effeqt mk III ■ 17
05/2012
of the audible frequency range, but also doesn‘t really make the
use of a subwoofer necessary.
Conclusion
The new Ceratec Effeqt mk III is exactly the right product for all
those who are looking for alternatives to the classic wooden
loudspeaker boxes but don‘t want to do without good sound. With
the Effeqt mk III, the Bremen loudspeaker manufactory Ceratec
succeeded in subtly uniting a noble design, high-quality materials
and top-notch music playback quality. Several design variants
are available that should match almost any interior decor – even
polished brass for a rather extroverted taste.
Verdict
Ceratec Effeqt mk III
Pricearound 2500 (Brass polished)/1300 (Aluminum
matt)/1850 (High gloss black) Euro
Internetwww.ceratec.biz
In brief:
Build quality
Extra slim design
Silver Class
Sound quality
Lab
Practice
70 %
15 %
15 %
§§§3j
§§§Dj
§§§3D
Value for Money
Grade
gut - sehr gut
Michael Voigt
■
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05/2012
Our Rating System ■ 28
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