Impedance
The Solaris SPF-35 speakers
are rated at 8 ohms
impedance. We measured
the impedance of the
speakers to get a be
tt
er
idea of what the connected
ampli
fi
er might encounter.
Like many speakers, the
impedance of the SPF-
35 varies signi
fi
cantly as
a func
ti
on of frequency.
Using a 1/3 octave sweep
on our Sencore SP295
Audio Analyzer, we found
typical peaks and valleys in
the impedance spectrum.
We measured a maximum
impedance of 34.5 ohms at 2 kHz and a minimum of 5
ohms at 160 Hz. Average impedance below 1kHz was
about 7 ohms and above 1 kHz was about 17 ohms. Our
Sonos Digital Music system used to drive the speakers
sounded excellent with these speakers and had no
problem driving them at reasonably loud listening levels.
Frequency response was good with signi
fi
cant bass
extending below 50 Hz with a slight increase in the
output level (bass bump) around 100Hz. Beyond that,
the speaker has a fairly
fl
at response out to 20 kHz with
a slight dip round 1-2 kHz. This somewhat coincides with
the increase in impedance at these frequencies.
Sound Quality
The Solaris SPF-35 speakers features a 1”
ti
tanium
dome tweeter and 6.5” mineral-
fi
lled polypropylene
woofer, perfect for outdoor applica
ti
ons. The speakers
delivers impressive sound quality and exhibits smooth
o
ff
-axis performance thanks to the Absolute Phase™
crossover design. We encountered very pleasing sound
virtually anywhere we sat around the speakers. This
is an important a
tt
ribute when it comes to outdoor
applica
ti
ons since those listening to the music are rarely
in one place the en
ti
re
ti
me.
Engineered to outlast the elements, the Solaris SPF-35
features a 1”
ti
tanium dome tweeter and 6.5” mineral-
fi
lled polypropylene cone. With adjustable C-clamps
and moun
ti
ng hardware, and inserts for standard
OmniMount™ brackets, the SPF-35 can easily be installed
indoors and out.
Conclusion
Phase Technology has engineered an excellent outdoor
speaker balancing sound quality, build quality, and cost.
While the SPF-35 speakers are designed to withstand
the elements outdoors, they also sound excellent as an
indoor speaker and o
ff
er good looks in a lightweight
enclosure weighing only 8.5 pounds. Outdoor pa
ti
os
bene
fi
t where conven
ti
onal loudspeakers may not fair
well. Our installa
ti
on used the Sonos Music System as a
source with the internal 50W per channel ampli
fi
ers and
the sound was fantas
ti
c. We played a variety of music
through the speakers and were quite impressed with the
sound quality. Bass extension was quite good with the
larger 6.5” drivers especially when compared to some of
the other outdoor speakers we have used in the past. The
crossover design in the speaker allows consistent sound
quality regardless of the angle from the front ba
ffl
e (no
lobing). These new outdoor speakers are the best we
have heard in our pa
ti
o and they are here to stay.
- Kevin Nakano, LA Audio File
R
Reprinted by Phase Technology with permission from LA Audio File / May 2008
Phase Technology / 888.PHASE.TK / www.phasetech.com
R
“Phase Technology has engineered an excellent outdoor
speaker balancing sound quality, build quality, and cost.”
Impedance versus Frequency (Phase Technology SPF-35)
0
10
20
30
40
10
100
1000
10000
100000
Frequency
Impedance
217-1028