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Speakers |
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Morrison Loudspeakers
Please note that currently (July 2008) the Morrison Model 23 speakers are not in production. Morrison loudspeakers have been produced since 1977 and are based on the point source omni-directional method of signal launch. This method of dispersion recreates the illusion of space, depth and location on correctly recorded source material and when correctly positioned can bring the musicians into the room. The back wave of the woofer on the Model 23 and the Model 17 is loaded by a series of stagger tuned tunnels which are closed, not exhausted to the outside of the cabinet. This method results in a flattening of the impedance peak normally found in a sealed box configuration.
The speakers are floor standing. The Model 23 is 24" from floor The Model 17 is 22" from floor to baffle board 11.5" wide and 10.5" deep (44.5 lbs net) The Model 5 speakers are 14.5" tall by
8" square and are small enough to sit on a stand or shelf. Enter the audio playback system. We'll assume 2 channels only here. The next assumption - and this is a huge one, The recording is done correctly. (See official rant on stereo recording). Even with a correct stereo recording the conventional front firing speaker system cannot recreate the illusion of a live performance. With a great deal of effort we may be able to sit in the "sweet spot" and experience the effect of listening to the musicians on the other side of a wall via 2 open windows. Not a natural sound but rather two dimensional and claustraphobic. With multi-mic recordings the effects are even worse due to the in-yer-face wall of sound. A speaker system with a point source omni directional signal launch
has a terrific advantage over a conventional front firing design.
When using a correct stereo recording as in the above live example,
we can move from centre to hard left and still maintain the image of
being a bit closer to the violin and by golly, the cello is a bit
further away. The tonality does not alter either - just like the
real thing. When shifting hard right the listener gets a bit
closer to the cello and a bit further from the violin, and again
the relative location and tonality reflect what is heard in real
life.
When using typical multi-mic recordings with a point source omni
speaker the listener can hear the shenanigans done in the studio.
It sounds like a soup of confusion which is exactly what it is.
Relative sizes of Morrison Audio loudspeakers.
Morrison Model 17
User Comments Morrison Model 17 The Morrison Audio line of speakers has consistently pleased music lovers from their beginnings, and the Model 17’s are no exception. With the release of each new model, Morrison makes real the elusive promise of true stereo reproduction. These speakers bring the musicians into the room, especially when I’m listening to correctly recorded material through them. Now Morrison warned me about the usual source material: the typical over-miked, over-compressed and multi-mixed recording session, which has no better chance of delivering what the composer intended than a fruit juicer can deliver the authentic taste and texture of the original fruit. With a recording that captures, rather than massages the music, the Model 17’s are in their element. They bring a natural and open presentation, without any artificial coloration. They have this uncanny ability to just disappear. Remember that the conventional front-firing box speaker, of which I have owned many pairs, simply cannot recreate a natural stereo illusion. With the Model 17’s there is no sense of two electro-mechanical devices shouting at me. No obsessive need to find the “sweet spot”. These speakers give me hours of musical pleasure, without that feeling of exhaustion at the end of an evening’s listening. Rather, I’m left feeling refreshed and excited about the music. Over many listening sessions comparing the conventional box speakers with the Morrison Model 17’s, there is absolutely no doubt that the days of hearing a two-dimensional PA system in my home are over. I’m never going back. JP in Ontario, Canada
The new MORRISON Model 17 features a number of crossover options. There is a locking switch next to the upper binding posts which cannot be accidentally thrown - the user must pull the handle out to change positions. There is also a shorting strap between "positive" and "negative" binding posts. 1. SWITCH DOWN - STRAPS ON The speaker features an internal 6 dB/octave crossover at 2 K Hz. 2. SWITCH DOWN - STRAPS REMOVED The user may experiment with bi - wiring. 3. SWITCH DOWN - STRAPS REMOVED The user may experiment with different power amps. One for the woofer and another for the tweeter. In some circles this is called horizontal bi - amping. 4. SWITCH UP - STRAPS REMOVED CAUTION! The upper binding posts are now directly connected to the tweeter and the lower binding posts are directly connected to the woofer. The user may experiment with an external passive crossover. 5. SWITCH UP - STRAPS REMOVED CAUTION! The upper binding posts are now directly connected to the tweeter and the lower binding posts are directly connected to the woofer. The user may connect the speaker in a bi - amp arrangement - Highly Recommended using an active crossover feeding woofer amp and tweeter amp.
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This speaker system is a new addition to the Morrison family of point source omni-directional systems. Slightly smaller than the flagship model 23. The woofer is a 6.5" driver with a full 1" peak to peak linear excursion. Like its larger brother the back wave of the woofer is loaded by a series of 1/4 wave tunnels of staggered lengths which are terminated. This is not a transmission line (that would imply a tunnel exhausting to the outside of the cabinet). By utilizing 1/4 wave loading the impedance from 35 hZ to 100 hZ varies by no more than +/- 5%. This absense of the normal bass hump in impedance results in very articulate reproduction of low frequencies. No "bottom of a barrel bass" here to impress the innocent. When a cello or string bass is plucked the notes stop when the signal does as opposed to conventional designs which simply cannot shut up due to the impedance peak. The woofer fires straight up and its front face is loaded by a half sphere which is 4.75' in diameter. Nestled inside this "half a grapefruit" is a 1" dome tweeter which also fires straight up. The front face of the tweeter dome is loaded by yet another half sphere 1.5" in diameter - a golf ball sized affair sliced in two. With both drive units loaded in this manner the resultant dispersion is 360 degrees. Yes, the speakers should be brought out from the side and back walls. And yes, there should be room treatment on the side walls to tame the first reflection. A couple of chunks of convoluted foam glued to a sturdy backing of cardboard or Coraplast work like a charm.
