7) DVD Audio and SACD for highest musical enjoyment

Audio DVD's and SACD's improve, in particular, the reproduction of harmonics, which in the opinion of insiders, sound emotionless and not very natural on video DVD's and CD's. In the area of high tones both these new media reach far above frequencies, which are stil audible to the human ear in the form of pure sinus tones (approximately 15 to 20 kHz). Nevertheless, very high harmonics contribute to the overall sound. The new high-resolution tone formats are much more suitable for faithful reproduction of the original including all harmonics, than, for example, existing CD's with their much smaller frequency spectrum.

A further advantage of audio DVD resides in the fact that it makes available up to seven separate channels at the highest sound level.. Whilst the video DVD is also surround-capable, it calls for the lion's share of its capacity for the film, instead of for sound reproduction and does not nearly attain the high sound level of its younger sister. The excellent sound of the SACD is also surround-capable, whilst the CD continues to be satisfied with two channels. Many SACD's are even double-layer branded (hybrid process), so that normal CD players can play them in stereo. It can be asserted that only audio DVD and the more recent SACD recordings afford maximum listening pleasure.

Both the new audio formats offer a big challenge to loudspeakers on the reproduction of harmonics so as to be able to make real use of the aforementioned sound advantages of  audio  DVD's and SACD's. In this connection it is not really important to extend the loudspeaker frequency range to over 50 kHz, but rather the existing resolution capacity, which makes an ambitious audio DVD or SACD recording a special sound event.

Almost ideal for these purposes is the quadrals RiCom M high tweeter, with its flexural resonator membrane, which, in contrast with piston-type transducers (e.g calottes) needs to move a lesser mass of air in front of it in order to create sound. Due to its flexible silk texture membrane, the RiCom M can be used down to the middle tone area, where it produces music much more easily, but also spreads at a much wider angle than a bigger and heavier middle tone membrane. At the top, its frequency range only ends at 60 kHz. All loudspeakers of the AURUM series arte distinguished by the fantastic quadrals RiCom M high tweeter.

Not quite so broadband, but also high resolution and closely related to the RiCom M high tweeter is the quadral aluminium calotte, which has been optimised by painstaking work lasting two years. It assists ARGENTUM loudspeakers to give very fine performance in the high frequency area and also makes them into impressive play partners of SACD's and audio DVD's.

Thanks to the detail-loving quadral Altima® membranes for low to middle frequencies, quadral AURUM loudspeakers provide an incomparable musical experience, where everything is right, from the smallest detail up to a magnificent harmony.