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 Synthetic Marble

nOrh Loudspeaker began its audio journey with a single observation. That observation was that we could improve the sound of standard loudspeaker components simply by putting them into Thai long drums.

Our first tests were done by replacing the leather on Thai drums with MDF and putting the components from commercial loudspeakers in the drum.

This observation was tested and retested. Everyone who listened to the drivers mounted in the long drum said that the long drum sounded better.

Our first loudspeakers were made in the same factories that made long drums. We calculated the size we needed for the volume we wanted. We created three speakers—the nOrh 5.0, nOrh 6.0 and the nOrh 6.5.

Our observation and execution won critical acclaim. Customers acknowledged that our design had several key benefits over traditional cabinets. The speakers played louder, produced better bass, imaged better and were more detailed than other loudspeakers in their price range.

The demand for our products exceeded our ability to produce. Furthermore, during the rainy season, it was nearly impossible to cut wood. We began our search for an alternate cabinet material.

Our first alternative cabinet was marble. The stone masons located in Suraburi told us that they could replicate our wood 7.0 and 9.0. The cost to do the cabinets made it impossible for us to consider the 6.5. We also made a marble version of the 4.0.

The marble resulted in a substantial improvement in sound. We claim 30% but some customers say it is more like 50%.

Marble would seem to be the perfect material to make loudspeakers except for a few problems.

From the beginning, we realized that marble loudspeakers were only going to be available to a select few people willing to wait and willing to pay the extra price for having something skillfully handcrafted.

We began to look for alternatives to marble. Researching the acoustic properties of various substances, we found that ceramic, sand, cement and stone are the best materials. We decided to look at ceramics. Ceramics are much less expensive than marble but they have their own set of problems. The major problem is that we are limited how large we can make a ceramic loudspeaker. For now, the largest ceramic loudspeaker we make is the 4.0. Acoustically, the ceramic loudspeakers have been a great success. We also have a great deal of freedom when it comes to colors. The ceramic 4.0s are probably our most successful loudspeaker.

I went to a trade show in Bangkok. While there, I saw some marble furniture. I decided to talk to the manager to see if they were interested in making cabinets for us. I was surprised to find that the furniture was in fact made from synthetic marble.

I talked to the owner of the factory to see if it would be possible to make our loudspeakers from the synthetic material. The first step was to make a mold.

It took us about three months to make the mold. The mold was made from steel and fiberglass. We had to make many changes to the mold to get the shape right. Once we were close, we did some tests.

I went to our showroom and Pan asked me what I thought of a particular marble drum. I looked at it and said it looked very good. She told me to look closer. I noticed that it was not quite as dramatic looking as the real marble but I wasn't sure if it was real or not. I asked "Is this the synthetic marble". She said it was.

We decided to do some sound tests. We built up a pair of 9.0s using the synthetic material and compared them to a set of real marble. As we had hoped, the two loudspeakers sounded identical.

Our plan was to use the synthetic marble to build two speakers—the 6.1 and the 6.9. Both of these speakers had been built as Prisms before.

The 6.9 design is one of the designs I am most proud of. The sound is very close to the 9.0. The 6.9 has very good bass and wonderful resolution. The tweeter is the same tweeter used in the very expensive Krell LAT-1 loudspeaker. It is also used on the much more expensive Audio Physic loudspeakers. The woofer we use is the same highly regarded Vifa M18W0-09-08 we used in the nOrh 6.5.

The Synthetic Marble works the same magic as the more expensive marble. The cabinet adds no sound of its own. The result is sound that is absolutely holographic. The speakers disappear and a very convincing holographic representation of the music occurs.

The SM 6.9 easily beats loudspeakers costing many more times the price of the 6.9. The SM 6.9 is the real bargain in the nOrh product line. The bass is very strong and very deep. The dynamic range is powerful. There are no loudspeakers under $1,000 that come close to the performance of the SM 6.9.

The SM 6.1 is the same size and appearance as the SM 6.9. The 6.1 is designed to provide exceptional efficiency. The SM 6.1 is rated at 90dB sensitivity. The SM 6.1 will sound dynamic even with a very modest receiver. The SM 6.1 is an excellent choice for a budget system or for rear speakers to complement a marble or synthetic marble system.

We have introduced the SM 5.1. The SM 5.1 now gives fans of our very popular nOrh 4.0 the loudspeaker they need to complete a budget home theater or multi-channel music system. The nOrh 5.1s use the same components as the 4.0 but the large cabinet extends the bass down to -3 dB at 50 Hz.

Introducing The Mini 9.0

The mini 9.0s use the same woofer as its larger brothter. Instead of the 9900 tweeter with its large faceplate, we are using the 9700 that is electronically identical. The cabinet is a 11 liter Synthetic Marble drum. Despite its small size, the mini 9.0 still outputs an amazing 45 Hz -3dB. This is deeper bass than I have ever heard from a loudspeaker this size. The mini 9.0 is better suited for people who already have subwoofers. The smaller size and lower price open up new possiblities such as bedroom, den or even office. The mini 9.0 is available in red, white, blue, green, black or white. The mini 9.0 makes a very good rear speaker for the full size 9.0.

The introductory price for the mini 9.0 is $1,500.00. This is an astonishingly low price for a loudspeaker with this high quality of components and this level of performance.

The obvious question is which speaker is better, the mini 9.0 or the 7.0. The answer is not so simple. The 7.0 will handle more power and can play louder. The mini 9.0 is faster and the bass has more authority. Personally, I would go for the full size 9.0s and not use a subwoofer. I think this is one of those situations where while the decision is not easy, there is no wrong decision.

The synthetic marble loudspeakers provide a level of performance and look that simply isn't available from anyone else.

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