#CAMBRIDGE SOUNDWORKS ENSEMBLE DRIVERS#
#CAMBRIDGE SOUNDWORKS ENSEMBLE DRIVER#
#CAMBRIDGE SOUNDWORKS ENSEMBLE PLUS#
#CAMBRIDGE SOUNDWORKS ENSEMBLE FREE#

The Ensemble III sounded as good in our listening tests as it measured, which is to say that it sounded very good indeed.

#CAMBRIDGE SOUNDWORKS ENSEMBLE DRIVERS#

The satellite drivers also survived high-power pulse tests at 1 and 10 kHz. Although its output became visibly distorted on an oscilloscope at considerably lower inputs, the cone did not suffer damage from this rather extreme treatment.

#CAMBRIDGE SOUNDWORKS ENSEMBLE DRIVER#

The bass module's driver bottomed with a single-pulse 100-Hz input of 980 watts. The bass module's distortion at a 4-volt level (equivalent to 90 dB SPL) was about 10 percent from 20 to 50 Hz, falling to 3.5 percent at 100 Hz. Sensitivity, measured 1 meter from a satellite and on its axis, was 87 dB sound-pressure level (SPL) with a 2.83-volt random-noise input. It rose to a broad maximum of about 18 ohms in the 4- to 5-kHz region before dropping to 10 ohms at 20 kHz. The complete system's impedance remained below 8.5 ohms from 20 Hz to 1 kHz, with a minimum of 2.8 ohms at 190 Hz. That may have been related to the crossover between the satellite drivers and was not detectable in the room response or in listening. The MLS frequency response was within 5 dB overall from 500 Hz to 11 kHz except for a sharp dip of 10 to 12 dB at 4.8 kHz, which affected only the frequencies between 3 and 5 kHz. The satellites' horizontal dispersion at 45 degrees off-axis was good (fairly typical of a 3/4-inch tweeter), with an output drop of 4 dB at 10 kHz, about 6 dB at 15 kHz, and 12 dB at 20 kHz. That was confirmed by our quasi-anechoic MLS response measurements at 1- and 2-meter distances, which clearly showed a peak of about 12 dB at 17 kHz. The rise was apparently due to a tweeter resonance at about 17 kHz. The curve was predictably double-humped because of the two coupled resonant cavities, with a +3-dB variation from 43 to 180 Hz and falling off rapidly at lower frequencies.ДЄ composite of the room response with the two close-miked measurements (all of which overlapped the adjacent curves for an octave or more) produced an impressively flat graph, within +1.5 dB from about 50 Hz to 11 kHz and rising about 8 dB from 11 to 20 kHz.

We made a separate response measurement at the port of the bass module. At higher frequencies this measurement is not valid, although the response irregularities were still quite moderate. The output fell steeply below 150 Hz, to about -20 dB at 100 Hz.ДЄ close-miked measurement of the satellite's cone driver indicated an extremely flat response, +2 dB from 150 Hz to 1.4 kHz (and less than +1 dB over most of that range).

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The room response of the satellites alone, averaging their outputs measured at a position about 12 feet in front of the left speaker, was exceptionally free of irregularities due to boundary reflections and room resonances, with an overall variation of less than 3 dB from 150 Hz to 20 kHz. The bass module was placed on the floor between them, close to the left speaker, with its port facing forward. We installed the Ensemble III satellites on 26-inch stands about 7 feet apart at the front of the room and 3 to 4 feet from the walls.

#CAMBRIDGE SOUNDWORKS ENSEMBLE PLUS#

Like other Cambridge SoundWorks speakers, the Ensemble III comes with 100 feet of 18-gauge speaker wire and a wire cutter/stripper plus complete directions. The bass unit has two pairs of insulated spring connectors, and each satellite has a pair of recessed knurled-nut binding posts. As in the other Ensemble systems, each speaker module contains its own crossover components so that the modules can be connected in parallel in any order. The enclosure is made of ABS plastic laminated to a stiff, acoustically damped inner shell. The bass module handles the frequency range below 140 Hz.Д®ach satellite contains a nominally 3-1/2-inch cone midrange driver (the actual effective diameter appears to be closer to 2-1/2 inches) and a 3/4-inch dome tweeter protected by a perforated metal grille. The driver is mounted in an inner chamber, which opens into a second chamber vented to the outside through a flared port. It contains a single 6-1/2-inch long-excursion driver with a dual voice coil (each driven from one stereo channel), with the low frequencies being summed in the speaker itself. The 11-pound bass module, constructed of medium-density fiberboard and finished in black vinyl, is considerably smaller and lighter than those in most three-piece systems.

The system consists of two satellite speakers, each small and light enough to hold in the palm of one hand, and a separate bass module that can be located almost anywhere (but preferably somewhere in the vicinity of the satellites). The Ensemble III is a smaller version of Cambridge SoundWorks' earlier subwoofer/satellite speaker systems (still in the company's line), offering their basic qualities at a significantly lower price.

Cambridge soundworks ensemble