This diffuser is equipped with a couple of reflex ducts on the rear side which may be closed with two polyurethane cylinders. Other improvement has been made on then cabinet (more rigid) and the cross-over.
Driver
The new 7” woofer is a custom model, made by Scanspeak, for the whole new Classica series. This woofer has an excellent performance in the mid frequencies enough to be used as a midrange in the Quinta model. It is equipped with an aluminum diaphragm, a 38 mm coil (two-layer, CCWA wire) with aluminium former immersed in a suitably shaped air gap. There is also a metal ring around the pole piece to control the flux variations. The basket is die-cast for maximum stiffness. Compared to its predecessor the volume displacement is increased by a significant 25%. The rigid aluminium diaphragm is free from subharmonics and from transverse modes and perfectly reproduces the lower frequencies. The two woofers, connected in parallel, share the same 40 liters enclosed volume.
The tweeter, a D26 series made by Scanspeak, has a one inch high quality treated soft dome, double magnet, decompression chamber, ferrofluid, aluminum flange and a one mm. peak to peak linear excursion (the double of a conventional tweeter). The frequency response extends to 30kHz (0 dB) and 40 kHz are reproduced 6 dB down. The resonant frequency is about 860 Hz which makes this tweeter insensitive to vibrations from other loudspeakers (if any due to the heavy 30 mm MDF the front panel).
Crossover
The crossover circuit, two ways and a half, is divided into two different boards placed at suitable distance from each other, to reduce the effects of mutual inductance of coils. The tweeter high-pass sections is designed to minimize the microphonic effect (something rarely done).
The capacitors used in the signal path have been carefully selected. This also contributes to the stability of the virtual central channel to create a stable and precise soundstage.
Cabinet
The cabinet re-proposes, in the upper part, the curvature of the Malibran model. The front panel, MDF (30 mm thick) is wide enough to accommodate the loudspeakers, has rounded edges and is covered in leather that also acts as a seal for the speaker. The sides of the cabinet are veneered with real wood and finely polished. The structure is further stiffened by internal bracing. Inside the cabinet there are two layers of pyramidal shaped, 10 cm thick, polyurethane which absorb the rear radiation of the woofers. As a consequence Consistency and Clarity are the hallmarks of the sound of this speaker. Opera Quinta is equipped with strong iron bars for wheels or spikes.
The four externel connectors (Quinta is designed for bi-wiring) are the traditional gold-plated brass connectors, the same for all Opera speakers, including our top models. They accept any kind of termination providing a safe and effective electrical and mechanical contact.
The insensitivity of the closed box system to sub-sonic frequencies makes our diffusers specially suited to the reproduction of analog records (LPs). The Opera Seconda is also suited to be used as front and / or rear channel in home theater systems: with two pairs of Opera Seconda you can get an Home Theater System that requires no center channel and no sub-woofer.
Particular attention has been paid to the electrical impedance curve to get a diffuser less sensitive to the quality of the cables and amplifier (tube or solid state). Opera Seconda is a true 4 ohm nominal impedance system that meets the DIN 45500 standards (minimum impedance greater than 3.2 ohms) that can be driven by any amplifier suited for 4 ohm nominal load.
Opera Seconda is a final diffuser: with full extension of the low frequency, capable of reproducing important volumes of sound, easy to insert into the room, with a clear and defined midrange and an high frequency reproduction typical of our top speakers.
