CC53: Mezzoforte with Visaton drivers taken from Hobby HiFi 3/05

Mezzoforte aus Hobby HiFi 3/2005
Technical data of the Mezzoforte:
- size (HxWxD without base): 125 x 22 x 50 cm
- impedance: 4 Ohm
- sensitivity: 88.5 dB
- frequency range (-8dB): 28 - 20000 Hz
- crossover frequencies: 150, 2000 Hz
- cabinet type: bass reflex
Bernd Timmermanns' goal was to design a loudspeaker with affordable, yet high quality Visaton drivers. The result was an impressive 3 way bass reflex loudspeaker.

Review by Hobby HiFi 3/2005:
"With a placement just 20 cm away from the rear wall and not turned in, the loudspeakers reproduced a powerful sound in the listening room of the editorial office. But they didn't overdo it: although bass was impressively deep and forceful, the details, like the delicate bow stroke of a double bass were easily recognisable. Even at high volume - the Mezzoforte can take a lot of pounding, comparable to Triga from Hobby HiFi 5/2003 - these qualities remained fully intact.

Transition between bass and midrange is without any gap. The midrange driver, solely responsible for reproducing the keynotes, shows - like the bass driver - clarity and attention to detail. The reproduction of vocals was particularly natural. We haven't often experienced the Hermann Prey recording on the Manger Test CD that realistically.

A hint of harshness at the beginning of the listening test disappeared entirely, after the panel exchanged the standard parts of the high-pass filter for the best components that could be organised short-term: a copper foil coil and an Audyn Plus capacitor. Three-dimensionality profited even more from these measures: although anything but bad before the change, the loudspeakers now reproduced vocals as well as instruments with absolute transparency and spatiality, everything is realistic and within reach."...

Our standard Mezzoforte kit consists of:

- Visaton SC 10 N tweeter
- Visaton W 170 S, 4 Ohm
- Visaton W 250 S, 4 Ohm
- 3 universal PCB's, non tin plated
- 2.5 bags damping material
- 2.5 boards Bitumex 2 mm
- 2 bass reflex tubes HP 100
- 14 screws PAN 4 x 20
- 0.5 self-adhesive foam sealing tape
- 2 gold plated brass binding posts
- 4 metre cable 2x1.5 mm2
- building instruction
 
- the crossover components:
- 8.2 mH ferrite core coil
- 18 mH ferrite core coil / 3.7 Ohm (I-982)
- 1.2 mH air core coil 1.4 mm wire

- 6.8 mH ferrite coil
- 12 mH ferrite core coil / 3.9 Ohm (I-987)
- 0.68 mH air core coil 0.7 mm wire
- 0.22 mH air core coil 0.7 mm wire
- 1x 330 μF ELCO, etched
- 1x 470 μF ELCO, etched
- 1x 150 μF ELCO, etched
- 1x 22 μF ELCO, un-etched
- 1x 220 μF ELCO, etched
- 1x 4.7 μF Mundorf MKP
- 1x 33 μF ELCO, un-etched
- 1x 2.2 μF Mundorf MKP
- 2x 2.2 Ohm ceramic resistor, 10W
- 1x 5.6 Ohm ceramic resistor, 10W
- 1x 1.5 Ohm MOX4 (brown-green-gold)
- 1x 6.8 Ohm MOX4 (blue-grey-gold)

Price for Mezzoforte without cabinet, per unit: - not available

High-End Version: Mezzoforte

Die high-end version contains:
- the 1.2 mH coil before the midrange drive as cfc foil coil
- the 0.68 mH coil in parallel to tweeter as cfc16 foil coil
- the 150 μF (C3): as ELCO un-etched 82+68 μF in parallel
- the 22 μF (C4) in parallel to midrange driver as MKP/400V
- the 4.7 μF (C6) in series to tweeter as Mundorf MCAP Supreme
- C7 and L7 are not replaced, since they have no influence on sound quality!

Price for high-end Mezzoforte without cabinet, per unit: - not available Mezzoforte

Mezzoforte Update, Hobby HiFi 5/2005

Hobby HiFi showed a revised version of the Mezzoforte in issue 5/2005.

This version, entirely focused on sound quality (there is even third version) has an impedance of 3 Ohm between 50 and 100 Hz, requiring an amplifier that is extremely stable.

Review by Hobby HiFi 5/2005:
"After modification the Mezzoforte turned up to be purified, especially with regard to keynotes: so far with a tendency to be a bit thin, the revised version now displayed a full and rich bass. Though, the Mezzoforte should be placed at least 30 cm away from the rear wall. If a placement closer to the wall (although 10 cm are sufficient for the bass reflex tube to work properly) is preferred, then possibly the first version would be more appropriate. But that depends also on the surroundings. If in doubt a listening test should clarify this. In the upper midrange these speakers are now even more at ease. This becomes evident when listening at maximum volume: with Quincy Jones' version of "Birdland" rotating in the CD player, vocals - even at a breathtaking volume - remain clean and clear. Even at 110 dB there is no harshness or annoyance."

Our standard kit Mezzoforte Update consists of:

- Visaton SC 10 N tweeter
- Visaton W 170 S, 4 Ohm
- Visaton W 250 S, 4 Ohm
- 3 universal PCB's, non tin plated
- 2.5 bags damping material
- 2.5 boards Bitumex 2 mm
- 2 bass reflex tubes HP 100
- 14 screws PAN 4 x 20
- 0.5 self-adhesive foam sealing tape
- 2 gold plated brass binding posts
- 4 metre cable 2x1.5 mm2
- building instruction
 
- the crossover components:
- 5.6 mH ferrite core coil (I-270)
- 18 mH ferrite core coil / 3,7 Ohm (I-982)
- 1.2 mH air core coil 1.4 mm wire

- 6.8 mH ferrite coil (I-195)
- 12 mH ferrite core coil / 3.9 Ohm (I-987)
- 0.33 mH air core coil 0.7 mm wire
- 0.22 mH air core coil 0.7 mm wire
- 1x 400 (instead of 390) μF ELCO, etched
- 1x 470 μF ELCO, etched
- 1x 150 μF ELCO, etched
- 1x 18 μF ELCO, un-etched
  (=10 μF and 8.2 μF parallel)
- 1x 220 μF ELCO, etched
- 1x 4.7 μF Mundorf MKP
- 1x 33 μF ELCO, un-etched
- 1x 2.2 μF Mundorf MKP
- 1x 10 μF Mundorf MKP
- 2x 2.2 Ohm ceramic resistor, 10W
- 1x 5.6 Ohm ceramic resistor, 10W
- 1x 1.5 Ohm MOX4 (brown-green-gold)
- 1x 6.8 Ohm MOX4 (blue-grey-gold)
(Values in italic indicate changes from the old version)

Price for the new Mezzoforte Update without cabinet, per unit: - not available

Hig-End Version: Mezzoforte Update

Die high-end version contains:
- the 1.2 mH coil before midrange driver as cfc foil coil
- the 0.33 mH coil in parallel to tweeter as cfc16 foil coil
- the 150 μF (C3): as ELCO un-etched 82+68 μF in parallel
- the 18 μF (C4) = 10 + 8.2 μF in parallel, parallel to midrange driver as MKP/400V
- the 4.7 μF (C6) in series to tweeter as Mundorf MCAP Supreme
- the 10 μF (C9) in series to tweeter as Mundorf MCAP Supreme
- C7 and L7 are not replaced, since they have no influence on sound quality!

Price for High-End Mezzoforte Update without cabinet, per unit: - not available

Home   Hobby HiFi Overview