speakersf

Yes – they ROCK. They also CLASSICAL, JAZZ, and do the “lone girl with a guitar” thing with all the transparency, nuance, and subtlety that you could ever want! But then, they can unexpectedly astound you with incredible lows and seemingly effortless acoustic power due to their amazing dynamic capability and extremely low distortion.

They are extremely efficient, natural sounding, and smooth – and they don’t necessarily require a corner to do it in, nor do they require a big high-powered amp to do it!

They produce a very wide bandwidth and provide the most versatile platform available today for a variety of applications. 38 Hz horn Fc, just like the competition you might have heard. Xover point is dependent on the overall Z of the drivers used (limited by driver mass roll-off and electrical phase, not the horn!). Typical top-end response 600-900 Hz.

Hear everything LIFE SIZE, the way it sounds in REAL LIFE. They throw a very wide and deep soundstage that you won’t be familiar with – we practically guarantee that you really haven’t heard your music until you hear it on these. You’ll hear things that you’ve never heard before from recordings that you only think you know. Then ask yourself whether you were convinced that you finally heard what was on the recording - or not.

Don’t put up with other speakers that compress and distort the dynamic range any longer. Throw aside the veil.

If you have the room and you need to fill it with great sound, the answer is the J2! After all, a Hammond B3 should SOUND LIKE a Hammond B3 and a concert grand should sound like one! Put those in the room with you instead of miniaturizing them to fit on a table-top!

Above: recommended J2 enclosure placements. Note that in the case where two matching corners are unavailable, one of the enclosures may be placed against a wall or used free-standing as desired.

Most people find that their J2's never actually make it into the corners - even when available!

Above: J2-N Twin (narrow) version shown in cherry veneer 3/4" ply. The output is virtually the same as the standard version. The narrow version is not as convertible as the standard version.

State-of-the-art horn design in a compact (well, as compact as physics allows!) modular package, combined with state-of-the-art drivers give you the highest degree of versatility that you can get in an all horn-loaded loudspeaker.

Available in various configurations with different cosmetic finishes, the J2 is probably the most versatile and best-sounding unit for its size on the planet.

It’s patented design provides the best possible performance in a variety of applications, whether that is home Hi-Fi, HT, PA or even larger venues, the J2 can more than hold its own against the competition - in or out of the corner.

It’s VERY easy to power (1/3 watt is surprisingly LOUD), it’s extremely low distortion is relaxing and literally refreshing to the soul, and it can authoritatively handle whatever sonic task it is given.

The J2 is highly suitable for larger venues - particularly where high fidelity and décor is an important consideration such as in churches, theatres, or auditoriums. Of course, it doesn’t get any better than a pair of J2’s for HOME THEATRE and domestic HI-FI. And flea-powered tube amps will never sound better than when pushing a pair of J2’s!

Capable of various configurations specifically for high power applications, there is no more versatile unit available today for PA uses than the J2.

Above: half-height bass units stacked to form two full-height twin cabinets. These stand approx. 52 inches tall overall including the high frequency cabinet. All of the stacked cabinet components are separable for easy transportation.

Above: a single half-height bass unit viewed from behind.

There is no folded bass horn on the market that can compare to the J2 in configurability and overall satisfaction for any sonic application given to it. You might think that having four 15" drivers in your room might be overpowering - but the full-height J2 twin is as subtle and natural as you might expect from virtually any high quality loudspeaker - except it has a realistic, life-sized, balanced, full, deep, rich and natural soundstage that some have compared to the soundstaging capabilities of the old Altec Model 19, but with greater efficiency, greater dynamic range, and definitely without "boominess" or overpowering bass. The soundstaging capability of the J2's make them literally "disappear". The overall height of the full-height twin enclosure is excellent in propagating high frequencies to a seated audience for both HT and Hi-Fi use. For serious HT, bigger is really better. Note that bigger is not just louder - it simply means bigger, richer, and fuller - a large-as-life realistic soundstage which isn't necessarily louder. It's just bigger, clear as a bell, and life-like.

J2's are truly breathtaking in overall clarity and dynamic power - and - they don't need a corner to do it in - and - this is important - they DON'T need to be out in the middle of the room like other speakers you might be familiar with.

Note the black formica top - easy to dust and its waterproof - just in case live potted plants suddenly appear on top of them!

Mix and match as needed - the J2 is available with or without a top cabinet.

Above: single half-height bass unit from the front. The lower cabinet shown does not have a formica top.

Designed for Versatility

The J2 line of low frequency horns is capable of being configured as fully front-loaded, rear-loaded, mixed, or even push-pull; operated in stacked pairs or in single half-height cabinets in 1/2, 1/4 or 1/8th space with more-than-satisfactory response as shown in the curves below. Note that single bass units are tested in the curves below; the drivers are NOT acoustically coupled - the respective back chamber(s) remain separate. For optimum low frequency performance, the drivers SHOULD be acoustically coupled.

Coaxial drivers may be used in a rear-loaded application, as well as multiple horns in a compound configuration, all achieved with no modifications and with interchangeable parts. Stackable cabinets allow for easy portability when desired.

Capable of 2 or 3 way crossover points, depending on the configuration, the J2 is easy to transport, easy to place in any space, easy to drive, and easy to listen to. The crossover point is determined by the particular driver(s) employed, the wiring configuration used, and the electrical phase at the particular crossover point. As far as the horn is concerned, the crossover point is determined by the particular driver mass roll off; as seen in the curves below, the drivers shown produce usable output from below 30 Hz to over 1000 Hz, an operational bandwidth not usually found in folded bass horns. Other drivers may provide improvements in response not shown below.

There is no other bass horn available that is as configurable, versatile, and as great performing for its relatively compact size as the J2. Optimized for 1/8th space (corner), and suitable for 1/4 (wall and floor) and even 1/2 space (open stage) placement for high fidelity, public address, and sound reinforcement use.

Available in various finishes and configurations. Patent applied.

J2 Outdoor Response Curves (uncoupled)

The specifications of the driver(s) determine the performance rather than the horn itself presenting a limitation.

The BEC 1526C "Crites" cast frame drivers used for the above curves shown here are considered moderate in output SPL and overall power handling (150 w), suitable for horn-loading, and tend to sound quite "transparent", particularly in the upper and mid-bass frequencies. Driver selection is dependent on power handling and efficiency requirements. The drivers shown require a steep-slope crossover due to the extremely wide upper band-pass. The electrical phase of the driver(s) at a particular frequency is the determiner of the actual crossover point. In the case of the drivers shown, the crossover point determined by phase considerations is approximately 600 Hz. The curves below show a different horn driver (98 dB sensitivity) in a single half-height cabinet in the same environment indicating that the driver is determining the response, not the horn. Clear evidence that the J2 is an extremely compact, highly versatile, efficient, and wide bandwidth bass horn capable of more-than-satisfactory performance outside of a corner!.

Drivers with higher moving mass tend to roll off in the upper bass frequencies sooner than is shown in these curves, allowing for relatively mild -6 dB slope crossovers to be employed. Bandwidth from 20 Hz to 1000 Hz shown. Removable motor board configuration provides the ability to adapt various drivers by using various throat cavity openings in the motor board. All of the curves shown are unmanipulated except for subtracting noise as noted.

About the Curves

The curves shown were taken outside using the door-side of a garage for a planar wall boundary providing 1/4 space loading to the horn cabinet(s) with the microphone placed on axis approx. 18 inches up from the ground at a distance of approx. 10 feet (or 3 meters) from the cabinet. The 1/8th space (corner) loading was simulated using an additional 4x8 sheet of plywood to approximate a corner adjacent to the cabinet under test, the formed corner being quite limited in boundary length on the simulated side for this reason. It should be noted that an outdoor environment (approaching an anechoic environment) naturally presents a much higher level of acoustic dampening and absorption and also less reflectivity than a living room (or the like) would presumably present. Therefore, it is likely that the outdoor "garage curves" shown here constitute what might be considered a worst-case environment scenario. In other words, if they do this well in an outdoor environment, how well will they do in a better acoustic environment like a living room or a dedicated Home Theatre space?

J2 Specifications

Front-loaded configuration (as shown above)

          Nominal Fc = 38 Hz
        Sensitivity = 105 (1x15) - 109 dB @ 1 w @ 1 meter (2x15) *
        Max. Throat Size (St) = 78 sq. inches per driver
        Maximum Input Wattage Rating = 150 w / 800 w continuous *
        38.5 W x 20.5 D x 19.25 H inches (half-height single cabinet)

* dependent on driver(s) employed, wiring configuration, etc.
Specifications are subject to change without notice.

email@soniphase.com

J2 and J2-H is a trademark of Soniphase LLC, Bothell, WA.