THE SMALL ROOM SPECIALISTS
Addressing the perceived drawbacks of open baffle speakers (bulky, expensive, bass-light and in need of a huge room) Item’s Atex models have the same height and footprint as a stand-mounted bookshelf speaker, but (crucially) are tuned to your room. They cost as little as £1,250 per pair (including DAC, amplification and crossover) and can be sited 1m or less from rear and side walls with a listening triangle of 2-4m, in which they create an enveloping, dynamic soundstage.
Once you’ve heard music liberated from cabinet colouration and boxy resonance, dispersing realistically rather than being beamed asymmetrically from the front of a little box – and experienced bass with real texture and information without the cheats of ported enclosures – you’ll understand why many audiophiles don’t go back once they go baffle.
MORE SPEAKER, LESS CABINET
Atex is a classic three-way active speaker deploying a figure-8 spaceframe for high-frequency drivers and a unique ‘X-Frame’ curved bass baffle. Hence 8X. All feature dual 12-inch bass drivers and a single 6-inch midrange operating as dipoles. Despite a footprint of just 29x36cm (narrower than a Wharfedale Linton), Atex models typically deliver in-room response flat to 30Hz. The ±3dB figure is 28Hz.
The minimalist construction of Atex speakers ruthlessly spotlights its components. Even the entry-level £1,250 Atex model demanded bass and midrange drivers with superior cast aluminium frames. The four models showcase complementary transducers with distinct characteristics that reflect the relationship between price and perfection.
The speaker’s design derives from objectives of minimal size, cost, and resonance, but maximum flexibility. Transducers are physically isolated by air-gapping, removing the parasitic effect on high frequency drivers of vibration from considerable energies generated by bass drivers. Below 175Hz, bass drivers can be rotated relative to the room and independently EQ’d per channel. Above 175Hz, the mid/treble unit can also be independently rotated – and height adjusted – to suit different listening positions, off-axis requirements and imaging preferences – and EQ’d independently per channel. Furthermore, all delays can be fine-tuned on a per-driver basis.
Such fundamental requirements for accommodating speakers to a room and achieving high quality reproduction are uncommon features in the marketplace. Experienced audiophiles will recognise the relationship of the Atex Series to benchmarks such as Gradient’s Helsinki and Revolution speakers, Siegfried Linkwitz’ LX designs, Danny Richie’s NX models and Harald Rupf’s work at ActivAudio – all aimed at boxless transparency and 3D imaging. It was our intention to bring these qualities to a price point and form factor that could be enjoyed by a wider audience in a wider range of listening environments, and to furnish them with even greater flexibility.
FLEXIBLE BY DESIGN
A range of pre-configured, upgradeable I/O, DSP and amplification options are available: Atex models can be specified with bluetooth, digital or analog inputs. Speakers can be purchased singly and ‘bare’ (without crossover and amplification), or with a pre-programmed digital crossover and multichannel DAC, permitting you to choose your own amplification.
Not only can Atex speakers be tuned to different rooms – for instance, when you move home, or rearrange the furniture – they can be voiced according to your preferences. Their functionality goes beyond simple parametric EQ to minimise the effect of room modes and proximity effects: the whole tone curve can be infinitely adjusted according to taste; sibilance can be precisely targeted; crossover points can be shifted within a prescribed range to change the midrange characteristics – for instance, to flatter male or female vocals – and presets can be created for low- and high-level listening. It’s an under-publicised fact that audio systems often lose their ‘dynamic proportions’ at low SPLs, and they require increased room correction at higher volumes as the room signature imposes itself more strongly. All Item speakers have the in-built functionality to get it right in each situation.
We hope Atex series speakers are a tempting proposition to audiophiles seeking neutrality and openness within the constraints of modest budgets and room sizes.
ATEX ONE (From £1,250 per pair including amplification, DSP and DAC)
Atex One features a polypropylene mid and a four-inch fibreglass full range driver deployed as a dipole tweeter. Its sound signature is smooth, spacious and refined.
A 2×12″ bass module with a displacement of 536cc per speaker hands over at 200Hz to a polypropylene-cone six-inch midrange unit with a cast aluminium basket. The 2.4KHz crossover to a suspended four-inch driver gives superb off-axis performance throughout the ‘beaming-sensitive’ upper frequencies, delivering unusually wide and coherent imaging that reaps benefits in two-channel and multi-channel applications.
Bare Version: £599 each
Complete speaker minus amplifier and crossover (recommended at 200/1,200Hz).
Audient Evo16 eight-channel DAC/interface (balanced outputs) with pre-configured and licenced version of JRiver Media available for £399. Bring your own amps: six channels required per pair: ie, three stereo amps or an AV receiver.
USB Version: £1,250 per pair
Six-channel (bridged) TPA3116D2 amplifier.
400W into 4Ω total (limited by power supply to 300W). SNR: 91dB
Digital crossover and EQ/room correction via Jriver (Windows only).
1x USB input. Volume/remote control by app.
Wireless Version: £1,500 per pair
Six-channel TPA3116D2 amplifier.
320W into 4Ω total. SNR: 97dB
Digital crossover and EQ/room correction via Sigma Studio.
Bluetooth and 1x analog (3.5mm stereo) input.
Interface Version: £1,800 per pair
Six-channel TPA3225 amplifier.
400W (limited by power supply to 250W). SNR: 108dB.
Digital crossover and EQ/room correction via JRiver/Camilla
Includes an Audient ID14 studio interface (SNR: 126dB) and headphone amplifier.
USB input for Windows, Mac and Linux. Volume/remote control by app..
Hypex Version: £1,999 per pair
Six-channel Hypex nCore amplifier
700W into 4Ω total. SNR: 115dB.
Crossover, DSP and EQ/room correction via Hypex Fusion.
1x RCA + 1x XLR (balanced) analog input; 2x SPDIF digital inputs; 1x AES digital input.
Infra-red remote control of presets and volume.
Optional wireless module for Bluetooth, Airplay, etc.
Physical Specification:
Width: 290mm
Depth: 360mm
Height: 1040mm
Weight: 24.5kg per speaker
Frequency Response: 28Hz-20KHz ±3dB (in room)
Cabinet Construction: X-Frame bass module and suspended spaceframe midrange unit.
Crossover: typically LR 24dB @ 180Hz / 2400Hz ±10%
ATEX WHITE (from £1,600 per pair)
The White Edition has a full complement of ceramic-coated aluminium drivers delivering a brightly-lit soundscape with zingy transients.
Upgrading the Atex One’s polypropylene-cone driver to a lower-distortion, lighter, ‘faster-sounding’ ceramic cone with a cast aluminium basket, and matching it with a ceramic tweeter with a textbook 2.5KHz crossover makes the White Edition suitable for studio work as well as analytical home listening. As standard, the White Edition is not a dipole above the tweeter’s crossover frequency: making it sound slightly drier and less ‘spacious’ than the Black Edition – but accurate like a monitor. The advantages of dipole treble are generally found less relevant to smaller listening spaces.
The entry-level version includes an Audient Evo16 studio interface and relies on JRiver Media Centre or Camilla for its software crossover and volume control.
Interface Version: £1,900 per pair
Six-channel TPA3225 amplifier (stereo bass).
400W into 4Ω total (limited by power supply to 350W). SNR: 108dB
Digital crossover and EQ/room correction via JRiver/Camilla
Includes an Audient Evo16 studio interface (SNR: 122dB) and headphone amplifier.
USB input for Windows and Mac. Volume/remote control by app.
Hypex Version: £2,400 per pair (£1,200 each)
Six-channel Hypex nCore amplifier (stereo bass)
700W into 4Ω total. SNR: 115dB.
Digital crossover and EQ/room correction via Hypex Fusion.
1x RCA analog input; 1x XLR analog input (balanced); 2x SPDIF digital inputs; 1x AES digital input.
Infra-red remote control of presets and volume. Optional wireless module for Bluetooth, Airplay, etc.
ATEX BLACK (from £1999 per pair)
The fully dipole Atex Black retains all the detail of the White edition, but has a ‘quieter’ quality by virtue of its Rohacell/carbon fibre sandwich midrange with a cast aluminium basket, allied to the extended, airy delicacy of a planar tweeter.
Illustrating the benefit of customisable DSP, the Black Edition can be configured for a wide or narrow listening window, depending on your preferences and room setup. The Hypex editions are also setup with presets differently optimised for high- and low-volume listening. Three versions are available: two USB-only, based around Audient’s studio interfaces driven by a JRiver software crossover and room correction using Mac, PC or Linux. Six channels of linear Class D or smooth valve amplification are offered, as well as the proven Hypex nCore option featuring analog and digital inputs.
Interface Version: £2,200 per pair
Six-channel TPA3225 amplifier (stereo bass).
400W into 4Ω total (limited by power supply to 350W). SNR: 108dB
Digital crossover and EQ/room correction via JRiver/Camilla
Includes an Audient ID14 studio interface (SNR: 122dB) and headphone amplifier.
USB input for Windows and Mac. Volume/remote control by app.
Velvet Version: £2,400 per pair
Six-channels of valve amplification.
400W into 4Ω total (limited by power supply to 350W). SNR: 108dB
Digital crossover and EQ/room correction via JRiver/Camilla
Includes an Audient Evo16 studio interface (SNR: 122dB) and headphone amplifier.
USB input for Windows and Mac. Volume/remote control by app.
Hypex Version: £2,600 per pair (£1,300 each)
Six-channel Hypex nCore amplifier (stereo bass)
700W into 4Ω total. SNR: 115dB.
Digital crossover and EQ/room correction via Hypex Fusion.
1x RCA analog input; 1x XLR analog input (balanced); 2x SPDIF digital inputs; 1x AES digital input.
Infra-red remote control of presets and volume. Optional wireless module for Bluetooth, Airplay, etc.
ATEX TREME-Be (from £2999 per pair)
Atex Be rivals the transparency of magnetostatic speakers with its Textreme midrange and Beryllium dome tweeter. Like Atex White it is only dipole below 2.4KHz. The advantages of dipole treble are generally found less relevant to smaller listening spaces.
OPTIONS
Integrated Streamer (from £199)
Each Atex model can be supplied with a preconfigured Windows-based media player/streamer and music server with storage up to 2Tb, running either JRiver Media Centre or Moode/Camilla. Either can be configured as Roon endpoints. Airplay, Bluetooth and other wireless streaming protocols can also be accommodated.
Colourways and Cosmetics
Atex series speakers are identified by standard finishes: the Atex One is raw plywood; Atex White is flat white, Atex Black is flat black, and Atex Be is gloss black. However, any speaker can be specified in any standard RAL colour at an additional cost of £75 per speaker.
As standard, Atex speakers do not have grilles or protective covers: they sound better that way. However, for practical and/or aesthetic reasons, you may require the Grille Pack at £125, which includes a rectangular grille fitted with (allegedly) acoustically transparent material for the bass enclosure and a conical ‘top hat’ that encloses the upper third of the speaker. By default this is supplied in black, but a wide range of colours can be ordered by request with a surcharge of £25.
Packing & Shipping
Shipping is available worldwide at competitive prices. Because rates change quickly, please contact us before placing your order to obtain a quote.
Within the UK, palletised shipping and packaging is currently £120 per pair, inclusive of packaging (see below). Rather a lot of the retail cost of a speaker is dedicated to designing, making and delivering bulky packaging that is frequently lost or discarded. To avoid such waste, Atex speakers are not sold with inclusive packaging beyond a one-piece dust cover and waterproof outer. Collection from Cheltenham is available, but where this is not possible, or if packaging is required for resale, it can be ordered as a separate item at a cost of £35 per speaker.
Preferentially, at a cost of £250*, your Atex speakers can be hand-delivered and tuned to your listening room – saving the cost and uncertainty of courier delivery, as well as the cost of packaging and the DSP licence. It also includes a ‘Room Doctor’ service, with the provision of graphical data on the acoustic properties of your listening space to help diagnose and treat relevant issues.
* Within a 100-mile radius of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Additional distance at 50p per mile.