KARL
KARL is opening a new chapter for high end audio. A fullsize speaker with the most advanced drivers available today, each of them directly driven by a breakthrough class D power amplifier, seamlessly merged into a perfectly coherent system by a high resolution DSP. This alone would be a remarkable innovation, yet the direct integration of the source electronics in the form of a hi-res streamer to complete the lossless audio chain makes KARL an outright revolution. The concept of KARL is based on the conviction that the current generation of Accuton® ceramic and diamond drivers are capable to deliver the finest possible acoustic imaging, but only when directly driven and DSP-controlled. This concept would not be possible without class D amplification that is on par with or superior to traditional high end amplification. The latest generation of class D fulfills this requirement, coupled with formerly unexperienced driver control, dynamics, low noise, efficiency and reliability. The sonic result, representing the best of several worlds of audiophile preferences, marks a leapfrog for high end audio and paths the way for a whole new generation of ultra fidelity audio systems.
„IF this is what digital audio is to look like in the 21st century, we are at home…“
Wojciech pacula, editor, high fidelity.pl magazine
Cabinetry, re-engineered
Finally, a new shape
Thanks to KARL, the reign of the narrow but deep floorstanding loudspeaker enclosure is also ending. While much easier to position within the room, the wide front/shallow depth profile of KARL also has several sonic advantages, especially in terms of conveying convincing dynamics and reproducing large acoustic images. The edge diffractions and resulting phantom sound sources of the multi-segment body are being incorporated into the overall active/digital projection of KARL, which also includes an active diffuse field behind the speakers. Another example of a perfect acoustic cabinet layout is the resulting bass impulse momentum on KARL’s enclosure: it is exactly zero thanks to a complete impulse compensation between the three front bass drivers and the backside subwoofer.
ACTIVE/DIGITAL MULTI-CHANNEL AMPLIFICATION
As one of the major technical advances in audio, the direct amplification of a speaker driver eliminates distortions, phase shifts and decoupling caused by traditional passive crossover networks. In combination with DSP processing, not only a more exact crossover is possible, but also perfect time and phase alignments, more refined equalisation, dynamics-dependent corrections, and room-dependent corrections.
INTEGRATED HD-STREAMER
In order to achieve the ideal of a lossless audio chain, Lyravox integrates a high resolution streamer into its systems. The direct integration avoids sonic bottlenecks, thus improving the overall sound quality. In addition, the streamer allows the playback of high resolution audio files (from servers, external storages, or from the internet) which represent today’s best sounding and most convenient music sources, especially when available in studio standard. The German made streamer is organically merged with the system’s DSP/driver engine on the output side and all of the system’s interfaces on the input side.
(ULTRA) HARD DIAPHRAGM DRIVERS
The physical ideal of a speaker driver is that of a perfect piston, moving air without internal vibrations. This ideal is only achievable with ultra hard diaphragms such as beryllium, magnesium, ceramic, or even diamond. The most consequent and advanced designs in this field are the latest generation drivers by acclaimed German specialist Accuton® . Many of the world’s most sophisticated loudspeakers are relying on these drivers, and so do KARL and KARLOTTA. The upgrade variants KARL D. and KARLOTTA D. are equipped with solid diamond diaphragm tweeters, representing the final diaphragm material available on earth. In contrast to most other manufacturers, Lyravox employs digital/active engines to fully exploit the potential of the high-tech Accuton® drivers.
ACTIVE DIFFUSE FIELD RECREATION
In a real-life music performance, the sonic waves of musical instruments are being dispersed in all directions, not only towards the listener. The dispersion of traditional loudspeakers with front drivers is therefore not fully representative of real music. Lyravox systems (except studio monitors) are equipped with additional drivers for the projection of the ‚ambient’ part of the music, partly through individual DSP-controlled channels.
OPTIMIZED CABINETRY
A large part of a loudspeaker’s quality is determined by its enclosure. All Lyravox systems are built to proven high end standards, applying to the choice and combination of the cabinet materials, cabinet geometry, internal bracing, finely tuned damping, internal absorbers (for the minimization of electronic corrections), internal sound and pressure dispersion, midrange cabinet ventilation, reflex channel optimization, external diffraction and optimal wall or floor coupling.
SOLID SLATE BASEPLATE
In favour of both aesthetics and acoustics, the speaker cabinet is coupled to the floor through a baseplate made of solid slate. The extra weight of the baseplate improves the overall stability of the cabinet and the weight distribution within the speaker. Solid slate has the best acoustic properties of all natural stones, combining hardness with internal damping, making it the ideal interface between cabinet and floor.
SOURCES
integrated:
USB-Stick
via Home Network:
Music Server
NAS
PC
DLNA-Sources
Online:
Internet-Radio
TIDAL®
Qobuz®
INTERFACES
LAN/WLAN (802.11b, g, n)
Bluetooth (A2DP, AptX®)
RCA Inputs analog
RCA Inputs digital (SPDIF coax)
USER INTERFACE
RF Remote with Color Screen
Lyravox Remote App for iOS®/Android®
DRIVERS
Accuton® Cell® Ceramic 30 mm Tweeter
Accuton® 4D Ceramic 7“ Midrange
3 x Accuton® C173 7“ Midbass
ScanSpeak® 30W Aluminum 12“ Subwoofer
2 x Vifa® Ring Radiator XT 25 Rear Tweeter
AMPLIFIERS
8 x 500w Pascal® S-PRO2 Class D Power Amps (per pair)
PROCESSING
AUDIVO HD-Streamer (Made in Germany)
Lyravox® 3-Core-/8-Channel DSP-Module
KARL D.
Tweeter Upgrade Accuton® BD25 Diamond
DIMENSIONS
52 x 160 x 23 cm (W x H x D)
Base Plate 46 cm deep
WEIGHT
88kg
ACOUSTIC SPACE COVERAGE
40 – 120 m2 Room Size
AUDIO FORMATS
MP3 up to 320 kBit/s, VBR/CBR
WAV, AIFF, PCM up to 192kHz/24Bit, Int/32BitFloat
FLAC up to 192 kHz/24 Bit
Ogg Vorbis
WMA (standard only; no Pro or Lossless)
AAC/M4A, ALAC
Gapless Playback at WAV, AIFF, PCM, FLAC, MP3, ALAC, AAC (m4a)
Finished in Brilliant Interior White Ultrasmooth Matte
Nano Coating (NCS-S 0500N).
Any other colour/finish available upon request.
BROCHURE |
PRESS CLIPPINGS |
MANUAL |
FIRMWARE |
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High Fidelity BEST SOUND AWARD 2017 (pdf)High End Stereoplay 2017 (pdf)Press Release High End 2017 (pdf) |
Quickstart Manual English (pdf) |
Version 0.39a (bin) |
