Audio Video News

Germany's Ceratec has introduced a new polished chrome version of the stylish, wall-mountable effeqt speaker we covered in January New Gear.

U.S. distributor Essence said the new the floor-standing tower, the effeqt mk IV, sells for $2,499/pair with free shipping from Germany.

From the Essence press release:

Standing 48.4" (1240mm) tall x 5.1" (130mm) wide and deep, this slim aluminum cabinet speaker system has the looks and style of the legendary B&O 8000 for a fraction of the cost. It's a 2.5 way design featuring dual 4" woofer/mid-range drivers crossed over to a 1" silk dome tweeter. The aluminum cabinet is round so there are no internal standing waves, providing clean articulate bass down to 40 Hz, sufficient for most consumers with small to medium sized listening rooms without the use of a subwoofer.

This slim tower design has a lot of sex appeal and fits into modern lifestyles easily, replacing the large wood cabinet speakers that often take up too much space as consumers increase the size of their TV screens now averaging 55" to 65", or projection systems with screens at 120". Suddenly everybody needs more floor space and less cabinet width.

The polished chrome finish with black grille (color option available) is Ceratec's top of the line version. The effeqt mk IV model is also available in anodized black and silver at $1675 per pair MSRP, including free shipping direct from Germany to end users in the USA and Canada. Essence is the exclusive reseller in these markets.

From his office in St. Petersburg, FL, Essence CEO Bob Rapoport says "these new Ceratec effeqt models offer knowledgeable audiophiles a chance to replace their big cabinets with a slim and sexy tower that takes up very little space and provides line-source output for spectacular stereo imaging. The glass pedestals feature spikes to de-couple the speaker from floor vibrations for an ultra clean signal. I remember falling in love with the look of the comparable B&O 8000 at $14K a pair some years ago and always thought somebody should do something similar at a more affordable price point. Ceratec of Germany has done it for 1/5th the price for consumers on a lower budget but with the same great style and in many ways higher performance"

"The 1/2" thick MDF front panels are covered by 1/4" foam to eliminate baffle coloration, delivering typical German quality with no cabinet resonance or vibration and sound quality reminiscent of Braun, ADS, and Canton. Because the mid-bass drivers are small, they're also fast, delivering a tight, articulate bass response without boominess. It's a 4 ohm speaker with 84 dB sensitivity, recommended amp power is rated at 100 watts per channel in most listening rooms to achieve satisfying SPL. With its very high cool factor as well as WAF, these new Ceratecs should command a lot of attention among today's status-conscious consumers".

Ceratec's effeqt series speakers are also available in 4 sizes of wall mountable versions in black, silver, white, or any RAL color to complete a 5.1 or 7.1 multi-channel home theater speaker system. They're easy to order from the Essence website and arrive within 7 days direct from the factory in Germany.

For more information, visit essenceelectrostatic.com.