Quadral fits 71 kilograms of “Titan”-technology and 700-watts of power into a living room-friendly cabinet.
The Aurum Alpha is by no means the first active box of the renowned manufacturer. However apart from rather small PC-sound systems and comparable devices it is the re-entry into the world of active high-end – and a great one as well! In view of the removable rear panels of the passive Aurum series’ top models, we had already expected some sort of active upgrade – but it turned out to be quite different.
The size of the active flagship was understandably based on the Aurum Vulkan, which is anything but a small speaker. The drivers, however, with two lateral 265mm bass drivers as well as a large quSENSE „ribbon“ with two low (110 Hz) separated 180mm mid-range drivers in a low-radiation d‘Apollito arrangement was actually inherited from the even larger Titan series. The big brothers larger volume can be easily compensated for in an active loudspeaker by means of the DSP electronics, long-stroke drivers and lots of power, with the closed cabinet even providing a bit more control thanks to the stiffness of its air-cushion.
The HD streaming service Tidal as well as Google Play Music and Airable Internet radio are supported by default. A microphone and a USB sound card are included in the delivery in order to be able to make the necessary measurements for the DIRAC Live Room-calibration. The result is excellent, in our opinion often even considerably better than the integrated calibration systems of many A/V receivers. You can also manually correct the automatically generated results or switch off DIRAC entirely if you want to.
The procedure is exactly what we would call uncomplicated, but with the help of a computer-savvy helping hand it is quickly done. In addition to balanced and unbalanced analog inputs, Toslink and Ethernet, the Quadral Aurum offers a highlight that you won‘t find in any of the other test subjects: a USB input for external storage devices. Using it you can easily supply an entire party with music, even as a technical greenhorn.
In the acoustically optimized STEREO listening room, the Aurum Alpha proved to be an audiophile masterpiece even without the practically unnecessary DIRAC optimization. The engineering team around Sascha Reckert can only be congratulated on this loudspeaker. It can compete even with the very best, which is also due to some important detail solutions. For example, only the bass and mid-range sections are fed by Class D amplification, while the tweeter is handled by a Class AB stage. After all, the frequency response should reach up to 50 kilohertz. Imagine the legendary Quadral AURUM Titan, but playing even more vividly and precisely thanks to its closed body and individually tuned amplifier electronics – without taking up the entire living room.
The image is opulent, perfectly illuminated and garnished with dynamics in every tiny detail. With music like „The Wall” the Alpha can, however, deliver equally brute a performance of outstanding dynamics, literally pulling the auditorium out of its seats. This also applies to a stereo living room home cinema – preferably using a beamer, as the picture should after all match the huge sound. A subwoofer is not necessarily required as the Alpha reaches below 30 Hertz and sports enough power. Believe us, you won‘t miss the Sub, but you might get to know your neighbors better. Last but not least, the AURUM app, which is already required for input selection, works extremely well. An outstanding loudspeaker!
The Aurum Alpha can be controlled in many ways. The Aurum app is necessary for the input selection. There is a master with all connections and a slave, which has its own amplifier.
The woofer drivers with aluminum-titanium-magnesium diaphragms provide powerful pressure.
Outstanding active speaker with spectacular dynamics and control. Plays very musical and with extreme stability in level. The DIRAC room calibration allows for a individual adaptation to the room and/or your own preferences. Has an own app.
Price: ca. 16000 € (Last check: 03.12.2018)
Dimensions WxHxD: 29 x 121 x 50 cm
Weight: 0.071 kg
Warranty: 4 years
Manufacturer: Quadral
| Lower cut-off frequency (-3dBSPL): | 33 Hz |
| Distortion factor at 63/3k/10k Hz: | 0.4/0.1/0.1 % |
| Sound pressure characteristic (at 200 mV): | 87.4 dBSPL |
| Power consumption Idling: | 6.4 W |
Sound Level Active speaker: 95%
Excellent, very balanced frequency response, extremely low distortion. Good, impactful bass response (depends on calibration).
700-watt amplifier, Wi-Fi, USB-A, UPnP/NAS, optical digital input, DIRAC, App
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