Gallo hi-fi system - A'Diva, Due and Micro speakers with MPS 150 powered subwoofer

Why use a sphere?

The Nucleus bass cabinet begins life as a solid aluminium disc, which is then spun into a hollow, 12" ball. (In the case of a Micro satellite or subwoofer the disc would be steel for the purpose of magnetic shielding.) The spheres are then placed in an electrolytic bath, which forms a hard shell that actually becomes part of the metal. This anodising process gives our enclosure the mechanical properties of ceramic, one of the most acoustically inert materials on earth. The combination of spherical geometry and anodised aluminium construction makes this enclosure virtually resonance- and diffraction-free. Similarly, the properties of heat treated and powder coated steel gives the Micro the same enclosure characteristics.

The Unknown Driver

As most audiophiles know, a loudspeaker produces sound by causing the surrounding air to vibrate. But while it is commonly understood that woofers, tweeters, and midranges perform this function, we must also recognise the contribution of the cabinet, which is set into motion by the back-waves it has been designed to control. These resonance's add their output to the sound and, in effect, cause the enclosure to act as another driver.

As described above, we have taken great pains to eliminate the sonic signature of the enclosure. Still, any cabinet - even ours - will generate some vibration. Therefore, our spherical bass module was not only designed to minimise resonance, but to prevent the remainder from interfering with the music.

In a conventional enclosure design, resonance's are controlled by bracing the interior, thickening the walls and adding damping materials. Unfortunately, these techniques also add mass. The cabinet stores this mechanical energy much like a capacitor stores an electrical charge, and releases them out of phase with the music signal. The inevitable result is a blurring of subtle details. By contrast, the Nucleus spherical bass module not only eliminates internal standing waves, but due to it's ultra-light construction, reduces energy storage to insignificant levels.

Compared with any other dynamic loudspeaker, the Nucleus series provides greater inter transient silence, and a more complete rendering of fine harmonic and tonal information.