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Review: Ambience Reference 1600:
Hybrid Ribbon Loudspeakers

Ambience’s flagship Reference Series 1600s deliver true music
By Nic Tatham

When was the last time you actually sat down, closed your eyes and really listened to some music? I don’t mean chucking a CD on while cooking dinner, but actually sat in a quiet room with only yourself and the music. It’s not always possible, but if you get the opportunity, there’s nothing quite like just listening to music. And doing it on a really decent hi-fi system makes the experience all the more pleasurable.

I’m slowly finishing off my dedicated listening room and being heavily insulated and soundproofed, inside’s a cocoon of silence from the outside world. And the first equipment I got round to setting up to review over the Christmas break included a pair of Ambience’s Reference 1600 loudspeakers. Usually to organise product for review, you make a couple of phone calls and wait for the courier to turn up. In this case though, things took a little longer than planned, mainly due to my slow progress with the listening room. Tony Moore of Ambience built the pair, then drove them all the way up from deepest country Victoria and delivered them to a friend who only lives five minutes away from me. The plan was he’d run them in for a couple of weeks, then I’d takedelivery when the room was finished. A couple of weeks turned into more like a couple of months, but finally I took possession.
The speakers were well and truly run in by now, which was just as well as the metal ribbons used in Ambience’s designs do take quite some time to really sound their best. Partnering these tall and imposing speakers (they stand 1.6 metres high) I had an array of electronics and as the owner of a pair of Ambience’s Ultra 1600s, I was keen to hear just how different the Reference models sound over the trusty Ultras.

Amplification is key element with the Ultras and simply put, the better it is, the more you get out of the speakers. On hand I had a Redgum pre and monobloc power amps (also reviewed in this issue), my ME 550II as well as the flagship ME 850 power amplifier, so there was no shortage of watts. Tony Moore uses a pair of French Audio Aero monobloc valve amplifiers himself, with a pair costing around $30,000. One thing I've always found with his designs is no matter how esoteric, expensive or just plain capable the amplification or source components, these tall ribbons consistently reveal the strengths (and weaknesses) of all partnering equipment, including cables. Some equipment simply gells with these loudspeakers and both Redgum and ME amplification are a good example. Another, is Marantz' integrated PM-17 amplifier, which Tony and other Ambience fans swear by. It's no ordinary integrated amp though and one of hi-fi legend Ken Ishiwata's best designs. Still, at about a tenth of the price of the Audio Aero's, it's a sensible and affordable option to drive a pair of speakers such as these, that really appreciate quality amplification.

Ambience now manufacturers eight different models - four hybrid ribbon speakers, a ribbon centre channel and a bandpass Subwoofer. Over the years I have reviewed six of them, so I'm veryfamiliar with the brand. My Ultra 1600s are now about five years old and since then, Tony Moore has been continually upgrading and improving his designs, culminating in this the latest addition to the range. It was about 18 months ago that I had the larger flagship Reference 1800s and if you haven't got a huge living space to fill with music, then the 1600s are a bit easier to accommodate.In my 4 x 7 metre space, they fill it quite happily.

The sum of all its parts make up the Ambience flagship Reference design and to this end Tony Moore goes to great (and expensive) lengths to ensure only the best components are used. The several magnets that line the crimped aluminium ribbon are neodymium 'rare earth' super-magnets - one alone is powerful enough to pick up a fridge.

Combined, Tony told me, there's enough magnetic force to lift a car! These form the 'powerhouse' of the ribbon section and compared to the standard series, produce five times the acoustical output energy. What this means is that the amplifier has to work far less and the efficiency of the design is staggeringly high; 96dB to be precise.

Complementing the ribbons is a very high quality bass section, housed in a separate compartment which forms the speakers' base. Ambience sources its drivers from SEAS - a well known Scandinavian driver manufacturer, but they're not standard issue drivers, these are custom made to Ambience's specifications. There are two of them, both 170mm in diameter and the internal wiring is with Analysis Plus - a very decent cable from the USA.

Nominal impedance of the Reference 1600s is around 4.3 ohms, but because of that super high sensitivity, you don't need a hugenumber of watts to drive them. The minimum rating is five watts RMS per channel, which would be the sort of figure some valve-based amplifiers would muster.

The recommended power is between 30 and 100 watts RMS, again the lower end of which is valve territory, but as Ambience states, with large amplifiers, extreme sound pressure levels are achievable. One of the characteristics of all Ambience designs is that they are able to play extremely loud without any fear of driver or ribbon damage. I have pushed mine to what I thought would have been their limit, but these ribbons and SEAS drivers can really generate serious volume levels without distortion. Youmay not want to generate this sort of antisocial volume, but it's comforting to know that the speakers can take it.

I settled on my ME 550II power amplifier to do most of the serious listening and the first thing that struck me about the Reference 1600s compared to my older Ultras was the much tighter grip and speed of the bass. The twin drivers may be quite small but their integration in the design produces vast amounts of low frequencies when required. But it's not all just quantity; the bass dynamics possess both power and punch. Forget about the need for a subwoofer, the low-end extension on offer entirely negates the need for one.

From there, the Reference 1600s simply build a sublime musical structure. Play a live set such as Jeff Buckley Live In Chicago and you're catapulted to the gig. The atmosphere is readily apparent and you can almost feel the emotion and passion in Buckley's vocals.

Something with a little less angst, the Telarc recording of Carl Orff's Fortune is a stern test, yet the Ambiences pass it with consummate ease. Within the broad soundstage, instruments are firmly locked into position and there's never any hint of blurring or loss of stereo imaging. With a gentle toe-in and the front spikes raised, the Reference 1600's positioning is a crucial part of their set-up as far as imaging and stereo depth is concerned. Give them space behind, as the ribbon also fires sound out the back and the bass enclosure is also rear ported.

Music taste is a personal thing, but not really with these loudspeakers -they'll happily play all manner of material. Nine Inch Nails potent style of rock and full frequency rage is easily digested and they motor through the crashing snare drums of The Mark Has Been Made. That wholesome and ribbons open up a truly controlled, crisp and pacey midrange.

Getting back to simply listening to music on a really superb sounding pair of speakers has been something I haven't done for a while. Getting away from home theatre and enjoying just two channels is highly recommended to help put things back in perspective.

admit it, I'm a fan of all things Ambience and its latest loudspeakers have me hooked. $8,700 is a considerable amount of money for a pair of speakers, but the equivalent quality from an American manufacturer costs three times or more.

Such handcrafted quality from one of Australia's finest loudspeaker designers, I can't recommend these latest Ambience flagships highly enough. AVL

Ancillary Equipment: Rega Planar 3 turntable,
ME 24 preamplifier, ME 550II power amplifier, ME 850 power amplifier,
Redgum CD-5 ENR CD player,
Nordost Flatline loudspeaker cables

(Review supplied by courtesy of the AVL.magazine)....

Nic Tatham.
Audio & Video Lifestyle Magazine

Review: Ambience Reference 1800:
Hybrid Ribbon Loudspeakers

There's a new slant to Ambience hybrid ribbon Reference Series
By Nic Tatham

Things may have seemed a bit quiet from Ambience of late, not since its bandpass subwoofer have we seen any new products from the Gippsland, Victoria based manufacturer. There's a simple reason, Tony Moore's been busy designing the new Reference Series, and those who have been fortunate enough to have heard them, are reporting the wait's been well worth it.With so many loudspeakers passing through my system and ears, it can at times feel as though not a lot has changed. But when you have the opportunity to live with a loudspeaker such as these new Ambience designs, it's obvious from the word go that these are a very special pair of loudspeakers.

It's always an anticipating time plugging in a new pair of speakers, but whether you're familiar or not with the Ambience designs, its new Reference models are the sort of speaker you eagerly want to get hooked up and running. And with the new father of them all, the Reference 1800s, there are physical concerns to address before you're able to sit back and take stock. They are very large and heavy and are the sort of loudspeaker that need plenty of room in which to function to their best. However, unlike many physically imposing loudspeakers, the References do not need a muscle amplifier to drive them. These are incredibly efficient loudspeakers, with a measured sensitivity of 95dB. To put it in some sort of perspective, in order to increase output by 3dB requires a doubling of amplifier power. Thus, a speaker operating at a sensitivity of 88 dB with a 200 watt amplifier would put out the same sound level as a speaker with a sensitivity of 91 dB being driven by a 100 watt amplifier.

So at 95dB sensitivity, these new Ambiences are particularly easy to drive. Allied to this, both the ribbon and bass sections are rated at 4 ohms impedance, with the figure constant for the ribbon and nominal for the twin 170 mm longthrow bass/mid drivers that comprise the 46 litre bass section. The fundamental design philosophy of the new References remains the same as previous Ambience hybrids, in that a crimped metal ribbon runs a large part of the length of the front baffle and there's a separate bass section box mounted behind the front panel. But there are some substantial differences with the new Reference models and it's far more than purely cosmetic. admittedly, it's the shape of these new designs that you notice first. The pyramid, tapered angles make the References appear far more substantial and that extra width at the speakers' base has allowed a lot more to go into the bass section. It is trin ported on the 1800s, both rear firing vents located just above the five 4mm cable binding posts. No, it's not a typographical error, the fifth terminal is there for a couple of reasons. It's a common positive connection and is advisable to use if you have particularly bright sounding partnering electronics, or if the room is acoustically on the 'live' side i.e. if there's little furniture or lots of reflective surfaces. If not, then Ambience recommends standard biwire connection. Unlike the company's SuperSlim models, the References' bass section has no removable grille revealing an upwards firing single bass driver.

Instead the enclosure on the Reference 1800 houses two 170mm drivers that radiate forwards from behind the front panel's cloth grille. The twin drivers are wired in a parallel push pull fashion and are once again, specifically manufactured by Norwegian driver manufacturer SEAS to Ambience's design specifications.

The upper midrange and treble is supplied by the long ribbon section and it is this that makes the References so remarkably efficient. With a constant 4 ohm impedance the Reference models use new rare earth super magnets along the length of the ribbon. Other expensive components that have been used are Hovland capacitors in the third order crossover network and as with all Ambience loudspeakers, the whole thing is topped off with some very nice woodwork. In the case of the Reference models, the solid timber side trims are finished with Tung oil, an extract from the Chinese nut tree. As the literature points out, this natural product is extremely durable and gives a satin look with a eucalyptus gum odour. The wood's finish can be replenished over time by a gentle rub with some more Tung oil or a bit of beeswax. The finish not only looks good, it also protects the wood from the elements.

Even though I'm very familiar with the Ambience designs, I wasn't expecting the Reference 1800s to sound quite as instantly involving as they do. The sheer scale these speakers convey is staggering, making music pulse and flow in jaw-dropping style. Bass reaches down to levels that never leave you wanting for more and there low-end speed and definition that are beyond doubt. The ribbons take over with a midrange that bursts with characteristic exuberance while treble detail sparkles and shimmers in gloriously vivid fashion. Overall, tonal quality is superlative throughout the frequency range, with treble and midrange singing beside fast, weighty bass. This is precisely what many designers have attempted to achieve with a hybrid cone driver/ribbon marriage, but few have ever achieved.

With all sorts of music, the Reference 1800s display their revealing nature, with a smooth flowing sound presentation is one of a wonderfully refined whole that's more than the sum of its parts. Beck, Underworld, Prince, Coldplay, Miles Davis or Gershwin, it doesn't matter what you're into, all are equally at home on these loudspeakers. Instruments sound superbly genuine, and voices have real character and timbre. Over a wide range of music, the References simply sound sublime

By avoiding a single really large bass driver and using two smaller ones instead, the References are able to preserve an attacking sense of bass rhythm and timing without any hint of flabbiness. Even with the bass-heavy cool of Leftfield's Dusted the 1800s are unfazed; rich in presence and substance, and delightfully low geared for this style of dance music.

The specs suggest that your ears will give out long before the loudspeakers do and to this end the literature also states a warning to this effect. It's true you don't need oodles of watts to drive them, but as with many a capable loudspeaker, the quality of those watts definitely counts. With 120-watts per channel and a current capacity of around 40 amps, my ME 55011 proved more than ample and without too much wick turning the Reference 1800s deliver plenty of decibels. A nice valve amp with modest power output would be another amplifier possibility with this very friendly load.

Ambience has already released a matching high sensitivity centre channel model and the smaller Reference 1600s are in final testing. I can only imagine what a complete Ambience AV speaker system would sound like after replacing the main fronts in mine. The extra scale and breadth the Reference 1800s bring to movie soundtrack soundstaging is huge. With these up front, Dolby Digital and DTS multichannel audio is given immense room in which to perform with an abundance of dynamic headroom.The new Ambience Reference designs may not suit all, needing a large room to accommodate them, not to mention the available funds. On a global scale, they represent fantastic value though and for sheer musical delicacy, scale and intimacy are a rare treat indeed.

AVL Ancillary Equipment: ME 55011 power amplifier, Onkyo TX-SR700 AV receiver, Onkyo DX-SP800 universal DVD player, Toshiba 38D9UXA LCD rear projection TV, QED Silver Anniversary Biwire loudspeaker cable.

(Review supplied by courtesy of the AVL.magazine)....

Nic Tatham.
Audio & Video Lifestyle Magazine