High-end audio enthusiasts and music lovers are constantly looking for new ways to enhance their listening experience by achieving greater realism, often a more sweeping soundstage, better timbre, and more immersive playback, among other things. Fortunately, the market offers several different products designed to meet a variety of needs and requirements.
MOON II
Meet the HANOWA MOON II, a bi-directional ribbon super-tweeter designed from the ground up to deliver pristine sound that extends the edge of the soundstage with better clarity and allows you to find a sonic sweet spot.
Both the front and rear tweeters of the MOON II are made of an extremely thin, four-micron polyetherimide diaphragm that is also extremely lightweight.
Five crossovers points are operating at 10kHz /12kHz /14kHz /16kHz / 20kHz and MOON II between 8kHz-60kHz with a maximum peak power of 124dB.
Frequencies above 8 kHz can be perceived by most people with healthy and preserved hearing, but some people with exceptional hearing abilities can distinguish much higher frequencies. Even though these high frequencies are not audible to the listener, they affect the overall sound quality of music reproduction, especially when it comes to the harmonics and overtones of musical instruments.
A well-designed audio system strives to reproduce the original timbre as accurately as possible, and that begins and ends with the speakers.
Musical instruments produce complex sounds composed of many different frequencies, and some of these frequencies extend into the ultrasonic range. Even though we cannot hear these ultrasonic frequencies directly, they can interact with audible frequencies to produce a richer and more detailed sound. When these high frequencies are capped, altered, or removed from music, the sound can become monotonous and lifeless.
The quality of loudspeakers depends heavily on the selection of their components. Each component of a speaker, such as a driver, crossover, and cabinet, can affect timbre and spaciousness in different ways. For example, the size and material of the speaker cone affect the harmonic content of the sound wave it produces, while the design of the crossover affects the balance and coherence of the sound across different frequencies.
The selection of high-quality components, proper voicing, etc., are critical to accurate sound reproduction and faithful timbre and spatial imaging.
While component selection should follow many trustworthy criteria, this is not always the case, as all too often the corners are cut in order to achieve better margins, which affects the final sound. Instead of improving the sonic capabilities, it hampers the performance.
Operational
Thank to a wealth of controls, MOON II can be combined with a wide range of speakers, and it’s front/back ribbon allows for a lot of experimentation and is a great asset in finding the desired sonic balance.
With all the adjustment parameters and passive attenuators, the MOON II core is extremely flexible, everything is easier to comprehend and operate with clearly laid out controls for hands on operaton.
One of the great features of a super tweeter is its ability to extend the high-frequency response of a speaker system beyond the limits of a typical tweeter and HANOWA MOON II flexibility offers great inclusiveness with undenying accuracy and clarity.
HANOWA MOON II achieves this through the use of propriety materials and design techniques, which allow the super tweeter to beget frequencies as high as 60kHz.
As evident with music references, the extended high-frequency response of a HANOWA MOON II super tweeter adds a new level of detail and clarity to music and also counts as a balancing act to the overall sound.
HANOWA MOON II was designed to be paired with the existing speaker system and requires no modifications connects directly to the speaker terminals and included adjustable crossover settings to help optimize their performance.
HANOWA MOON II front, and back ribbon drivers extend the sonic projection making them a valuable addition to any speaker system, by providing a new level of sonic detail and accuracy with any type of audio content.
The Music
As always, here are some of the tracks/albums that were used, among many others, to evaluate the HANOWA MOON II and how their raison d’être relates to practical application with music.
“Bad Fish” by Sublime is a song that has captivated the minds and hearts of music lovers since its release in 1996. Several factors make it sound different, captivating, and great, contributing to its lasting emotional and sonic impact.
A unique blend of reggae, punk, and ska creates a distinctive and recognizable affair that stands out it still sounds refreshing after all the years. The snappy tempo and rhythm of the song, coupled with the iconic bass line, immediately grab the listener’s attention. On top of it, the raw and honest lyrics blends with the music adding emotional depth that is easier established when the sonic scope is spot on.
In addition, the production quality of the song is excellent, with a clear and balanced mix that showcases every instrument and voice and keeps the music-intensive all the time.
The inclusion of HANOWA MOON II helped to extend the stereo imaging, i.e. placing sounds with a clearer foundation and place within the stereo field, and enhancing the sense of sound space, forming a more believable three-dimensional sonic scope.
In addition, HANOWA MOON II has helped the upper frequencies flow more easily and blend with the dynamic impact of the song, and the difference between the softest and loudest parts can be heard more clearly without changing the shape and base of the sound (tone & timbre).
Dave Grusin The Gershwin Connection is in itself an impressive sound collage with many underlying micro and macro movements and momentums.
HANOWA MOON II allows for an even deeper immersion into the Gershwin Connection, by letting the spatial characteristics of the sound be perceived even better.
Through its adjustment versatility, when finding a sweet spot the HANOWA MOON II makes the sound even more soothing and engaging.
HANOWA MOON II grants a faster transient response, and its low distortion nature qualifies for a more precise, grain-free, and vibrant reproduction of Grusin’s playing.
There were also some pleasant, surprisingly positive developments in timbre and tone color, with HANOWA MOON II simply making the notes more differentiated without changing pitch, volume, or harmonics.
The different harmonic content of the instruments’ sound waves was retained but enhanced, so that the sound flowed effortlessly from the speakers and was characterized by excellent imaging.
“Flight of the Cosmic Hippo” by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones is still an unforgettable musical experience that stands the test of time. The depth of sound, the broad spectrum of tone, and the vibrancy of timbre, and color are a testament to the artistry and technical skill of the recording engineers to capture this momentum so potently.
The addition of a MOON II super ribbon tweeter has only enhanced the dynamic and spatial quality of music, allowing the listener to fully experience the rich and dynamic soundscape of “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo”
Flight of the Cosmic Hippo offers a unique journey through an extremely dynamic collage full of unexpected twists and turns, and is a testament to reference-level sonic reproduction.
The HANOWA MOON II ribbon super tweeter contributes to an all-encompassing soundstage and allows for the expansion of micro and macro details and to experience music in a more nuanced and dynamic way.
Sometimes high frequencies can get lost in translation, but HANOWA MOON II ensures that this task is done with a thumbs up.
The same goes for timbre tone and color, the “golden trinity of sound,” where HANOWA MOON II only further demonstrates how effectively it can affect the rich and complex sonic tapestry making it both exciting and immersive.
The Conclusion
Among the various aspects of audio quality, the extended soundstage effect is a significant factor that can greatly enhance the listening experience and HANOWA MOON II can have a considerable “saying” in this regard.
The enticing illusion of music reproduction depends on many factors. Not all loudspeakers are capable of providing a sense of space that depicts a large acoustic environment in which the music can spread freely, with enough space to present the instruments, voices, orchestra, etc., at an appropriate scale.
Certain loudspeakers can enhance the effect of sound staging, while others simply conceal the sound space and make the music fade within the physical limitations of the loudspeaker enclosure.
The HANOWA MOON II expands the soundstage and increases the sense of space, and depth, and introduces a higher level of acoustic cues. It also helps to create a three-dimensional sound image that simulates a richer spatial arrangement, with a more accurate and detailed reproduction of the high-frequency range.
The HANOWA MOON II features a unique (due to many given controls on the front and back) adjustable dispersion pattern that spreads music waves in a wide, horizontal arc, creating an enticing sonic illusion with a surprisingly Technicolor-like timbre. This effect is instantly audible with high-pitched instruments such as trumpets, violins, flutes, etc.
The higher density of HANOWA MOON II also introduces a greater amount of acoustic cues into the sound sphere, allowing subtle variations in timing, phase, and frequency to form a different kind of soundscape.
When properly placed in a finely tuned listening room and audio system, the HANOWA MOON II speakers allow the listener a much greater sense of virtual space and a more vivid positioning of instruments. The finer resolution of MOON II results in a more grain-free sound, allowing a greater distance between the instruments and the performers.
In a studio environment, proper formation of higher frequencies is paramount, and various types of studio EQ are always used sparingly. Even the slightest adjustment can drastically affect not only the higher frequencies but also the overall aural impression and sense of depth.
When the sonic balance is adjusted with great care, it can provide the listener with a more immersive and lifelike listening experience, and this is where the HANOWA MOON II fits greatly.
There is much ongoing research on the effects of the listening experience above the human hearing threshold range. Even though we cannot directly hear frequencies above 20 kHz, their presence can still have a significant impact on the overall sound quality of music reproduction. This is closely related to the higher harmonics and consequently also affects the golden trinity of timbre, tone, and color.
Due to various limitations, design choices, or component selections, many speakers can benefit from the MOON II’s ability to enhance high frequencies, even if we can not hear them directly. When higher frequencies are grain-free, the absence of distortion and artifacts in and above the audible range results in a cleaner and more accurate sound.
The HANOWA MOON II speakers’ unique ability to extend the often-desired soundstage effect while keeping timbre intact has earned them a Highly Recommended Award.
Technical specifications
- Type: Bi-directional Ribbon Super Tweeter Speaker
- Frequency Range: 8kHz – 60kHz
- Power Handling: 20W / 40W / 80W (Rated / Program / Peak)
- Sensitivity (1W / 1M): 95 dB
- Maximum SPL: 108dB (Peak: 124dB)
- Nominal Impedance: 4 Ohm
- Crossover: 10kHz /12kHz /14kHz /16kHz / 20kHz
- Tweeter: 2 x Ribbon Super Tweeter
- Coverage Pattern（HxV）: 116°x 116°
- Product Size (W x D x H): 119 x 183 x 164 mm
- Net Weight: 2.55 kg/pc
- Pin Connectors: Loudspeaker-specific gold-plated binding post
- Enclosure: Aluminum alloy enclosure, oxidation fine wire drawing and gray fine sand surface treatment
Contact
SOLTON Acoustic GmbH & Co. KG
Oberer Mühlweg 6 | 94060 Pocking, Rottau | GERMANY
Tel.: +49 8531 913880
E-mail: info@solton-acoustic.de