The AudioSmile Supertweeters review

I hope we in general finally are moving over the endless discussions regarding the high-end audio accessories practical implementations and need of existence. High-end audio industry have grown and so did people awareness and experiences. Its logical, that there will alway be people objecting and rejecting the progress and tweaks, but as I’v often say; we need to focus on positive side of the things and just keep the focus towards improvements. Critics are good when being objective. But, being critical for the sake of critics is foolish to put it mildly. Like this with all things in life, some people with expect the changes and different takes, some won’t. 
For those fortunate enough, that want and can explore the wonderful world of high-end audio paraphernalia its the best time to live and being active in high-end audio society. There was never such a abundance of high-end products on the market, that offers some sort of optimisation or upgrade to the existing high-end audio system. And there were never so much potent concepts available. 
Globalisation brought down the big walls of proprietary tech and opened up the business to small ventures and enthusiastic people with real know how. Instead of struggling locally, these days small audio companies can prosper universally on the huge international market. Many great ideas can flourish in that way and this results in a greater amount of practical and interesting products. 
And this also brings us to the subject of this particular review. AudioSmile Super Tweeters. Let us first try to understand Supertweeters and how do they really work?

The supertweeter attracts some debate in audio circles about how it can possibly work – it’s all above our hearing range, right? Are listeners hearing ultrasonics through skin conduction, are modulation products occurring due to non-linearity in air itself, or perhaps the extended response improves transient reproduction? These are mostly theories cooked up by marketing departments with just a snippet of evidence from papers about entirely different topics.

The primary reason for hearing a change in sound when adding a supertweeter is that most supertweeters produce output in the audible range l20khz  In this case, how is a supertweeter different than boosting the treble with EQ? The answer is that a dedicated high frequency driver can have a more desirable dispersion pattern than one that needs to work rather lower. If we consider a driver of a specific size, as the frequency reproduced gets higher the dispersion pattern becomes more narrow. This means there is less sound energy in the room at higher frequencies than mid-range and in particular, reflections from around the room will be dull compared to the direct sound from in front of the speaker.
In this case, how is a supertweeter different than boosting the treble with EQ? The answer is that a dedicated high frequency driver can have a more desirable dispersion pattern than one that needs to work rather lower. If we consider a driver of a specific size, as the frequency reproduced gets higher the dispersion pattern becomes more narrow. This means there is less sound energy in the room at higher frequencies than mid-range and in particular, reflections from around the room will be dull compared to the direct sound from in front of the speaker.

Research by Olive and Toole shows that listeners prefer speaker systems with an even dispersion of sound across all frequency ranges. It is the job of a supertweeter then, to supplement the narrowing dispersion of the main system in the high frequencies and help reproduce music with an equal spread of all sounds both on and off the listening axis. It is easy to understand why this is desirable when we consider that a listener will not only hear the direct sound of the speaker, but also reflections of sound from around the room creating the experience of spaciousness and soundstage. This is how our hearing system identifies sound location and our environment.

MEET THE AUDIOSMILE SUPERTWEETER

The AudioSmile Supertweeter has been designed to supplement narrowing dispersion of existing speakers in the high frequency range. It features two low distortion isoplanar ribbon units made from conductively etched lightweight kapton film suspended between a neodymium push-pull magnet system. The dual units are at a 90-degree angle to each other to radiate sound optimally into the room. This configuration also allow the AudioSmile supertweeter to be used with dipole speakers such as electrostatics. The result is increased spaciousness, imaging and vibrance to the sound.

DESIGN AND LOOKS

The body is a beautiful high gloss black acrylic with each ribbon element highlighted inside a frosted section. The front and back are made from solid, hand-finished american walnut.

SPEAKER MATCHING AND POSITIONING

Every loudspeaker has different characteristics so the AudioSmile Supertweeter has been designed to offer the greatest flexibility in positioning and settings. The body itself can be placed in numerous orientations allowing the user to control the wet/dry balance of HF energy. In addition there are 3 filter settings (14KHz, 16KHz &18KHz) and 6 volume increments. Integration of this supertweeter can be tuned to the finest degree.

STEP INTO THE ARENA OF SOUND

Installation of AudioSmile Supertweeter was really a no brainer. One simply needs to connect the thin + and – cables to the main speaker connectors/binding posts. From there on there are quite few options as described above. There are three operational positions and as well 3 filter setting. In that way one can fine tune and match the dedicated speaker system with Supertweeter. 

THE REAL IMPACT

One can always argue regarding our perception of the sound. Like with reproduction of lower frequency range, the high spectrum works similar on many levels. Our reciprocation of sound is not as simple as we’re often forced or want to believe. Its working on different plane and in different layers. Some of the impact we’re receiving through the usual aural receptors. Yet, quite a bit of our sensible input happens on a more sublime and not fully aware way. This also closely correlate with the phenomena of pysho-acoustics. What does this actually means. We’re still discovering the mysteries of human brain and especially the part of the audio being transcribed and received. As mentioned before, our whole body act as a receptor and this open up quite intriguing insights. When talking about the ultimate full range high-end audio reproduction we must obliged to the full spectrum replay. This combine both lower and upper spectrum, that moves beyond what we can normally hear. Its a fact, that peoples hearing starts to deteriorate after specific age. Yet intriguingly the sense of the music still matter when those higher frequencies (above 12 or 16khz) are being replayed even if they cannot hear it in usual sense of understanding. So how does this correlate with the human listening phenomena? We’re slowly starting to realise, that there is more going on that meets the specs and ears. Pysho-acoustics works in their own complex way and we’re yet to pin point the exact technicalities of the process. Still there are practical facts, that provides the real world results regarding the impact of frequencies outside of typical listening and measuring scope. 
So. Super tweeters are making their mark upon the earth. Its not the latest invention, but technology being used for decades. But, as our understanding grow further new findings are becoming available. These in a combination with new materials and easier to grasp industrial processes can offer a new shifts in the terms of ultimate high-end audio reproduction. 
The AudioSmile Supertweeter takes this opportunity and step forward in for many uncharted territory with bold and calm pace. Let me dive into the realms where things should matter the most for us. Namely the music!

THE MUSIC

I’ve try to elaborated things in general above and clear out at least some of the smoke and set a common ground for the actual facts. Still, there always will be nayasayers and those who will feel strongly reluctant about the actual existence of such products as super tweeters. I’m not particular fan of Taylor Swift, but she got it right with few lines in her hit song: “And haters gonna hate, hate, hate…”. The real luxury of ones own publishing venture is the actual freedom to speak out and focus on the things, that might be too esoteric or stepping out of the mainstream for most magazines. I can write whatever I feel and hear and thankfully there is finally enough readers and companies willing to support the often bold and out of the box thinking and writing. When you’re not in need of bounding down to the typical marketing forces behind the industry the real freedom takes place. And high-end audio society is finally moving to a healthier, intelligent state, that can host the real products and technoliges for subjective and objective digestion. As I said many times. I love to believe, that audiophiles and music lovers are the intelligent crowd with their own freedom to read and think freely andconsequently making logical and profound conclusions. 
So, the music… What does The AudioSmile Supertweeter actually bring to the table in the terms of high-performance high-end audio. As usually for the first impact I took my proven arsenal of albums. It great and needed to have steady references when it comes to testing and reviewing. This builds up a pattern, that can actually help in distinguish the real differences in any given component under the scope. Sometimes the changes are of minuscular scale and build of the smallest nuances and subjective remarks. Under such terms there is a need of more contemplating system taking real focused state of mind, quietest surroundings and full attention. 
With AudioSmile Supertweeter I really wanted to give my best and also included some of the ultimate acoustical recordings.

I’ve had enough of objective remarks from my listening notes to present a solid facts, but just for the sake of preventing any unneeded reservations I also went for the hard way step by step repetitive listenings. 
The results were the same. Musical projection was extended with AudioSmile Supertweeters. It added some sort of vibrancy, that was of absence when not having super tweeters in active role. I’ve played around with different settings and with five pairs of different speakers to get a vivid impressions and objective conclusions. 
AudioSmile Supertweeters adds on to the meaning of a full range presentation. They bring the airiness and feather like delicacy to the highs and somehow offer a less stressful highs experience. I can say, that they add significantly to the balanced nature of the system.   

CONCLUSION

As established by many seasoned/matured audiophiles and music lovers there is no full scale full scale high-end audio system without the separate subwoofer covering the lower spectrum. I would say, that slowly, but evidently same people are realising  about the importance of the super tweeters. 

They are not merely a fashion or trendy accessories, that trickles the mind, but a true potent additions to most speaker systems. I could forget about the AudioSmile Super Twitter in a speakers system, that implements correctly a large ribbon tweeter (like for example with SoulSonic speakers) or with some speakers using the traditional compression drivers. But, with most if not all calotte tweeter based dynamic speakers, they can truly benefit with this cleverly designed super tweeter. 
They’re feeling like the windows to the natural transparency. Sometimes its hard to pin point the exact words in desiring the effect. The AudioSmile Supertweeters perhaps match closely with  analogy of wind and smell experience. You cannot actually catch and behold the wind as you cannot physically get hold on to the fragrance of the flower. Yet, you can clearly and lucidly enjoy it and form the objective conclusion. In a similar way these super tweeter present their impact. 
The AudioSmile Supertweeters are subtle, yet stand out addition to already established and refined system. 
Highly recommended. 
Specification:
Body: Black gloss main, walnut cheeks, frosted ribbon lozenge
Drivers: 2x Isoplanar Ribbon
Extension: >40KHz
Distortion: ~0.4% (90dB 1m)
Size: 14cm x 7.5cm x 18cm (WHD)
Adjustment:: 14KHz, 16KHz, 18KHz filter with 6 position volume control
Connections: Binding posts (bare wire, 8mm spade, 4mm banana) Cable channel under ST body
Price: 630 + VAT
AudioSmile
21 Bartlett Road,
Gravesend, Kent
DA11 7LU, UK