Floorstanding speaker YG Acoustics Sonja XV 3

Four-tower reference system with the hybrid Lattice tweeter and nine BilletCore drivers

The XV 3 is a four-way passive floorstanding loudspeaker conceived as a four-tower system from the Reference line, intended for systems that make no compromises in accuracy and resolution. The acoustic design is built around the hybrid YG Lattice tweeter measuring 26 mm, complemented by nine BilletCore drivers with in-house machined aluminium cones and the most extensive implementation of the Ultracoherent crossover in the brand's portfolio. The result is a system capable of reproducing a range from below 20 Hz up to 40 kHz.

The cabinet is built from aircraft-grade aluminium in a three-layer construction with constrained layer damping, machined in-house to very tight tolerances; final assembly is carried out by hand in the workshops in Colorado and Cambridge. The midrange is handled by a pair of 15 cm drivers, the mid-bass region by three 18.5 cm drivers — both types with neodymium motors — and the bass register by four 26 cm drivers with motors of exceptionally high magnetic flux density. The tweeter uses an airframe supporting structure made from a specially selected aerospace alloy, which contributes to low distortion across a wide bandwidth and to broad angular dispersion.

The third generation of Ultracoherent crossovers, dividing the bands at 90 Hz, 360 Hz and 1.85 kHz, is optimised for phase matching, phase slope behaviour and transient response. Relative phase is held within a tolerance of ±5° across the entire range in which the output of the individual drivers differs by up to 20 dB. The design uses custom capacitors, including pure metal foil models, foil resistors and inductors with damped resonance, while the circuit layout was computationally optimised to minimise interaction between components.

The consequence of this approach to phase coherence and low distortion across the band is precise localisation of instruments within a wide and deeply layered soundstage, legibility of micro-detail and timing accuracy during dynamic transitions. A sensitivity of 88 dB with an average impedance of 4 ohms (minimum 3 ohms) calls for an amplifier with ample current reserve. Each system weighs 225 kg, with the four towers measuring 179 × 43 × 72 cm.

Key features

• Design: Four-way passive system with four towers
• Tweeter: Hybrid 26 mm YG Lattice with airframe construction
• Drivers: Nine BilletCore aluminium drivers with neodymium motors
• Crossover: Third-generation Ultracoherent, phase within ±5°
• Response: Usable output from below 20 Hz to 40 kHz
• Cabinet: Three-layer aircraft-grade aluminium with constrained layer damping