Bookshelf speaker MOON by Simaudio Voice 22 Black

MOON Voice 22 — the first MOON loudspeaker with a waveguide and CGD damping

The Voice 22 is a two-way compact loudspeaker with which MOON complements its electronics with its own acoustic component for the first time, making it possible to build a complete single-brand system. The design follows the same goal as the amplifiers — transparency and fidelity — while the acoustic voicing takes the cabinet dimensions into account so that the scale and dynamics of real acoustic instruments are preserved. With a sensitivity of 89 dB/2.83 V/1 m, a nominal impedance of 6 Ω and a recommended power of 50–150 W, it is a load well suited to the MOON ACE integrated amplifier and the 200 to 400 series models.

The 155 mm bass driver uses a cast aluminium basket and a mineral-filled polypropylene cone. A soft rubber surround with low damping improves transient reproduction, an extended copper sleeve on the pole piece of the magnet system lowers inductance and distortion, and the copper-clad aluminium voice coil reduces moving mass. The result is a legible midrange and a tight bass that reaches deep. The tweeter, with a 29 mm textile dome and a large surround, works with a saturation-controlled magnet system and a non-reflective rear chamber with optimised damping; its mechanical structure dispenses with a conventional faceplate and is integrated directly into the waveguide.

The proprietary waveguide performs several functions at once: it optimises the time alignment of the drivers and controls the tweeter's radiation so that its directivity matches that of the bass driver in the crossover region. This eliminates the discontinuities in the radiation pattern that cause tonal colouration in conventional two-way designs. This is complemented by a crossover on a two-layer printed circuit board with metallised polypropylene film capacitors, working with a 12 dB per octave slope (2nd order) at an unusually low crossover frequency of 1.5 kHz. As a result, the transition between the drivers is all but inaudible and the stereo image behaves like a single source with rock-solid instrument placement.

The cabinet employs the patent-pending CGD (Curved Groove Damping) technology: the inner walls feature a machined curved groove filled with damping material, which varies the distance between the panel edges at every point and limits the build-up of resonances. Strategically placed bracing increases the enclosure's rigidity. The benefit is bass free of cabinet colouration, exceptionally well defined for dimensions of 20 × 35 × 29 cm and a weight of 10.5 kg. The Hover Base plinth adds stability, limits the transfer of vibration into the supporting surface and can be removed when mounting on the optional Stand 22 stands, whose top plate mates with the recess in the underside of the cabinet.

Key features

• Waveguide: Matched driver directivity through the crossover region
• CGD: Curved damped groove against panel resonances
• Drivers: 155 mm polypropylene and 29 mm textile dome
• Crossover: 2nd order, 1.5 kHz, polypropylene film capacitors
• Hover Base: Removable plinth, compatible with Stand 22 stands