Kudos Super 20A
After the success of our Super 10A standmount loudspeaker, how could we not follow up with a ‘Super’ version of our much-loved C20 floorstander: enter the Super 20A.
The Super 20A’s key features and benefits are directly comparable to those of the Super 10A standmount, but as a floorstander, the Super 20A uses its larger size to add improved bass extension and greater scale. The Super 20A takes the C20’s superlative Kudos Crescendo K2 soft dome tweeter and combines it with a newly-developed mid/bass driver and a fully re-engineered crossover.
The 29mm Crescendo K2 fabric dome tweeter, driven from a six magnet array and with a moulded alloy back chamber, is based on the legendary (and justifiably costly) Crescendo unit from Norwegian specialists SEAS, but has been further developed by SEAS exclusively for Kudos. This is almost certainly one of the finest tweeters in the world, with an unrivalled ability to accurately reproduce high frequencies without smearing of fine detail or compression.
The newly-developed mid/bass driver incorporates a copper shorting ring in its voice coil designed to minimise eddy currents, as well as an aluminium phase plug to act as a heatsink.
Both drive units are unique to Kudos and are carefully matched to integrate seamlessly, requiring only a simple low-order crossover. In this case the crossover has been fully upgraded with new Mundorf inductors and non-inductive resistors, as well as Mundorf Supreme (gold/silver/oil) capacitors. These components are produced to very tight tolerances and are individually tested and hand selected.
The Super 20A’s reflex-ported cabinet is constructed from 18mm high density MDF specifically chosen for its acoustic properties. Internally, the cabinet is optimally damped and braced to minimise resonance and externally, it is handsomely finished in a choice of real wood veneers or a satin white paint. Both drivers are neatly flush-mounted into the cabinet and the grille is held by magnets to maintain a clean appearance.
The reflex port, which incorporates a damped port design similar to that in our flagship Titan 808, is situated on the bottom of the cabinet to enable more flexibility in placement within the listening room. The plinth – a tri-laminate design of high density MDF, a damping compound and a steel base – provides a fixed boundary gap for the port to work optimally as well as giving additional stability. High quality stainless steel spikes are also included for optimum grounding of the loudspeaker to the floor.
Finally, the easy 8 ohm impedance means that the Super 20A will perform impeccably with a wide range of valve and solid state amplifiers.