Shows

At last Month's AXPONA 2024 audio show, there were a lot of systems to appeal to the two-channel high-end crowd, the sort of systems Stereophile covers. And while this system is indeed a high-end two-channel rig, the subwoofer from Seaton Sound caught our attention.

What initially brought me into this room was the little-known information I had armed myself with before the show: the introduction of a new subwoofer, a joint venture between Seaton Sound and Paducah Home Theater. An Acoustic Elegance TD 18H driver, modified for purpose as Seaton Sound is known to do, this low inductance driver is "voiced" for music reproduction.

The demo piece was a prototype; the production piece will be in a sealed trapezoidal enclosure approximately 20% larger, to accommodate the massive 25mm one-way xmax and 17Hz tune. The signature AE phase plug has been copper-coated for increased heat dissipation and for looks, too. A little bling never hurts! A SpeakerPower external amp powers the sub and can be used to power additional passives. The price is TBD.

Paducah Home Theater is offering premium finishes from the Klipsch Custom Shop, Teak adorning this Heritage Cornwall IV pair ($6,598 w/stock finish). A Unison Research Simply 845 ($9,999) integrated tube amplifier, Innuos ZENith Mk3 Music Server/Streamer ($6,299) fed a Unison Research Unico CD Uno ($2,999), using its DAC only.

Starting off with Lorde's "Royals," Yelich-O'Connor's voice was smooth, sultry, centered, and proper, with the accompanying vocals filling in the left and right background. The Seaton Sound subwoofer lent a nice, tight bass to the sound, never calling attention to itself while supporting the full-range Cornwall IVs in the lowest registers.

Polyphia "Playing God" showed that it was time to let the Seaton Sound subwoofer take the lead, the band laying down a rapid shred of bass beats, the sub quickly and deftly delivering, stout and solid to the metalcore and ready to do so again in a fraction of a second. Surprising dynamics belied the 23Wpc max output of the Unison Research Simply 845, the amp fed the Klipsch Cornwall IV pair well, leaving them fat and happy.