Atlas i8 are the first speakers to be produced by Antelope Audio, a company renowned for their range of high-quality converters, master clocks, audio interfaces and modelling microphones. After revealing the design at this year’s NAMM show, the company have now announced their upcoming release.
The Atlas i8 are an active three-way design, and a pair of eight-inch low-frequency drivers paired with a coaxial mid- and high-frequency driver. Power is provided by a built-in custom Class-D amplifier, and onboard FPGA chips help to provide precise audio reproduction between 35Hz and 20kHz, whilst the system is capable of delivering a maximum SPL of 117dB.
Cabinet Design
The Atlas i8's drivers in an isobaric configuration.The system features an isobaric configuration, a method which uses two identical drivers moving in synchronisation with one placed directly in front of the other. This allows the air pressure changes caused by the movement of the first driver to be compensated for by the movement of the second, creating a sealed volume with an even pressure level.
The approach allows the Atlas i8 to achieve low-end performance that would usually require a much larger cabinet design, offering a response down to 35Hz whilst exhibiting minimal distortion and delivering a high SPL output.
The cabinet is 18mm thick, with a sturdy, vibration-free construction, and features internal ribs that have been placed to reduce resonances. The bass reflex port has been carefully designed to achieve an optimal low-end frequency and phase response, and is placed on the front of the cabinet to combat the effect of placing the monitor near to walls and corners. For those wishing to use the speaker in surround and immersive setups, an optional mounting plate is available that allows the cabinet to be mounted on a wall or ceiling.
The mid- and high-frequency range of an audio signal is then delivered by a coaxial driver. Antelope Audio say that the use of a single driver means that the monitor can be placed either horizontally or vertically without the risk of introducing any comb filtering or drips across the high-frequency spectrum.
Converters & DSP
The Atlas i8's DSP settings can be controlled directly from the rear panel of the monitor, or remotely from a computer application via USB.The company have developed their own DSP system which allows the system to offer a range of helpful features including EQ adjustments, speaker modes tailored to different work scenarios, preset saving and delay offset settings to compensate for differences in distance between multiple monitors and the listening position. In addition to an onboard colour display, the settings can also be controlled remotely over USB from a computer via a software control application.
Analogue inputs are provided on XLR/TRS combo sockets, with the Atlas i8 equipped with Antelope’s own A-D and D-A converters and proprietary 64-bit Acoustically Focused Clocking technology, all of which run at a sample rate of 192 kHz. In terms of digital connectivity, an AES3 input and output is also provided on XLR connectors, allowing two speakers to be daisy chained, and providing users with the option to bypass their interface’s converters if desired.
Pricing & Availability
Antelope Audio say that the Atlas i8 will be available worldwide in Q2 2023, priced at €2495 per speaker.
