The Alpair 5 Driver
Markaudio is totally committed to the development of authentic muscial drivers and is proud to introduce the successor to the 6T. The Alpair 5 series represents a new stage in the evolution of this family of drivers with one of the widest frequency ranges for this size of speaker.
100% Custom Designed and Built
The majority of audio drivers produced today are compromised by their standardised designs, the use of lower-grade commercial materials and 'off-the-shelf' components. Markaudio has an alternative approach for the Alpair family of drivers:
- All components are 100% custom designed and manufactured.
- All critical components are CNC’d to tolerances of +/- 0.02mm.
- All tooling, stampings, moulds and production jigs are individually made for each driver model.
- All materials are made, mixed, graded and selected on the basis of best reliability and performance.
Chassis (also known as Frame or Basket)
The drivers feature a unique custom designed chassis that helps to absorb vibrations from the moving components. The chassis is constructed from 4 different materials producing a polymer network that delivers high rigidity and assists damping. The characteristics of this design produces a resonance neutral tone similar to natural wood, unlike many steel and aluminium baskets which can ring like a bell.
New Suspension
The suspension is critical on this design. We have extended the performance of this component to deliver more linear stability. We have made use of a new material compound and added a secondary heat process during production for optimum component consistency. This new suspension improves the 'return to rest' position of the cone/coil sub assembly and allows the driver to operate at higher volumes and assist in the control of distortion.
New Coil
The coil design is more efficient at heat removal. The mass of this component has been reduced to increase coil-cone sub-assembly linear driving stability, contributing to the overall performance gains.
New Cone And Cap Materials
Markaudio began working with new Japanese and Taiwanese materials development partners in July 2007. The fruits of this collaboration are the introduction of new hybrid materials specifically produced for the Alpair family of drivers. The Alpair's cone and cap are formed from a new grade of compound alloy material sourced directly from Japan, delivering greater stability while maintaining ultra low mass.
New Cone Finishes
A new 4-stage coating and treatment process used to manufacture the cones and caps is a significant advance and further extends control over cone stability. The process also allows us to change the characteristics of the cones and caps by varying the mass and rigidity.
The Alpair 5 is available in a choice of colours (Copper-Gold or Gunmetal Grey) and they have an improved 'silk-like' lustre to the cone and cap, resulting in a more professional appearance to any system in which they are used.
New Connector Arrangement
The old cables in the 6T have been replaced with a custom-built connector arrangement. The design of the gold plated connectors is a significant advance over the previous components, forming an integral part of the driver. The design permanently fixes the optimum angle for the wire connection to the coil. This feature reduces the length of the coil connecting wire increasing linear stability of the cone-coil sub assembly. The new connectors give the audio user the opportunity to connect cables of their choice.
Outcome
We believe the Alpair 5 represents the best of small driver concepts in terms of performance, flexibility and easy use. A major feature of the Alpair 5 is the wide frequency range. In particular, the part of the range that is dB consistent, providing system designers with total flexibility in crossover and filter designs.
