YOCTO
YOCTO Loudspeaker: The Ultimate Solution for Recording Studios
The YOCTO loudspeaker is meticulously engineered to meet the demanding requirements of professional recording studios as well as demanding audiophiles. Designed to address the inherent challenges of traditional coaxial and multi-way systems, the YOCTO radiates sound from a single diaphragm, delivering consistent directivity and exceptional fidelity. This design sets a new standard for studio monitors, providing an unparalleled listening experience.
As recording studios increasingly transition from stereo setups to immersive formats like Dolby 5.1 and beyond, the YOCTO stands out as an ideal choice. Its ability to enhance image depth and provide a compelling 3D sound presentation allows sound engineers to create and mix audio that fully engages listeners in multidimensional experiences.
One of the most significant advantages of the YOCTO is the elimination of a crossover point between the midrange and tweeter, resulting in enhanced clarity and coherence. This absence of decoupling technology allows for seamless integration of sound, critical for accurate monitoring and mixing. The driver is housed in a robust CNC-machined aluminum enclosure, which minimizes diffraction and optimizes interaction with the listening environment—key factors for achieving a precise soundstage.
Additionally, the back-radiated energy of the diaphragm is diffused into five concentric channels, optimizing acoustic energy flow and reducing unwanted reflections. This design prevents back energy from bouncing off the diaphragm, ensuring cleaner and more accurate sound reproduction.
Engineered to operate optimally in the frequency spectrum from 100 Hz and above, the YOCTO is designed to be crossed at 100 Hz with a steep 24 dB/Octave slope (or higher), ideally paired with a dedicated subwoofer like the Lange Loudspeakers TERA. This setup allows studios to overcome the physical limitations of small loudspeaker diaphragms, delivering unexpected sound pressure levels without distortion.
Crafted entirely from CNC-machined aluminum, the YOCTO is a compact yet powerful solution, representing the pinnacle of high-end audio engineering. Its precise manufacturing and advanced design ensure that every detail contributes to exceptional audio performance, making it the perfect choice for recording studios seeking to elevate their sound quality.
The YOCTO is not just another studio monitor; it offers advanced features that conventional systems lack. With its innovative design and superior acoustic performance, it transforms the studio experience, allowing sound engineers to achieve remarkable accuracy in their work.
Discover the YOCTO loudspeaker and redefine your studio's audio capabilities. Experience the difference that precision engineering and high-end audio technology can make in your recordings.
Professional Review: Positive Customer Feedback on Lange Loudspeakers SA High-Performance Audio Reproduction System – July 27, 2024
Recently , Dreamsound Labs Studio purchased an audio reproduction system from Lange Loudspeakers SA, which includes two YOCTO speakers capable of reproducing frequencies from 100 Hz to 20 kHz, a TERA subwoofer for low frequencies, a Lange 3960 DSP for managing the YOCTOs (high pass filter and fine tuning), and a Lange 4150 amplifier.
Given their extreme satisfaction with the system's performance, we have compiled their impressions to highlight the technical advantages over conventional systems.
Total Sound Immersion
The YOCTO speakers have been a true revelation for Dreamsound Labs Studio.
The sound experience is described as incredibly immersive, with a soundstage that allows for precise positioning of various instruments in space. "It’s like listening to a 3D enhancing loudspeaker, with music enveloping you from every side," the team comments.
Uncompromised Sound Quality
YOCTO stands out for its extremely realistic sound reproduction. The frequency response from 100 Hz upwards is accurate, while the low frequencies handled by the TERA subwoofer are firm, clear, and precise. The transition between the TERA subwoofer and the YOCTO speakers is seamless. The absence of resonances, ensured by the aluminum construction instead of MDF, is evident. Turning off the subwoofer makes it easy to verify the mix. From 100 Hz upwards, the response is incredibly realistic, allowing precise prediction of how the sound will be perceived through headphones. This allows for maximizing volume without encountering clipping defects.
Currently, there is no speaker that reproduces from 100 Hz upwards with the same quality. YOCTO excels in this, offering truly remarkable high-definition sound. An additional dB RMS in the mastering phase makes a significant difference, making the transition between TERA and YOCTO invisible and impeccable.
Testimonials from Dreamsound Labs Studio Clients
The comments from Dreamsound Labs Studio reflect the positive feedback from many customers. All have stated that It’s like listening to a 3D enhancing loudspeaker, with music surrounding the listener completely, giving the impression of additional speakers in operation.
Final Judgment
With an enthusiastic rating of 95 out of 100 from Daniel Macher, YOCTO is confirmed as a small yet powerful speaker capable of offering a high-quality sound experience. "I’m thrilled!" concluded Daniel Macher from Dreamsound Labs Studio.
https://www.dreamsound-labs-studio.com
Suggested end user price; 1'950.- CHF per unit
Spectacular 3D soundstage
The soundstage is essential for audiophiles, allowing them to accurately perceive the position of instruments within a soundtrack. The YOCTO delivers a holographic soundstage, making it one of the premier loudspeaker systems for today’s immersive sound experiences, such as Dolby Atmos™, Flux Spat™, and 3D Soundstage™. These technologies demand that loudspeaker interaction with the room is nearly perfect, and achieving phase coherence is essential for authentic reproduction. The YOCTO features a single diaphragm design that ensures exceptional high-end performance with remarkable, consistent vertical and horizontal off-axis response, providing an unparalleled listening experience.
Absesce of tonal coloration
In a YOCTO system, most components that typically degrade sound quality are eliminated. There is no baffle introducing diffracted energy, no crossover separating the tweeter from the midrange, and notably, no tweeter at all. Additionally, there isn’t even a dust cap on the high-tech diaphragm, nor is there a reflex tube or passive radiator. This design approach eliminates the need for Baffle Step Compensation, whether passive or active. Every component in a loudspeaker system can introduce unwanted artifacts, commonly referred to as distortion.
Over sixty different prototypes have been meticulously designed, manufactured, tested, and evaluated to achieve the optimal diaphragm geometry and enclosure shape. A YOCTO loudspeaker system is constructed from solid, CNC-machined aluminum, whose internal geometry is specifically engineered to prevent internal resonances. The area in front of the diaphragm incorporates a phase plug that promotes an exceptionally smooth polar response, further enhancing the concept of a point source that interacts seamlessly with the listening environment.
No sweet spot nor critical positioning
Loudspeakers are engineered to provide a coherent frequency response from a single point in space, where all drivers are synchronized and in phase. However, moving just a few inches away from this sweet spot often results in compromised sound quality. The YOCTO loudspeaker delivers nearly the entire audible spectrum from one advanced high-tech diaphragm, fostering a consistent and coherent interaction with the room.
Thanks to the absence of a front baffle with multiple drivers, the YOCTO achieves the highest technically possible in-room performance. As an audiophile, you won't be confined to the loudspeaker's sweet spot to enjoy your favorite soundtracks; you'll experience exceptional audio quality even at greater distances from the speaker. Its polar pattern is comparable to that of waveguide tweeters, ensuring superior dispersion and immersive sound.
No bass…and for good reasons.
Low frequencies require significant diaphragm movements; the smaller the diaphragm, the larger the movement needed. It is virtually impossible to reproduce low frequencies accurately with ideal midrange drivers that range from 75 mm to about 140 mm in diameter. Contemporary music and movie soundtracks often push loudspeaker drivers to their excursion limits, leading to distortion.
In terms of intermodulation distortion (IMD), a full-range loudspeaker driver covering frequencies below 100 Hz can generate consistent and, in many cases, unacceptable IMD. This phenomenon, known as the Doppler effect, is particularly noticeable when a loudspeaker diaphragm produces a 50 Hz tone alongside a 2.5 kHz tone.
Integrating a subwoofer offers numerous advantages, which is why Lange Loudspeakers SA designs mid-high frequency loudspeaker systems that are meant to be coupled with a subwoofer for accurate, coherent, and high-quality soundtrack reproduction.
Technical features
One way 100 Hz to 22 kHz coverage
Anti-Resonance full aluminum CNC machined enclosure
CNC machined 3D diaphragm
Phase Plug enhanced response
Coherent coverage on stated frequency response
Exceptionally realistic reproduction
Suitable applications
High End home entertainment
Studio Monitoring
Home Cinema – THX/Dolby Atmos
Technical Description
Configuration 1-way sealed-box system
Recommended amplifier power 25W – 100W into 8Ω on unclipped program
Net weight 3.55kg
Finishes Finely sand blasted, black anodized
Drive units 1x 65mm long excursion / extended range diaphragm
Frequency range 100Hz to 22kHz
Frequency response 100Hz to 6kHz (+/-1dB from reference axis)
Sensitivity 81dB (on axis at 1W /4Ohm (2.00 Vrms) at 1m)
Harmonic distortion (1W 1mt) <0.8% 130Hz – 20kHz
Ambient temperature 21°C to 27°C for maximum linearity
Complimentary Products
Frequency response measured in the free field, 1W @ 1 meter - 24dB/Oct. High Pass inserted @ 100Hz
Impedance remains above 4 Ohms and allows the coupling to any amplifier class including tube amplifiers
THD referred to 1W input on a 4 Ohm load
IMD Distortion in Full-Range Loudspeakers
Intermodulation distortion (IMD) is a significant concern for full-range loudspeaker drivers that also cover frequencies below 100 Hz, often generating consistent and, in some cases, unacceptable levels of IMD. This phenomenon, known as the Doppler effect, becomes evident when a loudspeaker diaphragm produces, for instance, a 50 Hz tone alongside a 2.5 kHz tone.
Most loudspeakers incorporate a tweeter and a woofer, typically crossed at around 2.5 kHz, making IMD an issue for both two-way loudspeakers and full-range systems. The IMD associated with small diaphragms can only be minimized by reducing excursion amplitude and implementing high-order high-pass filters around 100 Hz.
We address these challenges effectively with our 3960 DSP and 3965 DSP loudspeaker management systems, which can seamlessly handle 10th-order high-pass filters, ensuring optimal performance in professional audio environments.
While distortion measurements do not directly predict how a speaker will sound, they are crucial for assessing driver linearity and, by implication, driver quality. We assert that intermodulation distortion tests offer a more accurate representation of loudspeaker performance. While we can tolerate reasonably high levels of harmonic distortion—since the spurious components added to the program are harmonically related to the original audio—intermodulation distortion (IMD) generates output frequencies that are not harmonically related to the input. These non-harmonic frequencies are significantly more audible and disruptive than harmonic distortion.
The following graphs illustrate the behavior of the YOCTO Loudspeaker system when excited by a pure 2.5 kHz tone, a 50 Hz tone, and a 2.5 kHz tone with a 24dB/octave high-pass crossover in the signal path. Additionally, the worst-case scenario is shown when 50 Hz and 2.5 kHz tones are reproduced without a high-pass crossover.
YOCTO Loudspeaker System - Second harmonic located at -50dB when a pure 2,5kHz tone is applied - (1W input @ 4 Ohm - near field measurement).
Two tones are applied, 50Hz & 2,5kHz. In this case the signal is fed through a 100Hz, 24dB. Oct. Active High-Pass Filter (Sublime-Acoustic K231). Distortion components remain as low as -50dB - (1W input @ 4 Ohm - near field measurement). The 50Hz tone is actually coming from the TERA subwoofer, located app. 1,5 meters away.
Two tones are applied, 50Hz & 2,5kHz. In this case the YOCTO is used as a typical full-range loudspeaker reproducing the full spectrum. Distortion components rise to an unacceptable, -24dB level - (1W input @ 4 Ohm - near field measurement). The 2,5kHz tone is modulated by the 50Hz tone creating multiple side tones not present in the signal.
Polar response of YOCTO Loudspeakers is identical in both the horizontal and vertical plane
YOCTO - Directivity Index - Horizontal & Vertical coverages are identical
YOCTO - Directivity Pattern / Filled Color - 1/3 Oct. Horizontal & Vertical coverages are identical
YOCTO - Directivity Index - Horizontal & Vertical coverages are identical