WIN A PAIR OF SATIN BLACK KAYAKS by liking us on Facebook.

Our promotion will end when we have 200 likes, which means you have a very high 1 in 200 chance of winning.

 If you already like us you can help bring the promotion to an early termination by encouraging friends to like us. Because we want to accommodate all our likes, worldwide, the winner will pay the shipping charges. The Kayaks are the latest model with snap on grills. The winner can upgrade to other finishes by paying the difference between the cost of a pair of satin black Kayaks ($795) and the desired cabinet finish. The winner will be determined by us generating a random number between 1 and 200. If that number matches the ordering of your like among our Facebook likes (starting with 1 at the top of the list and 200 at the bottom of the list) you win. We will post the name of the winner at the end of the contest. We reserve the right to make changes to this promotion.

NEW SECURE E-COMMERCE WEBSITE FOR ROLE AUDIO

Role Audio has launched a new secure E-commerce website: www.audioexcitement.com.

Why a separate website for our online store?

First, we wanted to provide our customers and visitors with the most secure online environment possible, in which to purchase our products. Audioexcitement.com provides the highest level of encrypted security for your transactions as evidenced by the "https" prefix and padlock symbol in the address bar. Moreover, we chose PayPal to handle all credit card transactions because of their extensive experience and their excellent fraud detection services.

Second, a separate E-commerce website allows us to combine our products with outstanding products from NSMT Loudspeakers and other manufacturers to bring you exciting music and theater systems.

Please visit audioexcitement.com and let us know what your impressions are.

Best regards and thanks,

ER.

NEW ROLE AUDIO WEBSITE

Our website has been completely redesigned. Please visit us at: http://www.roleaudio.com/ and let us know what you think.

Role Audio Has Introduced a Compact, Portable, All-in-One, Stereo Music System

Role Audio                 PRESS RELEASE
the best small loudspeakers

Role Audio Has Introduced a Compact, Portable, All-in-One, Stereo Music System for Streaming Devices, Computers, Smartphones, and Other Sources.

Dimensions: 42 X 4.5 X 5.25 (W X H X D) inches (107 by 13 by 12 cm)

Now you can get true full-range audiophile music with the Sampan Music Box without the complexity of multiple pieces, a subwoofer, and a tangle of wires. With a built in 50 watt per channel audiophile amplifier and frequency response of 35 Hz to 20,000 Hz, the Sampan Music Box is the ultimate compact two-channel stereo music system. The Sampan Music Box is a stereo music system that is small, simple, powerful, and amazing.

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA. – December 19, 2011--
Role Audio, the US leader in manufacturing small audiophile loudspeakers, announces the release of The Sampan Music Box, a compact 50 watt per channel stereo music system, for home audio, desktop audio, and portable audio.

The Sampan Music Box is a compact all-in-one audiophile solution for consumers looking to access high-quality audio from their computers, smartphones, internet streaming devices, CD players, and other sources. Users can connect these sources to the Sampan Sound Box's 3.5 mm or RCA stereo inputs. The Sampan Music Box uses a built-in high-performance 50W per channel stereo power amplifier and folded transmission line design to deliver crystal-clear full-range audiophile sound without the need for a subwoofer and other components. The interface is simplicity itself: one wire in to connect the Sampan Music Box to a music source and one wire out to connect it to a power source.

We developed the Sampan Music Box because our research and experience identified four major issues with compact music systems: (1) Most compact music systems have inadequate bass response, (2) they use separate tweeter and woofer designs that are not time and phase coherent and therefore not optimal for near-field listening, (3) in the all-in-one systems, the transducers for the left and right channels are usually spaced too closely for accurate and natural stereophonic sound reproduction, and (4) getting good performance from compact music systems usually requires multiple components, including a subwoofer, and a tangle of interconnecting cables and wires -- too much complexity for consumers desiring a simple way to enjoy music.

Our experience developing our Sampan Sound Bar taught us we could build a small single piece, full-range system, with imaging, sound-staging, and bass response comparable to some of the best small subwoofer satellite systems. We took the design of our best performing mini tower loudspeaker, the Sampan, known for its imaging, its huge soundstage, and its bass performance, and a modified 50 watt per channel T-Amplifier, known for its exceptional audiophile performance, and combined them in a single ultra compact music system.

The Sampan Music Box uses two full-range transducers, that are spaced 37 inches apart, in folded transmission lines to deliver sound that is time and phase coherent and bass response that can meet the THX requirement for subwoofers. The enclosure measures a compact 42 X 4.5 X 5.25 (W X H X D) inches (107 by 13 by 12 cm) and it is certified green and formaldehyde-free.

Using a single full range driver for each channel means the sound from each channel is integrated no matter where you sit, with all the frequencies of each channel arriving at your ear at the same time. The transmission line design allow effortless low bass reproduction. The Sampan Music Box is a point source, minimum phase, transient perfect, crossover-less design that represents the holy grail of loudspeaker designs. The imaging, soundstage, tonal quality and bass response are stunning.

The Sampan Music Box can be used in a wide range of situations including: As an on-wall music system As a desktop music system for computers As a portable music system As a rear channel speaker system for high-end home theater As an on-the-go music system for picnics and other occasions using LogitechTM Squeezebox touch as a music source using a smartphone as a music source                   rear view showing RCA and power connections Loudspeaker Specifications Frequency Response: 35 Hz to 20,000 Hz Transducers: (2) 3.5 inch cast frame full range Enclosure design: Dual folded transmission lines.  Weight: 12 pounds (5.4 Kilograms) Special feature: Minimum phase, time coherent, point source design Eco-friendly, non-toxic, formaldehyde-free Amplifier Section Modified digital power amplifier featuring Tripath TK2050 chip-set with 50 watts per channel into an 8 ohm load. Total harmonic distortion: < 0.01% @ 30 watts, < 5.0% @ 50 watts output Signal to noise ratio: 103 dB, A weighted Input impedance 2 k ohms +/- 5% Channel separation: 95 dB Included Accessories: World compatible 24V @ 5A switch mode power supply 3.5 mm to 1/4 headphone adapter 3.5 mm to RCA "Y" cable 6 inch coiled 3.5 mm audio input cable

The Sampan Music Box is available now for $1,295 from Role Audio's website and from Amazon.com and Role Audio retailers. For more information contact national sales manager D. Bernard Alston at 919-886-7057.

High resolution images can be found here. Published press release.

Copyright 2011, Role Audio, P.O. Box 13396, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA 27709-3396 

How much amplifier power can our Skiff and Kayak speakers handle?

A customer recently asked this question and noted that we do not publish power handling statistics on our website. I am publishing my response since it is a question that comes up quite often: 

We do not publish this information because it is basically irrelevant

and misleading and often interpreted to mean small speakers cannot be played

with powerful amplifiers. While it may be relevant for PA systems, in
my opinion, it is not relevant to high-end audio. I know of customers
who are using anywhere from 5 to 500 watts to drive these speakers and
we have not had a single Skiff or Kayak returned for repairs in the
last two years. In fact I don't think we have ever had an instance of
outright failure of the woofer in the Kayak. Our dealer in Windsor,
Ontario, Canada, relates how he inadvertently started playing the
Sampan speaker (the driver is rated at 30 watts) with a 350 watt
amplifier turned up to maximum and had time to walk across the room
and turn down the system without any damage to the speakers.

Though it might sound like heresy, you will get some of the best performance
from small speakers driving them with a powerful, high quality amp with high
dampening factor because a powerful amp will reduce distortion in the small speaker
and allow them to play to at their maximum level before distortion sets in. I
personally use an amp that outputs 500 watts per channel into 4 ohms to drive both
the Skiffs and Kayaks in our listening room. 

Even with this powerful amplifier, the speakers are seeing a small fraction of its output
power most of the time and that changes dynamically with the type of
music being played and the dynamic contrasts in the music. The driver
in the Skiff is rated at 25 watts power and the one in the Kayak at 60
watts power but that is further moderated by filtering circuits in the
speakers. The caveat with any system is to start playing at moderate
volume and reduce volume when distortion sets in. So in short, it is
not an issue we worry about, and publishing and stats about it would
be misleading...

I might add that some dealers and customers tend not to take very small loudspeakers seriously and only want to pair the cute little speaker with the cute little amplifier. That's OK if space limitation and budget are major concerns. However, a small speaker, like any speaker, can benefit from being pared with a high quality, high powered amplifier. Although our loudspeakers are designed to play well with just about any amplifier, I sometimes worry that customers will not realize how fantastic our small loudspeakers are when paired with great electronics. Our Skiff and Kayak speakers are two of the very best small loudspeakers -- good enough to be the basis of very sophisticated music systems. If you only play them with the cute little amplifier, you may not hear how great they are.

Skiff in satin black finish

ER

More On Listening to the Sampan Music Box.

I have listened to the Sampan Music Box driven by the Logitec Squeezebox Touch on and off for a few days. Listening to the Sampan Music Box driven by my smart phone was very engaging and exciting. However, listening to the Sampan Music Box driven by the Logitec Squeeze Box Touch is definitely a more audiophile experience: The elements of the soundstage are more clearly defined, instruments and voices are more cleanly delineated, there is more weight to instruments and voices, and the system sounds larger. There are also less electronic artifacts in the Music Box/Logitec Touch presentation. However, whenever I switch back to the smart phone the sound is livelier and the listening experience is a little more exciting. It is just amazing how the quality of audio available on smart phones keeps improving. I suspect some manufacturer will put a high quality DAC in a smart phone soon.

Some preliminary measurements of the Sampan Music Box

Figure 1: Sampan Music Box quasi anechoic far field response

Figure 2: Sampan Music Box near field vent frequency response

Preliminary measurements of the Sampan Music Box shows its amazing frequency response, especially low bass extension. Quasi anechoic measurement of the Sampan Music Box in Figure 1, taken on axis at one meter from the speaker, show an extremely linear response. The graph suggests a frequency response of +/- 3 dB from 320 Hz to 20,000 Hz (each vertical increment is 2.5 dB). The neutral mid-range frequency response shown in Figure 1 is the hallmark of an excellent imaging speaker.

The vent frequency response in Figure 2 shows low bass frequency response is below 35 Hz. This indicates that he low bass frequency response of the Sampan Music Bar meets the THX requirement for subwoofer response. A composite response will be published in the future.

www.roleaudio.com

Sampan Stereo 100 Music Box

I had one of the most engaging listening experiences ever last night. I took home the first, freshly minted, Sampan Stereo 100 Music Box, plopped it down on a small table in front of a couch, plugged in the power and connected my smart phone to the Music Box. I had planned to listen to the to the Music Box on a desk but I could not move.I sat less than two feet away and maybe a foot higher than the Music Box. But could not hear the Music Box. Instead I was presented with  a huge soundstage. The finished product sounded was way better than what I had heard during development and testing. As I leaned into the extreme nearfield, the soundstage widened, deepened and became more enveloping. There was something alluring about the simplicity of the setup. One cable into the back: power. One cable connecting my phone. An on/off volume knob on the front. No DAC. A perfect audiophile listening experience? No! A thoroughly enjoyable listening experience? Yes!  As ran through various artists on my phone, the simplicity of moving from one cut to another, the quality of the music, and the depth and width of the sound stage was intoxicating. I had to keep the volume down because my family was asleep. But even listening at low volume was thoroughly enjoyable. I listened for hours. I finally turned in after 1 AM.

This morning after my family left, I plopped the Music Box on a book case and turned it up. Still sounding good. Still going through my collection. I decided to have breakfast so I left it on Bob Marley's "Songs of Freedom" anthology.   I was listening to the third disk when I noticed a dramatic change. Like a car going up hill changing gears. The system reached a break-in threshold. Bass: deepened. Vibrating the walls. I cranked up the volume even higher and now the system was really boogieing. Some Studio One. Heaven.

What is the Sampan Music Box? A 42 inch by 4.5 inch by 5 inch active stereo speaker using single full range 3.5 inch drivers in folded transmission lines, driven by a 50 watt per channel T-amp. What is also impressive is how it fills my rather large room that is open on two sides with truly magical sound. Today, I will listen to the Sampan Music Box driven by the Logitech Squeezebox touch. More about that later.
ER.

SEE: www.roleaudio.com

Can sound quality be measured? What do you think?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-20113895-47/can-sound-quality-be-measured/?tag=cnetRiver

www.roleaudio.com

U.S. warns formaldehyde found in plywood and pressboard that are used to make loudspeakers may cause cancer.

A US Government report delayed for years because of fierce lobbying by manufacturers, strengthened the warning that formaldehyde, found in plywood pressboard that are used to make loudspeakers is a human carcinogen. (NY Times, June 10, 2011.)
This is why we are making our loudspeakers with formaldehyde free boards and non-toxic paints. We care about your health and the environment.
ER.

www.roleaudio.com

The Role Audio Skiff is ideal for audio mixing.

Monitoring will now be via a pair of Role Audio Skiff speakers. 
Why? Well Michael Jacksons 'Thriller' was mixed entirely on a pair of Auratones, which for those not familiar, are a small near field single driver speaker used as a reference in studios in the 70's, 80s and 90's. They provide a brilliant image of your mix focused primarily  on the midrange, and the Role Audio Skiffs have superb midrange and are my Auratones for this mix.
http://www.desktopaudio.com.au/index.php/the-quest-for-a-better-mix

The Quest for a better mix

www.roleaudio.com

SKIFFS best desktop speaker?

SKIFFS best small desktop speaker? Dimensions: 4 X 6 X 5 inches (W X H X D).

As Steven Stone points out: "... the Role Skiffs may well be your ideal desktop speaker..."(enyoythemusic.com)
Just in: "Their midrange is scary good, seriously good in fact and unlike many full range drivers do not seem to be rolled off in the top end as one would expect. Dynamics are excellent too 'Daddy Longlegs' by Joe Robinson off the 6 String Theory album, the solo guitar has superb punch and detail and at no stage sounds lacking in punch or bottom end extension...Even when the deep bass passages start, the full weight is there, amazing....a fairly stunning speaker that offers so much with so few negatives.Desktop Audio News and Previews (Australia, May 10, 2011)


www.roleaudio.com

Report from 2011 Axpona show, Atlanta Georgia

The Sampan was regarded as best in the show.

Best in show -
I was totally blown away by Role Audio. Their Sampan speaker is one of if not the most exciting speakers I have ever auditioned...
.neo-geo.com

"... these speakers “disappeared” like no others I heard at the show."
Stephen Mejias, Stereophile

 www.roleaudio.com

The Best Desktop Speaker

The best desktop speaker should be:

1. 
   Formaldehyde-free. What? Yes. Now that we know that nearly all the lumber used to make loudspeakers contain formaldehyde, a carcinogen banned from loudspeakers sold in California after December 31, 2010, do you want to be in a small room with a pair of loudspeakers off-gassing formaldehyde fumes or inches away from loudspeakers on your desk offgassing formaldehyde?
   
   
   
2. 
   Small. For practical reasons, including ease of placement and scarcity of space, especially on a desk, near-field loudspeakers should be small. Moreover, if they are not formaldehyde-free to begin with, small loudspeakers will limit your exposure to formaldehyde. In addition, all being equal, small loudspeakers image better because usually the drivers have to be placed closer together to fit on the baffle which brings them close to the ideal of being a point source.
   
   
   
3. 
   Acoustic suspension design. Although they are not as popular as they were in their heyday of the late 1950s through the 1970s, acoustic suspension (sealed box) loudspeakers that are the same size as ported loudspeakers will usually produce better and more accurate low bass response. Not more bass output, but better bass extension. They will also have better transient response which will contribute to better imaging and better resolution of low level detail. Moreover, if the loudspeakers are not formaldehyde-free, they will offgass less formaldehyde than ported loudspeakers which expose you to off-gassing from the outside surfaces as well as the internal surfaces of the loudspeakers and to any toxic glues or substances used inside the loudspeakers through the ports. Why are ported loudspeakers more popular? They are more efficient and produce more voluminous bass. But they don't work as well on a desktop or bookshelf because usually the ports are on the rear and that muddies-up the bass when they are placed near to rear walls. If you are a purest and value accurate reproduction, all other factors being equal, acoustic suspension loudspeakers have less distortion than ported loudspeakers. Small folded transmission line loudspeakers such as our Sampan FTL are an alternative to acoustic suspension design. The FTL has similar transient  response characteristics and even better bass extension than acoustic suspension designs of similar size. But I don't know of any other TL loudspeakers that are anywhere as small as our Sampan FTL.
   
   
   
4. 
   A point source or close to one. A point source loudspeaker is either a single driver loudspeaker or one where the tweeter and woofer are placed very close together so that their response simulate the response of single driver loudspeakers. Why is this important? If the loudspeakers don't use a single driver or a close-coupled two driver arrangement, then as you move up and down or side to side the distance between two or more drivers and your ears will change causing sound from the drivers in each loudspeaker to arrive at your ears at slightly different times which in turn cause slurring and the loss of low level information. A single driver or a two-way “point source” loudspeaker will provide more coherent, integrated and accurate sound because all the sound emanates from the same spot. In a multiway loudspeaker the sound becomes integrated further away from the loudspeaker because of the different distances between the drivers on the baffle and the listener. That does not bode well for listening in a desktop environment where you are a foot or two from the loudspeakers.
   
   
   
5. 
   Crossover-less or first order (6 dB per octave) design. With regard to crossover design,less is more. The more complex the crossover, the more current it soak's up, the more coloration it adds to music, and the more phase distortion it produces. Most of the really magical loudspeakers use only a few or no crossover components. In the ideal loudspeaker, a single drive full-range loudspeaker, the sound is continuous and integrated. A first order crossover allows considerable overlap of the output of the drivers which simulates the continuous output of a full-range single driver loudspeaker. There are no phase or discontinuity problems. In a multi-way loudspeaker the crossover or dividing network partitions the frequency spectrum to the different drivers. That is great for power handling but not so great for accuracy. Some discerning listeners can hear the separation or discontinuity that results from use of complex crossovers in loudspeakers, especially when they are seated near to the loudspeakers.

So what about sensitivity?
Well, it is less of an issue than you think. How many watts do you need to drive your loudspeakers to reasonable volume when you are sitting very close to the loudspeakers, especially in a small room? Not too many! But more important is the issue of accuracy and sound quality. As Dr. Floyd E. Toole, formally of Canad's National Research Council has observed, "Sadly, there is an approximately inverse relationship between sensitivity and sound quality... more often than not, the most sensitive speakers are slightly less refined in their sound quality and for a given box size, they will have poorer bass." The sensitivity issue is often a concern for those who want to build a music system around a particular low wattage amplifier. However, since the loudspeaker is the greatest determinant of the sound of music systems,  my advise is to start with the loudspeakers and and build the music system around them.

Small Loudspeakers sound, well, small.
Not necessarily. It all depends on how the loudspeakers are voiced. Voicing is an art. Done well, it makes small loudspeakers sound like large loudspeakers. In a one to one comparison between a well voiced small loudspeaker and a larger loudspeaker the difference in size will be obvious. But as you listen to a well voiced small loudspeaker you will forget about its size. To illustrate this point: In a recent review of our Sampan, the reviewer set up the pair of Sampans next to the a pair of Triange Cellos, which are roughly 18 times the size of the Sampans. Everyone thought the sound they were listening to was comming from the Cellos.

ER

www.roleaudio.com

Formaldehyde in loudspeakers poses significant health risks.

Formaldehyde in loudspeakers poses significant health risks. Role Audio is first loudspeaker company to offer a full line of formaldehyde-free loudspeakers. Plywood, Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), paints and glues, that are widely used to manufacture loudspeaker cabinets, are made with formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is an allergen and carcinogen. Formaldehyde is particularly a problem because it is a volatile organic compound (VOC), which is a compound that vaporizes under normal conditions (also called "off-gas") into the indoor environment. Formaldehyde residues are major components of smog and thus have a broad impact on health.

The threat to health and the environment is so serious that the US state of California has passed regulation restricting formaldehyde emissions from any materials or products (including loudspeakers) sold in California after Dec 31, 2010. Other states and nations are expected to enact similar regulations. 

In small loudspeakers formaldehyde off-gassing is not that much of an issue. All things being equal, the smaller the loudspeaker the less the off-gassing. And off-gassing decays over time. That "new" smell you notice when you buy new speakers, furniture, cars, and carpeting, for example, is a result of off-gassing. And it is most often hazardous. The paint on the outside surfaces of loudspeakers seals the formaldehyde in to some extent. The problem is that the paints, even lacquer paints intended for indoor use also off-gas. Off-gassing from a vented speaker is a bigger issue because you are exposed to off-gassing from the outside of the loudspeakers as well as off-gassing from the raw, unpainted inner panels that seeps out through the ports. When you play a vented loudspeaker, the driver essentially acts as a fan blowing the accumulated off-gasses through the loudspeaker port into indoor air. 

Although formaldehyde-free boards and paints are becoming more available, they are very expensive, more difficult to work with, and the variety is quite limited. There are only two solutions to prevent formaldehyde off-gassing. (1) Seal the lumber with special non-toxic sealers. Or, (2) Use lumber that does not contain formaldehyde. We are making our loudspeakers more health-friendly and more environmentally-friendly by painting the outside surfaces with environmentally-friendly (certified green) paints and we are using environmentally-friendly (certified green) sealers to coat the unfinished inside panels of our vented transmission line loudspeakers to help to prevent off-gassing. We are also offering loudspeakers made with formaldehyde-free boards and painted with certified "green" or environmentally friendly paints as options.

We are proud to be the first loudspeaker company to manufacture formaldehyde-free loudspeakers to protect your health and the environment. We hope our pioneering efforts will encourage other loudspeaker manufacturers to follow our example.

BREATHE EASY WITH OUR ECO-FRIENDLY AND CERTIFIED “GREEN” LOUDSPEAKERS

OUR ECO-FRIENDLY LOUDSPEAKERS ARE:
Sealed and painted with certified "green" water based paints to prevent toxic formaldehyde vapors entering indoor air and the environment.

Assembled with non-toxic glues and lead-free solder.

Small size that has a smaller carbon foot print than larger loudspeakers.

Packaged with biodegradable honeycomb paper product and/or foam that does not cause ozone depletion.

Shipped  in cartons made from recycled and/or non-toxic materials.

OUR CERTIFIED “GREEN” LOUDSPEAKERS HAVE ALL THE ABOVE PLUS THEY ARE:

Manufactured from formaldehyde free plywoods that are made with PureBond® ‘formaldehyde-free technology.

And manufactured  from Medium Density Fiberboard that use no urea or formaldehyde in the manufacturing process. 
ER.


www.roleaudio.com

Nearfield Loudspeaker Placement

Nearfield Loudspeaker Placement

 GUIDELINES FOR SETTING UP SPEAKERS
(is the rule of thirds dead?)

The following comments apply to truly phase coherent speakers, the majority of which tend to have simple (or no) crossovers. This type of speakers, if well designed, will generally display better timbral accuracy, harmonic integrity, and a natural seamlessness. It is hard to put into words just how much even the simplest crossover, or variance in driver material adds to a sense of UNREALITY. Conversely, this method may not apply to speakers with complex crossovers (i.e. some Thiels, and many others) because, as you will see later, if you sit too close to these speakers, you WILL HEAR THE CROSSOVER. Here we go:

click here to read the rest of this article

www.roleaudio.com

This blog has moved

This blog is now located at http://roleaudio.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://roleaudio.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

www.roleaudio.com

Follow us on Facebook.

AS OF 3/14/2010 we resumed publication of our blog.

Follow us on Facebook.

www.roleaudio.com

New German Magazine Review Of Sampan

A new rave review of the Sampan has been published by the German Magazine "HIFI Statement."

Click HERE for the review:

www.roleaudio.com