BassWave 80 Speaker

Description

The BassWave 80 is a sealed-cabinet two-way passive bookshelf speaker optimised for near-field desktop listening at distances of 60 to 90 cm. Where the BassWave 120 uses a rear bass-reflex port tuned for a mid-room placement, the BassWave 80 uses a sealed cabinet — a design choice that produces tighter, more controlled bass at close listening distances where a ported speaker’s low-frequency hump would become boomy and poorly defined. For the desktop vinyl listener, the BassWave 80 is the more accurate, more usable speaker.

Why a Sealed Cabinet Works Better at Close Distances

A sealed cabinet rolls off bass response at 12 dB/octave below the cabinet resonance frequency. A ported cabinet rolls off at 24 dB/octave below port tuning but creates a significant bass peak at the tuning frequency — typically 50-60 Hz. At 60 cm listening distance, this peak is in the centre of the soundstage and is disproportionately loud compared to a larger room where the peak is absorbed by distance:

– 4-inch mid-woofer in a sealed MDF cabinet — controlled bass with no port-tuning overhang at close range
– ¾-inch soft-dome tweeter — wide off-axis dispersion for accurate stereo imaging at a desk position
– 8 dB/octave first-order crossover at 3 kHz — phase-coherent integration appropriate for close-field listening
– 18 mm MDF cabinet with constrained-layer bracing — eliminates panel resonances that colour the midrange
– Magnetically attached fabric grille — removes without tools; protects drivers when not in use

Setup and Amplifier Requirements

The BassWave 80 is a passive speaker requiring an external amplifier or receiver:

– Nominal impedance: 8 ohms — suitable for all amplifiers rated at 8 ohms or 4/8 ohms switchable
– Recommended amplifier power: 10-50W per channel — does not require a high-power amplifier
– Rubber desk-isolation feet included — decouples speakers from desk surface without additional accessories

Sold as a stereo pair. Backed by a two-year warranty.