German Physiks HRS-130

Description

The HRS-130 loudspeaker uses a single carbon fibre German Physiks DDD driver mounted on top of a slim, octagonal, floor standing cabinet, with a downward firing 10-inch woofer set in its base. The crossover in the HRS-130 is developed from the one used in the Borderland Mk IV: its larger stable mate. This provides exceptional integration of the of the DDD driver and woofer, so that they work seamlessly together to create a detailed, three-dimensional stereo image that immerses you in the music.

The transparency of the DDD driver opens a new window on to your music collection, by helping to reveal fine detail and ambience information that you would normally only expect to hear at a live performance. This makes listening a truly involving experience. Most important of all, the DDD driver’s exceptional transparency better allows you to experience the emotion that is the essence of a good musical performance.

The bass driver is located at the bottom of the cabinet and works in a ‘sealed’ enclosure. This enclosure is linked via a small opening to a smaller cavity located at the top of the cabinet. This cavity acts as a Helmholtz Resonator and is tuned to the resonant frequency of the main bass enclosure and ensures a smoother bass response.

The HRS-130 uses the same 10-inch bass driver as the much more expensive PQS-402. This provides deep and well-defined bass with excellent control. The integration of the bass with the rest of the frequency range is exceptional, allowing you to immerse yourself in the music without the feeling that you are listening to several different drivers.

The DDD driver’s omnidirectional radiation pattern and wide operating frequency range make the HRS-130 less critical of its position in the room than conventional loudspeakers, so it is very quick and easy to set up. In addition, because the HRS-130 is omnidirectional, there is no toe-in adjustment to worry about. Last but not least, with a cabinet footprint of only 325mm x 325mm (12.8” x 12.8”), the HRS-130 is easy to fit into even a modest sized room. Don’t let this deceive you though, as the HRS-130 will drive rooms up to 75 square metres (792 sq ft) in size.

The HRS-130 is fitted with two sets of high quality WBT nextgen™ loudspeaker terminals. This allows the HRS-130 to be bi-wired or bi-amped. High quality jumpers are supplied to enable the HRS-130 to be used with just one set of loudspeaker cables. Jumpers on the loudspeaker’s rear panel allow the high frequency output level to be adjusted in 4 steps: -2dB, flat, +2dB and +4dB, enabling the user to easily compensate for the variations in the absorption of high frequencies that can occur due to different types of furnishings and room construction.

Colouration caused by resonances in a loudspeaker cabinet, where the cabinet itself starts to radiate sound energy, can seriously degrade the sound quality by obscuring detail. To counter this, the HRS-130, like the more expensive Borderland MK IV, uses an octagonal cross-section cabinet. The panels on this cabinet are smaller and stiffer than those of an equivalent size square section cabinet would be. Critically placed internal bracing further increases rigidity.

As a further anti-resonance measure, a special damping material called Hawaphon® is applied to the inside of each panel. This adds mass to the panel to reduce the resonant frequency and its special internal structure very effectively converts vibration energy into heat. Hawaphon® achieves a broadband attenuation of structure-borne sound of more than 50dB: a remarkably high figure. Finally, to damp resonances of the air within the cabinet, the whole of the inside of the cabinet is lined with a thick layer of high-density felt.

As you would expect from a German Physiks loudspeaker, the quality of construction and reliability are first class. They use the same quality of parts in the HRS-130 as in their reference products, where the construction is designed for a minimum life expectancy of 25 years. For this reason, they have selected highly corrosion resistant V4 grade stainless steel for the DDD driver support pillars, terminal mounting plates and all the screws.

All of this engineering contributes to the remarkable sonic presentation delivered by the HRS-130. The soundscape emanating from this speaker is cohesive, immersive and envelops you with a believable sense of ‘being there’. It has captivated music enthusiasts around the world and continues to set a standard for what can be achieved at this price point. Select your music, close your eyes and be transported to…

Videos

HOLOGRAPHIC HIFI SOUND German Physiks HRS130 Speakers Review

German Physiks HRS 130-Omnidirectional Speakers Overview

Awards

Reviews

We knew the DDD driver was great, but the HRS-130 also has an exceptional low frequency range. The emotion generated by the DDD driver’s appealing sound is such that, once you’ve been seduced by this sound, you’ll have no choice but to buy this loudspeaker. It is that unique. – Wada Hiromi
This loudspeaker has a unique live sound. Even EDM recordings, which are not supposed to have a live-sound like stereo image, give the impression of a live performance stage. – Fu Nobuki
With the carbon fibre DDD driver, the sound is even more solid and direct. Even though the HRS-130 is omnidirectional, there is no vagueness. At the same time, it is the only loudspeaker that totally creates the relaxed atmosphere that only an omni-directional system truly can. – Onodera Koji

The German Physiks HRS-130 has been given a Grand Prix award by the Japanese high-end audio magazine Stereo Sound. This is the most important high-end magazine in Japan and the Grand Prix is their most prestigious award.

Product Specifications

Please note that specifications may change without notice

German Physiks HRS-130 link