Stage Accompany 成立於 1977 年,以 JBL 專業單位為基礎自行生產 PA 喇叭起家。在八十年代,他們基於 JBL 的基本設計開發了自己生產的 12 英寸 + 15 英寸裝置,但規格適應了他們自己的要求。此外,他們還開發了自己的錄音室監聽喇叭以及著名的 Compact Ribbon 驅動程式。它是一個 6 英寸長的高音/中音單元,如今採用第三代原始設計構建,這也是 Stage Accompany 揚聲器絕對出色的再現效果的主要原因。帶狀元件中的技術在許多方面都優於眾所周知的壓縮驅動器+號角技術,因為帶狀元件的失真和壓縮明顯小於傳統壓縮驅動器+號角。膠帶上的面積對應22個。1吋高音球頂,靈敏度遠超過100dB。工作範圍從 700-1000Hz 開始,動態特性完全與最大的壓縮號角驅動器相當。12 英寸和 15 英寸單元的高品質與帶狀元件的能力相結合,以及這些單元的頻率範圍,為近 30 年來生產的高品質監聽器鋪平了道路。
To ensure the high quality standards of the Company's sound systems, all Stage Accompany cabinets must past rigorous testing before leaving the factory.
Each loudspeaker undergoes a series of tests at Stage Accompany Factory. With the assistance of sophisticated MLSSA measuring software, and under supervision of SA's senior acoustical engineer, René van der Laan, frequency and phase characteristics are measured. Each frequency characteristic must fall within a very stringent + /- 1dB tolerance of the desired response to move into the next phase of testing.
Because measurements are important criteria, but not all-encompassing, the final quality check is done by the most sensitive measuring tool of all: the human ear. After the successful completion of all administered tests, an SA cabinet receives final approval for shipping.
Stage Accompany does not use the term "matched pair". As a result of the testing procedures each and every SA cabinet meets the high standards set by the company; therefore, it is always possible to combine cabinets from other production series.
00
Since it started at the beginning of the 20th century, the audio industry has always been searching for new methods of achieving the best possible reproduction of the audible frequency spectrum.
In the early years, the radio industry was the great driving force behind innovations. But it was not until the FM-band was introduced (not so very long ago) that "high fidelity" broadcasting could be considered. But for professional audio technology the emerging film-industry was much more important. After all, the sound system had to be suitable for large groups of people and, for those days, high demands were also made on the high fidelity of sound. So it is no surprise that it was precisely this industry which provided major progress.
In those days only tube amplifiers were used for signal amplification. The engineers of that day had to do without the transistorized amplifiers we have now, with their high outputs (more than 500W).
A top notch design tube amplifier then supplied some 50W. So this output had to be converted to audible sound as efficiently as possible. But a dynamic loudspeaker (as we still know them now) is an ineffective "converter". Only 0.1 - 3% of the electric energy is converted into acoustic energy (=audible sound). The reason for this is the very unequal proportion between the moving mass of the loudspeaker cone on the one hand and the air mass moved by that cone on the other. In the ideal case this proportion should be 1:1. For dynamic loudspeakers, however, this is usually 50 to 100:1. This factor is directly responsible for the very poor efficiency.
But the engineers of those days obviously did not leave it at that. A scientific article was published as early as 1920 in which this problem was solved. An "acoustic transformer" was invented which would "couple" the heavy cone mass via a so-called horn to a larger air-mass which improved the proportion mentioned above and considerably increased the efficiency. These horns are still used today.
The same article also reported on the principle which would give its name to generations of high-tone speakers. Thus the "Volume Compressor" was described. This technical invention raised the efficiency of loudspeakers even further. All professional medium- and high-frequency loudspeakers manufactured since then are therefore designated by the general English expression "Compression Driver".
The principle is simple. The loudspeaker is coupled to a chamber with a very narrow opening. As the cross-section of this opening is less than the cross-section of the loudspeaker, compression is induced in the chamber when the cone moves. This small opening in turn is coupled to the above mentioned horn but now at an even higher ratio and with larger final cross-sections. The result is even higher efficiency. In the years before the Second World War, this combined system also made it possible to generate an adequate acoustic output using a low amplifier output.
But then there is the old saying "Nothing ´s for free". Here too. The compression mechanism adds additional distortion and the mechanical construction clearly limits the maximum output. Compression drivers therefore tend to sound irritable at high outputs (professional loudspeakers are generally used at the limit of their maximum output in practice; Distortion figures of some 25% are then customary).
But greater efficiency was crucial in those days. There was no alternative to accepting the drawbacks. Since then there has been no change in the operating principle. All current compression drivers use the compression chamber to generate acoustic energy. For 75 years minor improvements were always being made, but the idea was never abandoned.
Many people think that the SA ribbons are clones of the Philips RSQ8P Isophase driver, are/were developement and manufactured by Philips and that Philips was the one that released this product first, not completely true.
Philips and Stage Accompany did co-operate only on the development of the first big ribbon drivers. The smaller Philips Isophase tweeters got their attention of former CEO and founder of SA Ed Wijnker, he and others at SA were very interested to use such a driver in a PA envirement.
The products of that co-operation were; the Philips RSQ8P (for the HiFi market) and the Stage Accompany SA8520 Ribbon Compact Driver (for the Pro Audio market).
The RSQ8P was manufactured in house by Philips (Dendermonde, Belgium) and the SA8520 in house by Stage Accompany (Hoorn, The Netherlands).
At that time (1986) the diaphragm (the ribbon foil) for the RSQ8P and SA8520 was solely manufactured by Philips.
Nowadays SA manufacture the diaphragms in house for all SA RCDs; SA8520, SA8525, SA8526 and SA8535.
Note: the SA8520 diaphragm can be used, with a slight modification on the terminal holes, for the Philips RSQ8P.
All successors of the SA8520 RCD (Ribbon Compact Driver) like the SA8525, SA8526 and SA8535 were solely developed and manufactured by Stage Accompany.
Salient detail, the Stage Accompany SA8520 was earlier launched then the Philips RSQ8P.
The final SA8535 with optional horn.
SA8520 diaphragm replacement kit.
Note: the SA8520 diaphragm can be used, with a slight modification on the terminal holes, for the Philips RSQ8P.
Stage Accompany