The Phase Technology 9.1 Tower Loudspeaker - Summary
Report
The September 23, 2001 meeting of the Atlanta Audio
Society was held at the Dunwoody North Driving Club
and Tennis Clubhouse. The Society hosted a seminar
featuring Ken and Bill Hecht of United Speaker Systems
and Phase Technology Corporation, located in Jacksonville,
Florida. Also present was Stuart Greenberg, the U.S.
and International distributor of Phase technology and
other products, located in Atlanta.
The members were first given the opportunity to just
listen to one of the newest speakers in the Phase Technology
line, the PS 9.1 3-way tower. The speakers were driven
by equipment borrowed from Audio Society members (primarily
Chuck Bruce). The preamp was an Audio Research Reference
2, Mark 2, driving a Pass X-150 power amp. The CD’s
were played on the CEC belt-drive transport, with the
Theta Pro Basic IIIA D/A converter. The CD transport
was on a new product, called the "SAP Relaxa" magnetic
isolation platform from Italy. Power amplication was
via a Pass X-150. All elements operated in true balanced
configuration. We listened to jazz and classical music,
and the speakers really shined. My thoughts were that
they could "belt it out" with authority.
First to present was Bill Hecht, founder of United
Speaker Corp./Phase Technology Corp. He graduated from
NYU as a mechanical engineer many years ago and is
a life long music lover. He described how he worked
at the Simplex Projection Company, but a strike closed
the company and he went into designing speakers. His
first order was much bigger than he expected, 1,000
units for Avery Fisher, this nearly 50 years past.
He ended up selling 10,000 units that year!
In 1962 he applied for a patent on his newly designed "soft
dome" tweeter, but it was rejected four times because
the patent office claimed it was impossible for it
to work. He resorted to a demonstration at the patent
office in 1965 and got the patent soon afterwards.
In 1982 he opened a 60,000 square foot manufacturing
facility in Jacksonville, Florida where he build both
OEM speakers (for other brand names) and some speakers
under his Phase Tech brand name that he had started
marketing in 1981.
After a short break, next to speak was Ken Hecht,
Bill’s son and President of Phase Technology
Corp. He is the chief designer of the PS 9.1’s.
He described Phase Technology as one of the few completely
vertical manufacturers of speakers, including design,
drivers, crossovers, and cabinets. They design speakers
by first deciding on the "look" of the speaker and
designing to that look. They want the speaker to sound
great with music and also have the dynamic range for
home theater applications. This means the speakers
have high efficiency, overload gracefully, are an easy
amplifier load, have linear sound, and image well.
And most importantly, have the same "phase" and "voicing" characteristics
across the model lines.
The drivers in the PS 9.1 are all patented drivers.
The woofers (2 of them) are a "solid piston" driver
(a light, yet stable foam material completely filling
the cone cavity) where the sound emanates from the
front surface. The 1 and 1/2 inch midrange is a soft
dome design, as is the tweeter, which can handle 100
watts with low distortion up to 22 KHz. A unique crossover
design creates good horizontal and vertical dispersion.
An anti-diffraction material (Unicel) is behind the
front of the cabinet. The material starts out at five
inches thick, which is then compressed to one inch.
This material is also used in oil filters for racecars!
At $2000 per pair, the Phase Tech 9.1's are quite
a bargain and a surprising performer at this price
point. Ken Hecht and his design/manufacturing team
are to be commended in offering high-end sound at affordable
prices.
The program wrapped up with some more serious listening,
and a silent auction for some Phase Technology Teatro
7.5 2-way speakers. Another great program, and our
thanks to all who worked so hard and traveled so far
to put it on!
Respectfully Submitted,
Thomas Horner
Secretary, AAS
Atlanta Audio Society, Inc. September 23,
2001.
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