SpectraFlora’s new Aphelia 8, which was shown at the recent Australian Design Show, expands the company’s portfolio with a downsized version of the flagship Celata 88.
While its sibling’s nomenclature is a reflection of its twin 8 inch/200mm woofers (ergo Celata 88), the new Aphelia 8 employs a single high power 200 mm mid-woofer in a sealed cabinet architecture. Aphelia 8’s mid-woofer features a graphene-coated magnesium driver sporting a copper ‘bullet’ phase plug as used by SEAS in its upmarket drivers.
As per its sibling, Aphelia 8 features bespoke ‘Dynamic Waveguide’ technology which has been modified to cater to the new speakers’ form factor and dimensions. In order to control directivity, SpectraFlora’s CNC-machined horn flare has been carefully contoured while its rounded edges provide optimum dispersion characteristics. At the Dynamic Waveguide’s throat sits a Beyma 19 mm compression driver which has been modified by SpectraFlora with a custom 25 mm throat adaptor. This is said to provide a smoother, more “continuous” exit angle, with the result reported to provide superior measured performance.
The Aphelia 8’s cabinet is handcrafted in Victoria, Australia, using native timbers which are sustainably sourced. SpectraFlora also highlights the inclusion of Australian wool among the locally derived materials and claims it as a high-performance element in this application.
SpectraFlora’s Managing Director Steve Van Sluyter told SoundStage! Australia, “We went with a sealed, heavily damped cabinet and 8-inch woofer to ensure outstanding bass and mid-bass clarity and punch, as opposed to a vented two-way design with its associated compromises. The Dynamic Waveguide, although it looks the same as the Celata 88, was completely redesigned for the narrower Aphelia 8 cabinet dimension. It produces wide constant directivity, assuring accurate timbre from various listening positions and in reverberant rooms, along with the intimate, engaging dynamics of a horn”.
The new SpectarFlora Aphelia 8 will be shown at the upcoming StereoNET Hi-Fi & AV Expo in August 2025.
SpectraFlora Aphelia 8 Loudspeakers
Price: AU$18,000
Australian Distributor: SpectraFlora Direct
+61 (0) 412 653 966
www.spectraflora.com