Class A.C.T.

The latest loudspeaker from Wilson Benesch’s Fibonacci Series reference line, the A.C.T. 3zero floorstanders are, like the company’s Omnium towers that arrived last year, an upshot of the €7.4-million pan-European SSUCHY research project that was created to develop and promote the use of bio-based composites based on renewable resources, as opposed to oil-based non-recyclable materials.

To that end, the A.C.T. 3zero’s enclosure — which stands just over one metre tall — uses sustainably sourced and bio-based composite materials in its construction, replacing the carbon fibre-heavy structure of its A.C.T. predecessor. Those familiar with the Yorkshire company’s designs will know that carbon fibre has played a big part in its history — the British brand even produced the first carbon fibre composite monocoque enclosure in the highend audio industry almost 25 years ago. Wilson Benesch says these new naturally sourced and sustainable materials replace almost all materials previously used from petrochemical sources.

As well as the new A.C.T. 3zero’s cabinet being more eco-friendly, Wilson Benesch says it is also sti¡er and better damped than the previous one. The SSUCHY initiative allowed the British company to work with a huge amount of R&D and measurement resource, so you can bet that the A.C.T. 3zero represent cutting-edge.

Wilson Benesch followers may not be surprised to read that its renowned, pedigree ‘Advanced Composite Technology’ speaker design is now in its sixth generation, dating back almost 35 years to the company’s birth in 1989. This is, however, the first generation of A.C.T. to use an isobaric drive system, comprised of two seven-inch Tactic 3.0 drivers and incorporated into the speaker's three-part foot, which also provides structural fixing points for the 13mm steel ties that run the entire length of the speaker chassis and tie to the top.

Carrying over from the three models that sit above the A.C.T. 3zero in the company's flagship Fibonacci Series (including the most eminent Eminence speaker!), the accompanying drivers include a seven-inch Tactic 3.0 low-bass unit, a one-inch Fibonacci Tweeter, and a dedicated seven-inch Tactic 3.0 midrange cone that is directly amplifier coupled, this reductive crossover approach chosen to eliminate the phase anomalies often caused by complex crossovers.

When I tell you that pricing for the A.C.T. 3zero starts at $68,000, you might not be surprised that every Wilson Benesch speaker is hand-built to order, and o¡ered in a wide range of natural wood, carbon fibre and paint finishes. If you want to opt for something aesthetically unique, Wilson Benesch’s Australia distributor, Nirvana Sound, can oblige.

For more information, contact Nirvana Sound on (0) 409 514 914 or visit www.nirvanasound.com