Stratton Acoustics awarded its first patent, preps new model for early 2024 launch

Stratton Acoustics Ltd, the UK-based manufacturer of the acclaimed, high-end Elypsis 1512 loudspeaker, has been awarded a patent for its Mechanically Isolated Tweeter Assembly, set also to feature in its upcoming new model.

Invented by Stratton’s founder, David Fowler, and set also to be incorporated into the company’s upcoming new loudspeakers, the 1512’s tweeter assembly addresses high-frequency reproduction issues that have traditionally plagued both high-power active, and passive, multi-driver loudspeakers.

‘At Stratton Acoustics we don’t do ‘hit and hope’… we firmly believe in an engineering-led approach to loudspeaker design,’ says Fowler, ‘The considered balance of physics, material selection, manufacturing process, heritage longevity and, of course, aesthetics, are the foundation stones of the musical engagement that we want our products to deliver for decades to come.

And there’s no better manifestation of our approach than the, now patented, Mechanically Isolated Tweeter Assembly that’s built into every Stratton Acoustics loudspeaker.

But why go to such effort to engineer such a system?

‘Because accuracy matters. In order to provide the best working environment for a tweeter to function, it needs to be isolated from external energy inputs’, explains Fowler. ‘Obviously, the tweeter dome moves at high frequency but at very low amplitude, anything that adds to this movement impedes the performance of the tweeter, causing distortion and colouration to come between you and the music.

‘Our Mechanically Isolated Tweeter Assembly ensures that no external energy from the already massively rigid enclosure can be passed through to the tweeter dome.’

In the past, engineers have often tried to further decouple tweeters using elastomer rings but their effectiveness is limited by their absolute length. Fowler’s solution has been to extend the effective length of that ring, by adding radial extensions to it.

‘It’s a simple change but one that offers multiple sonic advantages, says Fowler. ‘By varying both the length and position of the extensions, it’s now possible to resist interference from a far wider range of vibration modes.’

That enhanced versatility means that Stratton’s vibration isolation approach, first deployed in the 4-way Elypsis 1512, can also now be used for tweeters in smaller loudspeaker designs, with fewer drive units.