Signature SeriesWHite paper

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While Proficient Audio is known for in-wall, in-ceiling, and outdoor speakers, the brand has recently launched a major effort to create a flagship cabinet speaker and subwoofer that can suit the most demanding stereo music and multichannel home theater applications. The GL6 LCR (left/center/right) speaker and the GS10 subwoofer have a beautiful black high-gloss finish with magnetically attached grilles and no visible fasteners on the front or sides. The speakers are designed so they can be used without grilles as the subtle dark colors of the drivers blend in well with the black finish of the speakers. In this White Paper, we’ll describe the technology and tuning that went into these speakers, complete with full technical measurements and specifications and a subjective report on how they sound.

Introduction

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Technical Details: GL6 Cabinet LoudspeakerThey’ve found that it offers very low distortion, extended high-frequency response, and an especially realistic rendition of voices.

For the tweeter dome, Proficient’s engineers chose another material they’ve found exceptionally good-sounding: silk. Silk has a detailed yet smooth sound; it sounds clear, but never bright. A crossover using 2nd-order high-pass and low-pass electrical filters divides the signal for the woofers and tweeter, delivering broader sound dispersion and lower distortion compared with simpler filters. A sturdy cabinet made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) provides a secure, non-resonant housing for the drivers.

The GL6 is designed for use in numerous audio applications. It can be used in any channel of a home theater system, especially the front left, center and right channels. And it can be used on its own for stereo music listening.

The GL6s can also be placed on top of a GS10 sub or double stacked GS10 subs. The dual-woofer design allows the GL6 to work horizontally or vertically, placed on stands or installed behind a “wall” of acoustically transparent fabric. The two 6.5-inch woofers use cones made from graphite-impregnated polypropylene. Proficient Audio’s engineers have several years of experience with this material, having used it in many in-wall and in-ceiling models.

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Technical Details: GS10 Powered SubwooferProficient’s engineers designed it with a broad, flat frequency response, to eliminate that “boomy” bass sound that audiophiles hate. A slotted port on the back minimizes port noise and also directs what little noise remains out the back instead of at the listener. The GS10’s back panel has stereo line-level inputs for use with stereo preamps and receivers, and a line-level LFE input for use with A/V receivers and surround-sound processors. It also has knobs for level and crossover frequency (adjustable from 50 to 150 Hz), and switches for 0°/180° phase and off/on/auto power.

Many high-powered home theater subwoofers do not produce the precise pitch definition and punch that audiophiles want. Yet most subwoofers designed for audiophiles lack the power for home theater.

Proficient Audio designed the GS10 to tackle both tasks. With its 10-inch, long-excursion woofer powered by a 250-watt Class D amplifier, the GS10 is designed to max out at a full 120 dB of output — enough to convey all the power and intensity of any action movie. Yet the GS10 was tuned with music in mind, too.

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Lab Measurements: GL6 Cabinet SpeakerThe dispersion of the GL6 is also excellent. As seen in Figure 2, there are no major changes in response or tonal balance up to 10 kHz until the microphone is moved at least 45° off-axis. Even at 45° and 60° off-axis, the response differences (outside the usual treble reduction in off-axis measurements) are modest.

The GL6 is an easy load for most amplifiers to drive. While its impedance is rated at 4Ω nominal, Figure 3 above shows that the impedance dips down to 4Ω only in a few narrow bands of the audio spectrum. The average impedance is more like 6 ohms. Its sensitivity measures 89 dB, which means it can hit 101 dB on just 16 watts of power.

The GL6 has excellent, “by the book” measured performance, as can be seen in the following graphs. As seen in Figure 1, the GL6 has impressively flat frequency response, within ±2.8 dB through the audio range. As sometimes seen in high-end, audiophile speakers, energy in the band between 2 and 4.5 kHz is reduced slightly, which avoids the buildup of excess treble in a room that leads to brightness. The above measurement was taken with the grille off. With the grille on, response is essentially the same up to 3 kHz and above 8 kHz, with only subtle differences (i.e., an average loss in treble output of about -2 dB) in response between 3 and 8 kHz.

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Figure 1: GL6 On-Axis Frequency Response, 20Hz - 20kHz6

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Figure 3: GL6 Impedance Magnitude (Dark Trace) and Phase (Green Trace)

Figure 2: GL6 Horizontal Dispersion at 0 ,̊ 10 ,̊ 20 ,̊ 30 ,̊ 45˚ & 60 ,̊ 200Hz - 20kHz

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Lab Measurements: GS10 Powered SubwooferThe maximum bass output measurements shown in Figure 5 indicate that the GS10 delivers extremely high output in the 40-63 Hz range, averaging 118.1 dB and peaking at 120.2 dB. How loud is 120 dB? About as loud as a typical jet engine at 100 meters — which is definitely loud enough for any living room. The GS10 even delivers measurable output all the way down to 20 Hz, which is the lowest frequency humans can usually hear.

The measurements show that the GS10 delivers both a flat frequency response for maximum musicality, and high output for home theater applications. In the frequency response measurement shown in Figure 4 below, the GS10 displays a remarkably flat response, which means the bass output is almost perfectly even across all frequencies from at least 32 Hz to 200 Hz.

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Figure 4: GS10 Frequency Response of Woofer (Red Trace), Port (Gold Trace) and Sum of Woofer and Port Responses (Blue Trace), 20Hz - 1kHz

Figure 5: CEA-2010 Output Measurements of GS10 Subwoofer, Taken at 1 Meter

63 Hz50 Hz40 Hz

31.5 Hz25 Hz20 Hz

120.2 dB117.6 dB116.0 dB

108.3 dB99.5 dB86.6 dB

Low Bass (40 - 63 Hz) Average: 118.1 dB

Ultra-Low Bass (20 - 31.5 Hz) Average: 102.0 dB

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Listening TestMeanwhile, the GS10 easily handled even the deepest bass notes on Temptation, playing them loudly and clearly with lots of punch and tight pitch definition. Audiophiles often use this CD to test the bass response of speakers and subwoofers, and if they play it through the GS10, they’re sure to be impressed. The GL6 is not a fragile audiophile speaker, though. When we played heavier music, such as Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction, the clarity that worked wonders for Cole’s voice worked just as well for Axl Rose’s voice and Slash’s Les Paul guitar. The GS10 pumped hard underneath, slamming out every kick drum punch and bass guitar note with authority. Vocal clarity and bass power are, of course, the most important things for home theater sound as well. But we had to try it for ourselves, so we switched over to the Blu-ray disc of U-571, the great World War II submarine movie.

We were happy to hear that even during the loudest parts of the depth charge scene toward the end of the movie, the GS10 shook the floor without distorting. Even in the midst of all that raw bass power, though, we could still hear the voices of the submarine crew’s clearly, thanks again to those great graphite-cone woofers on the GL6.

Although the GL6’s 46-Hz bass extension lets you use it without a subwoofer, you’ll definitely like the sound better with a sub. Use one GS10 sub if you like, but two is even better. With an extra +6 dB on tap from that second sub, you’ll be able to match the performance of most of those huge 15-inch home theater subwoofers. For our listening tests, we used just one. One CD that’s been popular with audiophiles since the mid 1990s is Holly Cole’s Temptation. The recording has piano, super-deep bass, and percussion that seems to zip all around the room — and of course, Cole’s gorgeous voice is front and center in the mix. Anyone listening to this recording through the GL6/GS10 system will love what they hear.

The first thing we noticed is that the imaging was truly outstanding, especially with the percussion instruments. It sounded like the bells, cymbals, and cabasa (shaker) were right in the room, suspended in space between the speak-ers. Obviously the silk-dome tweeter was working very, very well. The incredible clarity of the GL6’s graphite-cone woofers is readily apparent with Cole’s voice, which through the GL6 sounds exceptionally clear and natural.

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ConclusionWhether you’re setting up a high-quality music system or a deluxe home theater, the GL6 and

GS10 can not only handle the job but handle it superbly. The clarity and power of their sound

are right up there with some of the finest speakers we’ve heard and their elegant looks will suit

pretty much everyone’s taste. It truly is a speaker system that can do anything.

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Features & Specs

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• 7-Layer High-Gloss Black Finish & Aluminum Feet

• Wood Framed Grille with Neo-Magnets

• 10" Long Excursion Pulp-Composite Cone Woofer

• Power: 250 Watt RMS Class D Amplifier

• Frequency Response: 28Hz - 200Hz

• Input: Left & Right Line Level, LFE

• Phase Switch: 0 - 180˚

• Protection: Overload Limiter Circuit

• Power On/Off: Auto Sensing

• Crossover: 50Hz - 150Hz

• Dimensions (H x W x D): 131/2" x 131/2" x 141/2"

GS10 10" Subwoofer• 7-Layer High-Gloss Black Finish

• Wood Framed Grille with Neo-Magnets

• Cabinet Design

• Two 61/2" Graphite Woofers

• 1" Silk Dome Tweeter

• Power Handling: 125 Watts

• Frequency Response: 46Hz - 20kHz

• Impedance: 4Ω

• Sensitivity: 89dB 1W/1m

• Dimensions (H x W x D): 8" x 24" x 101/2"

GL6 Dual 61/2" LCR Speaker

PAS00104

Proficient® is a registered trademark of Core Brands, LLC, a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc.

©2013 Core Brands, LLC. All rights reserved.

1800 S McDowell Blvd • Petaluma, CA 94954 • 877.888.9004 • Fax 951.750.6304 • proficientaudio.com