Snell XA2500 LCR Speakers for Home Theater

The Snell XA2500 is the driver set and crossover from the XA 2900, Snell's award winning Reference LCR, mounted in a handmade utility enclosure. The result is an LCR that approaches the performance levels of its Reference stablemate at less than half the price.

By teaming the best of loudspeaker design, and innovation with a 3/4 MDF cabinet and Snell's highly damped three part baffle, Dr. Joseph D'Appolito and his team are able to achieve remarkable bandwidth, output, and dimension when built into dedicated home theaters and screening rooms.

Hand built by Snell in Peabody, Ma, The XA 2500 uses all the parts from the XA 2900, except for the sophisticated multilayer enclosure, including the 8-inch aluminum cone woofers, 4.5-inch midranges and 1-inch pure titanium tweeter. In place of the Reference cabinet, the XA 2500 borrows from the XA 1900thx, by employing a traditional utility cabinet, with a multilayer baffle of two layers of dense MDF sandwiching a damping layer of 1.5mil neoprene. These cabinet details are what helped garner awards for both the XA 2900 and XA 1900thx Featuring the eXpanding Array (XA), a unique driver arrangement developed from months of computer modeling, the XA 2500 assures extremely flat response directed to the listening area, while quieting the floor and ceiling reflections that bounce back to the listener as distortion. These optimum dispersion characteristics are enhanced by the use of the drivers chosen for the $25,000 XA Reference Tower. Together they provide the maximum in output, power han- dling, bandwidth, and accuracy.

The highly detailed crossover, also from the XA Reference Tower, seamlessly combines all elements. Innovatively, four switches are employed to "tune out" distortions induced by typical installation conditions. Notably, the Boundary Switch that tunes for flattest response, whether the speaker is located in free space, near a rear wall, or on the floor. And, the Upper Treble Switch that accurately compensates for the loss of treble when mounting the XA 2900 behind perforated film screens.

Available in both horizontal and vertical configurations.

Frequency Response 40Hz-24kHz ±3dB anechoic
> Recommended Amplifier Power 150 to 600 watts
Impedance Nominal 4 ohms, minimum 3 ohms
> Sensitivity 88dB SPL (2.83v at 1m)
Tweeter 1-inch (25mm) titanium dome tweeter
> Midranges Two 412-inch (110mm) mounted in separate enclosure
> SPECIFICATIONS
Bass Units Two 8-inch (210mm) with black anodized aluminum cones.
> Grille Cloth-covered MDF frame
Max Dimensions (HxWxD)
> Horizontal: 32 x14 x 1312 in.
> Vertical: 32 x14 x 1312 in.
> Weight (each) -
Shipping: 88 lbs. (40 kg)
> Net: 75lbs. (34kg)
Finish-
> Black Painted MDF. Other veneers and finishes available at extra cost.

We saw these along with the ICS Sub24mk3 and the SR 30THX in the Snell demo booth. We were first of all impressed with the construction of the booth as the room was one of the best at the show. The demo showed that these speakers had a good dynamic range for both music and movies while remaining balanced. Unlike many of demos we saw, this one had a very good balance of bass without the boominess we were subjected too elsewhere.

For more information visit www.snellacoustics.com .