Phase Technology Solaris SPF-35 Installation Manual
Product Review
By Kevin Nakano of
LA
Audio File Reprinted May 2008
Phase Technology
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SPF-35 Outdoor Speakers
Outdoor speakers have a tough me
mee ng the demands of cri cal listeners
largely because the listening environment
can be unpredictable. In addi on, outdoor
speakers require a robust design to survive
the eff ects of the sun, varying humidity, and
in many cases extreme temperature changes.
The folks at Phase Technology have introduced
the Solaris SPF-35 outdoor speakers that are
designed to not only survive the elements,
but also sound great. The speakers use an
SPF high-density resin enclosure that is a
paintable, UV-resistant, composite enclosure
which can be matched to any decor. The
speakers are available in either black or
white for those whose prefer a factory color.
The design includes water- ght fi ngs, a
polypropylene woofer and a powder-coated
aluminum grille, enabling the speakers to
withstand nature’s fury. The exposed hardware is stainless steel or brass and the binding posts have gold over brass to
prevent corrosion. All this leads to a product that is designed to last.
Moun ng
The SPF-35 speakers come with a set of C-clamps that are designed to mount to a fl at
surface and a ach at both ends of the speaker with adjustable knobs. This allows the
speaker to pivot on the moun ng axis for an op mal listening angle directed towards
the listener. The speakers also include a set of pre-threaded inserts imbedded in the
housing that make them compa ble with a wide variety of standard swivel mounts.
For our installa on, we used the C-clamps that came with the speakers and mounted
them under the eaves of our roof to minimize direct exposure to rain and the sun.
Wiring
Our speakers were wired using a pair of 14-gauge Tributaries speaker cables coming
directly from our Sonos ZP100 Zone Player. The ZP100 is capable of 50 wa s per
channel and in this applica on these speakers were a nice match. The SPF-35
terminals include 5-way binding posts with great build quality and gives the user
fl exible wiring op ons. When possible, I like to use banana plugs instead of stripped
wire for a solid connec on that is easy to disconnect when needed. The terminals on
these speakers allowed me to do this. The screw-down knobs are made of metal
instead of cheap plas c.
“These new outdoor speakers are the best we have heard in
our pa o and they are here to stay.”
Impedance
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Impedance versus Frequency (Phase Technology SPF-35)
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10
20
30
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10 100 1000 10000 100000
Frequency
Impedance
The Solaris SPF-35 speakers
are rated at 8 ohms
impedance. We measured
the impedance of the
speakers to get a be er
idea of what the connected
amplifi er might encounter.
Like many speakers, the
impedance of the SPF35 varies signifi cantly as
a func on of frequency.
Using a 1/3 octave sweep
on our Sencore SP295
Audio Analyzer, we found
typical peaks and valleys in
the impedance spectrum.
We measured a maximum
impedance of 34.5 ohms at 2 kHz and a minimum of 5
ohms at 160 Hz. Average impedance below 1kHz was
about 7 ohms and above 1 kHz was about 17 ohms. Our
Sonos Digital Music system used to drive the speakers
sounded excellent with these speakers and had no
problem driving them at reasonably loud listening levels.
Frequency response was good with signifi cant bass
extending below 50 Hz with a slight increase in the
output level (bass bump) around 100Hz.
Beyond that,
the speaker has a fairly fl at response out to 20 kHz with
a slight dip round 1-2 kHz. This somewhat coincides with
the increase in impedance at these frequencies.
Sound Quality
The Solaris SPF-35 speakers features a 1” tanium
dome tweeter and 6.5” mineral-fi lled polypropylene
woofer, perfect for outdoor applica ons. The speakers
delivers impressive sound quality and exhibits smooth
off -axis performance thanks to the Absolute Phase™
crossover design. We encountered very pleasing sound
virtually anywhere we sat around the speakers. This
is an important a ribute when it comes to outdoor
applica ons since those listening to the music are rarely
in one place the en re me.
and moun ng hardware, and inserts for standard
OmniMount™ brackets, the SPF-35 can easily be installed
indoors and out.
Conclusion
Phase Technology has engineered an excellent outdoor
speaker balancing sound quality, build quality, and cost.
While the SPF-35 speakers are designed to withstand
the elements outdoors, they also sound excellent as an
indoor speaker and off er good looks in a lightweight
enclosure weighing only 8.5 pounds. Outdoor pa os
benefi t where conven onal loudspeakers may not fair
well. Our installa on used the Sonos Music System as a
source with the internal 50W per channel amplifi ers and
the sound was fantas c. We played a variety of music
through the speakers and were quite impressed with the
sound quality. Bass extension was quite good with the
larger 6.5” drivers especially when compared to some of
the other outdoor speakers we have used in the past. The
crossover design in the speaker allows consistent sound
quality regardless of the angle from the front baffl e (no
lobing). These new outdoor speakers are the best we
have heard in our pa o and they are here to stay.
- Kevin Nakano, LA Audio File
Engineered to outlast the elements, the Solaris SPF-35
features a 1” tanium dome tweeter and 6.5” mineral-
fi lled polypropylene cone. With adjustable C-clamps
“Phase Technology has engineered an excellent outdoor
speaker balancing sound quality, build quality, and cost.”
217-1028
Phase Technology / 888.PHASE.TK / www.phasetech.com
Reprinted by Phase Technology with permission from LA Audio File / May 2008
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