[ Start ] [ Omhoog ] [ Products ] [ Brands/Merken ] [ English ] [ Nederlands ] [ Map/Route ]    

-u kunt geld besparen door te vertrouwen op uw gehoor-

Offrande

Omhoog

 

    Description and Reviews 

 

This highly original speaker of uncompromising design is an outstanding product, the crowning achievement of nearly 30 years of dedication to musical reproduction.
Despite its compact size, its capacities in the extremely low frequencies, in transient response, in dynamic range, and its extreme fidelity to the musical phrasing enable the Offrande to rival with much larger and much more expensive loudspeaker systems.
And contrary to the latter, the integration and the setup of the Offrande in a domestic environnement are extremely easy.

 

EQUIPMENT

WOOFER


With a diameter of 6.7'', and built around a solid Zamac basket, it uses an 'HDA" diaphragm which offers qualities of lightness, rigidity and internal damping that cannot at the moment be provided by any other material. This driver requires a specially engineered acoustic loading to get the most of its extreme sensitivity to the musical signal.
It has a slightly curvilinear profile. The cone is made of carbon and Kevlar fibres ideally oriented to provide optimal rigidity and a perfect internal damping. These fibres are embedded in an acrylic polymer gel with outstanding stability over a wide range of temperatures.
The two concentric moving coils are in flat, pure deoxygenated copper (LCOFC), edgewound onto a glass fibre reinforced kapton voice coil former to optimize the filling of the air gap of the magnet system. Its double magnet system, uses a cold forged one-piece rear plate to ensure a perfect alignment of the crystals in the alloy and a low loss magnetic field.
In addition, the polar pieces are zinc plated to provide conduction cooling of the moving coils which noticeably improves performance at high power level. The double surround perfectly guides the moving coils without swing phenomena insuring high power handling capacity and excellent transient response, It has been designed so that its thickness, compliance and damping coefficient are all perfectly matched, which ideally contributes to the optimization of the acoutic parameters of the loudspeaker.
The total weight of each cone is optimized by the balance method, and the top of the moving coil support is fitted with an additional tin ring. A central anti-vortex phase plug and with an optimized profile, eliminates the stationary waves generated by the base of the cone, thus noticeably improving the directivity characteristics of this outstanding transducer.
It is fitted to the core of magnet system by means of a flexible polymer seal which prevents any tranmission of mechanical energy between the plug and the polar parts. Finally, the centering spider on a ventilated support prevents any mechanical constraint due to air compression.


TWEETER

This is a 1,1'' wide open cone of highly advanced design. No mechanical centering device is used for its moving coil, which is wound directly, without any support, on to the cone mandrel, thus providing a perfect tranfert of the electrical impulse to the transmission part.
Its extremely light polymer diaphragm benefits from a surface treatment to homogenize the molecular structure (removing all "colour" from the material during listening).
A small, polished, central phase plug optimizes the characteristics of directivity. It is fitted to the magnetic core by means of a shock-absorbent ring preventing all forms of resonance.
Its energy and acceleration characteristics are exeptional, and the smoothness of its sound reproduction is remarkable.
Finally, the double magnet and the ferro-fluid air gap provide remarkable performance at high power level with extremely low distortion.


CROSSOVER

This three-way system uses only hand-wound pure copper (99%) air coils, and low tolerance tin armature capacitors.

The first moving coil of the woofer is filtered to 6 dB / octave, and the second to 12 dB / octave, according to a " serial " configuration.
The wiring is entirely in deoxygenated silver/copper wire under kapton sheaths.
Crossover frequencies : 1200 and 3900 Hz.


LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM

Naturally, this had to match the quality of the transducers developed. Its highly original and particularly sophisticated loading principle has enabled a real optimization of the mechanical performance of the woofer. It consists of a tuned triangular line associated with a dampened resonator.
This eliminates any formation of internal stationary waves and dramatically reduces the overload from the air circulating inside the cabinet. Two phases were involved in the design :
Firstly, the length and shape of the triangular line forming the main load had to be defined and optimized.
The reassuring element of the methodology used is that the result gives only one solution for the length and expansion of the volume of this continually growing line.
Its overload was then measured, revealing a marked hump at 110 Hz linked to the resonance of the volume of air enclosed within the acoustic system. Secondly, a resonator was designed and associated with the first load to eliminate this overload.
Once thus designed, the resonator was dampened by means of a mechanical resistance adjusted with a high degree of precision until the desired effect was obtained. Thanks to this acoustic loading, the elasticity of the air enclosed within the cabinet is equivalent to that found in a volume of 200 liters.
To gain maximum benefit from the optimization of the load, a totally and perfectly inert cabinet had to be made. Numerous experiments were performed in particular on sandwich structures, a field in which we have years of real experience. 1,2'' thick batten cabinet was finally chosen, consisting of small square rafters of solid beech assembled by an ultrasonically cured adhesive.
This structure present a high mass and a relatively heterogeneous density resulting from the structural differences of each beech rafters. There is therefore no marked resonance's but diffuse and insignificant resonance's of extremely low amplitude which guarantee a perfect neutrality for the cabinet enclosure.
To optimize the mechanical performance of the system thus obtained, research was subsequently undertaken on the support required. The stand is thus part of the unit and should be used in preference to any other.

 

 

ELECTROACOUSTIC PERFORMANCES

Sensitivity

89 db/W/M

Frequency response

30-20000 Hz

Nominal impedance

4 Ohms

Power handling capacity

90 Watts

Peak power

260 Watts

Distorsion

Typically under 0.6%

Wave train formation time

0.53 ms

Damping

1.59 ms maximum (typically 1.2 ms)

Phase response

+/- 15° bertween 2000 and 20000 Hz

Nominal acoustic pressure level

107 db (A weighting)

Connections

Single or Bi (recommended) wiring

Dimensions

H 43". L 8.5". D 16". Stand included

 

RECOMMANDATIONS FOR USE


Despite the low and extremely regular directivity, it is recommended to toe in the speakers so that they converge towards the listening point, in order to draw maximum benefit from the phase of the system.
The distance between the two will be determined experimentally. In theory, the ideal distance is 3 metres from one centerline to the other, but this may be reduced.
This system has been designed and developed for a domestic use. Under no circonstances can it be used for public or private broadcasting. Our warranty would not cover any failure resulting from such uses.

 

Reviews

« LE MONDE DE LA MUSIQUE »  July/august 1999

« Chock » Monde de la musique

We conducted our listening session with the Jean-Marie Reynaud speaker cable, whose construction allowed us to connect the speakers to the earth. The Offrande demonstrated, from the first seconds, how technical mastery could give birth to musical emotion. With this new version, music is more fluid, spontaneous, airy. More alive. Let's also mention their transparency, their light, their smoothness, qualities for which the Offrande were highly regarded. The new Offrande created an even vaster image that extended far beyond them and even beyond the listening environnement. The soundstage reached such a degree of sharpness and precision (width, height, depth) that we hardly believed it was coming from only two speakers.

If the new Offrande went deeper, their bass registrer did not loose anything of its speed and accuracy. Orchestral tuttis had more weight but remained just as clean as we were used to. Still airy and chiseled, the treble allowed us to discern the most subtle chromatic nuances (timbers' accuracy is miraculous) and melted perfectly with the rest of the spectrum. From one end of the frequency range to the other, the Offrande gives a faithful and natural image of the music, without adding nor removing the slightest coloration. Good recordings created astonishing illusions : the artists seemed physically present in our listening room. You have to listen to this speaker to discover high-end audio at its best.

(Associated equipment : « YBA CD1 » CD Player,« 2 Alpha » YBA preamplifier, « 2 Alpha » YBA power amplifier).

« HI FI MAGAZINE » July /August 98 GUIDE HI FI Laurent Thorin

When looking at the Offrande, one of the flagship products of Jean-Marie Reynaud, we can rightfully hesitate as to how to define it. Perched on its stand, must it be considered as a floorstanding speaker or, judging by its volume, as a two-ways bookshelf ? Regarding its sonic qualities, though, doubt is not permitted : the Offrande is a great loudspeaker that is an honour to french acoustics. By means of its marvelous imaging, its develish transparency and its ever-present dynamic, the Offrande highlights the slightest subtleties of the musicians'playing. As for the soundstage, it is extremely focused and palpable.

« PRESTIGE AUDIO VIDEO » April 1998

Setting-up the Offrande is no problem, whatever the listening room. This speaker seems to scoff at your room's characteristics... The Offrande is a true domestic system, designed to play easily in your usual environnement and not only in a specially arranged audiotorium. From the first seconds of listening, a huge emotion filled our auditorium. After four years of existence, the Offrande is still the first of its class. Its ability to fill the room and to push back its boundaries is truly bewildering. The soundstage is extraordinary...

The Jean-Marie Reynaud Offrande is undisputably a tremendous success. The « 98 model » of this speaker succeeds in transcending the sonic asthetics of its eldest. It combines qualities that are usually contradictory : clean restitution and sweetness of timbres, an excellent, stable and pinpoint stereophonic image. A huge « bravo » to Jean-Marie Reynaud for this Offrande, living approach of a certain « musical truth » where musicality recovers its rights.

« LE MONDE DE LA MUSIQUE » January 1998. Ph Venturini

 

« Shock » Monde de la Musique

The new technical datas would not be presented in our colums if they didn't result in an appreciable improvement of listening. Without repeating the fundamental qualities of this speaker (transparency, natural, freedom), let's just say that this new model offers a stronger bass response, with better articulation and slam. Fuller and firmier, it provides a steadier harmonic basis to the music, without altering the tonal balance. The treble also gains in precision, without loosing any of its silkiness. More than ever, this speaker seems magical to us...

« HAUTE FIDELITE », oct/nov 97

The Offrande will be remembered as one of Jean-Marie Reynaud's greatest achievement. He endowed it with everything that matters to him. Its main quality lies in its timbres, incredibly refined and opened. Just listen to a human voice or to an ancient intrument, and you'll understand what I mean. The transparency also reaches the highest levels. The Offrande offers startling accuracy and clarity (...)

The positionning of the performers is extremely precise. But even before these aforementioned qualities, the listener will be stricken by the elegance and the maturity of the reproduction, and profoundly moved by so much beauty...

 

« HIFI MAGAZINE » OCTOBER 1997

From the first seconds, the Offrande draws your attention, enchants and bewitches you. You really need to make a mental effort to analyze its performance in terms of bass, midrange and treble. All this because the Offrande conveys the essence of the music, whether percussive or velvety, subtle or sensual...

The more you'll listen to the Offrande, the more you'll be seduced. The low-bass region is astonishing with tightness and power, without generating any kind of cabinet resonance. Its treble is surprisingly fresh. With the Offrande, a voice will keep its dimensions, its timbre, its transient attacks, its breathing in the true sense of the word. Yet, everything is natural, almost sweet, certainly never fatiguing nor exaggerated.

Oh, we almost forgot : the Offrande deals as easily with a small baroque ensemble than with techno music... Can you say as much of your loudspeakers ?

« TELERAMA » May 1996

Pure and pristine sound, dynamic and flowing. Extraordinarily transparent product, accurate, natural, true to the music. These speakers reveal, without cheating, each and every piece of information engraved on the disc. Music breathes with absolutely no constraints. Deserve a first class amplifier.

 

«  NOUVELLE REVUE DU SON » November 1994

The new ultra-compact high-end system Offrande, from Jean-Marie Reynaud, can be considered as a true revolution in the field of musical reproduction.

The Offrande are able to go deeper in the low-end and with more slam than any existing system of that kind. The sounds flows freely and with consistency, far from being constrained or forced. We are on the opposite side of shrunken soundstages. Dynamic shifts are dealt with in a split second. Everything is vigorous, tight, without becoming fatiguing. Sound is blossoming without seeming compressed, in a hair-raising performance. This truly outstanding system, easy to drive, will bring you unprecendented sensations.

« DIAPASON » December 1994

The Offrande goes deep, incredibly deep considering the woofer's size (17 cm). Thanks to its extreme rapidity and its transparency, the Offrande is extremely revealing of the quality of the recordings. A marvellous achievement.

« PRESTIGE AUDIO VIDEO » March 1995

From the first minutes of listening to the Offrande, we recognized this obvious musical character that is the signature of products of high birth, of the greatest systems. The depth and contours of the music are so striking that the speakers tend to become non-existent, abstract. The listening pleasure reaches a singular intensity. It is hard to believe that such a wealth of information is coming from so small speakers.

« HAUTE-FIDELITE » November 1995

Transparency is the Offrande's motto. The number of micro-information they translate, along with the musical message, is unbelievable. If you want to be plunged into a live performance, if you want to feel the atmosphere of a studio, the Offrande were made for you. The bass is very tight and strong, and is astonishingly powerful considering the size of these speaker.

 

« NOUVELLE REVUE DU SON » November 1995

When trying to criticize this speaker, one inevitably forgets such considerations as sonic quality, definition, or frequency response's linearity. We are entering the realm of emotion, of music, of naturalness and of timbres'truthfulness. The lively character of the restitution puts the Offrande on opposite poles with some speakers coming from the other side of the Channel, so much more boring.