Project Seven

The Dick Sequerra Met 7 is arguably one of the cornerstones of small speakers. Conceptually it is the opposite of LS3/5a, and stands as Dr. Jekyl to Mr. Hyde.

Dick Sequerra, Marantz tuner known for his 10 and Sequerra Model 1, in the late '70s he began his adventure electroacoustic founding Pyramid Loudspeaker Co. The first model is the One Metronome (Metronome Pyramid names refer to the form pyramidal and / or a metronome of the first models), a 4-way 15 "woofer, a mid-low 6.5", a mid-high by 4.5 "and a tweeter cone 2", all 90 cm high , with a base 65X39 cm. The second model, the 1977 is the Two 2W +, a pyramid, "Aztec" with a lower modulus (2W, 70X43X63 cm) with a 12 "woofer and a 3-way top pyramid, wanting independent (Model Two: 8" woofer , midrange 4.5 "cone tweeter and 2", 31X20X45 cm). The Model Two 2W + is completed by the fabulous ribbon tweeter T1 in '78, a tweeter so special to replace the Decca Ribbon in the last of Mark Levinson HQD system, making it HQS. The T1 being very expensive, Dick developing the ribbon tweeter HF1 to respond to the request of many audiophiles, a system very popular at the time was the system HF1 + + Dahlquist DQ10 Janis subwoofer.

In fact, the cabinet dell'HF1 is the "egg" from which comes the Dick Sequerra Met 7 ...... In fact, recycling the cabinet of this ribbon tweeter, the speaker to create a statement, the Met 7 (5 "woofer and the usual tweeter 2 "), overtaking that much fame in previous models of the Pyramid. 7 derives from the Met modular "Futuresonics" that completes the bottom and the top 7 with Met Met 8W subwoofer (12 "woofer) and supertweeter Met 9 (double belt, front / rear) or HF1. The system Futuresonics, in its late 70s deliciously many audiophiles in Italy, and the Met 7 of that era, used alone, as he well above its price and who owns a pair, you will rarely separates .....

All '"golden age" followed almost always dark times in the subsequent history of the Met 7. The Met 7 Mk II, woofer and 6.5 "tweeter and 2" "incavernato", has never really convinced lovers of "real" Met 7. In a similar way Futuresonics MkII was questionable (Met 8 MkII woofer, tweeter and horizontal belt Met 9 MkII "line source" Met 10).
Dick replied to the criticism with the "Signature Model One System", a Futuresonics from 28000 dollars. The midrange module (= Met 7 Mk II) loses the cave around the tweeter and buy a cabinet Corian, the module reverts T1 + tweeter Met10-4 etc .... Of course, such a system was not available to everyone and was derived The nearfield monitor NFM-1 (the central module of the Model One Signature, but with a cabinet made of MDF instead of expensive Corian) Dollars from 1500.
With the model MkI 7.7 fleetingly revived a Met 7 "comme-il-faut", 5 "woofer and size from the" real "Met 7, this is perhaps the best Met 7 ever made, very rare and very inexpensive (800 USD) . Follow the MkII and MkIII versions always with a 5 "woofer, which are also" comme-il-faut, "but these versions are more problems in the provision of tax by 5" woofer of 7.7 MkI, rather than real improvements.
Unfortunately, with the return to a MkIV 7.7 woofer and 6.5 "in size and more important and in fact we rather speak of a NFM-1 reactivated, ditto for the Met 7.7MkV .....
The Metronome 20 opens a new chapter, and marks a return to pre-pyramidal Met 7 at a price far less popular (5000 USD).

What makes an object Met 7 so special?
The philosophy of electroacoustic Sequerra puts the emphasis on the correct timing behavior of its speakers, with great attention to the phenomena of diffraction (hence the origins of the pyramid).
In the case of Met 7, the front is just the size that allow the space literally "sleeping" the 5 "woofer and tweeter 2", with a phase "step" of the woofer. These dimensions really make an immediate minimum 13.5X19.5X23 cm falling in love .....
The filtering and strictly first-order "minimum phase", in order to respect the waveform of the musical signal.
It should be noted that only uses Sequerra tweeter cone (except of course the tapes), supporting the relative superiority of the classic "dome". It is very hard to blame him, given the advantages in terms of controlling the dispersion of the diffraction due to the typical behavior of that focus the radiation cones, hand-in-hand that increases the frequency, in the center of the cone, rather than in the periphery (the cones are distinguished by a very low listening fatigue).

The Caterham Seven Acoustics slavishly reproduces the original ingredients of Met 7 with only an actualization of the components (drivers are direct descendants of the original ones) with minor improvements in the quality of the wiring and the capacitors. The cabinet is MDF instead of particle board dell'economicissimo origins, finished Vesmaflex scratch. The system power LED signals has been deleted for reasons of sound. And an absolutely no-compromise, despite the low price. And not a product-marketing (a cone tweeter in the 21 st century?) And even no-design (is small, but beautiful?). As a Caterham Seven car, has only one goal, to give listening pleasure "race" as the driving pleasure of her namesake.

The Caterham Seven Acoustics will give the maximum to smaller inexpensive integrated audiophile, like no other speaker in its price range, gracefully handling the color and the limits of such electronic equipment. There are no limits upwards it transistor, its valves (except for a careful not to have too much power). You can of course complete with a super tweeter and a subwoofer "ad-hoc".