Athena WS-100 3-Way Floorstanding Speakers, Aluminum (Pair)

Athena WS-100 3-Way Floorstanding Speakers, Aluminum (Pair)
Manufacturer: Athena
Product Type: CE

Editorial Review:
Product Description
The floorstanding WS-100 is the flagship model of the WS Series, in a dynamic high performance configuration featuring a total of 9 drivers. The 1" Teteron tweeter reproduces the highs, while three 3.5" woofers handle all bass duties with distortion-free ease. A total of five 3.5" passive radiators are utilized to extend bass response down to below 50Hz. The WS-100 features an attractive polycarbonate base for enhanced cosmetics as well as additional stability for its extruded aluminum cabinet.
Amazon.com Product Description
From the minds of Athena engineers comes the WS flat-panel speaker series--a versatile, stylish line designed for audiophiles on a budget. Each WS speaker shares a few common characteristics: high-quality injection-molded polypropylene cone woofers; 1-inch Teteron dome tweeters; crisp, clear, stunningly realistic sound; and a slim, richly designed speaker enclosure. The overall effect is powerful and attractive, making this a great system for anyone who wants to tease out the full audio potential of his or her flat-screen TVs.

The speakers' high-quality 3.5-inch polypropylene woofer cones with rubber surrounds provide a long excursion and low distortion.

Though the WS-60 and WS-15s are the most versatile speakers in the WS series, it's the WS-100 floorstanding speakers that serve as the system's flagship. Each dynamic, high-performance speaker features a total of nine drivers--far more than most competing speakers--and as a result sounds powerful and compelling in any configuration. The multi-transducer arrangement includes a trio of 3.5-inch injection-molded polypropylene cone woofers that provide higher power handling (200 watts) and output levels, along with five 3.5-inch polypropylene passive radiators that extend the bass response further downward. Passive radiators are precisely built, weighted drivers that "tune" the speaker enclosure--much like a tuned port--but produce no wind noise. The more radiators in the narrow enclosure, the lower the bass response.

The narrow profile of the WS-100 speakers looks great next to a flat-panel TV.

The WS-100s' standing wave filter (SWF) system, meanwhile, really sets the speaker apart. Traditionally, speakers with long, narrow enclosures produce excessive standing waves that reduce bass response and distort the critical midrange frequencies. But the WS-100's precisely placed SWF reduces standing waves in two ways: by dampening or absorbing the reflected sound within the enclosure, and by reflecting the remaining sounds at path-lengths that are far higher in frequency than is typical. The resulting bass response is deeper, cleaner, and more accurate than with other speakers. Add in such features as a high-strength aluminum housing and a medium-density fiberboard (MDF) baffle and you have a strong, low-distortion, resonance-free speaker.

Of course, low and mid frequencies are only part of the Athena equation, as the WS-100s also come with Athena's legendary Teteron tweeters for dispersing loud, clear, and accurate highs. The tweeter's durable synthetic Teteron material is specially contoured to reduce distortion and fit into the custom-designed bezel, which amplifies and optimizes the tweeter's wide-ranging dispersion pattern. Teteron is also impervious to moisture, so it won't degrade over time, nor does it have any inherent ringing problems--unlike the tweeters built into many conventional home theater speakers. Plus, Athena uses the Teteron tweeter in all its Audition series models, making it easy to blend the WS-100s with other Athena speakers--including non-WS series models--without losing precious fidelity.

Audio specifications range from a frequency response of 50 Hz to 20 kHz to a crossover point of 2.4 kHz to a sensitivity rating of 90 dB. And setup is a breeze thanks to the WS-100's polycarbonate base, which is attached right out of the box. Finally, each WS-100 boasts sturdy, easy-to-connect gold-plated spring clip terminals that work with most standard speaker wire. The speakers, which are magnetically shielded against video interference, measures 4.2 by 41.6 by 4 inches (W x H x D) each and are backed by a five-year warranty on parts and labor.

What's in the Box
Two WS-100 speakers with attached bases, user's manual.