FinkTeam Borg Episode 2 Unveiled at High End Munich 2023

FinkTeam launched Borg at High End Munich five years ago, but word is that the next project was to be a model to bridge the gap between KIM and Borg while developing the "big flagship" to follow the WM4. However, it soon became apparent that the middle child's sound quality wasn't up to FinkTeam standards if they were to remain in the target price range.

So instead, they turned to their Borg to see what could be improved with five more years of experience and technological developments behind them.

BORG EPISODE 2 CABINET

The Borg cabinet has stayed almost the same as before; save the bottom plate now tilts the loudspeaker slightly backwards for better image control, something learned from KIM.

FinkTeam states that the Borg cabinet's emphasis on panel damping worked so well there is little to improve. This is achieved by using a solid metal ring behind the 10.25-inch mid/bass driver alongside a multilayer construction that combines multi-thickness MDF panels with a damping layer whose internal friction converts vibration into heat. Additionally, FinkTeam developed algorithms that help specify ideal material thicknesses to achieve the best results, but we are told that the ultimate determination is made by subjective assessment. That said, Borg Episode 2 does feature improved tweeter decoupling.

BORG EPISODE 2 DRIVERS

FinkTeam says that the benefits of a 10.25-inch mid/bass, "once heard, are difficult to forget". These include a level of dynamics and naturalness around voices and a richness to the sound without bloom or boom that just sounds right.

The Borg's mid/bass unit features similar thinking to the WM-4's bass driver: low hysteresis surround, a large three-inch voice coil for better control and power handling and a light, stiff paper cone. In addition, of course, it includes all the typical FinkTeam design essentials: an aluminium shorting ring on the centre pole to reduce voice coil inductance change with position and to reduce flux variation as a function of voice coil current.

The die-cast aluminium chassis is fully vented for low airspeed, as is the voice coil former, reducing distortion and compression.All this brings a dynamic, low-colouration drive unit with high power handling and low thermal compression.

The mid/bass unit is partnered with an Air Motion Transformer (AMT) high-frequency driver designed and manufactured in-house by Mundorf and assembled at the FinkTeam production place in Essen.

The AMT has a strong, 25μm-thick pleated Kapton diaphragm with 50μm aluminium strips, chosen for its excellent internal damping, resulting in particularly low distortion. We're informed that a special etching process was developed to produce it, and the diaphragm configuration was optimised through many tests. Given the 10.25-inch mid/bass unit and a lower-than-average crossover frequency of 1600Hz, a larger AMT driver with a 6464mm2 surface area was ideal, says FinkTeam.

Frequency response reaches up to 30kHz while distortion is very low and mainly second harmonic. The AMT's almost constant impedance also facilitates a simplified crossover design (in theory).

BORG EPISODE 2 CROSSOVER

However, the Borg Episode 2's improved performance primarily concerns the crossover - the heart of every loudspeaker. Here you have a 4th order acoustic Linkwitz-Riley with a time delay addition between LF and HF. Air cores are still employed, even for the woofer part (laminated steel core for impedance compensation). However, the Polyester based capacitor in the Impedance compensation (150uF) was replaced with 12 single MKT capacitors in parallel, giving lower losses than a one-piece Polypropylene based capacitor.

The tweeter part of the crossover uses a transformer to adjust the sensitivity of the HF unit to the Woofer level. The tweeter level needs to be reduced by > 6dB; in the past, this was done by high-quality resistors. However, through the work done on the WM4's successor, FinkTeam started using transformers to adjust levels, and the sound improvement was considerable, so we are told. Those transformers (Autoformers) have been used in classic BBC monitors, with JBL and Tannoy also utilising them in big monitors. FinkTeam says that in all three cases, the transformer not only reduced the level but also acted as a part of the filter, and such is the case with Borg Episode 2. Moreover, as the transformer changes level and impedance, the tweeter's main capacitor could get lower in value. This capacitor is essential for sound quality, and the latest Borg loudspeaker features a new type from Danish specialist Duelund (PP and Silver Hybrid), paired with a second from Mundorf. The transformer is made in Germany on an HQ Ferrite core and potted in wax for the best mechanical damping. The crossover is located in a cavity at the bottom of the cabinet.

Due to the transformer in the crossover, the impedance got really high at upper frequencies, so a more complex impedance compensation was necessary, split between woofer crossover and tweeter crossover. These compensations are not critical in terms of components, but they offer a constant load of more than 10 Ohms, along with a low phase shift above 200Hz, making life easy for cables and amplifiers. The resulting sensitivity is 87dB @ 2.83V;- however, the "real "sensitivity is higher at 1 Watt, states FinkTeam.

BORG EPISODE 2 UPGRADE & PRICE

The best news is that upgrading your existing Borg speakers in the factory to the new version is possible.

The retail price for the FinkTeam Borg Episode 2 is very similar to the original at €29,990, including 19% VAT; the upgrade price will be announced later.

Visit FinkTeam for more information