Ø Audio YMIR Unveiled: Latest Loudspeaker Giant

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about Ø Audio’s Ymir loudspeaker, especially if you’ve had first-hand dealings with the company’s Icon 12 and Verdande models as we have.

As with the Verdande and Frigg speakers in Ø Audio’s stable, Ymir takes its name from Norse mythology, where Ymir is the original being and ancestor to the giants.

We are told that, rather than refining an existing platform, Ymir is a "clean-sheet design" built to redefine how reference-level loudspeakers perform in real-world listening environments. That said, from the outside at least, the DNA of the new Icon 12 and Verdande is clear to see, including Ymir's two-way design.

The main differentiator, as far as we can see, is a new 10 mm stainless steel front baffle. This not only adds aesthetic interest but also structural rigidity. That rigidity will also help reduce panel vibration and energy storage, as well as provide a stable platform for driver operation.

Ymir benefits from a newly developed 12-inch driver boasting “extended linear excursion.” The driver features a carbon fibre composite diaphragm with a damping core, promising stable behaviour across both low and high playback levels.

The new unit is designed for wide bandwidth and seamless integration with the newly developed 76 mm carbon diaphragm compression driver. Naturally, this is paired with Ø Audio’s Quad Vertex Soundfield (QVST) waveguide for controlled directivity and smooth off-axis response.

Handing off the duties to either driver is an “assisted first-order crossover topology” featuring custom resin-potted copper foil capacitors and inductors. As seen in the company’s other designs, the low-component-count approach should maintain signal integrity.

Frequency response is quoted as 26 Hz-22 kHz, with an 8-ohm impedance and a 93.5dB sensitivity rating.

The tapered rear of Ymir’s 120kg, 114.5 × 38.2 × 52.9 cm [HxWxD (62.6 cm wide including outriggers)] cabinet is designed to reduce internal reflections and standing waves, while the solid stainless steel outriggers offer structural stability.

Moreover, the height-adjustable feet feature a two-stage decoupling system with a tungsten ball interface designed to reduce energy transfer between the speaker and the floor. That should further improve clarity, focus and low-frequency control.

Rounding things off are the three bass ports on each of the mirror-imaged towers, which should aid room integration, and proprietary speaker terminals with integrated torque limiter at the rear.

The Ø Audio Ymir will be available in two finishes and delivered in a flightcase. The price is rumoured to be US$65,000 per pair, and shipping details are yet to be confirmed, but we will update you as soon as we know more.

For more information visit Ø Audio