Osborn Mini Tower Speakers

We were glad to get a chance to hear this tall thin speaker, because our last encounter with an Osborn speaker, the Interlude (UHF No. 60) was a disappointment. We heard lots of gorgeous things come out, but there was such a hole in the midrange we suspected an internal wiring error. There wasn't, according to Greg Osborn. Undeterred, we booked an appointment to try another model, also smaller than you expect from Osborn, an Australian company famous for speakers the size of small condos (the Monument Grand Reference is 1.6 meters high and weighs 170 kg).
     This is a handsome three-way speaker, with twin 12.5 cm Polykevlar woofers (the narrow cabinet doesn't leave room for a single large one), a 12.5 cm Kevlar midrange and an inverted fiberglass dome tweeter. The crossover points are at 250 Hz and 4.5 kHz, and they are first order, with a slope of 6 dB/octave. Claimed sensitivity is 91 dB, and the impedance is 4 ohms.
     The sides are exceptionally thick (25 cm, or 1 inch), and the front and rear are an even thicker 3.2 cm thick. The impeccable finish is in a warm-toned mahogany native to Australia. The black base gives it the stability it would otherwise lack. The grilles are of fine black mesh, sheer enough to allow the drivers to be seen.
     The two pairs of binding posts are a familiar model better suited to cheaper products. Because they are so close together and they are not hexagonal, they are nearly impossible to tighten properly. On the other hand, we admired the tall polished spikes supplied with the Mini Towers.
     We set the speakers up in our Omega system, initially just where our Reference 3a Supremas had been. They sounded rather thin that way., and we backed them closer to the rear wall. We also turned up the volume about 3 dB, making us doubt the published sensitivity spec.
     We began with William Walton's deliciously satirical suite for small orchestra, Façade (Reference Recordings RR-16). There's a lot of...

Model: Osborn Mini Tower
Price: C$3700, equivalent to US$2400
Warranty: 5 years, transferable, from date of manufacture
Dimensions: 94 x 17.5 x 27 cm

(This is an excerpt from the full article. To read the entire review of this speaker, just order issue 61 at our secure server.)

Complete articles from this issue:
The Battle of the Super Discs, Cambridge Isomagic Converter, Soundcare Superspikes, State of the Art

Excerpted articles from this issue:
New Surround Formats, Defeating DVD Zoning, Vegas 2001, Audiomat Tempo & Vecteur D-2, Audio Refinement Pre 5 Preamp, Osborn Mini Tower Speakers, Mirage OM-9 Speakers


		(Reprinted from issue 61 of UHF Magazine. To purchase the issue, click here. Or click here to subscribe to UHF) Osborn Mini Tower A big speaker, yes, but tiny for an Osborn. Too tiny?
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		We were glad to get a chance to hear this tall thin speaker, because our last encounter with an Osborn speaker, the Interlude (UHF No. 60) was a disappointment. We heard lots of gorgeous things come out, but there was such a hole in the midrange we suspected an internal wiring error. There wasn't, according to Greg Osborn. Undeterred, we booked an appointment to try another model, also smaller than you expect from Osborn, an Australian company famous for speakers the size of small condos (the Monument Grand Reference is 1.6 meters high and weighs 170 kg). This is a handsome three-way speaker, with twin 12.5 cm Polykevlar woofers (the narrow cabinet doesn't leave room for a single large one), a 12.5 cm Kevlar midrange and an inverted fiberglass dome tweeter. The crossover points are at 250 Hz and 4.5 kHz, and they are first order, with a slope of 6 dB/octave. Claimed sensitivity is 91 dB, and the impedance is 4 ohms. The sides are exceptionally thick (25 cm, or 1 inch), and the front and rear are an even thicker 3.2 cm thick. The impeccable finish is in a warm-toned mahogany native to Australia. The black base gives it the stability it would otherwise lack. The grilles are of fine black mesh, sheer enough to allow the drivers to be seen. The two pairs of binding posts are a familiar model better suited to cheaper products. Because they are so close together and they are not hexagonal, they are nearly impossible to tighten properly. On the other hand, we admired the tall polished spikes supplied with the Mini Towers. We set the speakers up in our Omega system, initially just where our Reference 3a Supremas had been. They sounded rather thin that way., and we backed them closer to the rear wall. We also turned up the volume about 3 dB, making us doubt the published sensitivity spec. We began with William Walton's deliciously satirical suite for small orchestra, Façade (Reference Recordings RR-16). There's a lot of... Model: Osborn Mini Tower Price: C$3700, equivalent to US$2400 Warranty: 5 years, transferable, from date of manufacture Dimensions: 94 x 17.5 x 27 cm (This is an excerpt from the full article. To read the entire review of this speaker, just order issue 61 at our secure server.) Complete articles from this issue: The Battle of the Super Discs, Cambridge Isomagic Converter, Soundcare Superspikes, State of the Art Excerpted articles from this issue: New Surround Formats, Defeating DVD Zoning, Vegas 2001, Audiomat Tempo & Vecteur D-2, Audio Refinement Pre 5 Preamp, Osborn Mini Tower Speakers, Mirage OM-9 Speakers [TABLE OF CONTENTS] [BACK HOME]