Review samples supplied by Mafico
Retail prices:
€14.999 in premium aluminum or black matte finish
Proudly engineered and produced in the Netherlands
Final was originally founded in 1989 by brothers Maarten and Michiel Smits. After some time away from the brand, they have recently revived Final with renewed enthusiasm and a clear mission: to create world-class audio products that are proudly engineered and produced in the Netherlands.
Not just another Electrostatic speaker
Final electrostatics work unlike any other electrostatic speakers. Interestingly, their visual appearance provides a clue to what makes them special, but it’s easy to overlook. Usually, electrostatic speakers are built using a super-thin, tensioned foil that uses its entire area to reproduce either the full frequency range or at least the midrange and treble. The foil’s excursion is minimal, but it makes up for this with its large surface area. Oftentimes, the foils are split into bass and treble sections, and sometimes, there are multiple bass sections. Quad is a good example of this. Another common practice is to pair an electrostatic foil for treble and midrange with a dynamic woofer in a cabinet. Martin Logan is a well-known example of this.
A considerable disadvantage of a wide driver is that, perhaps somewhat counterintuitively, the dispersion at higher frequencies narrows to a point where flat electrostatics can make the listener feel as though they must keep their head in a virtual vice to avoid the imaging and focus moving along with the head’s position. Martin Logan has addressed this to some extent by using a curved panel to create a virtual narrower radiation area, while Quad cleverly addressed this by using concentric electrode rings with increasing delays for their midrange/treble sections to mimic a point-source speaker.
What makes Final Audio speakers special
Like other electrostatic speakers, Final speakers reproduce music via a single large foil, but instead of Mylar, the company uses Teonex, a stronger, lighter material. It is coated with ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), the same transparent, conductive material used on aircraft windows. In this application, the coating must be UV-resistant and resist uncontrolled buildup of static charges. It has already stood the test of time, and it will not deteriorate. As Final Audio puts it, the foils will essentially last a lifetime. After earlier experiences with reduced treble output in other electrostatic speakers after years of use, I specifically asked Maarten about this, and he flat-out confirmed that Final’s electrostatic panels are built to last a lifetime.
Most electrostatic speakers use metal stators. Final stators are made from Perspex, a material that can be produced with extremely tight tolerances to ensure a perfectly flat surface. This flatness is essential for maintaining a uniform electrostatic field across the entire panel. Perspex also offers excellent acoustic damping, unlike metal, which naturally resonates.
The Model 15+ may be tall, but they’re also very transparent, sonically as well as visually!
While Final speakers use a single large foil, they are actually multi-way designs with four sections covering distinct frequency ranges. Interestingly, the crossover points are not achieved by a traditional mix of capacitors, coils, and resistors. Instead, the designers make very clever use of the fact that the stators inherently already possess the characteristics of a capacitor. Because Perspex is non-conductive, it is possible to make only specific areas of the stators conductive by precision-printing sections of the panel. The stators are thus divided into two sections: one for low frequencies and one for high frequencies, each supplied with a Push-Pull music signal via dedicated, custom-made UI48 high-resolution audio transformers, and each of these two sections is further subdivided into two sections. To complete the electrostatic principle, a proprietary high-voltage power supply charges the Teonex foil, enabling it to respond to the alternating music signal connected to the front and back stators.
The unique trick used by Final Audio is that the roll-off frequencies for each driver section are determined by the relationship between the width of conductive coating between the driver sections and the assembly’s natural capacitance. Is that clever or what?!
The result is a multi-band speaker with separate sections for low bass, mid bass, midrange/treble, and uppermost treble. The added benefit is that the midrange- and treble sections can be made very narrow, resulting in a wide dispersion to cover a large listening area while providing excellent focus, independent of the precise listening position.
This also allows the creation of very narrow tweeter sections for improved high-frequency dispersion—traditionally a weakness of electrostatic speakers. The various printed sections also have different widths to help distribute and reduce resonances.
Model 15+
The Prestige Series is created for listeners who want the absolute best in sound and design, and those who value uniqueness. The Prestige Model 15+ is positioned directly under the Model 35+, the company’s flagship speaker. As the second-largest model in the Final portfolio, it stands tall at 204 cm. Yet, measuring 46cm at its widest, thanks to its transparent nature and 3,5 cm thickness, it does not appear massive.
The Model 15+ has a frequency response (+/- 3 dB) of 42 – 23.000 Hz, meaning the speakers offer extended treble and go low enough to be used without a subwoofer. The speakers have a very decent sensitivity of 88 dB/2.83 volt (1 meter), and with a linear impedance of 6 Ohms that only dips to 3 Ohms at 20kHz, pretty much any competent amplifier can drive them.
For such a tall speaker, the Model 15+ is surprisingly lightweight. At 20 kg each, the speakers are a breeze to position and maneuver, even for those who need to be careful with their backs, like me. How different this is from speakers like the full aluminum Magicos or the classic Apogees, which are filled with heavy magnets.
The Model 15+ comes standard in premium aluminum with an elegant black matte finish, or in any desired custom finish.
Next: Review Context, Listening, and Conclusion
