OPERA QUINTA

Pre owned. In excellent condition. Free from any obvious signs of wear. Supplied without the original packaging.

The Opera Quinta 2006 is a floorstanding two-and-a-half-way loudspeaker, revised from the previous version bearing the same name in terms of cabinet, drivers and crossover. The design uses three 6.5" mid-woofers and a 1" tweeter, with the three low-frequency drivers arranged in a configuration that provides a large radiating area while maintaining coherence through the mid-bass range.

The cabinet has a total internal volume of approximately 60 litres and is divided into two separate chambers: the lower chamber, measuring approximately 40 litres, houses the two lower mid-woofers, while the upper chamber, measuring approximately 20 litres, houses the upper mid-woofer. The internal division also reinforces the structure and raises the frequency of the first normal mode, limiting the formation of low-frequency resonances. Acrylic sound-absorbing material is used inside the cabinet to control low-frequency damping and reduce internal reflections.

The construction follows the design approach of Opera's Classica Series, with a shaped MDF cabinet, genuine wood-veneered and lacquered side panels, and the remaining surfaces covered in leather. The front baffle is kept relatively narrow, with just enough width to accommodate the drivers, while the rear panel houses three bass-reflex ports. The connection section features four large-diameter gold-plated terminals and allows for bi-amplification.

The 1" tweeter, manufactured by SEAS and also used in the Callas Sp, features a silk dome, ferrofluid in the magnetic gap and a large decompression chamber. The three 6.5" mid-woofers, also manufactured by SEAS, were specifically developed for the Classica Series. They feature an 18 cm basket, a 38 mm voice coil, an aluminium diaphragm and a rubber surround. The magnetic assembly incorporates two copper rings, positioned above and below the T-shaped pole piece, which help reduce distortion and stabilise the magnetic flux. The ABS phase plug aids heat dissipation, reduces compression effects associated with the dust cap and facilitates higher-frequency output. The die-cast basket also features an open, aerodynamic design in the area beneath the suspension.

The crossover implements a two-and-a-half-way configuration in which the three mid-woofers are connected in an almost series arrangement. Up to approximately 400 Hz, all three drivers contribute to the output, while between approximately 400 and 800 Hz the contribution of the two lower mid-woofers progressively decreases in favour of the upper driver. Above 800 Hz, the two lower drivers are attenuated by approximately 6 dB per octave, progressively shifting the acoustic centre of the system towards the upper mid-woofer. This configuration maintains a coherent response through the mid-bass range, while at low frequencies the overall radiating area is equivalent to that of a driver with a nominal diameter of more than 10".

The tweeter filter uses a fourth-order configuration, placing the acoustic crossover frequency slightly above 2,000 Hz. Particular attention is also paid to the electrical impedance characteristics, with the impedance magnitude remaining above 5.9 ohms and exhibiting a regular behaviour close to resistive from approximately 200 Hz upwards. The specified sensitivity is 89 dB at 2.83 V at one metre, while the impedance characteristics and limited phase rotation make the loudspeaker suitable for use with both solid-state and valve amplifiers.

The Opera Quinta is designed for floorstanding installation and should not be positioned in the corners of the room. Opera recommends maintaining a minimum distance of approximately 30 cm from the side walls, while the rear bass-reflex ports do not necessarily require a large distance from the rear wall. The final positioning can be determined according to the characteristics of the room and listening environment.

Technical specifications:

• System: floorstanding loudspeaker; bass reflex with 2 separate chambers and rear ports
• Finishes: wood and leather
• Drivers: 3 x 6.5" woofers with aluminium cones; 1 x 1" dome tweeter with silk dome, ferrofluid and decompression chamber
• Number of ways: 2.5-way
• Frequency response: 32 - 20,000 Hz
• Crossover: printed circuit board; 12 dB/octave for the quasi-series connected woofers; 24 dB/octave for the tweeter
• Crossover frequency: approximately 2,000 Hz
• Maximum power handling: 210 W RMS
• Recommended amplifier: minimum 15 W RMS
• Sensitivity: 89 dB/2.83 V/1 m
• Nominal impedance: 8 ohms; 8 ohms maximum; 5.9 ohms minimum between 100 and 20,000 Hz
• Positioning: at least 20 cm from the rear wall; at least 30 cm from the side wall
• Dimensions: 117.5 x 24 x 39.5 cm (H x W x D)
• Weight: 34 kg each