UNISON RESEARCH MAX 2

Used. In excellent condition. Free from visible signs of wear. Supplied with spikes, without original packaging.

MAX 2 is a loudspeaker designed specifically to be paired with Unison Research valve amplifiers, with particular attention paid not only to sensitivity but above all to impedance optimization, ensuring ideal electrical synergy. It is a two-way floorstanding reflex-loaded loudspeaker with substantial yet well-proportioned dimensions, conceived to remain manageable in domestic environments. The front laminar reflex port further facilitates room placement and also makes the speaker suitable for use as a front channel in Home Theatre systems. Using two pairs of MAX 2, one front and one rear, it is possible to create a high-impact Home Theatre system capable of operating effectively even without a center channel or subwoofer.

The project is conceived as a complete and definitive loudspeaker, offering deep and authoritative low-frequency extension, the ability to reproduce high sound pressure levels effortlessly, and remarkable ease of room integration. The midrange is clear, articulate, and well defined, while high frequencies are reproduced with great refinement and quality.

The 15-inch woofer, manufactured in Italy, features a diaphragm made from a felted compound of vegetable fibers and carbon fibers and is equipped with a 100 mm dual-layer voice coil, with inner and outer windings, mounted on an aluminum former. Two metal rings dedicated to controlling flux variation help keep harmonic and intermodulation distortion at levels well below audibility. The neodymium magnet ensures high performance, while the external fabric suspension, composed of cotton and polyester and formed in a triple-roll profile, is damped with a newly developed treatment. The die-cast basket guarantees maximum structural rigidity. Its ability to handle over 800 watts of continuous power, far exceeding real-world operating conditions, ensures the absence of any thermal compression effects.

The compression driver, also manufactured in Italy, employs a 75 mm diaphragm with an aluminum voice coil and winding, a solution that minimizes stress and deformation caused by temperature. It is loaded by an ESS constant-coverage elliptical horn with wide dispersion, made of polyurethane, distinguished by its robustness, linearity, and natural, coloration-free sound. The directivity index remains substantially constant within a very tight tolerance up to beyond 12 kHz.

The electrical crossover is set at around 800 Hz and is asymmetrical in design, built using carefully selected high-quality components. OFC copper inductors, tightly matched Mundorf capacitors, and MOX resistors ensure stability and precision. The printed circuit board is manufactured in Italy, and the design incorporates the GTN module, developed to ensure transparency and natural sound reproduction. A switch is provided to adjust high-frequency roll-off. Particular care has been taken to achieve a very smooth impedance curve, with a minimum value of 7.4 ohms, reducing the influence of speaker cables and amplifier damping factor, in full compliance with DIN standards for nominal 8-ohm loudspeakers.

The cabinet is constructed from 25 mm thick MDF, veneered in natural wood and reinforced with internal bracing. The internal volume, approximately 130 liters, is treated with open-cell polyurethane featuring a pyramidal profile to control resonances. The front baffle is covered in synthetic leather, with flush-mounted drivers and internal machining designed to prevent midrange coloration. Although the speaker employs components suitable for professional use, the cabinet follows high-fidelity design principles, with rounded edges and no protrusions to preserve impulse response and avoid diffraction effects. The cabinet is designed to be used with height-adjustable spikes.

On the rear panel there are four high-quality binding posts, the same used on Unison Research amplifiers, allowing for bi-amplification and accepting spade lugs, 4 mm banana plugs, and bare wire, ensuring a secure, stable, and effective electrical and mechanical connection.

Technical specifications:

• System: floorstanding loudspeaker; front reflex loading
• Number of ways: 2-way
• Drivers: 1 × 15" woofer; 1 × 1.4" driver with titanium diaphragm
• Frequency response: 30–20,000 Hz
• Crossover: woofer low-pass 12 dB; tweeter high-pass 6 dB; crossover frequency 800 Hz
• Power handling: 500 watts RMS
• Recommended amplifier power: 10 to 200 watts RMS or higher; unclipped operation
• Sensitivity: 96 dB @ 2.83 Vrms / 1 meter
• Nominal impedance: 8 ohms; minimum 7.4 ohms
• Dimensions: 101 × 43.5 × 54 cm (height × width × depth)
• Weight: 60 kg per speaker