Ultimatum – XLC

The ULTIMATUM XLC Centre-Channel loudspeaker has been designed to complement Ultimatum main speakers in the context of multi-channel & home theatre systems.

The XLC incorporates key ULTIMATUM features; a multi-chamber, multi-driver enclosure constructed from Birch Plywood. It is a 2-way design, using four of Neat’s 168mm main drivers (two of which have been re-designed to meet the exacting requirements of the ULTIMATUM range) in a reflex tuned iso-baric configuration, coupled with SEAS soft dome tweeter with Sonomex surround.

Three years of development have been spent on solving the problem of deleterious vibrational effects and the driver-mounting baffle is decoupled from the main structure via a polyethylene membrane. The total baffle is a 45mm thick ‘sandwich’ of Birch Plywood, Polyethylene and MDF. This provides a rigid non-resonant platform, which is ideal for optimal performance of the drive units.

The crossover is a minimalist 3-element type (plus damping & attenuating resistors) employing precisely toleranced, low loss air-cored inductors and Neat’s newly-developed polypropylene capacitors. The speaker exploits predominantly first-order crossover slopes and mechanical roll-offs for a natural, uninhibited performance.