NRC Measurements: Dutch & Dutch 8c Loudspeakers

All loudspeaker measurements are performed independently at the National Research Council of Canada. All measurement data and graphical information displayed below are the property of the SoundStage! Network and Schneider Publishing Inc. Reproduction in any format is not permitted.

Measurement notes: The Dutch & Dutch 8c is an active loudspeaker, so sensitivity, impedance, and electrical phase measurements are not applicable, and, therefore, are not shown. Since the 8c relies uses digital signal processing (DSP), the user can customize its output for a room through the supplied app. In installations where the rear of the speaker is within 10-80cm of the front wall, the user will use the app to select Boundary mode and input the appropriate distance each speaker is from the wall; otherwise, the Free-Standing mode should be used. Since an anechoic chamber is a reflection-free environment -- effectively replicating a wall-free, wide-open space -- all measurements were done in the Free-Standing mode.

Because the 8c has two rear-firing woofers, their full contributions to the overall response are not well reflected in the frequency-response measurements done from in front of the speaker; therefore, we added an additional frequency-response measurement with the speaker turned 180 degrees, the back thereby facing the five measurement microphones, to better capture the woofers’ outputs. In addition, the woofers’ outputs partially “wrap around” the cabinet, resulting in them interfering with the midrange output in an anechoic chamber when measured from the front, so we also produced an additional Listening Window frequency-response measurement with the woofers turned off.

Setup

Microphone measuring position: between tweeter and midrange

Grille: n/a (none available)

Frequency response and sensitivity

Sensitivity: n/a

Chart A: 20Hz - 20kHz (measured @ 2m, plotted @ 1m)

Top curve: on-axis response

Middle curve: 15 degrees off-axis response

Bottom curve: 30 degrees off-axis response

Chart B: 20Hz - 20kHz (measured @ 2m, plotted @ 1m)

Top curve: 45 degrees off-axis response

Middle curve: 60 degrees off-axis response

Bottom curve: 75 degrees off-axis response

Additional measurement to capture output of woofers

Response curve is an average of five measurements: on-axis, 15 degrees left and right off-axis, 15 degrees up and down off-axis

Listening window

20Hz - 20kHz (measured @ 2m, plotted @ 1m)

Response curve is an average of five measurements: on-axis, 15 degrees left and right off-axis, 15 degrees up and down off-axis

Additional measurement: woofers turned off

Response curve is an average of five measurements: on-axis, 15 degrees left and right off-axis, 15 degrees up and down off-axis

Total harmonic distortion + noise

Chart A: @ 90dB, 50Hz - 10kHz (measured @ 2m)

Top curve: frequency response @ 90dB SPL

Bottom curve: THD+N @ 90dB (50Hz - 10kHz)

Deviation from linearity

Chart A: Difference @ 90dB from 70dB, 50Hz - 20kHz (measured @ 2m)