Stenheim Ultime Reference Two Floorstanding Speakers

The Reference Ultime Two is the most compact speaker in the Reference line, but it is still considerably bigger than the Alumine Five and built to a different scale. It is designed for larger spaces and to front more powerful systems, to fill big rooms with dynamic, captivating sound that covers the full bandwidth, providing deeper bass than is possible with a smaller cabinet design. 

The cabinet is constructed in typical Stenheim fashion. It uses solid aluminium panels over a critically braced, internal chassis, CNC machined from solid billet aluminium. The sheer quantity of aluminium employed is impressive, ensuring that these cabinets are sonically inert and will not flex, no matter how loud the music gets. Beneath the sleek outer panels, each driver is mounted in its own chamber to minimise interference from the others.  

Like all the Reference Line models, the Reference Ultime Two is a full d’Appolito design, with a symmetrical driver layout conferring significant sound dispersion advantages. It uses a pair of 30 cm (12-inch) forward-firing woofers to provide deep bass from 25 Hz. Control and bass extension is further enhanced through a pair of rear-facing, laminar flow, reflex ports similar to those used so successfully in the award-winning Alumine Five. These have the advantage of reducing the turbulence that can occur with traditional ported designs giving better transient response which is crucial for reproducing fast and dynamic musical passages. This speed and attack underlies the amazing clarity and dynamism with which Stenheim is synonymous. 

The five drivers – two woofers, two midrange and a tweeter - are kept to the minimum, in common with other Stenheim designs, enabling the crossovers to be simpler than they otherwise might be. Nonetheless, they are the fruit of many hours of listening in the development phase and painstakingly designed to ensure that every driver is working in its optimum frequency range. The passive crossovers are constructed from the very finest electrical components available. This is part of the Reference Line brief, to produce the most captivating music irrespective of cost, and allows us to make our component selection without compromise. 

The Reference Ultime Two is a room-friendly design that demands considerably less space between it and the rear wall to perform well. Performance in any given room can be optimized by means of the room control back panel. This enables the highs, mids and bass to be individually dialed in, allowing the Reference Ultime Two to be fine-tuned to provide the best possible sound.  

Whilst the Reference Ultime Two is an imposing speaker, it possesses a classical slim elegance that enhances multiple décors. It shares the same form factor as its bigger brothers in the Reference Line and the same design philosophy but looks more at home in smaller rooms. Available in the standard colours of Light or Dark Grey, it can also be ordered in the custom colours of Ivory, Mocca, or Full Black. The metal trim parts that visually divide the cabinet can also be ordered in several colours to match the owner’s system or furnishings. These can also be retro-fitted should your décor change in the future and you would still like your Reference Ultime Twos to complement it. 

Like all Stenheim speakers, it is hand-built to order in our manufacture in Switzerland and is designed to deliver captivating music for decades. The Reference Ultime Two delivers audio performance that honours the musical performance, a listening experience that captures the energy and atmosphere of a live concert and live audience. 

Specifications

Passive 3-way floor-standing speakers 

Full d'Appolito array with 2x 30cm (12") woofers, 2x 16.5cm (6.5") medium driver, 1x 2.6cm (1 ") soft dome tweeter 

Rear laminar port bass reflex design 

Full aluminium construction 

6 independent chambers 

Phase coherent crossover employing high grade, audiophile components 

Passive room control fine tuner panel 

Frequency response: 25Hz to 35kHz 

Sensitivity: 95dB SPL, half space

Power handling: 400W RMS, 800W Peak 

Minimum recommended power: 30W 

Nominal impedance: 4 Ohms

Dimensions: Height 153.5cm (60.43") x Width 36.8cm (14.49") x Depth 50.5mm (19.89") 

Weight: 231 kg (509.3Ibs) each 

Available in metallic Light Grey or Dark Grey with black front and rear 

Warranty: 5 years 

Delivered with adjustable spikes