THE PQS-202 MK II

The PQS-202 Mk II is a 3 way design based on our PQS-201 model with the addition of a sub-woofer. It is designed for use in high end 2-channel systems and also as the front loudspeakers in high quality home theatre systems.

Fast High Quality Bass

The PQS-202 Mk II sub-woofer uses the same high quality 12 inch driver as our prestige Loreley model to produce deep, clean and fast bass down to 35Hz.

Easy to Position

The PQS-202 Mk II may be positioned against the wall. This minimises its intrusion into the room and makes it ideal for smaller listening rooms as well as home theatres.

The DDD Driver

The DDD driver is used on all German Physiks loudspeakers and the same quality of driver is used on all models from our entry level product, to the top of the range Gaudi. This revolutionary driver gives the same very important advantages to all German Physiks designs and is what sets them apart from our competitors.

Its very low moving mass enables it to operate linearly over an extremely wide frequency range. The titanium DDD driver used on the standard PQS-202 Mk II covers the entire range from 300Hz to 21,500Hz. In a conventional design, this range would be covered by two or even three different types of driver and most importantly there would be a cross over point in the mid range, the area where our hearing is most sensitive. The DDD driver’s wide operating range allows this vital region to be kept free from the level and phase anomalies that multiple drivers and a necessarily more complex cross over would create. This enables the PQS-202 Mk II, like all German Physiks loudspeakers, to produce very accurate and realistic stereo images. Another key advantage of the DDD driver is that it is omni directional, so these excellent stereo images can be enjoyed from a wide range of listening positions, unlike conventional designs which have much smaller “sweet spots” due to the tendency of their drivers to beam the sound. This is an ideal property in a loudspeaker that may be used in a home theatre system where there could be many listeners.

Modern movie soundtracks are very detailed. In many cases not only will there be a large orchestra that on its own covers a very wide frequency and dynamic range, but there will be complex sound effects sections with a large number of elements, as well as multiple voice tracks. The DDD driver’s low moving mass gives it exceptional speed and low distortion enabling it to clearly resolve all the elements in even the most complex soundtrack and thereby greatly enhance the total viewing experience.

The DDD driver is phase linear across its operating range ensuring that the timbral character of each musical instrument is reproduced with great accuracy. This also makes sound effects more believable and is particularly noticeable on complex and very dynamic effects.

More information on the DDD driver, its development and advantages may be found on the Technology page of this web site.

Low Resonance Cabinet

To minimise resonances and cabinet talk the PQS-202 Mk II’s cabinet is constructed from heavy MDF panels with additional internal bracing to increase rigidity. Any residual cabinet talk is minimised by applying Hawaphon, a special damping material, to the inside of each panel. Hawaphon is a polymer sheet containing a matrix of small cells filled with very fine steel shot and was originally developed as an anti-surveillance measure for use in military and government buildings. It adds mass to the panel to reduce the resonant frequency and the ability of the shot in each cell to move against each other provides a very effective way of converting vibration energy into heat. Hawaphon achieves a broadband attenuation of structure-borne sound of more than 50dB.

To damp resonances of the air within the cabinet, the whole of the inside of the cabinet is lined with a thick layer of high density felt.

Adjustable High Frequency Output

Jumpers on the loudspeaker’s rear panel enable the high frequency output level to be adjusted in 4 steps: -2dB, flat, +2dB and +4dB. This allows the user to easily compensate for the variations in the absorption of high frequencies that occur due to different types of furnishings and room construction.

Hand Finished Cabinets

The PQS-202 Mk II is available in the customer’s choice of hand matched, hard wood veneers. Cabinets supplied in our High Gloss option are coated with several layers of lacquer and then hand polished to a deep lustrous finish. This can be re-polished in the event of it receiving minor damage. Please see the Finishes page for more details.

Special Order Version

A special order version of the PQS-202 Mk II is available fitted with a carbon fibre DDD driver which provides an extended upper frequency response, greater low level detail resolution and improved dynamics. The cabinet’s heavy MDF panels are reinforced with multiple layers of bi-directional, resin impregnated carbon fibre, which are applied using techniques originally developed for the aircraft industry. This produces a cabinet that is immensely rigid and strong, as well as being practically free from resonances within the audio frequency band. It also reduces the radiation of sound through the cabinet’s panels which further improves the resolution of the loudspeaker. The cabinet is coated with a multi-layer lacquer and then hand finished to a high polish.

The PQS-202 MK II Specifications

	With Titanium DDD Driver	With Carbon DDD Driver
Impedance	3 ohms	3 ohms
Frequency response	35 - 21,500Hz	35 - 24,000Hz
Power handling
Nominal    Short term	300W 600W	300W 600W
Amplification required	Minimum 100W/4 ohms
Crossover frequencies	120Hz & 300Hz	120Hz & 250Hz
Crossover slopes
DDD section	12dB/octave electronic & 18dB/octave acoustic	12dB/octave electronic & 18dB/octave acoustic
Woofer section	12dB/octave electronic & 18dB/octave acoustic	12dB/octave electronic & 18dB/octave acoustic
Sub woofer section	18dB/octave electronic & 30dB/octave acoustic	18dB/octave electronic & 30dB/octave acoustic
High frequency adjustment	-2dB, flat, +2dB and +4dB centred at 8,000Hz
Sensitivity	86.0dB for 1W at 1m	86.0dB for 1W at 1m
Operating principle	3 way speaker with  360° surround radiation using the DDD Bending Wave Converter
Input connectors	2 sets of binding posts
Drivers	1 x Titanium DDD driver 1 x 6 inch woofer 1 x 12 inch sub woofer	1 x Carbon DDD driver 1 x 6 inch woofer 1 x 12 inch sub woofer
Dimensions	430mm W x 886mm H x 500mm D 16.9" W x 34.9" H x 19.7" D
Weight (depends on model)	73kg 160lbs	73kg 160lbs
Warranty	5 years
As part of our process of continually improving our products, we reserve the right to change specifications without notice.
Test reports	Positive Feedback Review (Link)
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