{"product_id":"sca-penultimate","title":"SCA Penultimate","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 15” cone moves roughly three and a half times the air of an 8” cone at the same excursion. That difference is not subtle — it is audible, visceral, and present in a way that smaller full-range designs, however accomplished, cannot fully replicate. Bass from a 15” single driver is not an approximation; it is the direct output of a cone that has the surface area to reproduce low frequencies at full scale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe SCA Penultimate is a bespoke, handmade loudspeaker built around a single 15” full-range ferrite driver. No tweeter. No crossover network. One driver, one voice coil, one unbroken signal path — and the spatial coherence that only a single-driver design delivers across the entire frequency range. Each pair is built to order in the Blue Mountains, NSW.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSensitivity\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt \u003cstrong\u003e96.7dB\u003c\/strong\u003e, the Penultimate is among the most efficient loudspeakers in the SCA range. A single watt produces output well in excess of normal listening levels. The rated input is 50W — but with this sensitivity, most listening sessions will draw single-digit watts at most. The result is that even a low-powered single-ended tube amplifier operates comfortably within the cleanest, most linear portion of its power curve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDriver\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe 15” ferrite driver uses a \u003cstrong\u003epaper cone\u003c\/strong\u003e on a \u003cstrong\u003ecast aluminium frame\u003c\/strong\u003e, with a fabric surround and Conex damper. An \u003cstrong\u003ealuminium phase plug\u003c\/strong\u003e with gold centre cap replaces the conventional dust cap — distributing high-frequency output more evenly across the listening space and extending treble response toward 16kHz without a dedicated tweeter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA \u003cstrong\u003ecopper shorting ring\u003c\/strong\u003e (Faraday ring) in the motor assembly reduces inductance variation across the voice coil’s range of motion. The practical effect is reduced intermodulation distortion and improved linearity at higher frequencies — a refinement that becomes particularly audible on a driver of this size, where the voice coil gap is substantially larger and the motor forces involved are correspondingly greater.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe driver’s \u003cstrong\u003e8Ω nominal impedance\u003c\/strong\u003e (Re 6.8Ω) and Qts of 0.322 are well-suited to bass reflex loading. The very low Fs of 31.7Hz — unusually low for a full-range driver — combined with the large Vas of 337L means the driver is designed to produce genuine bass extension in a suitably large enclosure. The 228L bass reflex cabinet provides exactly that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImpedance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8Ω\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSensitivity (SPL)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e96.7dB @ 1W\/1m\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrequency range\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFs–16kHz\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRated input\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e50W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMusic power\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e80W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFs\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e31.708Hz\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e6.8Ω\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQts\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e0.322\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQms\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3.219\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e0.357\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVas\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e337.052L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eXmax\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1mm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCone\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePaper\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrame\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCast aluminium\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCentre cap\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAluminium phase plug (gold)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShorting ring\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCopper (Faraday ring)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDriver weight\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e7.7kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCabinet\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBass reflex enclosure. 228 litres displacement. The Penultimate is a large cabinet — designed to load a 15” driver correctly, not minimised for convenience. At 1100mm tall and 42kg assembled, it is a significant piece of furniture as much as audio equipment. The proportions are calibrated to the driver’s Vas, and the port tuning extends low-frequency output below Fs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions (H × W × D)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1100 × 475 × 515mm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDisplacement\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e228 litres\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight (assembled)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e42kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnclosure type\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBass reflex\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eTube amplifier compatibility\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Penultimate’s 96.7dB sensitivity and 8Ω impedance make it an exceptional match for single-ended tube amplifiers. At 1W input, output is already at a level that fills most listening rooms. At 2W, it is authoritative. The amplifier spends the entirety of most listening sessions operating at a fraction of its rated power — exactly the operating region where a single-ended triode design is at its cleanest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRecommended amplifier power: \u003cstrong\u003e1W–50W\u003c\/strong\u003e. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/elekit-tu-4523-45-2a3-kit\"\u003eElekit TU-4523\u003c\/a\u003e, running 45 or 2A3 output tubes at 1–2W, is more than sufficient. Other well-matched amplifiers in the SCA range include the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/elekit-tu-8400-tube-amp-kit\"\u003eElekit TU-8400\u003c\/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/spotfire-se5-tube-amplifier\"\u003eSpotfire SE5\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFinish\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Penultimate is finished in genuine timber veneer (Woodgrain). Given the scale of the cabinet — 1100mm tall, 42kg — it will be present in the room in a way a smaller speaker is not. The finish reflects that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Secret Chord Analogue","offers":[{"title":"Ferrite \/ Woodgrain","offer_id":45516442599707,"sku":"SCA-PENULTIMATE","price":11995.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0785\/0134\/7611\/products\/PenultimateSydneyBlueGum.jpg?v=1688443664","url":"https:\/\/secretchordanalogue.au\/products\/sca-penultimate","provider":"Secret Chord Analogue","version":"1.0","type":"link"}