THE WATERLOO MICRO Compact Precision 3-Way
 
Reviewed in The Absolute Sound:
 
https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/j-porter-studios-waterloo-micro-review/
 
The Waterloo Micro is a sealed 3-way loudspeaker that delivers remarkable performance in a micro footprint, with a pair putting dual 9-inch subwoofers in your room.
 
Best in class drivers: Drivers are semi-custom and carefully selected matched unit versions from SB Acoustics and Wavecor: third-party verified by Erin's Audio Corner (Klippel analysis) and Vance Dickason's Voice Coil Test Bench as best-in-class in distortion and frequency response.
 
The Midrange. The 6-inch ceramic midrange features a geometrically reinforced aluminum/ceramic dual-layer cone achieving an exceptional stiffness-to-damping ratio. The result is class-leading midrange distortion figures. Klippel analysis by Erin's Audio Corner confirms remarkably symmetrical Bl(X) and KMS(X) curves, indicating linear, low-distortion behavior across the driver's full excursion range.
 
The Tweeter. The 1-inch aluminum/ceramic dome tweeter combines the resolving detail of a metal dome with the smoothness and fatigue-free character of ceramic. A phase-optimized diaphragm ensures coherent high-frequency radiation while the copper cap minimizes voice coil inductance and phase shift. The saturation-controlled motor and non-reflective rear chamber with optimized damping deliver exceptionally clean dynamics. Independent measurements confirm distortion levels approximately 55dB below the fundamental at 95dB SPL, with linear frequency response extending to 40kHz. The low 690Hz resonance frequency and 100W power handling allow us to push the crossover point all the way down to 1200hz, well below typical 1-inch domes, and dispersion performance that independent testers have found competitive with tweeters costing several times more.
 
The Subwoofer. The 9-inch glass fiber composite uses Wavecor's Balanced Drive motor with copper cap and aluminum field-stabilizing ring, largely eliminating even-order harmonic distortion. Vance Dickason's Voice Coil Test Bench confirmed smooth frequency response within approximately 2dB out to 2kHz, with Klippel analysis showing symmetrical Bl and compliance curves and impressively low inductance variation from the aluminum shorting ring.
 
Together they deliver ultra-linear response: within 2dB from 80Hz to 22kHz, with a sealed alignment rolling off at 12dB per octave below 20Hz. That sealed low end pairs perfectly with natural room gain, delivering controlled bass with detail that belies the cabinet size. Sensitivity is 90dB at 2.83V/1m (87dB/1W). Every pair ships with your unique in-room frequency response measurements.
 
The Cabinet. These are not standard wooden boxes. Every Waterloo Micro cabinet is precision CAD-optimized and CNC-machined from Baltic birch hardwood in an asymmetrical architecture where no two panels share the same dimensions. This geometry virtually eliminates standing waves while generating complex diffraction and diffusion patterns that scatter energy throughout your listening space rather than reflecting coherently and coloring the sound. Internally, a constrained layer damping (CLD) system combined with advanced ultra-absorbent materials and technologies controls residual panel resonance, ensuring the cabinet disappears from the sonic picture entirely. What you hear is the music, not the enclosure, not the room. 
 
9.25" x 11" x 13" | 25 lbs $5,995 per pair
 
Protective grilles included
 
Available in walnut, walnut with black baffles, gloss black, or gloss white
 
Allow  4-12 weeks for delivery
 
references Erin's audio corner: https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/driveunits/sbacoustics_sb17cac35-4/