Wilson Benesch
Encyclopedia
Wilson Benesch was founded in 1989 and is run by Christina Milnes (Managing Director) and Craig Milnes (Design Director). The company manufacturers high end audio loudspeaker
s and turntables
for domestic and professional use, based in Sheffield
, England
. The company manufactures its components from raw materials under one roof on high precision CNC tooling or from dedicated moulding technologies.
Wilson Benesch is located in the heart of England's industrial manufacturing, Sheffield. The company collaborates with scientists and engineers from Universities and advanced manufacturing organisations. The company manufactures all of its components from raw materials. The company has developed unique manufacturing technologies to process raw carbon fibre and resin systems as well as Pre preg systems to realise complex structures, optimised to deal with structural borne energy. These systems are ideally suited to the function being Low mass, High stiffness, anisotropic, intrinsically self-damping structures. Other notable materials that have been exploited include the isotactic polypropylene
that was developed in collaboration with the physicist Ian Ward of Leeds University who first formulated it. The development resulted in the world's first multi role drive unit, manifest as a Clamshell Isobaric system.
made from carbon composite A.C.T. structures at the Frankfurt High End Show. The A.C.T. One has been superseded by The A.C.T. which is constructed from carbon composite and several alloys providing an extremely stiff highly damped shell structure. The company has also introduced numerous other materials technologies and manufacturing processes. The processes that have been developed have also focussed on manufacturing technologies that are not wasteful. High precision extruded sections for example reduce the need for waste and are precisely optimised according their particular function. 90%of the moulding that is created in the moulding process of for example the A.C.T. monocoque is used in the cabinet construction and requires minimal wasteful post machining. These increasingly important issues were considered at the inception of the design and development of the products in the early 1980s.
Tactic. This solution has been deployed in the Bishop, Discovery and Chimera. Critics in various parts of the world have used all of these designs as Reference systems.
Following substantial further research, partly funded by D.T.I. (Department of Trade and Industry) the company recently patented a technology that goes beyond the Isobaric being able to achieve equally dynamic sound reproduction down to 18 hertz. The Torus system is a natural development of the Tactic isobaric design that sees endorses the elimination of large driver based design solutions but this time in what is commonly known as the subwoofer
. The system includes a super stiff diaphragm (capable of supporting 100,000 times its own mass) formed from three dimensionally woven carbon fibre. At its core is a solid structure that provides for push pull control of the diaphragm and serves all the key functions required including the movement and restoring forces required to generate controlled diaphragm movement. The design won "Product of the Year in the U.S. journal The Absolute Sounds" where it was hailed as a "genius design" Similar awards were won in Germany in 2007 in Stereoplay in HiFi+ where it won Product of the Year in 2008 and in WHAT HI FI where it won an award for Technology in 2008
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
s and turntables
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
for domestic and professional use, based in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The company manufactures its components from raw materials under one roof on high precision CNC tooling or from dedicated moulding technologies.
Wilson Benesch is located in the heart of England's industrial manufacturing, Sheffield. The company collaborates with scientists and engineers from Universities and advanced manufacturing organisations. The company manufactures all of its components from raw materials. The company has developed unique manufacturing technologies to process raw carbon fibre and resin systems as well as Pre preg systems to realise complex structures, optimised to deal with structural borne energy. These systems are ideally suited to the function being Low mass, High stiffness, anisotropic, intrinsically self-damping structures. Other notable materials that have been exploited include the isotactic polypropylene
Polypropylene
Polypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes...
that was developed in collaboration with the physicist Ian Ward of Leeds University who first formulated it. The development resulted in the world's first multi role drive unit, manifest as a Clamshell Isobaric system.
Carbon fibre composites
Since 1994 Wilson Benesch has been developing advanced materials technologies in audio structures including carbon fibre and more recently nano technology. The advanced composite structures are called A.C.T. After launching turntables and tonearms made from carbon fibre the company launched its first loudspeaker design in 1995 when it launched the world's first curved floor standing loudspeakerLoudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
made from carbon composite A.C.T. structures at the Frankfurt High End Show. The A.C.T. One has been superseded by The A.C.T. which is constructed from carbon composite and several alloys providing an extremely stiff highly damped shell structure. The company has also introduced numerous other materials technologies and manufacturing processes. The processes that have been developed have also focussed on manufacturing technologies that are not wasteful. High precision extruded sections for example reduce the need for waste and are precisely optimised according their particular function. 90%of the moulding that is created in the moulding process of for example the A.C.T. monocoque is used in the cabinet construction and requires minimal wasteful post machining. These increasingly important issues were considered at the inception of the design and development of the products in the early 1980s.
Government funding
The first S.M.A.R.T. project (Bishop Project) saw the development of the Tactic multi-role drive unit that also forms part of the Clamshell isobaric design. The second realised the Torus Infrasonic Generator a patented design that produces extremely dynamic low frequency sound. The third, the Mondrian Project began in June 2008 and was completed in June 2010. Funding through grant, is matched by the company.Isobaric speakers
The multi-role Tactic drive unit enabled the same driver to be used as a mid range system as well as a Clamshell orientated isobaric. isobaricIsobaric speakers
The Isobaric loudspeaker construction technique was originally introduced by Harry F. Olson in the early 1950s. It is derived from the term Isobar, which is of Greek origin: "isobares" meaning "of equal weight"...
Tactic. This solution has been deployed in the Bishop, Discovery and Chimera. Critics in various parts of the world have used all of these designs as Reference systems.
Following substantial further research, partly funded by D.T.I. (Department of Trade and Industry) the company recently patented a technology that goes beyond the Isobaric being able to achieve equally dynamic sound reproduction down to 18 hertz. The Torus system is a natural development of the Tactic isobaric design that sees endorses the elimination of large driver based design solutions but this time in what is commonly known as the subwoofer
Subwoofer
A subwoofer is a woofer, or a complete loudspeaker, which is dedicated to the reproduction of low-pitched audio frequencies known as the "bass". The typical frequency range for a subwoofer is about 20–200 Hz for consumer products, below 100 Hz for professional live sound, and below...
. The system includes a super stiff diaphragm (capable of supporting 100,000 times its own mass) formed from three dimensionally woven carbon fibre. At its core is a solid structure that provides for push pull control of the diaphragm and serves all the key functions required including the movement and restoring forces required to generate controlled diaphragm movement. The design won "Product of the Year in the U.S. journal The Absolute Sounds" where it was hailed as a "genius design" Similar awards were won in Germany in 2007 in Stereoplay in HiFi+ where it won Product of the Year in 2008 and in WHAT HI FI where it won an award for Technology in 2008