Pitt & Giblin SUPERWAX
Pitt & Giblin’s SUPERWAX delivers near-infrasonic bass, immense scale and explosive dynamics while keeping vocals lucid and treble free of etch. Edgar Kramer found its bronze-waveguide design created focused, deep imaging, while active DSP, powerful amplification and selectable profiles make this an unusually complete full-range system.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
95/100
Build Quality
96/100
Value for Money
93/100
Pros
Deep, full bass delivers exceptional slam, scale and dynamic authority, with useful tonal detail.
Clear midrange and refined treble remain composed despite the speaker’s formidable low-frequency output; vocals are realistic and well separated.
Produces a wide, deep soundstage with focused, realistically sized images.
Active DSP, three tuning profiles and extensive analogue/digital connectivity create a highly capable all-in-one loudspeaker system.
Cons
Bass transients could be sharper despite the low end’s power, extension and detail.
Its very large cabinets and prodigious output are best accommodated by generous listening spaces.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 95/100
The Superwax combines genuinely massive, deeply extended bass with a clear, composed midrange and treble that remain intact under its considerable low-frequency weight. Review listening also found large-scale dynamics, strong image focus and convincing depth, making this a speaker aimed at effortless full-range playback in substantial rooms.
Bass
97/100
The reviewer found tremendous low-end power, describing the presentation as deep, full and dynamic, with gratifying slam and enough detail to reveal tonal character. In-room measurement reached 16Hz at a show, while the reviewer suggests most rooms should support response to at least 20Hz; the only reservation was that bass transients could be a little sharper.
Mid
93/100
Despite the speaker's powerful bass output, the midrange was described as clear and present rather than obscured. Vocals were realistic and well separated from surrounding voices and instruments, while piano reproduced with good tonal precision.
Treble
94/100
The waveguide and driver integration were praised for removing etch without sacrificing detail, attack or expression. High frequencies remained clear and present alongside the speaker's exceptional bass weight.
Soundstage Imaging
92/100
The Superwax produced good stage depth, a wide soundstage and well-focused, realistically sized images. The reviewer also heard convincing lateral and depth movement, with recording-space acoustics preserved; stage height was somewhat limited to just above tweeter level.
Dynamics
96/100
Dynamic expression was very strong, particularly through the bass, with orchestral percussion delivering a staggering wallop and a massive sense of scale. Rock recordings retained tight snare impact, solid kick drum and a stable central vocal amid dense instrumentation.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
96/100
Reviewers describe a sturdy, well-braced birch-ply lower cabinet, excellent baffle paintwork and immaculately applied Australian Blackbutt veneer. The large bronze waveguide is painstakingly handcrafted, and the overall construction is presented as made to last both acoustically and physically.
Value for Money
93/100
At $28,545, the Superwax is unquestionably a major high-end purchase, but the review explicitly places it in high-end's high-value territory. That judgment reflects the combination of exceptional low-frequency reach, active DSP-controlled operation, extensive connectivity and unusually elaborate cabinet and waveguide construction.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- SIZE
- Superwax is a very large loudspeaker and commands attention in any space. At one metre (100cm) wide, each cabinet takes up quite a bit of horizontal real estate on a wall, which is why we recommend a pair of loudspeakers need a five metre wide wall at minimum - purely so they don't look cramped.
- PLACEMENT
- The very large rear ports on Superwax extend the response into the infrabass region, and are tuned very low. Don't think of these like ports on bookshelf speakers, because they're not. Due to this, Superwax can be placed in close proximity to a wall without the muddying of upper bass frequencies typically apparent with smaller loudspeakers. The construction of your space will have more effect on the buildup of bass modes, with light construction being more lossy, and heavy brick or concrete reflecting more energy back into the room. Take this into account when placing the loudspeaker, or talk to Jack.
- WAVEGUIDE & CABINET
- A waveguides function is to control the level of sound at any given frequency consistently across the listening position, but also in the room you are listening within. By using a large waveguide, midrange, mid-bass, and cabinet, the consistency of level across the frequency spectrum can be controlled to offer a smoother tonality in room than just about any other loudspeaker. Superwax offers tonal balance throughout any space due to this physical optimisation, and yields an accurate and more enveloping listening experience regardless of the music choice. The wide cabinet assists in controlling the directivity of the large transducers on the baffle, further increasing directivity performance of Superwax over it's smaller siblings.
- DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR
- A digital signal processor drives each speaker, providing the filtration and alignment for each amplifier channel, and thus transducer. No passive crossover components are used, as the waveguide and cabinet optimisation is designed with DSP in mind.
- INPUTS AND CONTROLS
- Superwax feature custom tuned Hypex Fusion amplifier modules, and they can receive a range of analogue and digital signals. Analogue RCA (unbalanced) and XLR (balanced), are alongside TOSLINK (optical) and S/PDIF (coaxial), with the addition of AES3 (Digital XLR). Inputs can be selected with the remote control, as well as the recall of our three tuning profiles - Natural, Live, and Clean. These features coupled with auto on off, and of course volume control, mean there is no need for an external preamplifier.
Manufacturer's Description — Pitt & Giblin
bold.
Traditional loudspeaker form, classic aesthetics, advanced acoustic design and digital technologies meet bespoke Tasmanian manufacture. A juncture between contemporary audio style and sound engineering.
Reconfigured.
Like any, contemporary loudspeaker design is driven by technology and trends. With Superwax we have integrated modern technologies into a more traditional loudspeaker form.
A constant directivity waveguide has been specifically matched to a 1” exit compression driver to provide uniform high frequency dispersion, resulting in unparalleled acoustic performance. This piece is cast from bronze and hand finished to a soft, smooth lustre.
Dual 15” neodymium woofers provide exceptional bass performance and are accompanied by a 10” midrange driver. All three bands are driven by cutting edge Hypex NCore amplification inside of an engineered birch plywood cabinet, veneered in a selection of timbers.
SPECIFICS.
cabinet
The CNC-cut blackbutt veneered birch cabinet uses interlocking internal parts for rigidity. A sealed trapezoidal cabinet that houses the 10” neodymium midrange device doubles as a sophisticated bracing mechanism for the front and rear planes of the 357 litre bass cabinet. The extrordinary size, combined with two 15” neodymium bass drivers means the ported bass element has effortless extension well into sub-bass, with a smooth, natural roll off.
waveguide
The solid bronze 18” waveguide is cast in Hobart using a green sand method. After hand finishing the once rough bronze surface develops it’s lustre. Each waveguide has a slightly different appearance, a texture leftover from sand casting. At the transducer interface, the waveguide is CNC machined to accept the matched 1” exit titanium compression driver.
technology
A Hypex FusionAmp is mounted to each of the mid/bass cabinets. FA503 units provide a total of 950W per cabinet, with superbly low distortion. This combination makes what could be a complex beast to set up quite simply plug and play. Each loudspeaker has provisions for balanced and unbalanced analogue inputs, along with AES, toslink and s/pdif digital.
the result
It would be unfair to compare Superwax to anything less comprehensive. Whether you crave intense dynamics, punchy bass, or the delicacies of highly detailed textural elements in acoustic music, there’s something to be enjoyed for everyone. It’s broad appeal extends beyond pure acoustic performance, the distinct design elements and material choices speak a universal language. Turn it up.
SUPERWAX IS AN ACTIVE LOUDSPEAKER, BUILT TO ORDER
Superwax is an extremely capable loudspeaker, reproducing music with both finesse and excitement. At one metre wide and tall, it commands listening, and is a bold statement in any space. nCore amplification and Hypex DSP facilitate plug and play integration, with capacity for room correction, and three tuning profiles to taste.