Back in December of 2021 I took a road trip to Goodwin’s High End with the express purpose of listening to a few pair of loudspeakers from Rockport Technologies. I was told by a bunch of industry friends, whose ears I trust, the Rockports may be up my alley.
And it turned out they were right.
My Road Tour at Goodwin’s included listening to 3 pair of Rockports (in ascending price order)—the Atria II, Avior II, and the mighty Cygnus. I recommend reading that report as it includes some background info on Rockport the company as well as details about their design approach and manufacturing process.
So you can imagine my delight in having a pair of Atria II in Barn for review. While I spent a very full day at Goodwin’s just listening, there’s no substitute for hearing hifi in your own place.
The Atria II is a three-way design using a 9” carbon fiber sandwich composite woofer, 6” carbon fiber sandwich composite midrange, and waveguide-mounted 1” beryllium dome tweeter. The Atria II’s gently curved and chamfered cabinets, measuring 43.5″ tall and 20″ deep, hide layers of refined structure.
From Rockport:
The Atria II’s triple laminated, constrained mode damped enclosure boasts a solid 4 inch thick front baffle and variable section thickness (up to 2½ inches thick), curved side panels which not only create an elegant form, but also endow the enclosure with immense stiffness and minimum resonant signature. The Atria II’s enclosure also features large sweeping chamfers and ever changing baffle dimensions that virtually eliminate diffraction anomalies. Visually stunning, the Atria II’s raked back form and high gloss piano black finish are commensurate with its remarkable sound.
Frequency response is rated at 28 – 30 KHz (-3dB) with a 4 Ohm nominal impedance and 87.5 dB (SPL/2.83 v) sensitivity. Rockport recommends a minimum of 50 Watts to drive ’em and I’ve got a few amps here, and a special integrated on its way, that’ll do the trick.
Here’s what I said about listening through the Atria II at Goodwin’s:
Effortless clarity is actually a good phrase to describe my overall reaction to the Atria II. What’s more, the Atria offered up gobs of resolution without feeling overly resolute, a delicate balance if ever there was one, coupled with a very convincing and satisfying full range sound.
Let’s see how they fare in the Barn. Stay tuned!
Rockport Atria II Loudspeakers
Price: $38,000/pair
Company Website: Rockport Technologies
Specifications
Woofers: 9” carbon fiber sandwich composite
Midrange: 6” carbon fiber sandwich composite
Tweeter: Waveguide mounted 1” beryllium dome
Height: 43.50″
Width: 12.5″ (base)
Depth: 20.00″ (base)
Weight: 150 lbs. each
Frequency Response: 28 – 30 KHz, -3dB
Nominal impedance: 4 ohms
Sensitivity: 87.5 dB SPL/2.83 v
Min. amplifier power: 50 watts
