SSI 2010 also marks the North American debut of the active-suspension, self-powered DSPeaker Servo loudspeaker ($3500/pair), designed and manufactured in Finland and distributed in the US by Simplifi Audio. Lead designer Toni Liitola explained that the use of Active Suspension Compliance Management works to tame acoustical and mechanical non-linearities of the driver/enclosure system, while DSP-based waveform shaping enables a “transient-perfect sound.” The Servo uses Seas drivers made to DSPeaker’s specifications; internal amplifiers are made in-house. In addition, the speaker’s built-in Anti-Mode room correction eliminates room resonance, allowing the speaker to be placed almost anywhere in a room. In support of his claims, Liitola was happy to share several waterfall plots and step-response graphs.

Here, we see Liitola with the small Servo placed very close to the room’s corner. I noted a surprisingly effortless sound, with bold, deep bass. As a source, Liitola used Resolution Audio’s Opus 21 CD player (current US retail price wasn't available). Because the CD player employs an analog-domain volume control, no preamplification was necessary, making for an exceptionally simple system.