RMAF 2019

This company’s loudspeakers have Art Dudley’s name all over them, said Serinus to self upon viewing Troy Audio’s Hellena MK II loudspeaker ($120,000/pair with outboard crossover, $80,000 pair with internal crossover). The Hellena MK II uses a 604-8E alnico coaxial driver, made by Great Plains Audio, that owes its design to the original Altec 604-E. Its woofer, Great Plains Audio’s handmade Model 515-C, incorporates a massive alnico V magnetic assembly. There's also an alnico horn supertweeter. The cabinet is composed of sandwiched layers of Russian Baltic birch. The Hellena is big and heavy—59” high and 330lb—with a sensitivity greater than 100dB. A smaller version is being designed.

Paired with Thrax Audio hybrid amplifiers, phono preamplifier, and linestage preamp and fed by a Schroeder table and arm and a SoundSmith cartridge, the Hellena's reproduced a recording of “Take the A Train” with a really fine midrange, strong bass, and a toned-down top that may well have been due to the room’s acoustic. I was told that detail and soundstage are improved by an outboard crossover.