A step further…

Intro
I have had an itch to try the new Lowther "phase equalizers" for quite a while, but my stack of tweaks to try out is quite high, so I kept postponing. Then a friend of mine (another Lowther enthusiast) told me something about these objects, something which re-opened the can, so… I had an exchange of two or three e-mail messages with Jo Austin (from Lowther) and, after a week or so, a pair of the new phase equalizer arrived to my home

Theory and construction
The new "phase equalizer" are "mushroom shaped" devices J made of a good quality plastic material, giving the impression of solid and well built objects. There are several radially placed holes on them. While the "old" diffuser worked by avoiding the possible interactions between the opposite sides of the inner cone, according to Lowther, the new equalizer does the same job but besides forms a horn contour between itself and the inner cone, reaching two goals: a better midrange and high frequencies emission and a pressure equalization between the front and the rear faces of the cone. These two features allow a better frequency response and a lower distortion. Further info are available on the Lowther web site:www.lowtherloudspeakers.co.uk . Replacing the old diffusers with the phase equalizers is very easily done. It's just a matter of unscrewing the old diffusers and screwing in the new ones. That's all; the listening test can begin.

Sound
Do they work? Do they ever! Ok, but what are the improvements? Really everything! The first thing you notice is a better soundstage, which, even if it is already outstanding with these drivers, is now more solid and defined. Details are clearer; nothing is left to imagination anymore, everything is really there, in front of you. After that, you notice the midrange, surely more neutral, and the high frequencies, which, while not being more extended, have more body and are more lively. Overall distortion is largely attenuated, it is now possible to raise the volume much more before the insurgence of compression. But what I didn't really expect is the improvement over the bass region. Incredible. As it is the case with high frequencies, there is no frequency response extension, but the sound is more full bodied, bass becomes stronger and tighter and, if possible, even quicker, resulting in an authority unknown until today from a Lowther driver.

Conclusion
Really a nice device, this phase equalizer: in just a few seconds your beloved loudspeakers will improve in a substantial measure. I haven't been able to try it on other loudspeakers and/or other drivers but the improvement is so evident and comprehensive that I think it will remain the same also in other situations. The only issue I found wanting was the precision of the thread; but I had found out previously that this quality control problem is a common (and, luckily ,minor) one on Lowther drivers, This object isn't cheap, in absolute terms, but it is well built and the sonic results are remarkable.

Highly recommended.