Demonstrated alongside Kora electronics, Diptyque unveiled a new DP170 soundbar at this year’s High End Vienna show.
Standing 10 cm taller than the DP160 MkII – at 170 cm – this new model is in fact much more of a ‘small’ Reference Mk2 than a ‘large’ DP160 MkII, as unlike all other 2-way ‘DP’ models, it features a 3-way design and thus comes closer to the higher-end model, which is a 3.5-way system.
However, its nominal impedance remains at 6 ohms like the DP160, whereas that of the Reference model drops to 4 ohms, whilst the DP170’s sensitivity of 88 dB falls between that of the two models flanking it (87 dB for the DP160 MkII and 89 dB for the Reference MkII respectively).
More reasonable in terms of weight (55 kg each, nonetheless), the DP170 comes close to the bandwidth of the top-of-the-range model with a frequency response of 28 Hz to 40 kHz. At the lower end, this improvement over the other models stems in particular from the fact that the two 3,600 cm² bass-midrange drivers handle only frequencies below 900 Hz, whereas the DP160’s drivers handle those from 1,600 Hz and below.
Featuring a new crossover made from top-of-the-range components, the DP170 continues to use the sandwich structure first seen on the Reference, as well as the PPBM principle for the diaphragms (see our detailed explanations of the DP160 MkII; VU#63). Two further isodynamic ribbon drivers with neodymium magnets allow the midrange (900 Hz–7 kHz) and treble (7–40 kHz) to be handled separately.
Like the other models, these panels are fully customisable, with four leather finishes for the side baffle and 160 RAL colours for the front and rear panels. The new stands introduced last year have been optimised for this version, which also features a new grille structure, enhanced by small perforations thanks to Diptyque’s partnership with the ONERA physics institute, which enabled the membranes to be precisely laser-gridded to identify micro-distortions.
Like all the brand’s other products, the DP170s are manufactured in Montauban using components mostly produced by local subcontractors. Their retail price sits between that of the DP160 MkII and the Reference MkII, at 35 900 €.