ESB - Over Half A Century Of Electroacoustic Brilliance
Electroacoustic maestro ESB was officially founded in 1972. Fast forward over fifty years and it's still regarded as a world leader in loudspeaker design. During it's tenure this audacious Italian company has mastered the art of high-end speaker design, acquiring a wealth of experience and knowledge difficult to find elsewhere. Some of the most important milestones in the history of high fidelity audio have been marked by ESB. Whether it be ideologies, insights, applications of electroacoustic principles or just plain passion for high fidelity audio; achieving these milestones have become the very foundations of the company's history. You can read the genuinely fascinating history of ESB's fifty year reign by clicking here.

9000 Series – Where Aeronautical Engineering And Speaker Development Collide
The new 9000 series components are the zenith of the ESB stable and represent some of the most technologically advanced car audio speakers ever produced. They’re also some of the most aesthetic pleasing too. Incredible technology and impeccable design acumen come together to form the Novemila series, culminating with that peculiar geometry incorporated into the flanges of the tweeters and the baskets of the midrange drivers. For that shape is not employed simply for comeliness, rather it’s expression of upmost innovation and represents an avowed masterclass in airflow manipulation.

Design Ideologies
The 9000 series component speakers represent some of the most technologically advanced car speakers ever produced. The 9.3M is a set of 3″ midrange drivers destined to to leave the competition far in its wake.

Technology and design come together in the 9000 series in a new and unusual aesthetic, thanks primarily to the particular flower shaped flanges around the tweeter dome and in the baskets of the cone speakers. However this unique shape is not simply to achieve an aesthetic form factor, rather it’s the very essence of an innovation that makes these components so brilliant. Meticulously designed; the flower shape seeks to address the acoustic refraction on the edges of the dome speakers and backside of the cones which normally have a large dispersion azimuth. The airflow would be impeded less and move far more fluidly if the vortices were split as it moved outward. A similar design can be found on the back of Rolls Royce Trent 1000 aircraft engines. The saw-tooth cowling at the rear of the engine, where the enormous bypass thrust emanates from; is sliced as it flows out. Instead of titanic turbulence you get wonderfully clean jet streams with very little external noise and chuffing. Using this technology is no coincidence. Whether it be speakers or jet engines the goal is the same; to reduce harmful turbulence and at the edge of the device.

Design Features
During the development stage of the 9000 nothing was left to chance. Literally every detail was scrutinised from beginning to end, from the choice of materials used through to wind tunnel testing to ensure absolutely no stone was left unturned in the manufacture of these drivers.

The Miraculous Middle – The 9.3M Midrange
Next in line is the midrange driver. It features a vast array of impressive technology just like it’s siblings. Some of the main features are as follows.

The Body Beautiful – The Basket
The midrange basket is made from aluminium and features a large open chamber design to eliminate counter-pressures under the cone and let cooling air in en masse. This also controls the flow of air moved by the cone creating an aperiodic damping resistance and dictates that the release of energy accumulated in the movement of the speaker occurs in a controlled and fast manner, without creating persistent oscillations. This contributes to a more precise and faithful response to the audio source and to the accuracy and overall sound quality.

Motivation Drive – The Motor
The motor comprises a super-light aluminium voice coil. It uses a high-strength aluminium alloy to reduce its thickness and therefore weight. The winding is also made of aluminium with a skin of pure copper for superior electron transfer. In this way a perfect combination of resistance and weight is obtained. Below this resides an ultra-low carbon steel CNC machined pole yoke. The entire motor unit was designed to be able to concentrate all the magnetic flux in the working point just in front of the voice coil. An advanced CDT system to regulate and control the air flow generated by the movement of the cone, which aids the cooling of the voice coil and controls the damping of the cone. Round the motor lives a twin set of neodymium magnets for an unusually strong magnetic force for a medium of this diameter. Hiding it all is a fully CNC machined extended back plate.

Controlled Fluidity – The Suspension
In the middle resides a Conex spider, balanced to obtain the same compliance in both movements: upper and lower. This guarantees very low distortion. Topside a butyl rubber edge is designed to obtain an exponential progression of resistance in order to control the cone at large displacements but at the same time not influence movements at very low volume. Topside an NBL rubber surround has a shape designed to ensure very smooth movement at very low excursion, becoming increasingly controlled as the excursion increases and approaches the limit. This works with the spider in helping make this speaker extremely dynamic and capable of handling high power surges.

Kinetic Impressions – The Cone
The diaphragm is made with vacuum and autoclave molded high-modulus carbon, a technology rarely used in loudspeakers because of its cost. But it brings enormous benefits in terms of naturalness of reproduction and high dynamics at transients. This is made in a single piece by eliminating the dust cap. On a component of this small size this solution offers incredible advantages in homogeneity of dispersion and regularity of frequency response at the high end. The methodology also guarantees perfect geometry and perfect adhesion of the carbon fibres to each other obtaining a product of extreme rigidity but capable of a fluid sound transmission and excellent internal damping.

Protection Boasting Looks And Purpose
All 9000 series components have optional matching grilles that are CNC machined from solid aluminum. These can be ordered separately to the speakers. Please contact us if you require either.

Electrical Specifications
– Nominal configuration: one-way 3″ midrange
– Continuous power handling: 100 Watts
– Maximum power handling: 220 Watts
– Voice coil diameter: 25.5 mm
– Frequency response: 100 Hz – 20000 Hz
– Sensitivity: 91.5 dB
– DC resistance (Re): 3.6 Ohms
– Resonant frequency (Fs): 125 Hz
– Xmax: +/- 2.8 mm
– Compliance (Vas): 0.7 l
– Total Q (Qts): 0.344
– Mechanical Q (Qms): 11.364
– Electrical Q (Qes): 0.344

Physical Specifications
– Mounting diameter: 68 mm
– Mounting depth: 34 mm
– Weight: 0.9 kg

Documentation
– Fhrx Studios’ review
– Specifications sheet
– User manual

Important Disclaimers
Given the dynamic nature of electronics industries these days; below are listed some very important specifics you need to be aware of.

Brand Authorization And Stock Sourcing
We are a fully authorised Australian dealer of this brand and all stock is sourced through legitimate channels. It therefore enjoys full Australian warranty, backing and support.

Pricing Structure
Whilst we endeavor to offer the best price possible, we ask that if you do find a better price elsewhere from an authorised dealer; please contact us. Also be aware that we regularly conduct group buys and sales, therefore pricing can sometimes be subject to change without notice.

Stock Structure
Being a dynamic store is conducive to our inventory constantly changing. We list only a small portion of our stable online, usually products most popular. Aside from these we also stock numerous other variants and configurations of these products, hence if you don’t see what you’re after please contact us.

Shipping
All our products are shipped with registered and insured postage. Upon ordering you’ll be issued with a receipt, a consignment note via which you can track your order, and we’ll also SMS you photos of the package for identification purposes.

Technical support
This last one we cannot emphasise enough! Please contact us if you require any further information or assistance with the setup and use of this product, especially pertaining to aspects more technical. As we want you to get the very best from this product.