Unity U61-2 (Two-Way Component Set) Named “Reference Class” By British Magazine

Talk Audio Magazine UK names Hybrid Audio Technologies’ Unity U61-2 two-way component set not only a “Best Buy”, but also “Reference Class” – the first product to ever achieve this distinction.

Hybrid Audio Technologies is a manufacturer of six complete high-end speaker product lines, from the budget-friendly Stage I Mirus line-up available in all popular sizes, to the reference audiophile brand Legatia Special Edition in the company’s Stage VI offering.  The company is elated to announce that Talk Audio Magazine UK, a highly respected mobile audio publication that provides the country’s most frank product reviews, has published an objective evaluation of the Hybrid Audio Technologies Unity U61-2 component set.  Adam Rayner, tester for Talk Audio magazine UK writes:

“These are bloody well-made and sound wonderful.  Bright, crisp, detailed, sweet and enjoyable with awesome sonic cues and sound staging.

Highly developed by a true car audio nutter, there are many ways in which these systems are car audio gospel purity-in-intent. Not prettied-up domestic speakers not even rated properly for use in the damp old car (I know a big brand notorious for just that) but rather stuff designed to sound good in the car audio environment. Features like smaller tweeters with fabulous engineering or the minimalist passives with the drivers’ roll offs being crucial to the process.

So, not only do these score a Best Buy flag for their overall score, they are also the earners of a new Talk Audio flag. One we needed but didn’t have and, just like my chums over on Home Cinema Choice, gets awarded entirely upon the reviewers’ discretion. And that is REFERENCE class. For above a certain quality point, you can use a ‘reference’ grade piece of kit to ‘listen’ to the performance of other bits plugged into it. So ‘reference’ grade speakers mean you can hear how well the amp and player are working. A ‘reference’ amp is needed to hear how well a speaker sounds and so forth. And these really are that good. The very fact that these earn a Reference flag and are not all the way up the HAT line, just proves that despite the huge prices on these babies, you get good value and you get what you pay for!”

The entire review can be found here.

Hybrid Audio Technologies would like to remind the reader that the Unity U61-2 is a $400.00 retail component set! Yes, a set that has been called “reference grade” for the same price of all competing brand’s middle-grade two-way component and coaxial systems.  

Busy and Successful Weekend for Team Hybrids Competitors

Members of Hybrid Audio Technologies’ Team Hybrids competition program level the competition at two different locales the weekend of June 2–3, 2012

As part of its continued commitment to test, refine, and prove its speaker systems in organized car audio sound quality competition, we support a dedicated group of championship competitors known as Team Hybrids. On the weekend of June 2–3, 2012, eleven Team Hybrids competitors vied for honors at two locales in Marysville, Washington and Conway, Arkansas. These eleven competitors earned twenty-three (23) placements, twenty (20) first-place finishes, and one 1–2 sweep. The following is a break-down of the Team Hybrids competitor’s achievements:

Waiting to enter the venue

Conway Arkansas Event
International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA)

1st • Scott Buwalda • SQC Expert Solo (highest SQ score of the event)
2nd • James Halter • SQC Expert Solo
1st • James Halter • IQC Expert Solo
1st • Chris LaCombe • SQC Pro
1st • Chris LaCombe • IQC Pro
1st • Klifton Keplinger • SQC Pro-Am

Dave Brooks (pictured) and Scott Buwalda offered many demos of the Infiniti G35 throughout the day.

Conway Arkansas Event
United States Auto Sound Competition International (USACi)

1st • John Roberts • Xtreme SQ+
2nd • Chris LaCombe • Mod SQ+
1st • Chris LaCombe • Mod Q
1st • John Roberts • SB5 (SPL) • 146.4 dB
1st • John Roberts • Mod 1001–2000 (SPL) • 151.3 dB
1st • John Roberts • Super Port (SPL) • 163.3 dB

Team Hybrids Competitors

Marysville Washington Event
International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA)

1st • Mike Peterson • SQC Expert
1st • Bill Pleasant • SQC Ultimate
1st • Drew Snapp • SQC Pro
1st • John Davis • SQC Pro-Am
1st • Jeremy Weaver • SQC Amateur
1st • Diana Snapp • SQC Rookie
3rd • Sanjay Frank • SQC Rookie
1st • Mike Peterson • IQC Expert
1st • Drew Snapp • IQC Pro
1st • John Davis • IQC Pro-Am
1st • Diana Snapp • IQC Rookie

Revised Limited Warranty - USA

Hybrid Audio Technologies extends a limited three year warranty to the original purchaser when installed by an authorized Hybrid Audio Technologies dealer, and one year when self- installed, applicable only to Hybrid Audio Technologies products purchased and installed in the United States of America. Hybrid Audio Technologies hereby certifies that this product will be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal and proper use from the date of purchase. If desired, you can read the full warranty here.

Scott Buwalda Confirmed by IASCA as Having the Highest Scores at the North American Championships

Scott Buwalda, the Founder and CEO of Hybrid Audio Technologies, has been confirmed by the International Auto Sound Challenge Association as having posted the highest sound quality score and highest installation quality score of the recent North American Championships; Buwalda’s achievements cap a strong showing by the Team Hybrids competition program.

Hybrid Audio Technologies is a manufacturer of six complete high-end speaker product lines, from the budget-friendly Stage I Mirus line-up available in all popular sizes, to the reference audiophile brand Legatia Special Edition in the company’s Stage VI offering. The company is elated to announce via written communication from the International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA) that Hybrid Audio Technologies company founder and CEO Scott Buwalda has been confirmed as having posted the highest aggregate sound quality score of the recent IASCA North American Championships (INAC), as determined by averaging the scores from two judges. In addition to having posted the highest sound quality score of the event at 441 points, Buwalda also posted the highest installation quality score of the event as well (406 points). Buwalda went on to win the INAC championship for both sound and installation in IASCA’s most-difficult class, as per the IASCA rulebook definition, Expert Solo. These wins mark the seventh and eighth lifetime IASCA Expert Division North American Championships by Buwalda, a feat also recognized by IASCA in their letter dated April 15, 2012.

Remarkably, Buwalda’s Infiniti G35 championship system is incredibly simply, and puts a premium on the listening space and components used. It is also the first time a competitor has won the Expert Division without the use of dedicated high-frequency drivers in the system. Buwalda relies on the Legatia L3SE, a 3.7-inch wide-bandwidth full-range driver, a speaker driver of his own design (like that of every Hybrid Audio design), to cover the frequencies between 250 Hz up to the extent of human hearing. The system also utilizes Hybrid Audio Technologies Imagine I6SW 6.5-inch subwoofers in a bandpass arrangement as well, where the Legatia L8SE front-stage midbass are of larger diameter. The system is also powered by mono-block digital amplifiers as provided by JL Audio. The tweeterless, small subwoofer bandpass enclosure, digital amplifier system has certainly gone thoroughly against what is largely considered to be a prototypical championship system.

“It was fun competing a car that broke so many of the ‘audiophile rules’ of car audio system design” jokes Buwalda. “It is incredibly fulfilling giving system demonstrations and revealing to the listener the lack of tweeters, use of bandpass subwoofers, and use of full-range digital amplifiers, only to witness widespread heartfelt disbelief in the system’s arrangement. It is a testimony to solid installation strategy and the use of exceptional Hybrid Audio drivers in concert with the right electronics and fine tuning.”

Hybrid Audio-equipped vehicles won the top three classes at the INAC championships, including Larry Woolacott’s Buick Regal in the Pro Ultimate class (both sound and installation), John Marsh’s Mitsubishi Eclipse in Expert Two-seat sound quality, and the wins by Scott Buwalda with his Infiniti G35 in the Expert Solo division. Larry Woolacott also won the coveted IASCA Triple Crown 2-Seat for having the highest RTA, SPL, sound, and installation scores for that judging criteria. Other high placements were achieved by Team Hybrids members Rob Hilton (3rd place Amateur), Bramouse Mohammed (4th place, Amateur), Stephen Lasher (5th place, Amateur), Louis Chouinard (2nd place Pro-Am), Hajji Grape (5th place Pro-Am), Jim Meyer (2nd place Pro), Chris Lacombe (3rd place Pro), and James Halter (4th place Expert 2-Seat).

Expansion of Legatia Line With L3 Pro Dome Midrange Driver

Hybrid Audio Technologies is pleased to announce the release of its newest product in the company’s Stage VI category.

Hybrid Audio Technologies is a high-end speaker brand based in Atlanta, GA, and is the maker of six levels of speaker components; from the budget-friendly Stage I Mirus series, to the world-class Stage V Legatia and Stage VI Legatia Special Edition and Legatia Pro series, respectively. Approaching its seventh year since incorporation, the company is excited to announce its Stage VI offering has been expanded to include a high performance dome midrange driver.

First discussed publically on Facebook in February, the Legatia L3 Pro was developed with the input from Hybrid Audio’s competitors and enthusiasts to offer a high performance driver with a sealed-back design, requiring no additional airspace, allowing for many installation options, excellent frequency response, low inductance, and excellent sensitivity. The Legatia L3 Pro features a fully machined aluminum body, fine fabric diaphragm, and a tuned polypropylene chamber with heavy-gauge spring-loaded terminals, and will be offered in natural machined silver and black anodized colors. The dome midrange topology is a departure for Hybrid Audio Technologies, as the company has become well-known in the high-end communities for building the finest cone midranges and midbass’ available at any price.

Scott Buwalda, the company’s founder and lead speaker engineer stated “we felt there was a demand for a Hybrid Audio dome midrange, and after receiving feedback on our various social media sites supporting the endeavor, we decided to go into production. The addition of a high-end dome midrange further reinforces our commitment to build world-class speaker systems in a variety of different topologies to satisfy a wide diversity of musical tastes and potential system designs.”

The Legatia L3 Pro dome midrange compliments the existing Legatia Special Edition (SE) series, including the L3SE (3.7-inch wide bandwidth cone midrange), L4SE (4.65-inch wide bandwidth cone midrange), L6SE (7.1-inch wide bandwidth cone midrange/midbass), and the L8SE (8.85-inch wide bandwidth cone midrange/midbass). All SE-series designs include light moving mass diaphragms, Cu-Al inductance mitigation, double-stacked high-grade neodymium motors, and rose-tinted copper-plated extended phase plug pole pieces to ensure the widest frequency response bandwidth possible from any commercially-available design. The L3 Pro will be shipping in approximately 60 days. Pre-production sets will be distributed to Hybrid Audio’s key world championship competitors John Sketoe, Hajji Grape, and Larry Woolacott for installation into their respective competition cars for demonstration and use in sanctioned competition.