Ensemble Subwoofers

About the Ensemble Subwoofers

The Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble system includes subwoofers that are passive dual-voice-coil designs featuring 5.25-inch woofers loaded in a 4th-order bandpass configuration. The subwoofer enclosure is about the size of a shoebox, made of 1/2" thick MDF with a vinyl exterior coating, and has a single port on the rear. The system is a three-way design with separate satellites containing tweeters and mid-range drivers, and the subwoofer handling the low frequencies. Early models had two subwoofers and two satellites, while later models moved to a single subwoofer with two satellites. The subwoofers are passive and require amplification from the receiver or an external amplifier. The satellites are plastic and cubic, roughly 3.5 to 4 inches square and deep. The subwoofer enclosure is sealed in early models and ported in later versions. The system was designed for good imaging and a wide soundstage, with a sensitivity around 83 dB and an impedance of about 6 ohms. The subwoofers provide bass down to approximately 50 Hz, though some users noted the bass is not very deep and may lack the lowest frequencies. The system was praised for clarity in highs and mids but criticized by some for limited bass depth and dynamics depending on amplifier quality. The Ensemble system is no longer manufactured and is considered a vintage speaker system from the 1980s and 1990s.