Borderland MK IV
Originally introduced in 1992, the Borderland was our first flagship model and has since provided the inspiration for the current Unlimited and HRS-130 models. Now in its MK IV form, the Borderland remains our most popular loudspeaker. It combines our unique carbon fibre DDD driver with a downward firing 12–inch woofer and a sophisticated new crossover network. Housed in an extremely rigid octagonal cabinet, it sets impressively high standards for stereo imaging, transparency and musicality.
The Borderland MK IV loudspeaker uses a single carbon fibre German Physiks DDD driver mounted on top of a slim, octagonal, floor standing cabinet, with a downward firing 12-inch woofer set in its base.
Improved Bass, Resolution and Dynamics
The Borderland MK IV has always been an exceptional performer. The latest version has a new crossover design that provides significantly better bass, with improved integration with the DDD driver, resulting in exceptional top to bottom coherence. The resolution and dynamics have also been noticeably improved, removing another veil between the listener and the music. All these improvements come together to produce a sound that is truly effortless.
Extended Bass with Low Distortion
The Borderland Mk IV uses a single 12-inch woofer of the same type used in our prestige Loreley model. This provides the Borderland Mk IV with a degree of bass extension normally associated with high quality component sub-woofers. Most impressive is that this is achieved with a cabinet of relatively modest dimensions, making this a loudspeaker that is easy to live with.
The bass driver is located at the bottom of the cabinet and works in a “sealed” enclosure. This enclosure is linked via a small opening to a smaller cavity located at the top of the cabinet. This cavity acts as a Helmholtz Resonator and is tuned to the resonant frequency of the main bass enclosure and ensures a smoother bass response.
The heart of all German Physiks loudspeakers is the unique omnidirectional DDD driver
The German Physiks DDD driver uses a cone made of extremely thin (0.15mm) carbon fibre. This is very light, but also very rigid. Each driver is hand-built by a skilled technician in our factory in Germany. This is a painstaking process that takes 6 hours. After assembly, each driver undergoes a series of rigorous tests. It is then subject to a 96 hour pre-aging process, playing specially selected music at high level. Finally, it is retested and put together with another driver to form a matched pair.
The DDD driver has two key distinguishing features
1. It is omnidirectional, meaning that it radiates the sound evenly around it.
2. It has an exceptionally wide operating range. In the Borderland MK IV it covers the range from 190Hz up to 24kHz – almost 7 octaves.
This extremely wide range is achieved by the use of 3 modes of radiation:
Pistonic radiation
Bending wave radiation
Modal radiation
By comparison, most loudspeakers use drivers that only use pistonic radiation. These have a much narrower operating range and as the frequency rises, they tend to concentrate their energy into a progressively narrowing beam. This is explained in more detail here.
For images of the full range of finishes that German Physiks can offer, please head over to their website.
