WHT PR3
MONITOR SPEAKER

After completing the PR1 project, constructing a smaller speaker with a similar design became a clear and natural progression. With the subwoofer virtually ready to launch, we were able to make the new PR3 so as to stand alone as a 2 way monitor or as a part of the 3- way WHT combo working with the Bass Clef.

The initial aim was to come up with a rather small monitor similar in appearance to the PR1 and our Bass Clef sub. As a result we used the same 8" woofer, the same crossover, the same tweeter and even the same internal wiring. The internal acoustic treatment is also the identical to the PR1. We deliberately made the box small enough to have the monitor rather mid/treble orientated with just enough bass to hear, for example, even a 24" bass drum.

Knowing that with the addition of our Bass Clef we will be able to offer a full range system from 15Hz to 40 KHz (which is more than the HiFi standard requires) we centered on adjusting the projection of lower notes in PR3.We certainly didn’t want the lower notes to cause an overlap with the low notes from our subwoofer. The small monitors behaved surprisingly more like full range speakers, especially in small rooms. Some listeners even posed the question: “Why would you need a sub woofer here?”

The tests in bigger size rooms revealed that the sub was simply "completing the picture" so to speak. At one-third of the price of a PR1, we had created a small monitor perfectly matching the PR1 and the sub simultaneously.Very soon we came to realize that the PR3 was not only appropriate in a 2 channel stereo system, but also in the professional studio environment. Like the bigger brother PR1, PR3 only needs 5 watts to be driven and it represents the perfect load for any type of valve amp.

It will also work with any solid state or hybrid amplifier without typical problems caused by low efficiency and low impedance. With 10 ohms nominal impedance and a 94 db well constructed amplifier it will produce extremely low distortion.

Another use for PR3 was revealed upon a discussion with one of our long time customers who ordered 4 pairs of PR3 (one speaker acting as a spare) for his serious 7/1 channel system. The PR3 "Studio" (with an off-white gloss finish) performed exceptionally with the subwoofer within the 7/1 system as well as in the 5/1 system, the front and rear left and right utilizing one pair each.

During the very same installation, an intriguing breakthrough occurred when we hooked up another pair of PR3 as a centre channel on each side of the customer's large screen. As a result, the voice fell at the exact centre of the screen. Because of the 10 ohm impedance, two of the PR3s can safely connect to the centre channel output and act like a perfect centre channel.

Using all PR3s for multi channel application or combining them with PR1 for the left and right as well as the WHT Bass Clef subwoofer creates an ideal match not only aesthetically but likewise electronically, since PR1 and PR3 use the same components throughout.