Heco bookshelf speakers BellaDonna Set (2x speaker and stand)

There are cases where you want music to be as authentic and natural as possible, but not if it's from a floorstanding speaker. There can be a variety of reasons for this, such as: Not enough space, a room that simply doesn't "tolerate" floorstanding speakers, or simply your desire to achieve maximum sound quality from minimum space. That's why the Bella Donna is a shelf speaker. The shelf speaker. Simply the best shelf speaker.

"A SHELF SPEAKER. THE SHELF SPEAKER. SIMPLY THE BEST SHELF SPEAKER"

We have created a speaker that will leave many people asking themselves: "Why do I actually have large speakers?"

The way to achieving our goal was by no means easy. The limited size and volume posed a real challenge for our developers, because you simply can't mess about with physics. We developed every component and every structural detail of the Bella Donna from scratch. Of course, this is all based on our decades of experience. Naturally, using our tried and tested technology. It's just even better. Even more elaborate. Come with us on our journey to the perfect shelf speaker.

TWO WAYS; WHAT ELSE?

Limited in terms of size? This requires a very clear principle: A principle of two ways. Two chassis; one for the high notes and one for all the rest. And "the rest" has quite a lot of significance. In a two-way speaker like the Bella Donna, this encompasses all of the frequencies below 2,600 Hz. Everything that makes the vocal arrangement sound powerful and natural occurs in this frequency range. Everything that gives instruments their authenticity. But it's not just that; it's much, much more besides.

THE BELLA DONNA'S WOOFER: 200 MM OF PURE TALENT

We have equipped the Bella Donna with a 200 mm diameter woofer chassis. This produces a cone surface area of 225 cm2. This evokes memories of maths lessons and Pi in particular. Our developers had to utilize this surface area to move as much air as possible, i.e. to generate a good bass range. In doing so, however, they also had to ensure the Bella Donna's woofer reproduces vocals and instruments with the utmost precision. And precision means control.

We achieved this with a newly developed cone. Of course, this is based on our tried and tested kraft paper, which is made from selected Nordic softwood and consists of particularly long fibers. Combined with the wool threads inserted into the cone, it creates a fiber structure that makes our cones particularly sturdy. Nevertheless, they are still lightweight and easy to control - which is an important component for a precise sound.

To ensure the Bella Donna's woofers fulfill our precise requirements, they, like all of our chassis, were tested using Klippel laser measuring technology. The technical conditions for this are optimal: The damping elements of the chassis and the magnetic drive are completely symmetrical. This means that the full 32 mm voice coil, which is made of copper-coated aluminum wire, has identical conditions, regardless of whether it oscillates backwards or forwards from its zero position. This was achieved thanks to a special drive construction in the magnet area. For the ear, this means an unrivaled low harmonic factor, i.e. the lowest possible distortion.

The elaborate construction also includes a special dust cap that is based on our POC principle (which stands for Phase Optimization Cap). This phase optimization component is important on the one hand, because the woofer is also responsible for reproducing large parts of the vocal range. On the other hand, it also needs to produce a deep bass range. Which it does. The Bella Donna's bass reflex housing allows it to reproduce frequencies down to 28 Hz with ease. The even more meaningful range extends up to 34 Hz with a maximum deviation of +3/-6 dB. Many floorstanding speakers from other manufacturers simply cannot compete with this.

THE BELLA DONNA'S TWEETER: NEW DIMENSIONS

While the woofer has to take on numerous tasks, we have also placed special demands on the tweeter. It takes over proceedings at the aforementioned 2,600 Hz, which is earlier than the majority of other two-way speakers. In order to overcome this challenge, we also completely redeveloped the tweeters. The silk compound dome measures a full 30 mm, making it the largest in our current portfolio. In addition, the bead that surrounds the dome also vibrates. This develops a radiating energy and level of dynamics that are clearly superior to other tweeters. Of course, our tried-and-tested Fluktus baffle is also used here, the waves of which are precisely calculated to ensure optimum radiation across all frequencies.

WHAT ABOUT THE VISUAL APPEARANCE? ICONIC. AND TECHNICALLY PERFECT

It goes without saying that when we build a speaker which eclipses everything in its segment, it also needs to look good. It all starts with the colors used. The "Iced Silver" silk matt lacquer finish is both subtle and yet visible in its own way. Side elements consisting of cherry wood contrast the overall appearance. The name "Bella Donna" is milled on the top of the speaker. The beveled front panel is not only for visual benefit, as it also ensures particularly good internal acoustic conditions.

A HOUSING LIKE A BANK VAULT

Resonance? What resonance? The Bella Donna's housing isn't just a pleasure to look at, as it also ensures optimum technical conditions. The deviation from a simple cuboid shape ensures any standing waves inside the housing are nipped in the bud. Targeted struts make the already sturdy exterior panels, some of which are 25 mm thick, even more resistant to vibrations. This is also manifested in its weight. The high-end speakers, which measure approximately 28 cm wide by 45 cm tall, weigh in at 17.8 kilograms - and that's per speaker.

In addition to the audiophile chassis, there is also a crossover inside that fulfills the highest standards. Selected components, including exclusive high-quality film capacitors, have been combined in such a way to ensure the signals arrive at the chassis in a phase-optimized manner. If you really want to get the most out of the Bella Donna with different cables or amplifiers, you can do so easily thanks to the solid bi-wiring terminals. The additional connection at the rear of the speaker provides you with the ability to increase the treble by 2 dB to compensate for room acoustics - without having to resort to any electronic aids.

It goes without saying that the Bella Donna can be placed on a shelf; after all that's what we designed it for. However, if you want to guarantee perfect operating conditions, you can use the optional, carefully constructed speaker base. Four sturdy aluminum struts elevate the Bella Donna to ear level. The base weighs a whopping 15 kilograms and can be screwed to the speaker. This not only guarantees a secure footing for the speaker, but it also further reduces its sensitivity to resonance.