• The Gaudi MK II
• The Loreley MK III
• The PQS Series
  • The PQS 402
  • The PQS 302
  • The PQS 202 MK II
  • The PQS 201 MK II
  • The PQS 100 Plus
  • The PQS 100 Centre
  • The PQS 100
  • The PQS Sub
• The Carbon MK IV
• The Borderland MK IV
• The Unicorn MK II
• The HRS 120
• Unlimited MK II
• DDD - Driver

THE BORDERLAND MK IV

The Borderland was originally introduced in 1992 and was German Physiks’ first flagship model. Now in its Mk IV form, it continues to set impressively high standards for stereo imaging, transparency and musicality and remains one of our most popular models. It combines a titanium DDD driver with a sophisticated passive crossover network and a new cabinet that has been developed from research carried out for the HRS 120.

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 is coupled with a Helmholtz resonator and gives the Borderland Mk IV 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.

The Many Advantages of the DDD Driver

The DDD driver is used on all German Physiks loudspeakers and the same quality of driver is used on all models from our entry level product, to the top of the range Gaudi. This revolutionary driver gives the same very important advantages to all German Physiks designs and is what sets them apart from our competitors.

Its very low moving mass enables it to operate linearly over an extremely wide frequency range. On the Borderland Mk IV it covers the entire range from 200Hz to 21,500Hz. In a conventional design, this range would be covered by two or even three different types of driver and most importantly there would be a cross over point in the mid range, the area where our hearing is most sensitive. The DDD driver’s wide operating range allows this vital region to be kept free from the level and phase anomalies that multiple drivers and a necessarily more complex crossover would create. Consequently the Borderland Mk IV, like all German Physiks loudspeakers, produces very accurate and realistic stereo images.

Another key advantage of the DDD driver is that it is omni directional, so these excellent stereo images can be enjoyed from a wide range of listening positions, unlike conventional designs which have much smaller “sweet spots” due to the tendency of their drivers to beam the sound. The benefits of the Borderland Mk IV can thus be shared with friends and family.

The DDD driver’s omni directionality also makes the Borderland Mk IV less sensitive to room position than conventional designs. This and the loudspeaker’s small foot print, make it relatively easy to set up in the listening room.

In addition, the DDD driver’s exceptional impulse and phase response characteristics allow it to reproduce both the attack of the music and resolve low level detail very accurately. This is essential in order to faithfully reproduce the delicate nuances and timbral characteristics of a performance and make it sound like music, rather than just good hi-fi. The driver’s excellent impulse response also ensures that the stereo image remains focussed and stable, even when the loudspeaker is reproducing complex passages at high levels. It also gives an overall sense of speed and transparency more commonly found in the finest mini monitors.

Low Resonance Cabinet Design

The Borderland Mk IV uses the same cabinet concept as our HRS 120. This comprises an octagonal cross section column constructed from heavy panels of MDF, with re-enforcements fitted to critical points within the structure. The use of an octagonal cross section allows the individual panels to be made smaller and therefore stiffer than they would be if a conventional square or rectangular cross section was used. This construction minimises the radiation of sound through the cabinet panels (cabinet talk), which would otherwise degrade the loudspeaker’s ability to resolve fine detail and so reduce its ability to produce a sense of realism. Any residual cabinet talk is minimised by applying a special damping material called Hawaphon to the inside of each panel. Hawaphon is a polymer sheet containing a matrix of small cells filled with very fine steel shot and was originally developed as an anti-surveillance measure for use in military and government buildings. It adds mass to the panel to reduce the resonant frequency and the ability of the shot in each cell to move against each other provides a very effective way of converting vibration energy into heat. Hawaphon achieves a broadband attenuation of structure-borne sound of more than 50dB, which is a remarkably high figure. To damp resonances of the air within the cabinet, the whole of the inside of the cabinet is lined with a thick layer of high density felt.

Adjustable High Frequency Output

Jumpers on the rear panel allow the high frequency output level to be adjusted in 4 steps: -2dB, flat, +2dB and +4dB. This allows the user to easily compensate for the variations in the absorption of high frequencies that occur due to different types of furnishings and room constructions.

Special Order Version

The Borderland Mk IV may be ordered with a carbon fibre DDD driver. This provides improved resolution and increases the upper frequency response to 24,000Hz.

Hand Finished for Ultimate Quality

The Borderland Mk IV, like the more expensive loudspeakers in our product line, is available in the customer’s choice of select, hand matched hardwood veneers. These are carefully applied to the MDF panels prior to the construction of the cabinets. This method results in some wastage of material and thus adds to the manufacturing cost, but produces the finest possible furniture grade finish. A high gloss, multi-layer lacquer coat, hand polished to a deep lustre is available as an optional extra.

The Borderland MK IV Specifications