Phone: (919) 341-9037 |
The Skiff
"Tones are pure and pristine..."
"...stealth high-end audio at its finest."
Price per pair
satin black: $495
birch: $545
Shown: natural birch plywood
Dimensions: 6 X 4 X 5 inches (H X W X D), 15 X 10 X 13 cm
Frequency Response: 90Hz - 20kHz
Sensitivity: 88dB 1 watt/m
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED
"...the Skiffs produce a remarkably linear frequency response over their entire range."
Steve Stone, enjoythemusic.com, 5/06
“...I can't think of many speakers anywhere near its price or size that can rival (much less best) it in certain areas of reproduction. The upper midrange smoothness and coherence in particular is something to behold... it's surprisingly neutral and capable with a variety of music...”
Marc Yun issue #154, Bound for Sound
" The more time I spend with the Skiffs, the less inclined I am to try bigger speakers. The Skiffs make "small is beautiful" into more than a cliché."
Steve Stone, enjoythemusic.com, 5/06
"Their midrange is scary good, seriously good in fact and unlike many full range drivers do not seem to be rolled off in the top end as one would expect. Dynamics are excellent too 'Daddy Longlegs' by Joe Robinson off the 6 String Theory album, the solo guitar has superb punch and detail and at no stage sounds lacking in punch or bottom end extension...Even when the deep bass passages start, the full weight is there, amazing....a fairly stunning speaker that offers so much with so few negatives.
Desktop Audio News and Previews, Australia, May 10, 2011
"It is crisply delineated yet silky smooth, with excellent articulation and resolution. As good as the Windjammer was with woodwind instruments like oboe, flute, or clarinet, the Skiff may just edge it out in sheer beauty of woodwind sound. I'm not sure it's necessarily a more accurate transducer than my reference Merlin TSM ..."
Marc Yun issue #154, Bound for Sound
"I've just ordered, as you know, another pair of the Skiffs. They are extraordinary. As I mentioned in a long-ago conversation, I use them in hotels/apartments for periodic residencies out of town, and I could not be more pleased. In those rare instances when I can 'open them up' they offer a consuming musical experience; full (not gigantic, in keeping with their size), nearly visible soundstage; clarity and air in the mid-range, accuracy and a bit of 'forgiveness' in the upper octaves - and fully satisfying in the upper bass..."
David Ogden Stiers
"I could see five of these little guys plus a good subwoofer making a quality compact multi-channel system that would positively embarrass those satellite/subwoofer "home theater" systems from the mass-fi manufacturers."
Marc Yun issue #154, Bound for Sound
"Monitoring will now be via a pair of Role Audio Skiff speakers. Why? Well Michael Jacksons 'Thriller' was mixed entirely on a pair of Auratones, which for those not familiar, are a small near field single driver speaker used as a reference in studios in the 70's, 80s and 90's. They provide a brilliant image of your mix focused primarily on the midrange, and the Role Audio Skiffs have superb midrange and are my Auratones for this mix."
Desktopaudio.com
"The small size, magnetic shielding, easy interface, easy interfacing requirements (amp/cable) and flexibility of placement make it a dream for the audiophile with "lifestyle"-type applications."
Marc Yun issue #154, Bound for Sound
"...it's a just a little box, but that's much of its appeal - stealth high-end audio at its finest. Leave audio jewelry to the poseurs wearing blinged-out Rolexes."
Steve Stone, enjoythemusic.com, 5/06
"Tones are pure and pristine, with just a bit of emphasis on the fundamental over the delicate harmonics above."
Marc Yun issue #154, Bound for Sound
"Close your eyes, spin around on your computer chair three times, and I dare you to accurately point to where the drivers are located. The combination of no crossover, point source drivers, and a well-damped acoustic suspension cabinet creates a nearly ideal close-field monitor. If seamless imaging floats your boat, it will bobbing happily along in time with the music heard through these little beasties."
Steve Stone, enjoythemusic.com, 5/06
Profile
The Skiff, like other of Role Audio loudspeakers, is designed to deliver large scale loudspeaker performance in the smallest possible design.
The skiff represents the holy grail in loudspeaker design. It uses a single full range driver which means it is a true point source, it is perfectly time coherent, minimum phase, and has no phase or driver integration problems. The Skiff is simply one of the most accurate loudspeaker you can find at any price.
The Skiff is designed to play solo or with a subwoofer. Although it measures only 6 inches high by 4 inches wide by 5 inches deep, the Skiff can fill most rooms with large scale, accurate, full range, non-fatiguing music with surprising bass response. And its bass roll-off pattern allows seamless integration with subwoofers.
It is small and beautiful enough to place almost anywhere. And it is fully magnetically shielded so it may be placed near to CRTs. It may be used as a small center channel speaker, or the best sounding small surround speakers. You can play loudly of softly. Either way, it will out-class the competition.
Its accuracy and imaging allow it to thoroughly unravel a recording.
The Skiff is available in beautiful red birch plywood, Baltic white birch plywood, satin black, or cream white health friendly eco-friendly formaldehyde free cabinets, all with rounded edges, topped-off with SuperiorTM five-way binding posts and a retainer for Omnimount 10.0 series brackets.
Special Features:
- True point source
- Magnetically shielded
- Perfect time coherence
- Superior ElectricTM five-way terminals
- True minimum phase
- Cast frame full-range transducer
- Retainer for Omnimount 10.0 and other brackets with 1/4-20 stem
Note: Grills are not removable