The STEP has earned widespread acclaim among music lovers and received numerous national and international awards, confirming its exceptional quality. With the new STEP CK, we are continuing this success story with determination. Extensive technological advancements make it the most sophisticated STEP ever, taking the concept of the compact loudspeaker to an entirely new level.

Not every room offers sufficient space for floorstanding loudspeakers. Placing them close to a wall or even in a corner can significantly compromise their sonic potential. At the same time, large loudspeakers are not always the ideal solution for smaller rooms, as they can excite room modes and unwanted resonances more strongly. Compact loudspeakers offer distinct advantages in such situations – provided they combine modest dimensions with uncompromising sound quality. This is precisely where the STEP CK excels.

While the STEP CK retains its timeless, modern design, its internal architecture has undergone extensive development. It directly benefits from the technological insights gained during the development of our flagship models.

One of its outstanding features is the completely redesigned mid-bass driver with an innovative Carbon-Kevlar diaphragm. The combination of carbon and Kevlar fibres offers exceptional rigidity, low mass and excellent internal damping. A special feature of its construction is the dual-surround design, which, together with the elimination of a conventional spider, enables particularly controlled and consistent diaphragm movement. Unwanted mechanical influences are reduced, allowing the diaphragm to move with exceptional freedom.

The result is exceptionally precise, dynamic and natural reproduction. Voices and instruments gain in authenticity, the finest details are effortlessly revealed, and even complex musical passages remain clearly structured and completely effortless.

The STEP CK also incorporates state-of-the-art technology in the high-frequency range. Its tweeter features a TPCD diaphragm (Thin Ply Carbon Diaphragm), combining extremely low mass with high rigidity to deliver exceptionally fast, precise and uncoloured reproduction. The finest musical information, subtle tonal nuances and even the smallest dynamic variations are reproduced with remarkable ease.

The special cabinet shape not only gives the STEP CK its distinctive appearance but also helps to reduce the formation of standing waves inside the enclosure. These can particularly affect the delicate midrange reproduction. In addition, high-quality ceramic foam is used inside the cabinet. This extremely rigid, open-cell material acts like an acoustic maze: sound radiated into the enclosure by the drivers becomes trapped within its porous structure and is effectively absorbed. Conventional damping materials cannot achieve anything close to this level of performance.

The slight backward inclination of the cabinet compensates for phase differences between the mid-bass and tweeter. At the same time, the drivers are flush-mounted with the front baffle. This effectively minimizes unwanted diffraction effects at the cabinet edges – an important prerequisite for stable imaging and precise spatial reproduction.

The carefully engineered crossover network makes another significant contribution to the exceptional sound quality. Only high-quality, meticulously selected components are used. The internal wiring and specially manufactured Audio Physic film capacitors are also integral parts of the sophisticated tonal tuning.

The VCT (Vibration Control Terminal) connection panel is equipped with premium WBT nextgen™ PlasmaProtect™ binding posts. These are connected via special structure-borne vibration dampers to an aluminium base plate that is also treated to reduce resonances. Once again, unwanted micro-vibrations are specifically minimized to preserve signal integrity.

The sum of these technological refinements makes the STEP CK an exceptional compact loudspeaker. It combines astonishing detail retrieval with tonal balance, impressive dynamics and remarkably natural reproduction. Never analytical or technically cold, it allows music to unfold as a coherent and vibrant whole.

Thanks to its compact dimensions and exceptional sonic coherence, the STEP CK is also an excellent choice as a high-quality rear speaker in a sophisticated Audio Physic surround system.