Product Description

The Viva Voce Speaker Loudspeaker Kit by Jeff Bagby

A 5.25″ 2-way using the Eclipse W520E and Morel, CAT308 Tweeter.

The Story

So how does the Viva Voce evolve from the Continuum?   I had sent Jeff a set of our new W520R woofers and he discovered that the frames of the two woofers were identical.  Jeff wondered what would happen if he stuck the Eclipse woofer in the Continuum cabinet?  Turns out, they mimicked the Continuums very closely with a minor crossover change.   Then, in late 2017, when the Continuum tweeters were discontinued, Jeff had another idea to swap out the Dayton tweeter to the Morel tweeter – both having the same diameter faceplate.  With a few changes to the tweeter network, a new kit was born – the Viva Voce – Living Voice.

The Viva Voce can be built in two different formats – a sealed cabinet like the Continuums or a larger, vented enclosure.   The floor-standing prototype version is pictured.  The internal volume is about 16L with the rest of the cabinet acting as stands.

The Morel tweeters have been in production for years and have always been a favorite and excellent substitute for Dynaudio without being harsh.  My first audio test for any tweeter is track 3 from

James Newton Howard and Friends.  If they reproduce the sparkle of the triangle, I’m happy.  The Morel’s do this perfectly!

How Do They Sound?

Like the Continuum, the response with the slight dip in the 300-500 Hz range works very well on a desktop or a stand. The overall response appears to follow that of a lot of Control / Mastering mini-monitors. However, on a pair of stands, it sounds much bigger than it is, which is very impressive. I would put it up against any speaker this size made by anyone for the overall presentation. And it could be advertised as a professional monitor.”

What do I Get?

Included in this kit are the full build plans.  You can purchase is in two forms, depending on your resources:

The Bare Bones Version:

• 2 x Morel, CAT308 tweeters
• 2 x Eclipse, W520R woofers
• 2 x Crossover parts, Standard brand is Cebo Premium or an option of some great capacitors,  Sand-cast resistors are standard or these upgrade resistors Specified inductors. There are Eight parts per side.
• Build Plans for sealed and vented.

Need all the goodies?

The Full Kit Package:

• 2 x Choice of Several High-Quality Input Terminals
• 2 x Optional Flared Port Tubes if building the vented and or tower version
• All mounting hard hardware (screws) Upgrade to European Socket Head screws
• Internal damping material
• Color-coded hookup wire
• Optional push-on connectors
• Gasket sealing tape
• MDF boards and solder lugs for mounting the crossover parts.

Have trouble soldering or reading a crossover diagram?  We can assemble them for you at a nominal charge.