Another highlight is the newly developed midwoofer, a 5.25 inch driver that relies on a cone made of aluminum. Raidho says that one of the challenges of using aluminum as a diaphragm material is that it can have an inherent sound that must be avoided by all means. Therefore, all diaphragms are coated with a thin ceramic layer on both sides. The coating is applied by a plasma process that bonds the ceramic coating to the aluminum. In the X1t, a further layer of tantalum is added, which is also the reason for the affix "t" in the name of the new model. Tantalum impresses with its particularly high resistance to heat and wear and is said to make the diaphragm even stiffer and harder than would be possible with a combination of aluminum and ceramic coating alone - and without any harmful increase in weight either. Powerful neodymium magnets with an optimised magnetic field pattern provide a powerful drive with high dynamics and low distortion. The midwoofer operates on a bass reflex system, with Raidho having positioned the flow-optimised bass reflex port at the baffle's bottom side. The corresponding opening at the cabinet's bottom is a striking detail in the design of the X1t, but it also has tangible acoustic advantages when it comes to placing the speaker close to the rear wall, for example.

Compared to its predecessor, the interior of the X1t's enclosure has been redesigned with the aim of offering significantly better bass performance and bass quality. To achieve this goal, the cabinet has been partially reinforced, the application of damping material has been optimised and the bass reflex port has been extended. In addition, better components in the crossover are intended to help the X1t sound more open and clear. Despite its modest dimensions of just 320 millimetres in height, 145 millimetres in width and 230 millimetres in depth, the X1t weighs in at a hefty eight kilograms. For my taste, the X1t comes with a very stylish and filigree stand that tilts the speaker backwards by a few degrees, which is supposed to improve the sound dispersion. The plinth and centre section are made of MDF, the stand being one of the lightest of its kind. The idea behind this design is that the stand should store as little energy as possible. In keeping with this concept, there are no spikes, but feet that shall decouple the stand effectively from the floor. The centre part of the stand is sturdily screwed to both the plinth and the speaker. The method of screwing, which does not show any screws on the outside, is cleverly done and contributes to the speaker's attractive appearance.

The placement of the X1t is basically uncritical, it can even be positioned near the side walls. Incidentally, we have to get away from the usual methods and empirical values concerning the placement of loudspeakers. Instead, the guideline here is: set them far apart from each other and angle them in sharply. In my listening room, this results in an astonishingly large base width of almost three metres, considerably more than, for example, with my Audioplan Kontrapunkt, which has similar dimensions. The relationship between the X1t and its big sister, the TD1.2, which has recently been my guest, is quite obvious in this respect. As far as the distance from the listening position to the speakers is concerned, after a few attempts I end up with about three metres as well, resulting in the classic equilateral triangle of speaker placement. The X1t rewards my efforts with an impressive balance between wide imaging and precise focus without the dreaded hole in the middle. I give the X1t a good break-in period and then I'm ready to go.