Limited production…orders close July 1 (or 5 pair, whichever comes first) for delivery in late August. For this limited production series, I’ll be using the special edition FE83-SOL driver, which was a Special Edition driver from Fostex in 2017.

Firstly, the downsides of this specific reissue - The drivers look almost Identical to a standard Orca, but they are actually a limited production driver Fostex made back in 2017 called the FE83-SOL.

There is a limited supply of driver replacements that I’ll be able to keep on hand once I’m eventually “out.” (I do have more than 5 pair of these drivers, enough to eventually make more batches of these perhaps, but once I’m eventually “sold out” of the FE83SOL, I’ll only keep a small quantity in reserve to be able to perform warranty work or in the case of a freak accident).

From experience, these drivers are also more electrically delicate than the normal production Orca drivers. I’ve had a number of headbangers and newcomers to turntables blow their FE83-SOL’s (which we originally put in the “Orca Special”) and it got to the point that I discontinued production of them at that time (~2018) to come up with another plan before I fully ran out of the FE83-SOL drivers.

So if you plan on using higher powered amplification, are clumsy with your turntable, or are trying to throw a dance party or something (greater than 10-15 watts), then please opt instead for the standard Orca, which not only handles a little bit more power, but is also smaller, (and even has slightly flatter frequency response!).

Next, if you want to use grills, then these speakers are not for you.

Next is that the particularly delicate center cap of the FE83-SOL driver, visually framed by the concentric rings of the rest of the cone, surround, and birch plywood layers can appear to rambunctious critters or children like a bull’s eye that needs to be poked. If you can’t avoid that type of environmental exposure when the drivers are at ear level, then it is probably better to place your speakers on shelves up higher in the room (or instead opt for the normal production Orca which is easier to service and are compatible with our Wildlife Proof speaker grills).

Why are they $1400? The FE83-SOL drivers cost more than the standard drivers did originally, plus they specify a slightly larger cabinet (5 liters) versus the standard Orca (2.5 liters). There is significantly more labor over the regular production Orcas due the screw on back panels and the newer way they are made, gasketed, and attached (versus the original WG Orcas).

The upsides of the Wage Guide design:

The new Wave Guide Orca is a fully updated take on the original Orca design from 2006. The earlier WG type Orcas had a screw on back panel to give access to the driver. The result of the driver being mounted to the inside of the baffle is a short wave guide (like a tiny horn) in front of the driver which is a construction trait that gives many vintage speakers their characteristic sound.

The WG Orcas provide a slightly brighter upper midrange than the normal style Orcas or Marlins. For many folks the WG Orca model is ideal for unlocking the lowest listening levels because the frequency response overlaps with the Fletcher Munson curve of the ear at lowest volume levels. The special edition drivers plus the wave guide results in especially clear low volume performance for a 3” full ranger. (not that the regular Orcas are lacking in this department). Low volume intelligibility can be crucial in certain settings. if that’s your scenario, then these are your speakers.

Yes, we really shipped a pair to Antarctica! We used to make the Older Wave Guide models by the hundreds of pairs and had shipped to all 7 continents by 2012, when a pair reached a small group of astronomers working in the South Pole Station Observatory. It was a donation to science and also to commemorate the discovery of the south pole approximately 100 years prior. As with all Blumenstein products, the idea is that they will hopefully endure even in the harshest of conditions for centuries to come. The pair we sent to the South Pole Observatory furthers our ongoing woodwork durability testing in what one of the planet's driest, harshest climates.

Features:

• Fostex 3” paper cone driver

• All natural, non-toxic linseed oil finish

Specs:

• 8 ohms, 90hz-35khz

• Efficiency: 92.5 dB.

• Robust solid wood internal bracing structure similar to the new style Marlin and Orca - a first for the Wave Guide version.

• Wave guide Orcas (2024) have a front port.