ProAc Response DB1R Introduces Ribbon Tweeter Technology in the Brand’s Most Compact Standmount Speaker

The low-frequency system reinforces that balance-driven approach. Rather than chasing artificial warmth or inflated bass via aggressive port tuning, ProAc continues to rely on mechanical linearity from the Pagina Mica cone and controlled cabinet behavior. The use of acrylic pole damping and a raised spider hints at an effort to stabilize the driver under higher excursion, which matters in a cabinet of this volume where midbass compression can creep in early. Compared with the larger D2R, the DB1R inevitably sacrifices scale, but it compensates by keeping the midband free of box signature—an area where smaller ProAc designs have historically excelled.

From a broader perspective, the DB1R reads as a philosophical statement as much as a product update. Some manufacturers treat ribbon tweeters as a differentiator aimed at immediacy and sparkle; ProAc’s implementation aligns more closely with its heritage of tonal continuity and spatial coherence. The DB1R does not attempt to reframe what a compact standmount should be, but instead refines familiar Response-series priorities—timbral neutrality, controlled dispersion, and long-term listenability—through more advanced high-frequency engineering. In that sense, it sits closer in intent to the classic Tablette lineage than to the current wave of hyper-analytical mini monitors.