ESB Audio 3.UMA — 3000 Series 2-Way Mid-High Unit, 2.5"/65 mm Mid. + 1"/25 mm Tw. (pair) | HF Audio Labs

The Integrated Mid-High Driver for ESB 3000 Series Three-Way Builds

The ESB 3.UMA is a combined mid-high driver — a single assembly housing both a midrange driver and a 1-inch (25mm) soft dome tweeter. It is the mid-high component of the 3.6K3U speaker system and is also available as a standalone driver for custom three-way installations.

The 3.UMA was designed around the same principle that defines the UMA format: concentrating midrange and tweeter output into a near single-point source, improving integration between the two drivers before the installation begins.

Design

The tweeter uses a silk-impregnated thin fabric dome diaphragm chosen for its low moving mass and natural internal damping. The voice coil is ventilated and damped with iron-fluid oil to maintain consistent high-frequency performance during extended operation.

The midrange driver uses a pressed paper cone with waterproof treatment and a Y-35 ferrite magnet motor. Both drivers are housed in a shared assembly designed to keep their acoustic centers as closely aligned as practical.

Combined frequency response: 130 Hz to 25 kHz.

System Application

The 3.UMA handles both the midrange and high-frequency portions of the front stage. Paired with the 3.165 mid-woofer, it completes a three-way front stage system.

The 3.UMA works well in A-pillar locations, sail panels, upper door positions, and factory mid/high locations. These positions typically allow the driver to face the listening area more directly than a lower door location would.

HF Audio Perspective

The UMA format addresses a practical challenge in three-way system design: the relationship between the midrange and tweeter. When both drivers share a single, controlled housing, their interaction is consistent and predictable from installation to installation.

For enthusiasts building a three-way front stage with the 3.165 woofer, the 3.UMA provides the mid-high assembly as a coherent unit rather than two independently placed drivers. This simplifies the installation and reduces the variables involved without removing the performance benefits a three-way configuration offers.