I have pair number 0025A & B. I am replacing Maggie 3.7i speakers with the Caladans and am very happy. The efficiency and dynamics are the big plus compared to the Maggie’s.
How do you think they'd compare to the 3.7i in a larger room? My room is 30 x 60 open living space with the audio system on one end. What made you move away from the Maggie's?
@@roberthaysley4245 Yup, Maggies are magical but not the most dynamic and certainly not the most efficient speaker to drive. I'm using Purifi class D amps with loads of power.
The LRS+ really opened my eyes to non-conventional speaker design. These open baffle designs look amazing. Thanks for the great review and comparisons. 👍
Welcome to the wonderful world of dipole 😊 try listening to some full range electrostats if you get a chance, those were my life changing listen 35 years ago. Never looked back. Did add a pair of open baffle to my collection two weeks ago. But I still listen more to my collection of electrostats.
You are a point of light. I’ve been at a loss over what the future looks like for months now, and you are showing a path to peace for all people. Thank you
Wow Steve, I can’t believe you are listening to dark dark dark! Love that album! By pure chance I saw them at a club in Chicago. Had no idea who they were but they blew me away. A band Full of very talented multi instrumentalists
Hi Steve, I haven’t had a good stereo since I was a poor young man in the 1970’s. I used to design and build my own speakers. I don’t’ trust a lot of audio experts (I don’t believe that you can hear the gold plating on cables and such) but have been watching you for years. Because of your recommendations I have purchased a pair of LRS+ with the VTF-2. I am driving it with a Nobsound tube amp, Mojo2 DAT and a LEAK CD transport. I just leave the EQ on neutral and the sound is perfect. So much clarity, stage presence and punch. Thx for your honest evaluations. I am treating myself to great music and sound again.
I went from Magnepan LRS’s to Spatial Audio M3 Sapphires and you are bang on in describing the differences Steve. The Caladan’s look fantastic. Spatial under new management are moving more upmarket so Clayton is filling a void and providing a relatively affordable entry into open baffles. Thanks for the great review!
Mine arrived on Saturday and they sound fantastic post break in. Their build quality is phenomenal. For those concerned about the required feet away from the wall - You can still play music with them near the wall and it sounds fine but not HiFi. One feature not talked enough about these speaker is how they're only 10" deep and 35 lbs. Mine are tucked neatly near the wall and I easily pull them out when I have a long listening session. I play music for my young daughters with them near the wall. I've been to a few audio shows and have had a few listening sessions in HiFi stores and per my untrained ear, my system now competes with the best of them.
Interesting.. based upon others feedback I expected a more glowing review. Sounds like this is a solid value but not earth changing giant killer. Glad to see the hype balanced a bit. Super excited for the 0.7X review.
Yeah...I watched a rave review (giant killer type) by the hat wearing guy (who I really appreciate). If this review had been like that it would have convinced me to pull the trigger asap. Now, not so sure. Plus, Ive strongly considered Maggies....but again, now not so sure about those, either.. (Dammit)
@@losendos8963 that Ron from NRD and I really do appreciate his channel but I always like to triangulate reviewers to see if there is consistency. NRD, Andrew, Darko, Thomas, Iyagi, Zero Fidelity, British audiophile are my go to channels. I’ve got a few that are a bit more boutique. Erin’s audio corner, Nemo propaganda, audioholics are a few of them.
@@losendos8963listen to a pair of full range electrostats. I have acoustat x and Quad ESL 57. I paid 600 for each pair. Depending on your taste you might add an open baffle bass. But you could be done around 1000 and have a great sounding speaker system. Try the speakers without extras first. The bass is more than most reviewers lead to believe 😂
Steve, you're costing me a fortune. You are so enthusiastic about the music you use in your evaluations. I have to check out a lot of the music you mention. I've just ordered the Dark dark dark album. I've also now got Dominique Fils-Aimé complete collection after you enthused over Our roots run deep.
One of these lifetimes I will spend big bucks on speakers. Until then or never, I will continue listening to my own DIY speakers. I am using DIY pass designed low power class A amps. My speakers are currently a bi amped two driver OB with a Tang Band full range W8 2145 on top with a 10" Dayton PA255 - 8 woofer low passed at 2500 hz. Baffle is 15" x 24". I also use a small 8" Sony servo sub for some light fill in on the very low end. Works for me in my small room.
Looks like a great speaker America made at a good price. Om my short list for sure. The system of the day is what dreams are made of. Simple and elegant. Dollars per smile he is killing it. Lol.
Ooooooooo... wicked looking speakers, Steve! Gotta find a way to audition a pair of these, though I do need something that can do low levels well, such as many of Klipsch's speakers. We'll see...
this channel comes up with a lot of unique products which is very refreshing compared the the standard fare that is served up on other review channels .👍👍👍
Open baffle is a new discovery for me, primarily due to Steve's review of the Pure Audio Duetto, which I bought after hearing Steve's review. Very happy with them. It seems like open baffle may be the new "trend" in audiophile currents....and with good reason.
@@BruceCross One issue I have with my Spatials is the MDF baffles flop around. They really could REALLY benefit from some sort of stabilization. Perhaps the hardwood baffles help in that regard?
Steve, would you consider discussing a tier list type format of amplifiers with Herb? Of all the You-tubers, both of you have probably listened to more amplifiers than most. I would be very interested to hear both your thoughts and experiences of those past amplifiers. It doesn't matter regarding topology or price. Just which amps have brought you both the most joy.
Not exactly sure what you mean, but if you mean class a, ab, d, tube or solid state, those Are too wide open. Meaning there's good and bad in each of those categories, quality is more of a case by case thing.
I've heard from Clayton that the bottleneck with baffle production has been solved to some degree, so there should be a higher throughput coming soon. We'll see though...
Unfortunately it's been impossible to order them outside the US. They haven't figured out shipping and production yet, despite Clayton annoucing that the backlog and shipping to Europe would be solved by June. I hope they solve those issues by the end of the year as you mentioned. Thanks for the review Steve
I've had my eye on these since seeing them on New Record Day, beautiful looks and good price. But if I can only put a foot of space between them and my front wall, will they sound bad? I know they won't sound as good as if they have three feet of space.
Steve, -- I ordered my pair back in Oct. 2023. Finally got them last month. That was a 6 month wait, but they were worth it. Replaced my M3 Sapphires, which were also great, but the Caladans are a better fit for my room size. Anyway, you show Gaia feet, both front and back on your pair. I think the extra charge you mentioned is for the second extra Gaia pair. Clayton's spec pic (at 2:50) shows the standard feet for use in back, which is how mine came. I think I might opt now to get a second Gaia pair.
@@bocrux I may contact him, but how do you know that it should be 8 Gaia feet? In each box, there were 2 Gaia feet and four regular. The 2 Gaia feet were labeled specifically as for the front. Also, all videos I've seen of the Caladans set up at the major audio shows always show them set up with Gaia feet on front, under the baffle, and regular feet on the back. SG's video here is the first I've seen with Gaia's at all 4 points. --I think SG did that because he's got extra Gaia's laying around.
@@nathanevans6277 Agree with you on spikes. They tighten up the sound in a negative way, and take the soul out of the music. The M3 Sapphires came with various spikes only. It's good to see that Clayton has moved away from that.
Full-range open-baffle speakers are counter-intuitive, including Magnepans, and Quads, because the bass will begin to encounter wave cancellations. So, placement and setup would require a Very Creative process.
Great review as always !!!! I have a silly question I work in a hotel and I stay here and I have a little dorm I stay in so wanted something cheap, could test the creative T-100 they are only 100 dollars Canadian and they surprised the heck out me :)
I am considering replacing my Maggie 1.6 and might audition the Caladan. I've followed you since your days TAS and Stereophile days. Quick question: I'm 68. I recently watched a UA-cam video that tested hearing at different ranges, and I maxed out at about 9,000 Hz. Given this, I'm questioning if it makes sense to think about upgrading. Have you noticed a similar loss in range, and how has it affected your enjoyment?
I got to see Dark Dark Dark live here in Boise, Idaho back in 2008 or 2009 at Visual Arts Collective (VAC). I love them! I bought their "The Snow Magic" CD after the show-it is gloriously dark and fun. You draw an interesting analogy with ISB, which I totally geeked out to in the late 70s and early 80s, when I first discovered them. I never made that connection with DDD. But, really, the real question is what ever happened to Licorice?!
I just love what open baffle brings to the table. Unfortunately I don't have the space required. Bring on the feast of audio goodies. Matt's got some gorgeous woodwork in his system. Is the cabinet DIY?
Spatial europe makes them on another level, 3-inch baffle beatiful veneer, and solid wood as a baffle has too much resonance. That and you need to try the ASR emitter exclusive, handmade in Germany, sounds fantastic, no gimmicks. It does require alot of rack space, but this is true highend without all the gimmicks.
Steve great video. Love your enthusiasm😊! What amp and preamp would you recommend like the Sit4? I have David Belles and a Conus Magnum 2 would you recommend tubes with the Caladans?
Don't have a lot of experience with open baffle speaker but am always amused when I read comments like ' music doesn't come in wooden boxes'.I guess these people have never heard of musical instruments like say a piano,guitar,violin,drums,double bass,celo etc.All use wooden boxes to amplify their sound.😂
Hi Steve thanks for the detailed review. Can you describe if any burn in took place? I'm wondering if the character of sound evolved at all during your testing period?
Some on Audiogon (an "audiophile" forum) said that yeah, the bass gets much better after 50 to 100 hours on them. Not bad. And they play well at lower volumes too. Making me rethink my ideas on buying the JBL L100 Classic MK II. Decisions, decisions...
On a forum folks were saying that it can take 300 hrs of burn in for the crossover's Jupiter capacitors to settle. I'm wondering if that threshold of run-in would balance out the brightness you're describing.
Large orchestral music sound great IMO. I just finished playing some John Williams music pretty loud and it was very enjoyable and not fatiguing. Soundstage is very wide and very deep, but every instrument is well contoured and layered. highs occasionally float to my left and right shoulders, but all this is very DAC dependent as well.
Yes, let the music out of the Box. Open baffle is what many of us should have been doing all of this time. We got sold on expensive, complicated boxes. No more.❤️🌻
Thanks Steve for this well anticipated review. Would these pair well with a subwoofer crossed over around 50Hz so you could enjoy both, the spaciousness of the open baffle speakers yet still have a touch of "bass slam" similar to the LRS and the small sub you tried out a while back?
Good review Steve. I am liking the sound of these speakers the more reviews I see. I often hear about pairing and the importance of pairing speakers with the right components. How well do you think these speakers will pair with Prima Luna tube amps?? Cheers Tony
I am really interested in these, but the question for us in Europe is if they are worth it when the price tag will be somewhere around $4.000 once VAT, shipping etc. have been included.
Overall which do you prefer the Duets or these CS? As a PAP Duet owner I was inspired by your review to get a pair and glad I did.. I am still looking for ideal int amp for them with $4k budget. I have a Sugden A21 class A that sounds powerful and rich, but does not control the woofers and bass is loose.. If you had to pick the best int. amp match what would that be? Thanks!!
As you have infinite baffle then why not call these "finite baffle"? Or, maybe we could have "open baffle" for these and "closed baffle" for the more usual type of speaker? I'm in charge of terminology today!
Open baffle. Are the woofers the same as in cabinets? I'm thinking they would produce a sound wave also when they pull back as well as when they push. Also I think room treatment must be especially important with open baffle - must be very noisy behind them.
While I know there are great benefits to the open baffle design, there are three reasons they're not for me. I'm not a fan of the looks. I really like the cabinetry work in conventional design. Secondly, I don't have a space where I can have speakers several feet into the room. And lastly.....cats and dogs. Our pets and several feet of open wiring are just a disaster waiting to happen. But I might build a set out of curiosity.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac thanks Steve...I love my Cornwalls the late night listening is great on them. I have them paired with the Luxman 507z integrated
I ordered and paid for a pair of these…. today makes 6 months ago. emailed them at 4 months - No response. It’s about time to call my CC company and get my money returned.
@@bobtomayDecember order for me. Parts shortages. At least he’s publishing who’s getting speakers each month. He noted 72 pairs ordered in 2024 after the CAF/Dec bubble in 2023.
@@audiotalk6155 because every reasonable technical measurement of open baffle [like their magical tubed amps counterparts] are horrible. I get it - you like what you like but sometimes empirical evidence should play a modest role.
@@JamesJoyce12 measuring devices only measure what they're designed to measure. People knew 70 years ago that distortion measurements didn't correlate to listening enjoyment for everyone.
I presume Clay knows what he is doing, but those metal supports do not look adequate at all. I'm mostly worried about the attachment to the baffle. It just looks like the screws could be too easily stripped out.
Back in the day I remember Steve reviewing $80 speakers and now "only" $700 speakers, how things have changed. Likewise he went from affordable $300 complete setup to $2,500 "affordable" setup... He is a great guy but like with every growing UA-camr his priorities unfortunately have shifted... I guess everyone has a price 🤷♂️
Steve, could you please do a review on the dragon. N POWER AMP PLEASE FOR ALL OF US I’m looking for a true review that I can trust and you’re the guy that can do it. Thank you in advance.
Crossing over to the tweeter at 1k on a 2nd order slope right in the middle of the human ear's most sensitive range is not a good idea. But this speaker design mandates inevitable compromise.
@@roberthart9886 I'm researching this exact thing, and it seems that due to the speed of the OB's, properly integrating a sub without making it worse can be very challenging.
@@BruceCross The Caladans don’t have cloth grills though like my X5s do. By the way, If you want to see my cats jumping on my speakers, its on my channel. lol
@@BrentLeVasseur I didn't see the cats on the speakers, but the videos are rather long. I like a lot of your equipment choices like the X5, Holo Audio, Benchmark amps, etc.
Sorry the dual 12 inch woofers playing to 1k hertz then tweeter goes from there looks bad. Why would I pay 3k for them? I have Magnepan LRS 715 and two REL T5 745 so half price of these. My Infinity Kappa 8s would destroy those for sure. 3k? I paid 500 for pair.
Why would ANY respectable speaker designer design worse time alignment by putting the woofer on the back and the tweeter on the front of the baffle? Only the deaf need to answer that it does not matter. The PAP Trio10 Heil does NOT ignore time alignment!
Only the blind like you doesn’t see that it is an angled baffle design , which probably is to compensate the drivers time alignment. And the low tweeter crossover point is at 1k . A mid would set out further than the tweeter. Also mids are coming from the woofer at 1k , It probably was well considered with the crossover and slanted baffle .
I have pair number 0025A & B. I am replacing Maggie 3.7i speakers with the Caladans and am very happy. The efficiency and dynamics are the big plus compared to the Maggie’s.
I’ve had Maggie MMG before so I’m hoping for similar
How do you think they'd compare to the 3.7i in a larger room? My room is 30 x 60 open living space with the audio system on one end. What made you move away from the Maggie's?
@@jamesoconnor5903 Dynamics and the desire to use low powered SET amps. I think that 30x60 is too large for them
@@roberthaysley4245 Yup, Maggies are magical but not the most dynamic and certainly not the most efficient speaker to drive. I'm using Purifi class D amps with loads of power.
The LRS+ really opened my eyes to non-conventional speaker design. These open baffle designs look amazing. Thanks for the great review and comparisons. 👍
Welcome to the wonderful world of dipole 😊 try listening to some full range electrostats if you get a chance, those were my life changing listen 35 years ago. Never looked back. Did add a pair of open baffle to my collection two weeks ago. But I still listen more to my collection of electrostats.
You are a point of light. I’ve been at a loss over what the future looks like for months now, and you are showing a path to peace for all people. Thank you
Take a close look at the viewer system of the day.
The cabinet is gorgeous.
Stunning design and craftsmanship!!!
SUPER..... thanks again Steve, love how articulate you are.... your a star ⭐️
One of the aspects I always enjoy about Steve is the music recommendations!
100%
Wow Steve, I can’t believe you are listening to dark dark dark! Love that album! By pure chance I saw them at a club in Chicago. Had no idea who they were but they blew me away. A band Full of very talented multi instrumentalists
Hi Steve, I haven’t had a good stereo since I was a poor young man in the 1970’s. I used to design and build my own speakers. I don’t’ trust a lot of audio experts (I don’t believe that you can hear the gold plating on cables and such) but have been watching you for years. Because of your recommendations I have purchased a pair of LRS+ with the VTF-2. I am driving it with a Nobsound tube amp, Mojo2 DAT and a LEAK CD transport. I just leave the EQ on neutral and the sound is perfect. So much clarity, stage presence and punch. Thx for your honest evaluations. I am treating myself to great music and sound again.
Wow, that's great. Thanks for watching James.
I went from Magnepan LRS’s to Spatial Audio M3 Sapphires and you are bang on in describing the differences Steve. The Caladan’s look fantastic. Spatial under new management are moving more upmarket so Clayton is filling a void and providing a relatively affordable entry into open baffles. Thanks for the great review!
I agree with your assessment of “brighter”. I’m still getting used to the tweeter, coming from AMT and beryllium tweeters.
Steve! Thanks for posting this video
I’m still hoping you’ll review the Decware Zen Master open baffle speakers. Would have been a great addition to this line up!
Mine arrived on Saturday and they sound fantastic post break in. Their build quality is phenomenal.
For those concerned about the required feet away from the wall - You can still play music with them near the wall and it sounds fine but not HiFi. One feature not talked enough about these speaker is how they're only 10" deep and 35 lbs. Mine are tucked neatly near the wall and I easily pull them out when I have a long listening session. I play music for my young daughters with them near the wall.
I've been to a few audio shows and have had a few listening sessions in HiFi stores and per my untrained ear, my system now competes with the best of them.
Enjoy!!
These really appeal to me! I've said this before. You're my favorite reviewer. Especially with speakers. Thanks so much!
Thanks!
Very nice system of the day ..........
Interesting.. based upon others feedback I expected a more glowing review. Sounds like this is a solid value but not earth changing giant killer. Glad to see the hype balanced a bit. Super excited for the 0.7X review.
Yeah...I watched a rave review (giant killer type) by the hat wearing guy (who I really appreciate). If this review had been like that it would have convinced me to pull the trigger asap. Now, not so sure. Plus, Ive strongly considered Maggies....but again, now not so sure about those, either.. (Dammit)
@@losendos8963 that Ron from NRD and I really do appreciate his channel but I always like to triangulate reviewers to see if there is consistency. NRD, Andrew, Darko, Thomas, Iyagi, Zero Fidelity, British audiophile are my go to channels. I’ve got a few that are a bit more boutique. Erin’s audio corner, Nemo propaganda, audioholics are a few of them.
@@losendos8963listen to a pair of full range electrostats. I have acoustat x and Quad ESL 57. I paid 600 for each pair. Depending on your taste you might add an open baffle bass. But you could be done around 1000 and have a great sounding speaker system. Try the speakers without extras first. The bass is more than most reviewers lead to believe 😂
Steve, you're costing me a fortune.
You are so enthusiastic about the music you use in your evaluations. I have to check out a lot of the music you mention. I've just ordered the Dark dark dark album. I've also now got Dominique Fils-Aimé complete collection after you enthused over Our roots run deep.
Thanks for letting me know! It's a lot of fun turning people onto new music!
One of these lifetimes I will spend big bucks on speakers. Until then or never, I will continue listening to my own DIY speakers. I am using DIY pass designed low power class A amps. My speakers are currently a bi amped two driver OB with a Tang Band full range W8 2145 on top with a 10" Dayton PA255 - 8 woofer low passed at 2500 hz. Baffle is 15" x 24". I also use a small 8" Sony servo sub for some light fill in on the very low end. Works for me in my small room.
Looks like a great speaker America made at a good price. Om my short list for sure.
The system of the day is what dreams are made of. Simple and elegant. Dollars per smile he is killing it. Lol.
Ooooooooo... wicked looking speakers, Steve! Gotta find a way to audition a pair of these, though I do need something that can do low levels well, such as many of Klipsch's speakers. We'll see...
this channel comes up with a lot of unique products which is very refreshing compared the the standard fare that is served up on other review channels .👍👍👍
Thanks so much for noticing!
Open baffle is a new discovery for me, primarily due to Steve's review of the Pure Audio Duetto, which I bought after hearing Steve's review. Very happy with them. It seems like open baffle may be the new "trend" in audiophile currents....and with good reason.
I wonder if the changing the timber changes the timbre .
Funny wordplay, but a serious question.
@@BruceCross One issue I have with my Spatials is the MDF baffles flop around. They really could REALLY benefit from some sort of stabilization. Perhaps the hardwood baffles help in that regard?
@@Unpreeeedictable Hardwood should help a lot. I can't believe they made open baffles from MDF.
It don't rhyme.
Steve, would you consider discussing a tier list type format of amplifiers with Herb?
Of all the You-tubers, both of you have probably listened to more amplifiers than most.
I would be very interested to hear both your thoughts and experiences of those past amplifiers. It doesn't matter regarding topology or price. Just which amps have brought you both the most joy.
Not exactly sure what you mean, but if you mean class a, ab, d, tube or solid state, those Are too wide open. Meaning there's good and bad in each of those categories, quality is more of a case by case thing.
Brunoco is a South Korean manufacturer. Jay Lee was the first to break them to the North American audience
Be prepared for a long wait if you order. My early December 2023 order was a promised delivery during March 2024. Latest ETA is June 2024.
I've heard from Clayton that the bottleneck with baffle production has been solved to some degree, so there should be a higher throughput coming soon. We'll see though...
Ordered my pair in November. They arrived yesterday. ❤
@@zenguitar65 I'm still waiting on my early December order.
This is incredibly timely!
Great review brilliant like always.music on sir
Unfortunately it's been impossible to order them outside the US. They haven't figured out shipping and production yet, despite Clayton annoucing that the backlog and shipping to Europe would be solved by June. I hope they solve those issues by the end of the year as you mentioned. Thanks for the review Steve
One way to ship them safely would be as a kit of parts, to be assembled by the purchaser.
I am also interest in this. If you learn something about deliveries to europe starting, write here if you remember. cheers
Elvis Costello "This Years Model", "Armed Forces". My soundtrack for 1978.
i do wonder how open baffles sound when used for home theater/gaming
That integrated you mentioned at the end, hope it’s some good Schiit.
I've had my eye on these since seeing them on New Record Day, beautiful looks and good price. But if I can only put a foot of space between them and my front wall, will they sound bad? I know they won't sound as good as if they have three feet of space.
Wow those look amazing!! The fit and finish says these should be over $3K!
What the heck, no mention of that sweet cabinet that Matt has his system in?
I was wondering the same. I wonder if Matt or his father made it.
@@59seank
Whoever made it is a pretty darn good woodworker for sure.
Matt here. Steve forgot to mention. Yes, I built it. Gotta keep the wife happy! Lol.
@@madmatt1820 It's beautiful Matt. And functional. Well done!
Also, in the note to Steve, I mentioned that the left half of the cabinet houses the home theater system. Thanks for the compliments!
Steve, -- I ordered my pair back in Oct. 2023. Finally got them last month. That was a 6 month wait, but they were worth it. Replaced my M3 Sapphires, which were also great, but the Caladans are a better fit for my room size. Anyway, you show Gaia feet, both front and back on your pair. I think the extra charge you mentioned is for the second extra Gaia pair. Clayton's spec pic (at 2:50) shows the standard feet for use in back, which is how mine came. I think I might opt now to get a second Gaia pair.
You better reach out to Clayton because it's a packing mistake. It should be 8 GAIA feet.
@@bocrux I may contact him, but how do you know that it should be 8 Gaia feet? In each box, there were 2 Gaia feet and four regular. The 2 Gaia feet were labeled specifically as for the front. Also, all videos I've seen of the Caladans set up at the major audio shows always show them set up with Gaia feet on front, under the baffle, and regular feet on the back. SG's video here is the first I've seen with Gaia's at all 4 points. --I think SG did that because he's got extra Gaia's laying around.
The Gaias, and any speaker decoupling devices, make a big difference with virtually any speaker.
Note to manufacturers, stop it with the spikes.
@@nathanevans6277 Agree with you on spikes. They tighten up the sound in a negative way, and take the soul out of the music. The M3 Sapphires came with various spikes only. It's good to see that Clayton has moved away from that.
@@histubeness I talked to Clayton and received confirmation that it's 8 feet.
Full-range open-baffle speakers are counter-intuitive, including Magnepans, and Quads, because the bass will begin to encounter wave cancellations. So, placement and setup would require a Very Creative process.
Yes, I agree. But I assure you it's no more difficult then optimum speaker placement is with any other good quality speaker. I've done both!
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Great!
You’re supposed to stay quiet so we can still order it before it gets so backlogged.
Too late for that. Early December order was suppose to be delivered during March 2024. Latest update is mid-June possibly.
@@monrosj Yikes. I’m tempted to order but still haven’t heard open baffle. Just love what Maggies do but want that punch of boxes.
way too late already. I ordered in early NOV and Im still patiently waiting.
Youre out of luck there. I’ve been waiting 6 months already.
Great review as always !!!! I have a silly question I work in a hotel and I stay here and I have a little dorm I stay in so wanted something cheap, could test the creative T-100 they are only 100 dollars Canadian and they surprised the heck out me :)
I am considering replacing my Maggie 1.6 and might audition the Caladan. I've followed you since your days TAS and Stereophile days. Quick question: I'm 68. I recently watched a UA-cam video that tested hearing at different ranges, and I maxed out at about 9,000 Hz. Given this, I'm questioning if it makes sense to think about upgrading. Have you noticed a similar loss in range, and how has it affected your enjoyment?
why is there a vertical bar on your left lens?
Heard them at Capital Audio Fest, and was super impressed. I wonder if Clayton will send me a pair to check out for my channel…
I got to see Dark Dark Dark live here in Boise, Idaho back in 2008 or 2009 at Visual Arts Collective (VAC). I love them! I bought their "The Snow Magic" CD after the show-it is gloriously dark and fun. You draw an interesting analogy with ISB, which I totally geeked out to in the late 70s and early 80s, when I first discovered them. I never made that connection with DDD. But, really, the real question is what ever happened to Licorice?!
I just love what open baffle brings to the table. Unfortunately I don't have the space required.
Bring on the feast of audio goodies.
Matt's got some gorgeous woodwork in his system. Is the cabinet DIY?
Nice mix of components, haven't heard open baffle yet, have to remedy that. I still have the Clayton Shaw desktop system and amp of long ago.
Spatial europe makes them on another level, 3-inch baffle beatiful veneer, and solid wood as a baffle has too much resonance. That and you need to try the ASR emitter exclusive, handmade in Germany, sounds fantastic, no gimmicks. It does require alot of rack space, but this is true highend without all the gimmicks.
Steve great video. Love your enthusiasm😊!
What amp and preamp would you recommend like the Sit4? I have David Belles and a Conus Magnum 2 would you recommend tubes with the Caladans?
Don't have a lot of experience with open baffle speaker but am always amused when I read comments like ' music doesn't come in wooden boxes'.I guess these people have never heard of musical instruments like say a piano,guitar,violin,drums,double bass,celo etc.All use wooden boxes to amplify their sound.😂
Hi Steve thanks for the detailed review. Can you describe if any burn in took place? I'm wondering if the character of sound evolved at all during your testing period?
I don't think so, but burn in is gradual so it's hard to tell.
Some on Audiogon (an "audiophile" forum) said that yeah, the bass gets much better after 50 to 100 hours on them. Not bad. And they play well at lower volumes too. Making me rethink my ideas on buying the JBL L100 Classic MK II. Decisions, decisions...
On a forum folks were saying that it can take 300 hrs of burn in for the crossover's Jupiter capacitors to settle. I'm wondering if that threshold of run-in would balance out the brightness you're describing.
Interesting that a conventional crossover is used rather than a DSP. But, that’s a good thing since it works very well.
How does the Caladan sound with large orchestral music? I notice that you don't use "classical" music in your reviews.
Large orchestral music sound great IMO. I just finished playing some John Williams music pretty loud and it was very enjoyable and not fatiguing. Soundstage is very wide and very deep, but every instrument is well contoured and layered. highs occasionally float to my left and right shoulders, but all this is very DAC dependent as well.
Yes, let the music out of the Box. Open baffle is what many of us should have been doing all of this time. We got sold on expensive, complicated boxes. No more.❤️🌻
Now we have expensive garbage with exposed wiring looks like a bad science project.
Thanks Steve for this well anticipated review. Would these pair well with a subwoofer crossed over around 50Hz so you could enjoy both, the spaciousness of the open baffle speakers yet still have a touch of "bass slam" similar to the LRS and the small sub you tried out a while back?
No.
@@JohnDoe-np3zk go on. Why not?
I really want to try some open baffles, but I don’t have the room for a pair of these.
Good review Steve. I am liking the sound of these speakers the more reviews I see. I often hear about pairing and the importance of pairing speakers with the right components. How well do you think these speakers will pair with Prima Luna tube amps?? Cheers Tony
I think that combo would be great.
I am really interested in these, but the question for us in Europe is if they are worth it when the price tag will be somewhere around $4.000 once VAT, shipping etc. have been included.
You mentioned in your review of the duet speakers that piano sounds exceptional. Is that the case with the Caladans?
Less so
Overall which do you prefer the Duets or these CS? As a PAP Duet owner I was inspired by your review to get a pair and glad I did.. I am still looking for ideal int amp for them with $4k budget. I have a Sugden A21 class A that sounds powerful and rich, but does not control the woofers and bass is loose.. If you had to pick the best int. amp match what would that be? Thanks!!
I do like open baffle but I’ll stick with my LRS’s with REL woofers at half the price!
If you go to the part of the video where he says "it feels really solid" you can see in the frame that there is a screw that is visibly loose. Enjoy.
As you have infinite baffle then why not call these "finite baffle"? Or, maybe we could have "open baffle" for these and "closed baffle" for the more usual type of speaker? I'm in charge of terminology today!
Steve - did you use the Linear Tube Audio amp and preamp with the Caladan’s? Would you think they pair well with LTA equipment?
I've got to look up that Neil Young album Old Ways. Great to see speakers made in the US!
Open baffle. Are the woofers the same as in cabinets? I'm thinking they would produce a sound wave also when they pull back as well as when they push. Also I think room treatment must be especially important with open baffle - must be very noisy behind them.
No, woofers in these open baffle speakers are designed specifically for open baffle use.
but how is it in large rooms with 10ft high ceilings when played loud ? Can it fill the room ? Does it play clean at loud volumes ?
If you mean 100+ dB, not sure if that's doable.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac thank you
While I know there are great benefits to the open baffle design, there are three reasons they're not for me. I'm not a fan of the looks. I really like the cabinetry work in conventional design. Secondly, I don't have a space where I can have speakers several feet into the room. And lastly.....cats and dogs. Our pets and several feet of open wiring are just a disaster waiting to happen. But I might build a set out of curiosity.
Man those are nice!
I have cornwall IVs how do these speakers compare?
Cornwalls are more dynamic, with more powerful bass. But Caladan is much more open and spacious sounding.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac thanks Steve...I love my Cornwalls the late night listening is great on them. I have them paired with the Luxman 507z integrated
I ordered and paid for a pair of these…. today makes 6 months ago. emailed them at 4 months - No response. It’s about time to call my CC company and get my money returned.
7 months now
@@bobtomayDecember order for me. Parts shortages. At least he’s publishing who’s getting speakers each month. He noted 72 pairs ordered in 2024 after the CAF/Dec bubble in 2023.
Any chance reviewing the Maco Macarias?
In Europe you have the Spatial Europe open baffle loudspeakers....which you cannot buy in the US cause Clayton and Robert agreed so....
Spatial is Clayton's old company, this new speaker will be distributed in Europe later this year.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Do you maybe know if Spatial will go on or be closed ? Thank you
How do you compare this to Fortes or Zu dirty weekend?
Caladan is more open and spacious sounding.
Thanks. I think I found my new speaker
I'm not into open baffles rn but that looks like a very good value
Why not be into Open Baffles?
@@audiotalk6155 because every reasonable technical measurement of open baffle [like their magical tubed amps counterparts] are horrible. I get it - you like what you like but sometimes empirical evidence should play a modest role.
@@JamesJoyce12 measuring devices only measure what they're designed to measure. People knew 70 years ago that distortion measurements didn't correlate to listening enjoyment for everyone.
I presume Clay knows what he is doing, but those metal supports do not look adequate at all. I'm mostly worried about the attachment to the baffle. It just looks like the screws could be too easily stripped out.
It absolutely seemed strong enough to me.
are open-baffle speakers bad in small rooms? by ‘small’ i mean around 12x11x9
Not as long as you can place the speaker 3 feet from the wall.
Back in the day I remember Steve reviewing $80 speakers and now "only" $700 speakers, how things have changed. Likewise he went from affordable $300 complete setup to $2,500 "affordable" setup... He is a great guy but like with every growing UA-camr his priorities unfortunately have shifted... I guess everyone has a price 🤷♂️
I've heard screw in feet can affect the sound of a speaker.
That depends on the orientation of the screws' thread...😂
You need an Australian 33, UK 33, or the MFSL 45 of 'Get Happy', there's simply no comparison: the US version is bass-shy, really flat by comparison.
Steve, could you please do a review on the dragon. N POWER AMP PLEASE FOR ALL OF US I’m looking for a true review that I can trust and you’re the guy that can do it. Thank you in advance.
Crossing over to the tweeter at 1k on a 2nd order slope right in the middle of the human ear's most sensitive range is not a good idea. But this speaker design mandates inevitable compromise.
His previous successful design, the M3 Sapphire, the robust tweeter handled down to a ~600hz crossover.
We'll have to see how it measures in that critical range. Maybe Erin's Audio Corner can get a pair one day soon and run them through his Klippel.
Would you say the Ohm F is a very distant cousin?
No, the F was an omni directional design, the Caladan is an open baffle dipole design.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thank you for the reply! I kinda thought that, but wasn’t sure. The Caladans are, indeed, incredible sounding speakers.
great review and comparison of these 2 OB Speakers.
i hope someday you'll be able to review the QUALIO-IQ semi-open baffle speakers.
thank you
1985, aesthetically is still early 80’s, so it’s easy to miscast records, even a country music oriented one.
I wonder why most speaker designers choose closed box speakers. Seems like open baffle speakers are just as good and more open sounding.
Because OBs need more space to come alive, and the bass isn't as punchy as sealed or ported box speakers.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Yes, but adding 1-2 subs can be the cats ass
Wife Acceptance Factor for larger open baffle speakers is a stretch.....
@@roberthart9886 I'm researching this exact thing, and it seems that due to the speed of the OB's, properly integrating a sub without making it worse can be very challenging.
@@herosquadlivemusic4815 I would try a QUALITY active XO. I tried the cheap route/ 4 crapped out pretty quickly when I had Maggie 3.5Rs HTH
Decware has several cheaper open baffles. I have never heard them.
Stay away from speakers with tweeters well below ear level. A low soundstage is a strange and eventually irritating experience.
My cats would have fun with those.😂
Ouch! No more nicely finished wood.
It’s the speaker cloth that gets ruined, not the wood. I know from first hand experience.
You're right, they would be in shreds.
@@BruceCross The Caladans don’t have cloth grills though like my X5s do. By the way, If you want to see my cats jumping on my speakers, its on my channel. lol
@@BrentLeVasseur I didn't see the cats on the speakers, but the videos are rather long. I like a lot of your equipment choices like the X5, Holo Audio, Benchmark amps, etc.
Would you say the Caladan’s need subs or would benefit from subs or don’t need subs?
nice ! 😉
Of course. Bob Dylan. froñt and center..
👍
Sorry the dual 12 inch woofers playing to 1k hertz then tweeter goes from there looks bad. Why would I pay 3k for them? I have Magnepan LRS 715 and two REL T5 745 so half price of these. My Infinity Kappa 8s would destroy those for sure. 3k? I paid 500 for pair.
Why would ANY respectable speaker designer design worse time alignment by putting the woofer on the back and the tweeter on the front of the baffle? Only the deaf need to answer that it does not matter. The PAP Trio10 Heil does NOT ignore time alignment!
Only the blind like you doesn’t see that it is an angled baffle design , which probably is to compensate the drivers time alignment. And the low tweeter crossover point is at 1k . A mid would set out further than the tweeter. Also mids are coming from the woofer at 1k , It probably was well considered with the crossover and slanted baffle .
@@toddclarke1580 Yes, the blind. Draw it, measure it and then go see an optician. There is nowhere near the angle required.
👍❤️🫂
This company looks like they’re out for bear.
What's happening with your voice?? 😮
Allergies
Beautiful speakers. If you have any extras I’ll take a pair. 🫠