Stereoplay
All prices are quoted in euros unless otherwise noted.
1 €  is approximately 1.29 US dollars at time of report.

We give the German audio publication Stereoplay an "A" for once again putting on an interesting speaker shootout, and the manufacturers involved an honorable mention for being willing to let their speakers be demonstrated against each other.

While last year's speaker demo focused on cost-no-object designs, this year's theme was comparing differing technologies. The same electronics were used with every speaker system: a Pass Labs stereo amplifier and phono stage, an emmLabs transport and DAC, a Verdier turntable, a Naim preamplifier, and Fadel Art cables.

First up was B&W's Nautilus 801D loudspeaker, which represented conventional forward-firing dynamic-loudspeaker technology. The 801D sells for 16.000 € per pair.

Next up was Audio Physic's Caldera, which sells for 20.000 € per pair. The Caldera uses a coaxial midrange/tweeter and has side-firing woofers.

MartinLogan Summits were moved in next. This 12.000 €-per-pair hybrid design marries an electrostatic midrange/tweeter panel to dynamic woofers.

Finally, there was the JBL K2 S9800, which sells for 32.000 € per pair. The K2 S9800 uses horn-loading technology for the midrange and tweeter drivers.

As they did last year, opinions varied, with a surprising number of people favoring each speaker. We felt, however, that the JBL and Audio Physic models were superior to the others, at least in the very large demo room. We can't wait to see what Stereoplay comes up with next year.