Diapason Karis

[Macca]

Not seriously considering laying out any dosh - what I really want to do is hear the things because they are made using the same principles as Doc Mod speakers:
Massive cabinets, solid construction
No crossover on mid/bass, minimal crossover on tweeter.

.

The original Wharfedale Delta 30 has no crossover on the mid/bass and only a cap on the tweeter - I know 'cause I had to repair my brother's pair once. And they are one of the worst speakers I ever heard. So it is not an automatic recipe for success. With those Diapson (Dimazipan?) you are paying for the cabinet work. Which is pretty, I admit. Be interested in what you think when you have had the demo, though.

[_D_S_J_R_]

Here they are - great for audio plays..

http://cpc.farnell.com/webapp/wcs/store ... reId=10180

Not refined enough for proper 'HiFi' use, but not boring like big Sennheisers either.

[Fretless]

Just spent a very pleasant hour listening to the Karis at the dealer. The first thing you want to do when you see them is stroke them - they are made of lovely real Walnut and have that sort of 'glow' to them. Picking one up I was surprised by how light it was, knowing that they are massive, hollowed-out blocks, I was expecting more weight, but they feel like a very solid object. They are also a little larger than I thought - about the same size as a Mission 760.



So, how do they sound? Damn impressive, that's how they sound. Open, authoritative, clear, detailed. Eyes closed and there is the impression of a far larger cabinet in front of you. The highs are very sweet and there is no idea of integration with mids or bass - it just feels seamless across the sound spectrum. Imaging is very clear - although not laser-pinpoint.
What is very noticeable is the friendliness of the presentation. The sound is uncoloured but the character is warm (work that one out!) This is a speaker you could listen to all day and not get fatigued or irritated by. I ran some Joni Mitchell though them and realised after two songs that I had long stopped listening to what the speakers were doing and was really enjoying the music (a good sign).

Only niggle is that the bass doesn't run too deep, about the same extension as the Magnepan MMG, but it is well defined and full. Amp used was a Moon integrated - nice.

Back home and played the same tracks through my Doc-modded 50-quid Audiolabs. Oh dear. Missing that big, natural,(expensive) sound that the little Diapason's have.

Thank heaven that my Piggy-Bank is empty at the moment or I'd have bought them on the spot.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Don't be mad, leave the dealer to fester in his greed that is all they are good for. You seem to have lost the plot!!! remember the Audiolabs were to prove to yourself that a small crap speaker could be improved out of all proportion, OK proved. So now get a speaker that is a bit special like the bigger old JPW or like Ronin's Magnums and Doc Mod them. Or if you can't get rid of the desire to throw money at someone then buy Cubes and really find the music. Speaker aren't pets for stroking they are for listening to. It sounds like the dealer has done a job on you.

[Fretless]

"The world of Hi-Fi is plagued by people trying to stop you commenting on what you hear and making decisions from it. This forum is different - here we do not allow people to challenge what people hear, and we can discuss the musical ability of our systems"

Just saying what I heard

[Fretless]

A note on my local Dealer. Sowell Hifi in Gorinchem (small town 50km east of Rotterdam). He runs a tiny, independent, one-man business and has to struggle to make a living in times when the economy is difficult and internet marketing is eradicating shops of all kinds. Of course he is trying to sell his wares - but he has never pushed me into buying anything in the 20 years that I have known him. I have had several real bargains from him and small repairs are often done free of charge. His service is excellent, quick and helpfull. He is a genuine audio enthusiast who is not (only) in it for the money.

Thing are changing too fast in the modern world and old-fashioned service, just around the corner, is something I hope will not disappear entirely.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

I wouldn't have commented if that was all you were doing, it read like a dealer advert. They may be really good small speakers but do you really want to be ripped off that much. You have to understand the Italian market, they are fixated on being considered to be artists or "maestro" so the visual and the tactile is all important, but "all" so called high end italian hi-fi is beautiful but grotesquely overpriced. A solid wood cab should be very heavy, if not then there are games being played inside, they should shove a lump of steel in

If that company sold direct then they would be about the price of a pair of Cube2. Don't let the con men con you.

And your last post I just noted. All middlemen play the friend card in the game, it used to be how they got you away from other dealers, now it is just to get any customers, he is doomed!!!! unless he is a charity, he is unnecessary apart from you like going there for coffee. Make your own coffee and chat with us (and other forums) on line you will get far more honesty without false friendship, you will be told the truth, and sold product without rip-off middleman mark ups.

[Fretless]

Yes the price is (very) high for what you get. That I can see.

These speakers intrigued me for the way in which they have been designed and built. Using a somewhat similar philosophical approach to the no-frills, minimum components, highest quality that NVA use, and I really did want to hear how they sound.

As I certainly cannot afford them (or Cubes) at the moment - everything is in Dreamland. But I remain genuinely impressed by how the Diapason's look and what they do. They are very pretty and sound extremely nice.

[terrybooth]

The Diapasons may have a similar approach in component selection and construction, but not in design.

NVA speakers all have upward firing bass/midrange drivers and front/side firing tweeters. The Diapasons appear to be a sealed box design.

The argument is that the NVA design is more like an infinite baffle (no box) design which allows the speakers to work with the room accoustic, the Diapasons are a box in a box where the sound is much more influence by the room acoustic.

[Fretless]

Valid point, Terry. And the Karis has, even worse, a rear-firing bass port. Not a plus factor.