RaidhoC1.1 Loudspeakers

by Roy Gregory, January 7, 2012 © www.theaudiobeat.com

nceuponatime,therewasalittlespeaker withbigambitions.Ithadanaluminumbaffle andaboat-backedcabinet,anditsmanufacturermadesomeseriousclaimsabouttheirrevolutionarydriversandmaterials,theirin-houseproduction,theiradvancedmounting,andthequalityoftheircrossovers.Infact,ifalltheclaimsweretrue,thespeakershouldbecapableofanear-magicalperformance.Itwouldalsobevery,veryexpensive,butnotascostlyasyoumightassume,becausethespeakerI’mdescribingisprobablynottheoneyouarethinkingof.ThespeakerIhaveinmindistheRaidhoC1,acompact,two-waystand-mountfromDenmark,exquisiteofform,impressiveoffunctionandgenuinelyrevolutionarywhenitcametohardware:nooff-the-shelfor“modified”tweeterorreconedbassunit;instead,itusedrealin-house-designedand-builtdriversand

components,andrealclean-sheetengineeringsolutions.TheC1wasaboutasfarfroma“me-too”productasit’spossibletoget.

TheRaidhostoryactuallystartswithadriver--aplanar-magnetichigh-frequencyunit,sometimes

(erroneouslyandconfusingly)referredtoasaribbon.Inmylexicon,aribbonhasanentirelyconductivemovingelement,withsignalgoinginoneendandoutoftheother.TheRaidhounitusedathinaluminumtraceetchedontoamylardiaphragm,creatingacontinuoussheet.Magnetsareplacedeithersideofthedrivermembraneandbehinditscenter.Thisconstruction,withsignalpassingdownonesideofthemembraneanduptheother,meansthattheelectricalloadrepresentssomethingakintoaconventionalvoicecoil,butflattened,withanominal7-ohmimpedance--inmarkedcontrasttomanyribbonsthateitherexhibit

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cripplinglysevereimpedancecharacteristicstothedrivingamplifieroremployatransformertoovercomethem.

Notthatdefinitionsreallymatter.Whatmattersisperformance,andinthisregardtheRaidhounitwasspectacularlygood--butalsoproblematic.Soquickandclean,itwashardtointegrateproperlywithconventional,dynamicmidrangeorbassdrivers.Eventhefastestavailableunitswerestrugglingtokeepup,resultinginarangeofhybridloudspeakersthathadphenomenalperformancepotentialbutwerealmostunworkablycriticalwhenitcametoplacementandsystemmatching;justalittleextraweightinthewrongplace,whetheritcamefrompositioningorthedrivingsystem,andthewholethingfellapart.ThoseXSeriesspeakersweretheclassichi-ficonundrum:whentheyweregoodtheywerevery,verygood,butwhentheywerebad,theysoundedbroken.

TheC1wasthefirstofRaidho’snext-generationloudspeakers,anditwasaimedatsolvingtheproblemsexperiencedwiththeXSeriesmodels.Anotherhybridplanar-magnetic/dynamicdesignbuiltaroundtheoriginaltweeter,thistimeitwasbasedonamid-bassdriverbuiltentirelyin-house.Ofcourse,manymanufacturersstatethattheirdriversare“unique,”“custom”or“modified.”Whatthatgenerallymeansisthattheyhavecollaboratedwithadrivermanufacturertoadaptanexistingunitordevelopanewonefromthemanufacturer’sexistingkitofparts.Theresultmayindeedbeunique--butitisalsogenerallyprettyconventional.

There’snothing--andIdomeannothing--conventionalaboutthemid-bassunitthatRaidhodevelopedforthe

C1.Facedwiththechallengeofcreatingadriverthatcouldmatchthespeedofresponseanddynamicrangeoftheirtweeter,they

quicklyrealizedthatextrememeasureswerenecessary.Let’sstartwiththeconeasanexample.

Ratherthanrelyingonanexistingpartormaterial,theysetouttodeveloptheirown.AninnovativeproductionprocesswasemployedtocreatewhatRaidhorefertoas

a“deepceramiccoated”coneforthebassdriver.Mostceramicconesarehomogenousstructures,themostfamiliarbeingAccuton’swhite-bowldiaphragms.Theseareabout500micronsthickandundoubtedlystiffandlight.Theissuewiththemispreventingthemfromringing,whichaccountsinpartforthevariouscutoutsorholes

withwhichtheyaredecorated.TheRaidhodriveradoptsadifferentapproach:100-micronceramic“skins”beingformedonthesurfaceofathinaluminumstructure,leavingametalcore.Thatcreatesasandwichconewiththick,lightceramiclayersoneithersideofathinaluminumcenter.Theaimistoproduceaconestructurethatisaslightandstiffasconventionalceramiccones,butoffersfarbetterself-damping.

Buttheinnovationdidn’tstopthere.Conventional

dynamicdriversarebuiltontoachassisthatisthenattachedtothecabinetbybolts,clampsorsomeotherfixing.TheRaidhodrivereliminatedthechassisentirely,alongwithanymechanicaldiscontinuitiesorenergylossthatresultedfromitsfixingtothebaffle.Instead,theconesurroundattacheddirectlytothecontouredaluminumbaffle,thebasketstructurebeingreplacedbyamotormountedonaringthatwasscreweddirectlyintothebackofthebafflebyaseriesofstand-offs.Themotoritselfusedanarrayofneodymiummagnetsinapush-pullarrangement,theshortvoicecoilbeingmassively

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overhung.Theformerwasfullyventedtofurtheraiddynamicsandavoidthermalcompression.Thewholeunitwasamodelofelegantengineeringanduttersimplicity,dedicatedtothesinglegoalofcreatingthefastestpossibledriverbyeliminatingmechanicalcompromise,storedorreflectedenergyandcompression.Itisbothanimpressiveandextremesolution,anunequivocalresponsetotheparticularlydemandingquestionpresentedintheformofRaidho’sownplanar-magnetictweeter.TheC1’sbassdriverwasthatanswer--andaprettycomprehensiveoneatthat.

Thehigh-frequencyunitwasalsobuiltdirectlyontotherearofthecontouredbaffle,ensuringaccurateinterfacingbetweenthedrivermembraneitselfandtheshallowflarethatloadedit,avitalconsiderationinachievingconsistentresults.TheXSerieshadusedamoldedpolymerelementtoloadthetweeter,butmadethemistakeofusingasimplepushfittolocateit.Variationsintheprecisealignmentofthedriverandthethroatoftheflare,aswellasthedistancebetweenthetwo,producedclearlyaudibleirregularitiesinresponse.Theanswerwastointegratethetwoelementsbyeliminatingtheexistingfaceplateandconstructingthedriverdirectlyontotherearoftheflaredbaffle--whichalsohappenedtocreateapleasingcontinuitywiththeconstructionofthemid-bassdriver.

Thetwodriversweremarriedbyasimplecrossoverconstructedfromhand-builtinductorsandcapacitorsmanufacturedspecificallytoaRaidhodesign,usingpreciselyspecifiedelementsandmaterials.Thediminutivecabinetwasnarrowanddeep,withcurvedwallsandarear-facingreflexport,carefullyflaredandintegralwiththecontouredspine.Thehigh-glossburlwalnutfinishwasimmaculate,andthecompanyalsosuppliedastrikinglyelegantstand,withalightweight,sprungconstructionandresonancecontrolinterfacestopandbottom.

Allinallitwasastunningproduct:innovativeandvisuallyelegant,itsoundedmightyimpressivetoo.Butbestofall,itcostratherlessthanhalfthepriceofsomeotheroptions--speakersthatattractedconsiderablymoreattentiondespitebeingarguablylessaccomplishedanddefinitelylessfullyengineered.Thoseintheknowsimplysmiled,satbackandenjoyedthemusic,whileRaidhoworkedondevelopinglargersystemsandthedriverstopopulatethem.

IreviewedtheC1sseveralyearsago,andthey’vebeenaconstantpresencesince,eitherinoneofmysystemsorontheendofChrisThomas’s

setup.Theirdynamicandmusicalcoherence,theirtransparencyandsensitivitytothenuancesof

techniqueandexpressionhavemadethemaninvaluabletool,acrystal-clearwindowontosystemperformance.Atthesametime,theirrevealingcharacterhasmadethemademandingreviewpartnerandadraconiantask-masterwhenitcomestosystemsetupandstateoftune.NothinggetspasttheC1s,musicallyorinhi-fiterms.

Whichbringsusfinally,tothenewC1.1,thelatestincarnationofthischallengingandrewardingcompactspeaker.Outwardlyvirtuallyidenticaltotheoriginal,theupdatedmodeldrawsinpartonexperienceandtechnologydevelopedforthoselargerspeakersystems,particularlytheimposingC4floorstander.Aswellaschangesandrefinementsinthedrivers,therehavealsobeenanumberofimprovementsintheotherhardwarecomponents,whichmightseemalmostinsignificantyetcollectivelyhaveaprofoundeffect.

Themostobviouschangeistothehigh-frequencydiaphragm.Theoriginalemployedincrediblythinconductivealuminumtraces,etchedinaclassic“prisonbars”patterninathinfoilbondedtoamylarmembrane.Therevisedtweeteremploysthesamemagnetstructure,butnowtheconductivetracesconstituteaninterlocking,almostherringbonepattern.Raidhoclaimthatthisimprovesthelinearityandconsistencyoftheribbon/diaphragm’smotion,helpingpreventbowingorripplingunderdrive.Giventhewidthoftheradiatingareaandthelateralspacingofthemagnets(oneoneachside,oneinthemiddle),Icancertainlyunderstandthatthismighthavebeenanissue

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withtheoriginal.Ofcourse,havingtheC1sonhandallowsdirectcomparisonbetweenthetwo,butlet’snotgetaheadofourselves.

Changestothemid-bassdriverareconfinedtothemotorassembly,andmorespecificallythevoicecoilandformer.Theoriginalversionemployedanaluminumformerandthishasnowbeenchangedtoazero-hysteresistitaniumpart,whilethevoicecoilnowusesadouble-layerwindingthatisclaimedtoreducethedriver’sinductanceby50%.Onceagain,directcomparisonsarebothinstructiveandconclusive.

Thecabinetstructureremainsunchanged,thealuminumbaffleplatesstillneatlymatedtothebeautifullylacquered1”-thickHDFcarcass.Asifthesmall-paneldimensionsandcurvedsidewallsaren’tstiffenough,therearethreeinternalhorizontalbracesandanotherverticalone.Despiteitsdiminutivedimensions,thisisonesolidandsubstantiallittlebox.Itisstillavailableintheoriginalburlwalnutfinish,butnowalsocomesinhigh-glossblackorwhite,thelatterbeingparticularlyattractive--atleasttomyeyesandinthecontextofourdistinctlymoderninteriordécor.

Theothervisiblechangeistotherearterminals,whicharenowRaidho’sowndesign,inplaceofthepreviousWBTs.Thesearelow-mass,dimensionallytuneditemsthatmightnotlookparticularlyimpressivebutsoundamazing.Orrather,theydon’t;theyjustletyouhearhowmuchimpactmostotherterminalshaveonthesignalthatpassesthroughthem.Internally,thewiringhasbeenupgraded,nowincorporatingNordostOdinaswellasthepreviousValhallaconductors--suitablyclassypartnersforthehand-craftedcomponentryemployedinthecrossover.

Thesumtotalofthesechangesmightnotseemthat significant,moreatweakingthanafundamental redesign,butletmebeabsolutelyclearaboutthis:sonically,theC1.1isawholenewballgame.Aspreviouslymentioned,havingtheC1in-houseasalong-termreferencealloweddirectcomparisonbetweenoldmodelandnew--anditwasn’tpretty.Facetoface,thenewspeakergoesdeeperwithconsiderablymorepurpose.Bassnoteshavegreaterpresenceandenergy,betterpitchdefinitionandshape.Musichasgreaterimpact,bothphysicallyandemotionally.

Impact--it’saninterestingterm,andparticularlysowhenitcomestotheC1.1.Therearetwoelements

thatmatterwhenitcomestoimpact:weightandspeed.Somethingheavytravellingatmoderatespeedcanhavealotlesseffectthansomethinglighterbuttravellinganawfullot

faster.Justthinkballistics.Asix-gunfiresaheavyslugthat’salmosthalfaninchindiameter.AnM16firesathinner,longerroundthat’slessthanquarterofaninchindiameterandmaybeathirdasheavy--butittravelsalotfaster,andasaresult,despitebeingsmallerandlighter,it’salotmorelethal.Justaskthepeopleonthereceivingend.

Inthesameway,thephysicsofsmalldriversinsmallcabinetsmeanthatsmallspeakerssimplydon’tgothatlow--atleastnotunlesstheyresorttomass-loadeddriversorothertrickery.Whichtakesusstraightbacktobulletsandslowandheavyversuslightandfast.Overtheyears,differentdesignershavetrieddifferentapproachestofakingitwhenitcomestocoaxingorchestralclimaxesoutofsmallspeakers:varyingdegreesof“voicing,”ABRs,isobaricbassloadingandcountlessotherapproachesIeitherhaven’theardaboutorhavesimplyforgotten.Fewifanyofthemactuallydeliveraconvincingimpressionoftherealthing,atleastnotwithoutsimplydumpingtheprobleminsomeoneelse’slap--normallythepersondesigningthepoweramp.

Soifrealisticweightisdarnednearimpossibletoachieve,howaboutaconvincingsenseofimpact?It’stheroadlesstraveled,atleastintermsofspeakerdesign,butit’sthepathchosenbyRaidho.WhattheC1.1sdoisdelivercleanbassinformationaslowastheycan--andtheydosoextremelyquickly.Thosebassnotesmightnotgothatdeep,althoughthesecond-generationdriverwithitstitaniumvoice-coilformercertainlyseemstohelpinthisregard,butboyaretheyfast.Theresultisplentyofimpactbutwithoutanyofthe“padding”sooftenaddedontothebottomendoflittlespeakerstomakethemseemlargerthantheyare.

Theresultingclaritycleansupthemidbassandbringscolorandseparationtothemidrange.Andmusicallythechangesarenolessprofound.PlaytherecentJurowski/LPOrecordingofHonegger’sPastorale D’Ete(CD[LPO0058])andtheC1.1sdeliveradramaticallymoretransparent,spaciousandspatiallyfocusedpictureoftheorchestra.Tonalseparationissignificantlybetter,woodwinds,hornsandcellieasilypickedastheyplayinconcert.That’spartlydowntotheextrasubstance

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throughthemids--butIsuspectitalsoreflectsanincreasedsenseofbodyandcolorfromthetweeter.However,it’snotjusttheeasewithwhicheachinstrumentcanbeidentified;itspurposeandcontributionsimplymakemoresense.Theshapeandstructureoftheworkismoreapparentandtheplayingmoreaccomplished.TheC1.1sbringaneasyfluiditytothemusic,anaturalebbandflowthatbreatheslifeintotheperformance.

MoveontoAmyMacdonald’sThis Is The Life[MelodramaticRecords173212-4]andallthesamebenefitsareapparent,thenewerspeakereasilysortingoutwhatisaless-than-wonderfulmodernrecordingandinjectingamuch-neededsenseofpaceandintent.Theguitarthatdrivesthetitletrackhasrealattackandonceagainthealbumasawholehasapurposefulmomentumthatengagesanddrawsthelistenerin.Theshiftsindensitythataresuchapartofthisdisc,thewaysomanyofthetracksbuildfrombasicfolkarrangementstoalmostanthemicproportionsplaceaheavyburdenonthesystem’sdynamicenvelope,aloadthat’sreadilyencompassedbytheC1.1s’enthusiasticresponse.Somuchsoinfactthattheuseofcompressiontofilloutthemusic’sdensityandcreatethefeelingofloudnessisclearlyrevealed,therecordingneverpushingthespeakers’dynamicrangealltheway--despitethemusicaldemands.Wheremostspeakersarealltoogladtoacceptalittlejudicioushelpwhenitcomestolouderpassages,thesesmallRaidhoshaveareal“bringiton”attitude.It’salmostasifthey’resaying,“Wedon’tcompressthemusic--whyshouldyou?”

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Ifyoureadthe introductory blog that preceded this series of speaker reviews,you’llseemeadvancethetheorythatsmallspeakersdidn’t

reallyhittheirstrideuntildesignersrecognizedthecentralimportanceofdynamiccoherence

andexpressiontotheirabilitytoconvincemusically.TheC1.1goesmuch,muchfurtherthanthat;dynamiccoherencemightwellbedescribedasitsraison d’etre.It’swhat,incombinationwithitstactile,unimpededbassperformance,makesthisspeakersoastonishinglyexpressiveandcommunicative--andwhatallowsittospeak(despiteitsdiminutivedimensions)withavoiceofsuchmusicalauthority.Andlet’sfaceit,ifyoucan’thavebandwidth,thenauthorityisdefinitelythenextbestthing!

Takethebassclarityandpresence,theuseable,meaningfuloutputthatgoeslowerthanyouexpect,withoutslowingorslurring,aswellasthoseunfettereddynamics,andwhat

yougetisaspeakerthatdeliversnotjusttremendousresolutionanddynamicdiscrimination,butasenseoftonalshadingandsubtlythatnormallyescapesspeakersofthisilk,wherecolorandresolutiontendtobeeither/orqualities.Don’tgetmewrong--aspeakerlikeCrystalCable’sArabesqueMinihasawiderandrichertonalpaletteandbetterharmonicdefinitionthantheC1.1,butifyouexpecttheRaidhotosoundanemic,youareinforaverypleasantsurprise.Leanitmaybe,butgutlessitain’t.Instead,itleansonthefronthalfofnotes,which,alongwithitsrhythmicallyarticulate,sure-footedpresentationandsuddenleadingedges,is

whatimbuesmusicwitharealsenseofpurposeandtheplayingwithprecision.

IusedtheC1.1switharangeofamps,butmainlytheVTLMB-450IIIs,theIconAudioStereo60and,perhapsmostimpressivelyofall,theRowland625.ThisisnoAvalonIndraorCoincidentPureReferenceExtreme,speakersthatstandsofarapartfromthemusicthatwhatyouhearisdominatedbytheamp.ThetonaltailoringimposedbytheRaidhoissubtle,butit’sthere,andit’senoughtogivethespeakeranidentifiablecharacter--definedbyitsquicknessandasoundthat’scleanwithouteverbeingsterile.ButwhereasmostspeakerswillleaveyouthinkingthattheRowlandamphasslightlyunderstateddynamics,perhapsalackofabsolutedynamicrange,theRaidhosrevealthatactuallyit’sthoseotherspeakersimposingthelimitation.TheunexaggerateddynamicenvelopedeliveredbytheRowlandampisgivenfullscope,allowingitseasy,unobstructedclarityfullrein.ComparingtherecentBoxstarre-releaseofJanisIan’sBetween The LinesLP[Boxstar88697691871]tomyoriginalpressing[CBS33394]isacaseinpoint.Usingthetried-and-trustedtesttrack“AtSeventeen,”theC1.1/625combinationclearlyrevealsthenaturalfluidityandphrasingintheperformance,aswellasawealthofdetail,easilyseparatingthemultipleguitarsandthechorushorns.Italsoidentifiesthepeculiartonalityofthetromboniumaswellasrevealingtheslightlossofimmediacyandabsoluteclarityonthereissue.

Lestyouthinkthatsoftnesscomesfromamporspeaker,notonlyisitabsentfromtheoriginalpressing,it’sabsentonmanyotherstoo.TheArgenta/YepesConcierto de AranjuezLP[AlhambraSCLL14000]isaperfectexample.Thisisoneofthegreatclassicalrecordings,whereaperformanceofrealmajestyiscapturedinsoundthattrulydoesitjustice.ItsmagicalblendofmusicalbrillianceandspatialcoherencerevealsboththeC1.1s’strengthsandcharacter.Thetransparencyandseamlessspaceofthisrecordingareclearlyapparent,thesoloistperfectlycentered,hisinstrumentpresentedwithrealimmediacyandpresence.Thesoundstageisbroad,butwhilsttheinstrumentsarebothlayeredandpreciselylocated,itlackstheobvioussenseof(slightlyexaggerated)depthyougenerallyhearfromthisdisc,anartifactofthesimple,minimalistmicrophonetechnique.Thespeakers’widestanceandclaritycreateanexpansivesoundspace

withpreciselyarrangedandlocatedinstruments,buttheydon’tdefinetheacousticasawhole,withclearlydiscernable

boundaries.Listenfordepthinthesoundstageandit’sthere;itjustisn’tobviouslytherebecause

youaren’thearingthesidewall,therearwallorthesenseofproportionbetweenthem.

However,whatisreally,reallyimpressiveisthesheerintensityofYepes’playing,hisattack,hisshapingofnotesandphrases.Theopeningpassageofthesecondmovementisalessoninthatstrangealchemythatsomehowseamlesslycombinesdelicacyandpower,poiseandanalmostabandonedcascadeofnotes.ItunderlinesnotjustYepes’ability,butthegripandauthorityoftheC1.1whenproperlydriven.Ifasystemisawholethat’sgreaterthanthesumofitspartsthentheC1.1/625setupdefinitelyqualifies,whichisdoublyimpressivegiventhequalityoftheindividualelements.ThrowRowland’sAerisDACintotheequationandthingsreallystarttocook.Drivingthe625directlyfromtheDAC’soutputbringsadramaticimprovementindynamicrange,transparencyandtemporalintegrity,ascomparedtotheWadiaS7ialone.ThesparseopeningofMartinStephenson’s“LeftUsToBurn”(fromBoat To Bolivia[Kitchenware/Sony88697145962],withitsdeepbassintro,tomtomsandpercussion,takesonanewpurposeandpace,thetimingandweightofhandonskinmoreapparent,theblacknessofthebackgrounddeeperandmorevelvety.Theinstrumentsstepawayfromthespeakers,thevoices,leadandbacking,aremorefocused,morenaturalandeasiertoseparate.Suddenly,theperformanceiscrisper,tighterandjustplainbetter.

What’sthatgottodowiththespeakers?Afterall,it’stheDACthatwaschanged.Sure--butitwasthespeakersthatletyouhearthedifferencethattheDACmade,andjusthowbigthatdifferencewas.InthesamewaythattheC1.1sdon’tcompressdynamics,theydon’tcompresssystemdifferenceseither,allowingthemusicasmuchpresenceandauthority,intelligibilityandimpactastheequipmentcandeliver.Onething’sforsure:withtheRaidhosyou’llneverbeleftwondering.

IftheC1.1s’raison d’etreisuncompresseddynamicdelivery,theotherareainwhichtheytrulyexcelistemporalandspatialintegrity.Eachinstrumentorvoice

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ispreciselylocatedinspace(assumingthattheinformationisencodedintherecording),itscontributionstimedtoperfection(assumingthatthedrivingsystemiscapableofachievingthat).This“aplaceforeverythingandeverythinginitsplace”senseoforganizationiscrucialtotheincredibleintelligibilitythesespeakersbringtorecordedmusic.Theymakeitmucheasiertosortoutormakesenseofthemusicandthesystemasawhole--notjustwhat’shappening,butwhyaswell.Sowhenmusicianshitanotetogether,they really do,addingjusttherightweightoremphasistothemusic.Thesolidityoftuttis,whetherbrassorpercussion,givesarealisticallysuddenimpactandexplosivequalitythatescapesallbutthebestspeakers,whilethemusicians’placementinthemusicalschemeofthingsgivesthemusicjusttherightimpetus,whetherit’sagentleprodorafull-onorchestralclimax.

Takentogether,thesequalitiesofunclutteredclarity,dynamicrangeandresolution,spatialandtemporalintegrityandtheoverallsenseoforganizationandintelligibilitytheybringcreateaspeakerthat’scapableofsingularlyimpressivemusicalfeats.Theyalsocreateaspeakerthatsoundsdistinctive--anddistinctlydifferenttomostotherspeakers,withthatwidestanceandabsenceofaddedweighttopadoutthebottomend,muddleitandslowitdown.Thequestionpotentialownersneedtoaskiswhetherdifferentmeansbetter,andwhatthatmeansforthemusicthey’llplay.

Let’stakeNouvelleVague’sinspiredcoveroftheUltravoxclassic“FadeToGrey”fromBande A’Part[PerfectKissPFG079]asanexample.QuiteapartfromthewholenotionofreproducingthisNewRomanticmilestonewithsolofemale-voiceandaccordionaccompaniment,itpresentssystemswithamusicalchallengeofquiteanotherkind.Behindthesimpleinstrumentation,MarcCollincreatesacomplexsyntheticsoundscape,asparselypopulatedmetrostationthatthenitselftransmogrifies.

TheC1.1spresentthecoreelementswithalmostpristineclarity.Truetotype,thevoiceisalittlehollow,moremouththanchest,the

accordionlackingalittleharmonictexture,almostmakingitsoundsynthesizedratherthan

liketherealthing.Behindthem,thecollageofquick,hurriedstepsareclearlylocatedinspace,

eachindividualscurryingleftorrightandpreciselyangledacrossthesoundstage.Butwhatisalmostspookyistheimmediatelyidentifiableechooffootstepsintunnels,thesenseofthetubeextendingbeyondthem.Thehollownessinthevoicefitsrightin,alongwiththerushingwindoftrainsandalltheotherincidentalnoises.Whenthespokenvoiceoverstarts,mostsystemssimplysubmergeitinthegeneralwashofsound.TheC1.1spickitoutandseparateitwithalmoststartlingclarity,addinganotherlayertothecool,greyemptinessoftherecording.

Allofwhichisprettyimpressive;butit’swhathappensnextthatreallysetstheC1.1sapart.Thesoundscapeslowlychangestoatropicalbeach,metallicknocksandchimestosteeldrums,rushingtrainstowavesontheshore,theslightlythreateningisolationtoareassuringcalm.Asithappensthetonalpaletteshiftscompletely,fromcold,dull,monotonegreystowarm,bright,goldenyellows.It’sapieceofstudioartifice,apartytrick,butonethat’smusicallynolessimportantforallthat.Infact,it’sthisshiftinperspectivethatinformstheperformanceandaddssomuchmoretotheoriginal--andwithoutwhichitbecomeslittlemorethanacurio.I’veneverheardthatshiftsoclearly,orhearditpresentedsoeffectively,asIdidontheC1.1s.TheRaidhosdon’tjusttellyouwhat’shappened;youalsounderstandwhy.Thisabilitytograsptheessentialsenseofaperformanceis,inmyexperience,unprecedented.It’srootedintheclaritywithwhichthespeakerpresentstheelements

inthemusicandtherelationshipsbetweenthem,anditmakestheRaidhoC1.1amusicalcommunicatorparexcellence.

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heC1.1scannotcreateareplicaof theoriginalperformance--andintruth, theydon’teventry.Insteadtheyconcentrateonthesenseofthemusicratherthanthefact.It’satime-honoredapproachthatprobablydatesfromthedesignoftheLinnKann--butI’veneverhearditdonesowell.Itmightsacrificeapalpablesenseoftheenclosedacousticspace,thesheerharmonicbeautyandcomplexityofinstruments,butthat’slessofanissueifyoudon’tdependonacousticrecordingsforthemajorityofyourlistening,andmanydon’t.Butwhateveryoulistento,thepurposeandintentintheplayingwillrarelyhavebeenpresentedsoclearly--ordrivenhomequitesoeffectively.Itdoesn’tnecessarilymakeforacomfortablelisteningexperience,butthentoomuchhi-fispendsfartoomuchtimetryingtobemusicallypolite,evencuddly.WhenShostakovichwrotehis13thSymphony,namedforthepogromatBabiYar,doyouthinkhemeantittobeeasylistening?TheRaidhossucceedinencompassingthefullrangeofmusicalexpression,fromtheguiltypleasure

andalmostjauntylightnessofNouvelleVague’sversionoftheBuzzcocks’“EverFallenInLove”tothesomberpathosoftheLeningradSymphony.

Thisemotionalrangeisoneofthelastgreatfrontiersinhi-fi--andtheC1.1sbreaknewground.Atatimewhensystemsingeneralandloudspeakersinparticularseemtoplaythingseversafer,optingforflatfrequencyresponse,resolutionorsomeothertechnicalparameter,attheexpenseofmusicalexpressionandinvolvement,theC1.1sareawelcomebreathoffreshair.Thechallengetheyrepresentforlistenerscomesintheformofaquestion,“Doyouwanttoplayitsafeorareyoufeelingadventurous;doyouwantmusictoconfirmwhatyoualreadyknoworbecomeavoyageofdiscovery?”Thinkcarefully,becausethewronganswerwillgenerallyproveexpensive--evenifitmighthaveseemedlikethe“safe”solutionatthetime.

Ifit’sadventureyouwant(orneed),looknofurtherthantheC1.1s.Believeme,they’lltakeyouonquiteatrip!

Price:$15,000perpairinblackorwhitefinish,$17,000perpairinburlwalnutfinish.Raidhospeakerstandscost$3000perpair.

Warranty: Fiveyearspartsandlabor.

RaidhoAcousticsc/oDantaxRadioA/S,Bransagervej15,9490Pandrup,Denmark+4598247677

www.raidho.dk

Care and feedingTheC1swereremarkablytolerantofsystemandsetup,especiallyaftertheexperienceofthepreviousrange.Theyneededtobeplacedwellawayfromwalls,wellapartandslightlytoedin.Theyweren’tparticularlyhardtodrive,buttheyplacedaheavypremiumonthecoherenceofthesystemdoingthedrivingaswellasitsstateoftuning.Decentsupportsandacoherentcableloomwereprettymuchde rigueuriftheC1.1sweren’tgoingtotellyoualltooclearlyaboutdiscontinuitiesintheenergyspectrumofyoursystem.Beyondthat,adecentsourceandastraight-

lineapproachwereallthatwererequiredtoachieveexcellentresults.

TheC1.1sarealmostbutnotquiteaseasytofeed.System-wise,theyneedexactlythesamecareandattentionastheC-1s;startmixingandmatchingcablesandthey’lltellyoujusthowdumbanideathatis.Thegoodnewsisthateverytimeyouimprovethequalityoreffectivenessofyoursysteminfrastructure,whetherthat’sthesurfacessupportingyourelectronics,what’scouplingthemtogetheroranew,cleangroundforyourACsupply,theRaidhoswilltellyouallaboutitloudandclear.

Theyalsolikethesamewidestanceastheiroldersiblings,workingbestwhenplacedonespeaker’swidth(orabout15”)outsidethenormformylisteningroom.Theyalsoliketobetoedinfarmore,pointingdirectlyatthelistener,andarefarlessforgivingwhenitcomestofront-walldistance.I’mguessingthatit’sthedeeperbassfromthereviseddriver,butyoureallyneedtogettheirfront/backpositioningspoton.Inthisregard,thematchingstandsmakelifeeasy.Unchangedfromtheoriginals,theyoffercup-and-cone-typevibrationcontrolattopandbottom,alongwitha

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carefullyshapedandtunedlightweightconstructiontohelpdissipateunwantedenergy.Distinctlydifferent,theyarealsoextremelyeffective.I’vetriedtheRaidhospeakersonother,moreconventionalstandsandtheperformancesuffersmarkedly.Twoaspectsofthestands’designcontributetoeasingsetup:theirlightweightandthefactthattheconicalfeetonwhichtheystandhavebroad,roundednosesthatareeasytoshiftonjustaboutanysurface,sosmalladjustmentsinangleordistanceareeasilyachieved.

Whichbringsmetomyonerealbug-bearwiththeRaidhostand.Thosefeetarenotadjustable!Andtherearefourofthem!Foraspeakerthatisthisthoroughlyengineeredthisseemslikeamassiveoversight--andonethatisnowbeingrepeated.Notonlydoesitmeanyoucan’tgetthespeakerspreciselylevel,oneofthefeetwillalmostcertainlybeunloadedandlefttorattle.Comeonguys,getwiththeprogram;aretrofittablefootthatincorporatesthesamevibrationcontrolaswellaslevelingneedstobeapriority.Giventhefocusandprecisionwithwhichthesespeakerspresentsoundsources,Icanonlywonderwhatwouldhappenifyoucouldgetthemperfectlyplantedandverticaltoboot.What’sreallyfrustratingisthatthestandsaresoessentialtothespeakers’performance.Otherwiseyoucouldjustgowithadifferentoption.-Roy Gregory

Associated Equipment

Analog:VPIClassic3+turntablewithVPIJMW12”andTri-PlanarMkVIIUIItonearms;LyraTitan,Skala,DorianandDorianMonocartridges;ClearaudioGoldfingerStatementandvandenHulCondorcartridges;Connoisseur4.2andCoincidentSpeakerTechnologyStatementphonostages.

Digital:WadiaS7iCDplayer,dCSPaganinithree-boxdigitalfront-end,JeffRowlandAerisdigital-to-analogconverter.

Preamplifiers:Connoisseur4.2,VTLTL-7.5SeriesIIIandCoincidentSpeakerTechnologyStatementlinestages.Power amplifiers:JeffRowland625stereoamp,BerningQuadratureZ,VTLMB-450SignatureSeriesIII,JadisJA-30andJA-120,andCoincidentSpeakerTechnologyM300BFrankensteinMkIImonoblocks.

Integrated amplifier:IconAudioStereo60Signature.

Speakers:CoincidentSpeakerTechnologyPureReferenceExtreme,FocalChorus807VandStellaUtopiaEM,SonusFaberCremona,SpendorSA1andA6.

Cables:NordostOdinthroughoutthesystem,fromACsockettospeakerterminals.

PowerdistributionwasviaQuantumQRTQB8swithamixofQX2andQX4powerpurifiersandQV2ACharmonizers.

Supports:RacksarefiniteelementeHD-04MasterReferenceracksandampstandsalongwitha26”-wideStillpointsESS.Theseareusedwithequipmentcouplersthroughout,eitherStillpontsorNordostSortKones.CablesareelevatedonAyreMyrtlewoodblocks.

Accessories:FeickertprotractorandAestetixcartridgedemagnetizer,aprecisionspiritlevelandlaser,areallylongtapemeasure,andplentyofmaskingtape.AlsoextensiveuseoftheFurutechanti-staticanddemagnetizingdevicesandtheVPIHW27Typhoonrecord-cleaningmachine.