Stilla reviews

Specials

Ensis reviews

First review of full-active Stilla

Another award received from Mr. Punter of Hifi Advice

Although the audiophiles in some more conventional markets around the world still have a bit of hesitation when it comes to full-active loudspeakers, we noticed a clear upward trend in most parts of the world. With superb class D amplification and keeping the signal path completely analogue, the people at Aequo Audio knew for a while that this was a combination of greatness. We felt it was time for the first full-active review. 

Having the experience of a hybrid Stilla fresh in his mind (read his beautifully written review here), we asked Mr. Punter of Hifi Advice to put his skilled ears to work again. And he did. 
Soon we learned that he basically heard no real difference between a full-active Stilla and a hybrid version driven by a top notch € 31.000,- CH precision amplifier. What a compliment! Just like the hybrid version, the full-active Stilla got rewarded with another ‘Highly Recommended Award’!

The highlights of his -again very beautifully written review- are listed below.

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Read the full review on hifi-advice.com >

Highlights

• Just like the Hybrid Stillas, the fully-active Stillas have room-filling soundstaging while simultaneously being capable of superb imaging and razor-sharp focus. The layering in the depth plane is absolutely fabulous and has to be heard to be understood. And just like with the Hybrids, the resolution is again first-rate.
   

• Class-D sounds overly clean? Not the way that it is implemented here! In spite of their precision, the Stillas really are very far from being clinical. But neither are they polite- dynamically, they are absolutely stunning.
   

• Where razor-sharp imaging and high resolution can lead to leanness with some speakers, this is far from the case with the Stillas for they sound remarkably full-bodied and with bass so deep and powerful that you can’t help but wonder where the subwoofer is hidden.
   

• The Stillas possess from bottom to top a full-blooded tonality that injects everything you play with a pleasant richness.
   

• Besides their superb imaging and unbelievably powerful bass, perhaps their most alluring aspect is their natural midrange and the seamlessness with which the midrange driver crosses over to the tweeter. The two drivers seemingly work as one, always delivering vocals, strings, and woodwinds with an alluring “singing” quality.
   

• By now it’s quite clear that my impression of the two Stilla models is very nearly the same. This seems only logical since they are 95% identical but that leaves out the fact that I used the first pair with a 31.000-euro amplifier! In other words, replacing this amp with twin Ncore modules leads to the same results? Well, in this implementation in pretty much all aspects very nearly so, indeed.
   

• From their sleek looks there’s nothing obvious to give away the depths of the technological advances that went into their design, much less the complex inner workings of the speakers.
  The Stillas clearly appeal to those who want superb, truly full-range sound without letting the speakers or system dominate the room.
   

• The extra 2000 euro not only buys you two very high-quality built-in amplifiers, but it also eradicates all worries about amplifier-matching, while creating extra space in your living room environment, and saving you many multiples of the Active’s surplus charge that you would normally spend on a stand-alone amplifier.
   

Conclusion

"In many ways, this review is a carbon copy of the initial Stilla review. Not only are the two models very nearly identical in build and looks, but they also sound very nearly identical. Just like the Hybrid Stillas, the fully-active Stillas have staggeringly deep, solid, and linear bass, with room-filling soundstaging and absolutely superb focus and imaging.

While the distinction between the Hybrid and Fully-active Stilla models may seem relatively insignificant at first glance, it is actually a very big deal. The extra 2000 euro not only buys you two very high-quality built-in amplifiers, but it also eradicates all worries about amplifier-matching, while creating extra space in your living room environment, and saving you many multiples of the Active’s surplus charge that you would normally spend on a stand-alone amplifier! 

“Just like the Hybrid Stillas, the fully-active Stillas have staggeringly deep, solid, and linear bass, with room-filling soundstaging and absolutely superb focus and imaging.””

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Christiaan Punter, Hifi Advice

Best introduced Product 2020

By Montly Audio - South Korea

After a super positive review in the October edition of Montly Hifi and a very succesful system match with Grandinote Shinai, the news of being awarded "Best introduced product of 2020" was another fantastic hommage for Stilla coming from South-Korea. The fact that only three products where chosen in total -Stilla being the only loudspeaker- makes it extra special.

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We have made a translated selection of the reviews. For the full reports go to:

http://www.audioht.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=11729 

and http://www.audioht.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=11772

Unparalleled uniqueness based on vast technology

"As the performance began, the overwhelming grand scale and the volume of the low range began to wind around the listening room. It's an auditory experience that's quite different from what I expected in size."

"It has a laboratory-like precision, pure musicality that penetrates the mind, transparency and smoothness, and a unique aftertaste that attracts more attention."

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"Certainly, the days of very large speakers have passed now."

The tone is clear and delicate, yet soft. The aftertaste remains for a long time."

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"It sounds so lifelike and real that it is almost frightening. All instruments and vocals breath life and give you the feeling that they are playing right in front of you. It really is a damn good sound."

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"It is hard to believe that this enormous scale and energy is possible from this small loudspeaker."

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“Certainly, the days of very large speakers have passed now.”

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Mr Kim Nam, Monthly Audio, South-Korea

Hi-Visit Aequo Audio Auditorium

Hi-Visit by Werner Ero

As a special report for the ‘November Month of Hifi’, the renowned Dutch journalist and reviewer Werner Ero visited the Aequo Audio facilities. A rare and unique ‘behind the curtain’ look at the production facility, where he got to see our upcoming loudspeaker Adamantis. He also visited the Aequo Auditorium where he was able to experience Stilla in its 'natural habitat'. The Auditorium is opened for Dutch and Belgium customers recently, so they will be in for the same treat that Mr. Ero experienced!

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We put together a couple of highlights, you can read the full report here.

Highlights

• "A beautiful pair of prime-Dutch loudspeakers by which our country shows in an impressive way that we can easily match the worlds’ top high-end audio brands."
   

• "The speakers fully disappear without the slightest of notion of them being the source of sound, and never sound sharp or harsh while very precisely displaying the several analogue synthesiser details in the immense stereo image."
   

• "The song “Quia Fecit” starts with a long note played by the church organ. With small speakers this note is not heard at all, while large speakers often have difficulty reproducing it as an actual organ note. Not with these Aequo Audio speakers, where the lows are not only deep and full of pressure, even the contour and air circulation of the organ pipes is audible!"
   

• "Apart from the needed quantity to fill the room with at such a high level, there is also an enormous quality at every volume."
   

• "I take a deep bow for designer Ivo Sparidaens and his team to deliver so much versatility in a beautiful and elegant enclosure which will fit excellent in any interior possible."

“I take a deep bow for designer Ivo Sparidaens and his team to deliver so much versatility in a beautiful and elegant enclosure which will fit excellent in any interior possible.”

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Werner Ero, visiting the Aequo Audio Facilities

Stilla on 'Über Audio' list

Mono and Stereo lists Stilla 'Über Audio'

Each time when an award is won, the team behind Aequo Audio celebrates this special event. When receiving an award, the loudspeaker ends up in a short list with other products that received the same award. Ending up in these shorts list is fantastic. There is one list though, which is very special. And very short, which usually means it is extra special.

With great honour we can announce that Stilla is on the ‘Über Audio’ list of the esteemed ‘Mono and Stereo’! After the special double ‘Upper Echelon Class’ and ‘Highly Recommended Product’ awards, another very special acknowledgement (maybe even more special) to the extreme high-end qualities of Stilla. What a celebration.

Thank you Matej Isak for this very special recognition.

Stilla review Hifi Advice

Stilla reviewed by Christiaan Punter

After receiving a ‘Best of Show Award’ from Mr. Punter on the previous X-fi Audioshow, it was time for a more comprehensive dive into the Aequo Audio experience by reviewing Stilla. Mr Punter has written a beautiful and in-depth review, including a comparison to his other two loudspeakers: Magico S1 MkII and Martin Logan ESL15A. Not the least products and brands, but Mr Punter had a hard time 'going back' to them. We are very honored to receive yet another reward for Stilla: a "Highly Recommended Product" award.

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You can read a couple of selected highlights below but we recommend to read the full and beautiful written review on the website of Hifi Advice. 

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Read the full review on hifi-advice.com >

Highlights

• "In spite of their very compact dimensions and their deceivingly simple looks, the Stillas have impressed me deeply. I know that the price seems steep but please trust me when I say that their price tag is absolutely reflected in their performance."
   

• "The Stillas have enormous appeal for those who want superb, truly full-range sound without letting the speakers dominate the room."
   

• "The Stilla’s bass is not merely great given the speakers’ size, it’s absolutely great full stop."
   

• "It’s important to note that we are talking about a truly full-range system the size of small column speakers. Many big, multi-driver, speakers would dream of sounding as fast and coherent as the Stillas."
   

• "The Stilla’s treble is highly articulate, fast and precise, yet forgiving and with absolutely no edge or sharpness."
   

• "No speaker is worth much if it doesn’t convey the musical message. But that, the Stillas do with verve!"
   

• "These speakers have no cabinet coloration that I can detect and they are very neutral and seriously revealing, but somehow, they don’t deliver anything but foot-tapping, emotion-provoking, highly communicative, thrilling, pure and natural music. Wood instruments really sound wooden while vocals sound highly realistic."
   

Comparison 

Listening to Magico S1 MKII (€ 23.990,-) after Stilla (€ 17.999,-): 
"With their (Magico S1) more business-like presentation the feeling of listening to an actual “live” performance was much reduced and, as a consequence, my engagement considerably diminished. And besides, the Magico’s ultra-revealing nature also unveils graininess, dryness or hardness in the source while the Stillas pretty much always sound friendly."
 

Listening to Martin Logan ESL15A (€ 30.000,-) after Stilla (€ 17.999,-): 
"When going back to the Logans, no matter how great the bass or how transparent everything from the lower midrange and up, I was unpleasantly surprised. The image focus, the solidity and palpability of the midrange, the depth of the soundstage, and the overall sense of realism all took a serious beating. Yep, the Stilla will absolutely spoil you in these areas."
 

When placing Stilla in a small, uneven shaped room: 
"Never before have I heard such deep-reaching and such linear and even-handed bass in this room. Along with great bass came excellent focus and a room-filling soundstage. Given the close proximity to the rear wall, the depth of imaging is never truly great in this room but even in this regard, the Stillas performed admirably."
 

Conclusion

"With the Stillas, one does not need to know about any of the technologies that hide underneath. All it takes is a single demo to understand their brilliance. But if that did not fully do the trick, just try going back to your old speakers. Going back to the Magico S1 MkII’s sure was a real eye- and ear opener! 

These are not lifestyle products but seriously high-end speakers that tick all the audiophile parameter boxes."

“These are not lifestyle products but seriously high-end speakers that tick all the audiophile parameter boxes.”

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Christiaan Punter, Hifi Advice

Dutch Audio Club Oost Brabant

Full-Active Stilla Demonstration

The Netherlands has a couple of very high-level audio clubs, which we gratefully use to demonstrate our loudspeakers and get high quality feedback. The audio enthusiasts of these clubs are very deep into the high-end audio theory, and often ask very intelligent questions regarding design- or component choices and system combinations. We thankfully use this feedback and love these evenings where we can dive deep into audio-technical matters. This audience has proven to be the ideal focus group, which was also the case at Audio Club Oost Brabant. 

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When demonstrating our Full-Active Stilla loudspeaker for the first time in public, the response was similar to our demonstration at Audio Club Limburg: "The best I have heard here at the Audio Club!"

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They placed an extensive summary of the evening on their website. It is in Dutch but for those who can understand it: here is the link. We translated the highlights in English.

Highlights

• "These (full-active) loudspeakers transfer emotion, something I miss with DSP corrected systems."
   

• "Sub-low is very present. Impressive for a loudspeaker of this size!"
   

• "The imaging, and especially the depth imaging is simply fantastic. I have not encountered this often in our room (never to this extent)!"
   

• "Each component of the drivers is ordered by Aequo Audio's specification directly at the manufacturer that specializes in that specific part, even the conus material! This is realy 'no compromise'!!"
   

• "We have heard this [Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre] often, but not often as beautiful as this. Bravo!"
   

• "Despite spacious covid chair placement, a very good soundstage throughout the whole room.
   

• The best I have heard here at the Audio Club!"

“These (full-active) loudspeakers transfer emotion, something I miss with DSP corrected systems.”

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Audio Club Oost Brabant, The Netherlands

Best Product of 2019 Award

Stilla awarded by Mono and Stereo

With already two fantastic awards received for Stilla by Mono and Stereo, the year ends with another very special celebration. Stilla has been chosen as ‘Product of the year 2019’!

What better way to end a very successful year for Stilla than with this great recognition. Thank  you Matej Isak for yet another great tribute to Stilla.

X-Fi 2019 - Best Sound of Show

"Best Sound of Show" X-fi 2019 by Hifi Advice

During the biggest audioshow in the Netherlands, many of the worlds' top high-end brands were represented, such as Wilson Audio, YG, and Gauder Akustik.

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It is with great pride the staff of Aequo Audio received this award on such a large and well attended audioshow: 1st place. We thank Mr. Punter of Hifi Advice for this great honour. 

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The Dutch platfrom Alpha Audio mentioned the Aequo room as well: "A big surprise on the X-fi was Aequo Audio. What strikes you immediately is the openness and the punch. What a powerful sound. Not a real surprise when you consider the fact that the bass is active. The control on the performance is, among other factors, the result of the (analogue) adjustable active lows. A sort of passive room correction so to say. Great set."

Comparison with Børresen 02

Sonic Excellence

While reviewing the € 38.000,- Børresen 02, Mr Srajan Ebaen of 6moons made a comparison to both Aequo loudspeakers:

"Thinking back on prior occasions where I’d met sonic excellence at this level, I could only recall Aequo Audio’s Stilla and Ensis models. Those Dutchies went about their bass the active albeit purist analog way to require no conversion of analog input signal to digital for DSP chicanes. Which segues into my point. In the fully active domain, speakers like the Kii Three, Dutch & Dutch 8c and Grimm LS1be, all reviewed on these pages, breach this performance league at significantly lower coin."

When comparing the price tag of the Børresen 02 to our Stilla (€ 17.999,-), Mr Ebaen’s remark on the Stilla calling it a “hot buy” earlier in time seems to have been quite visionary.

Stilla review Mono & Stereo

The very unique, "mighty double-decker" from Matej Isak: two awards at once!

It is with great pride that Aequo Audio announces not one, but two prestigious awards won simultaneously for the Stilla. Aequo Audio humbly accepts this very unique honour, which Mr Isak calls so beautifully: "the mighty double-decker". In his already very extensive review, he did not yet include the music references, so a second part is coming. Two awards, and two review parts. For the entire review, please click the link below the following summary.

Summary:

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"When the technology is properly implemented the speakers simply disappear. While this sounds pretty easy to achieve, in reality, the complete disappearing act is not that common. Certain speakers do push this agenda to the extremes, but so far none of the dynamic speakers managed to nail the "stealth technology" with the as the Aequo Audio Stillas can. 

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Then again... The complexity never ceases to enroll effortlessness into the high-end audio realms that easily. Some typical dynamic speakers might have quit high translucent potency, yet it gets complicated with the timbre, tone and color formation as well as with the pin-point precision of sonic cues. 

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Here is where the Aequo Audio Stillas is ahead by not a exactly a subtle advantage. Stilla speakers' laser-like precision is impressively blended with the splendid spatiality. There is no hint of the distortion entering in the domain of golden triangle (timbre, tone, color) and the sonic scape is not hampered at any point. 

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With all of these qualities, the Stilla speakers embrace a bit different aural experience than what's usual expected. Laboratory like precision allows the pure music's transition that is of heart-melting impact. This translates with the remarkable sonic purity no matter what music is being played. 

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I'm sure you've got quite a vivid projection of what the Aequo Audio Stilla speakers are capable of. These transducers are among one of the most transparent windows to an endless music universe regardless of type and genre being served to them. 

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During the evaluation period, I've most highly enjoyed the Aequo Audio Stillas and surely miss them. Their ability to orbit music so effortlessly and without self sonic imprint is hard to forget and the stirring experience still lingers on. 

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For what they represent technically and sonic wise I'm wholeheartedly (even in the first part) awarding the Aequo Audio Stilla speakers in a very special way. Stillas are more than worthy of highlighting with the combined Mono & Stereo Upper Echelon Award and Highly Recommended Product Award. Yes, the mighty double-decker!

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As I was excited in my original Ensis review with the Aequo Audio next imprint I'm most excited to hand-on explore the next Aequo Audio adventures in the form of the passive Adamantis (€ 14.500) made out of the new material and the next in line D I L U V I U M."

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Read the full review on monoandstereo.com >
 

“Yes, the high-end audio future is bright and thrilling with the brands like Aequo Audio!♫”

Matej Isak, Mono & Stereo

Dutch Audio Club Limburg

Demo Evening at Audio Club Limburg

The Netherlands has a couple of very high-level audio clubs, which we gratefully use to demonstrate our loudspeakers and get high quality feedback. The audio enthusiasts of these clubs are very deep into the high-end audio theory, and often ask very intelligent questions regarding design- or component choices and system combinations. We thankfully use this feedback and love these evenings where we can dive deep into audio-technical matters. This audience has proven to be the ideal focus group, as was also the case at Audio Club Limburg, or ACL. 

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When demonstrating our Stilla loudspeaker for the first time, the response was amazing: "This was probably the best sounding set I ever hear in all my years of Audio Club Limburg. Nice accomplishment gentlemen! Keep it up!"

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They placed an extensive summary of the evening on their website. It is in Dutch but for those who can understand it: here is the link. We translated the highlight of it in English.

Highlights

I like the fact that the ARPEC controls go a bit “too far”. In this way, the listener can try what both dials do in the right way, to pick the best configuration for the room. The reach is conveniently large (from very thin bass to very fat bass).

Where I normally am very sceptic about ring radiator tweeters with a cone (my frustration about the Scan Speak Revelator tweeter is widespread), I can say out loud that this is one of the best, maybe even THE best, ‘conventional’ (not ribbon/horn) tweeter have I ever heard. It performs above every expectation.

You can almost sense the space behind the trumpet, and the natural sustain of the room in which it is recorded comes alive like we are actually there. The trumpet sounds very dynamic with a very lively attack. The rattling contrabass sounds bizarrely convincing, these speakers are doing something very well in the time domain.

Normally this recording sounds very harsh, but this time it is going very well. All details remain separated, these speakers refuse to make a mess of it. Also the big, dynamic bangs are totally under control and you can follow every detail.

The higher resolution (of the track which is played) reveals the kind of fluent reproduction these speakers can produce. Notes are fluently connected to each other, vibrations and resonances are presented round and transparent. It’s a shame the gentlemen are not using this resolution all the time, the speakers are worth it!

This recording is done with both singers in very close distance to the microphone. This is causing what they call the ‘proximity effect’. Voices sound deep and ‘sensual’. This recording is presented round, fluently and musical without unwanted whirring, booming or resonances. Proper cabinet design!

After this enormous amount of music and information I can’t say anything negative about these jewels of speakers, nor about the rest of the set. It is not cheap, but a classic case of ‘value for money’. This was probably the best sounding set I have heard in all my years of Audio Club Limburg. Nice accomplishment gentlemen! Keep it up!

“This was probably the best sounding set I have heard in all my years of Audio Club Limburg. Nice accomplishment gentlemen! Keep it up!”

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Audio Club Limburg, The Netherlands

Stilla review 6moons

Blue Moon Award from Srajan Ebaen for Stilla

Aequo Audio is very proud to announce the first review of the new Stilla speaker by 6moons’ founder Srajan Ebean, resulting in an award right away. Not often it happened that a brand’s first, as well as its second speaker product, receive his prestigious Blue Moon Award. Nore is it common to find so many adjectives as “brilliant”, “stunning” and “spectacular” simultaneously in one of Mr. Ebean’s fair judgements…

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In comparison to his large reference speakers - that more than double Stilla’s weight, and volume, and which are equipped with a full size 10 inch subwoofer - he states that these could not keep up with Stilla’s bass reach, control and evenness. For doing so with integrated active bass, including fully analog adjustability to room size and placement, he fully acknowledged how Stilla saves listeners big expense on amplifier choice and therefore total system budget. 

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The highs get just as much praise in comparison to recently reviewed top-shelf ribbons (by which he must mean those such as the new ones of Kaiser Acoustic that took the large room before Stilla could move in) as well as his Albedo’s ceramics by Accuton. In fact, Stilla proved to be super-coherent and highly resolving/articulated in all frequency bands and equally suitable for all music genres, whilst throwing a big “walkabout” and “wall-to-wall” soundstage.

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For the above and more highlights you find below, and for being so close in performance to the more expensive and multi award winning Ensis, he concludes Stilla is a “real disruptor and hot buy” that performs on the highest “roofless, top level”, and even without competition/”neighbours”. 

We thank Mr. Ebaen for his extensive and insightful review of both company and product, and we could not wish for a better assessment that fit’s so well the excitement and compliments we have been receiving from professional partners and consumers worldwide since the recent launch of Stilla.

Read the full review on 6moons.com >
 

Highlights:

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“truly capacious walkabout soundstaging, wall to wall with very high sorting separation”

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"Stilla's low registers bridge the worlds of small woofers for speed and control with that of mega woofers for raw extension.”

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“Next level performance while saving money on system budget”

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“Placed on the top level; without neighbors, Stilla is the real disruptor and hot buy” 

“Stunning” “Spectacular” “Next Level” “Brilliant”

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“When actually experienced, who could argue with Stilla's results?”

“Placed on the top level; without neighbors, Stilla is the real disruptor and hot buy”

Srajan Ebaen, Sixmoons.com

Ensis: Best sound of show

Best Sound of Show on High End Munich

Aequo Audio got awarded with a 'Best sound of show' award on one of the biggest and most important audio shows in the world: the High End  show in Munich. The award was given by Mr Pacula of High Fidelity magazine. Given the fact that the Ensis was playing in a demo cabin in one of the halls instead of an atrium, this is quite an accomplishment...

Ensis review Mono & Stereo

Highly Recommended Product award for Ensis

With his 20 years of experience in high end audio, Matej Isak can be seen as a true connaisseur. His beautifully written reviews have inspired many audio enthusiasts over the last two decades and with his internationally well-known platform, it was a true honor that he would like to review the special copper edition of the Ensis. We feel his observations truly got the essence of how Aequo Audio connects listeners to the musical performance. We selected some highlights of his review that you can read below.

Read the full review on monoandstereo.com >

Highlights

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“Ensis have managed to elevate "Adaptaion Of The Bodo song" to the level of the scenic sense, that is usually reserved for a grander speakers. 

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The Ensis' lightning fast signal response, immersive sound stage, massive power of the subwoofers and lower order crossover have materialised a box-less sound with a captivating tensional integrity not often exhibited by any speakers regardless the price. 

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Aequo Audio's formulated technical endeavouring created a connecting bridge with the music without focusing on the mere mechanics of the acoustics. Ensis's rather focused on the music's inherited DNA.

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Intriguingly refreshing!

Ensis have shown their multi-faceted nature, that could follow the music genres with a captivating pace and with the sonic magnetism, that can easily lockdown the listener into a prolonged and listening fatigue free aural enjoyment.

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Music was easily detached from the speakers and the sonic rendering created the grander aural venue, with the sonic projection of impressive density. 

Aequo Audio Ensis speakers's aesthetics and sound reflect the 21st century values and demands, that are highly coveted by both strident audiophiles and emotionally engaged music lovers. For the firstborns, these speakers strike with the surprisingly high exclamation mark.

Watch out for out for the Aequo Audio future imprint! ”

Ensis review Hifipig

Outstanding Product award for Ensis

The well-known HiFi couple Stuart en Linette Smith, famous for always being the first to bring news in HiFi-land, now used their skills and ears to get acquainted with the Ensis. Two representatives of Aequo Audio travelled to their lovely home in the French Gourin to visit them. 

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Read the full review on Hifipig >

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Some highlights of their review: 

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Stuart: “Real goosebumps time!”  “These are as good a pair of loudspeakers that I have had the pleasure to have in our listening room”

Linette: “They do have to tick certain boxes in order for them to make it onto my ‘Would like to own’ list.  Ensis really does tick them all.”

“At the bottom of the speakers is an enclosure that houses the ten inch aluminium subwoofer that is actively driven and is adjustable: This is a very useful and sensible feature that allows the Ensis loudspeakers to integrate brilliantly into any environment and room situation. The overall feel of the speaker is one of understated luxury with fit and finish being exemplary.

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We used our Nord amp and Music First Audio preamplifier along with a Chord DAVE DAC, but also drove these 90db speakers with a little Clones Audio i25 (25W) and a Audio Hungary valve amp with no feeling that we needed to pump more power through them.  Set up of the speakers was a doddle as being a closed design they just aren’t that fussy, though a small degree of toe-in was preferred and a bit of fiddling with the beautifully crafted bass controls was needed to match perfectly with the room.

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It was possible to lose yourself in the depth of each sound, with the Ensis delivering loads of detail in the mids and tops to the extent that the make-up of each sound was easy to unravel and fall into. Crank the volume button up a few notches and you lose nothing of the detail…you just have more volume, and again this is a very good thing. Lesser loudspeakers can get all flappy and distressed with this kind of material at high volume, but not so the Ensis; they remained composed and unruffled at all times. Bass tones and that very recognisable bass kick had a depth and layering that again drew you into the individual sounds but without losing and overall cohesiveness. Bass is low, controlled and tight which is another must for me with a loudspeaker.

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Speed is a key factor with any good loudspeaker and the Ensis are as nimble on their feet as I’ve heard. In some ways they have that immediacy and speed that great horns have and whilst one some systems this speed in the mid and tops can lead to a lack of cohesiveness with the bass, the Ensis’ solution of having a separate but fully integrated sub works an absolute treat. Timing is fabulous and you never feel that anything is remotely out of phase leading to a transparent and open sound with real coherence across the frequency spectrum.

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On acoustic music there is a real feel for the instruments and their timbre with Baden Powell’s nylon strung guitar sounding as lifelike as I’ve heard. There is just so much detail evident in the music when listening with the Ensis loudspeaker, but this doesn’t come with an over analytical or fatiguing character; you could listen to these all day and not feel you were overloaded. Late night listening at low volumes is often a good test of a speaker’s capabilities, with lesser speakers not having the ability to convey the full range of the music, but with the Ensis, as when you turn them to high volume, you do get everything that is going on in the performance.

That three dimensional presentation; the Ensis do this trick brilliantly too and you feel that the musicians are laid out in front of you both left to right, front to back and up and down. Despite having to concentrate and listen critically to what is going on I often found myself just listening to tunes for long spells without taking notes and just enjoying the experience, which is a great sign the speakers were doing something right. Moving out of the sweet spot there is still a good sense of this image and the Ensis are a speaker that can be enjoyed with friends as well as for when you are feeling a little more isolationist.

Turning to Jeff Buckley’s version of Hallelujah and it’s as good as I’ve heard in our room. There is a purity to his voice that conveys the emotion of this tune and this comes across beautifully with these speakers. Real goosebumps time! And this is another key characteristic of a loudspeaker for me; it should connect you with the music and the performance on an emotional level and given their low colouration and amounts of micro-detail the Ensis give you a direct connection.

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I’m really struggling to find anything negative about these loudspeakers. They are detailed in the extreme but not fatiguing. They have a hugely three dimensional presentation that is highly addictive. They convey the emotional content of music brilliantly. They are controlled, uncoloured and transparent. They are elegant and clean in their appearance. There is the old adage that all loudspeakers compromise in some aspect of their presentation and of course this is true to an extent but I’m struggling to find a compromise in these speakers…perhaps the price is a little out of the reach for many.

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These are as good a pair of loudspeakers that I have had the pleasure to have in our listening room (and I include our current reference Avantgarde Duo XD in this, though their presentation is obviously different). Presentation is clean, uncoloured and powerful when it needs to be – and likewise subtle when there is the call for it. Dynamically they are brilliant. They present every nuance of a performance or piece of music with dazzling detail and yet remain an easy listen.

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Good source components are a must for these speakers given the level of detail they provide, but that needn’t mean spending a fortune and we got great results using a gainclone based amplifier costing less than £1000.

They look good and will appeal to those looking to have a modern looking, stylish loudspeaker in their home that really delivers on the sound front. For me their big selling point is that no matter what style of music you throw at them, be that Industrial Strength techno or something like Fleetwood Mac’s Songbird, they allow you an open view into the recording and the music. Yes you can get lost in analysing what you are listening to if you want to but for the most part you will find yourself just feeling connected directly to the  music on a truly emotional level and to me that is what music is all about!

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The professionalism of the business is carried on in the product.  Ensis is an elegant looking speaker, made of high quality materials and with great attention to detail.  Its actually a very compact speaker and the slender, gently tilted back design makes it the perfect fit for the home environment. The sound that comes from Ensis is also very refined, clear, precise, detailed and a surprisingly big soundstage makes for a very enjoyable listening experience. The precise nature of the speakers is never clinical and they are very easy to listen to, whether playing at low volume in the background or belting out techno they are the kind of speakers that you could just live with day in, day out. Their clever design also means you can put them more or less anywhere, another plus point for modern living.

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Ensis is very much like her creators, a smart, slick and businesslike exterior wrapped around a love of music and a fun personality. I like a diverse range of speakers but they do have to tick certain boxes in order for them to make it onto my ‘Would like to own’ list.  Ensis really does tick them all. Great looks, sound great with all types of music (not just ‘audiophile music’) a lively detailed sound which is never fatiguing and a very reasonable price. Definitely on the list, outstanding!”

Ensis review Hi-Fi Choice

5-star rating by Hi-Fi Choice for Ensis

Marek of Hifichoice gave the Ensis the maxium full 5 star rating and sent us a seven-point summary of his experiences during while reviewing. 

“What do I think of them? Let’s see:

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1. Maybe the most coherent sounding 3-way speakers I know.
2. Tonally accurate in every acoustic recording I tried.
3. Smooth, rich and musical.
4. Fantastic bass! Fast agile, taut, never slower than the rest of the range which happens quite often with semi-active designs.
5. Very good spacing and imaging.
6. Very, very natural sounding.
7. Great amp match even for a 10W push-pull tube amp.”

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Ensis review Hifi Knights

Review on Hifi Knights by Dawid Grzyb

After listening to the Ensis on the shows in Munich and Warsaw, Dawid became very interested in testing the Ensis for himself. Right after the show in Warsaw, Dawid had his moment.

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Read full review on Hifi Knights >

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Highlights

“Dutch speakers sing big, boldly, loudly and proudly, there’s nothing small or shy in their sound. The outcome is dense, marvelously textured, tonally rich and present throughout the whole audible FR. Ensis sports a phenomenal bass and low midrange. Add clarity and lack of any kind of veiling on top of that. This product performs with a very sensible punchness, authority and organic, lifelike saturation.

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What’s striking is how coherent Ensis speakers are. During a number of days not even once I’ve encountered a situation where a specific FR part would stand out of the crowd. Not only these are perfectly glued together, everything is properly rhythmic. Picture a fabulously jumpy low end, which can change its pace in a jiffy; from exceptionally feisty to very subtle character on demand and without breaking a tiniest drop of sweat. But the rest is always up there in terms of temporary speed. At times it was a real treat to see the sheer force and punchness, just to be surprised by delicate and suave approach seconds later. And again, let’s add clarity and the sense of presence to the mix and there you have it, the exceptionally pleasant effect to drown in for long, long hours.

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Ensis pictures a properly airy soundstage. Instead of being overly light or stuffy, subjectively it hits the right spot, which leads to highly coherent, very deep and threedimensional imaging. I tend to think that the golden middle between instruments’ body, their size, placement and space among them has been found. And this makes the music just right and highly entertaining at that.

What makes Ensis so good is their smoothness, organic approach, fineness and refinement. All of these features are heard easily. There’s no struggle, harshness or brute force in Ensis performance. And all it takes is a quick listen to i.e. their highs. Surprisingly dense, differentiated, clear, with proper decaying and fatigue free, never sharp. Similarly generous set of traits can be said about what’s below, but the gist is that Ensis isn’t an oddball not really sure about what it is exactly, but a refined and coherent performer surely worth a heavy bag full of money. It’s also worth to know that our Dutch floorstanders phenomenally show the scale in music, the amount of air these boxes pump so effortlessly make one helluva impression. 

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Aequo Audio Ensis floorstanders are a very positive surprise. Too many factors impressed me to a degree too great to conclude this Dutch adventure in any other way. Ensis is marvelously made, visually tasty. Ensis is a complete product and a spectacular performer. Ensis connects engineering know-how, very modern design and grand sound in a very swift fashion. In our Dutch case, these aspects beautifully click altogether. But the effect this coherent, pleasant, effortless and impressive overall can’t be done by an accident. It’s way too polished to be achieved by a coincidence, way too refined. Therefore Aequo Audio people know not only how to make a fancy box, but are also perfectly capable of making it to sound really good.”

Ensis review 6moons

Blue Moon Award from Srajan Ebaen for Ensis

Srajan Ebaen is the founder of the famous internet platform 6moons. He studied classical clarinet at the conservatories of Stuttgart and Hannover and played in the pricewinning orchestra led by Von Wangenheim. He later worked in the USA audio business for several respected companies and became a writer and journalist for magazines like SoundStage! and EnjoyTheMusic before starting 6moons in 2002. He awarded the Ensis with his important Blue Moon Award and called it “a perfect audiophile-approved lifestyle speaker”. Again an expert who is intrigued by the beautiful design of the Ensis, and stunned by the perfect audiophile sound it delivers.

Read the full review on 6moons >

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Highlights

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“The choice of drivers—no metal diaphragms above 100Hz—predicts and delivers a softer sound whilst the super-rigid cab and controlled dispersion ratchet up focus sharpness. Extricate the essence of softer membranes plus precision focus. That's the gestalt. It's crystal clear because the cabinet doesn't talk; and because your room won't talk back as it usually does with descending freqs. Just so, it's not the crystallized sharpness of transient prickliness which hard drivers can create. It's gentler. Throw in rapid dynamic reflexes of unexpected scaling not dumbed down by lossy cabinetry or inferior drivers. 
 
All of the above plus very potent yet unobtrusive low bass set the foundation for obsessing over soundstaging. Given locked focus and admirable reluctance to stir up the room's hornets-nest, layering, image specificity & Co. played at a high level whilst first-octave support added tacit scale. If you love big drums and synth trickery and how LF energies roll out into the room, the Ensis has your number.
 
Not only is the Ensis of high IQ on concept, it's the same on execution. Integration of passive and active sections is perfect and the critical handover/continuation of midband to bass seamless. Whatever adjustments the user makes to what happens below, it won't screw up that transition. That's key. It's the big advantage over trying to match the midrange's roll-off with an outboard subwoofer's own filter network. And it nets stereo not mono bass. Finally, the sealed passive section without wicked impedance plot of ports is tailor made for experiments with low-powered amps of various persuasions. It's not only an invite at getting esoteric but a potential cost saver because costly muscle amps aren't required. The yeoman work of the bass is already handled by the most advanced class D currently to market.
 
It incorporates advanced manufacturing skills, material sciences know-how and in-house fabrication of the stem and bin shells under a 20-ton press in custom moulds. The complex form factor and material mix materialized in lovely finishing with quite the option menu on trim choices. "Nothing new under the audio sun" is a mostly true mantra but the Æquo Audio Ensis manages to escape its usual confines. For that and what should be the future for 21st-century speaker design (more uncompromised full-range performance in smaller more attractive packages), it deserves an enthusiastic award.”

Ensis review High Fidelity

Best Product 2016 award for Ensis

Dr. Wojciech Pacula is an internationally highly respected hi-fi journalist and former sound engineer at the prestigious Juliusz Slowacki Theatre. He is known for reviews in Audio and Video Magazine, Positive Feedback and 6moons, as the chief editor at High Fidelity Magazine and he has written an extensive article about the Ensis.

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Read the full article on High Fidelity >

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Highlights

“These loudspeakers, despite their delicate appearance, played a fragment with powerful guitars in a way large speakers would, without compression, without hesitation, without shyness. A delicate passages were deepened, delivered in a... well, delicate manner. They presented successive layers of the track with ease, freely, merging the big picture, so to speak, with details. It was really beautiful. Let it be a small clue as to their use.”

“I never felt there was any problem with coherence between bass and midrange, but also between midrange and treble drivers. It's a very successful simulation of a point sound source. Therefore, most likely, the soundstage is so incredible in its density and tangibility. One can not specify its beginning and the end, because it is very concise. Presentation of different types of reverb, natural acoustics captured during concerts is astounding. One immerses oneself in the sound completely, the bubble separating us from the music bursts easily.”

““I don't know any other case of such a “designer” product to deliver such a top-high-end performance. The Ensis are the first.”

Wojciech Pacula, High Fidelity