"AN IMPRESSION WITH IMPACT"

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Since the first light bulb by Philips—the invention to which the city owes its nickname—Eindhoven and its surrounding region have become a technological melting pot closely watched around the world. CD, the internet, ASML, and audio at the very highest level. HVT reserves its September stage for a relatively new star in Eindhoven’s radiant firmament: Aequo Audio. With the introduction of the new Adamantis and Ensium models, Aequo Audio presents an impressive calling card. The impact of an impression.

The spacious complex housing Aequo Audio’s research, production, and listening rooms is impressive, though not yet fully operational in every respect. General manager Paul Rassin explains, soon joined by Ivo Sparidaens, partner and technical mastermind. Installing the building’s power infrastructure has already been a tour de force, not to mention the production line that floats above the factory floor, winding through numerous curves. The foundation of the new loudspeaker design consists of two cast halves of a composite material assembled at Aequo Audio. It sounds simple, but forms the challenging starting point of the ingenious concept envisioned by Paul and Ivo.

NANO
 

Ivo holds a post-master’s degree in tribology—the science of friction. “It studies the behavior of contact surfaces between all kinds of materials under various conditions,” I read. He initially applied his extensive expertise at Shell, while in his spare time he pursued acoustic piano and music production, with a nod to jazz. He also has a background in motorsports. Indeed, Ivo has been a specialist in engine performance and was part of a rally team.

The connection to loudspeakers is easily made: his deep knowledge of friction and vibration at a high scientific level, combined with an endless drive for research and perfection. Early Aequo Audio models still relied on wood. The new generation—described by the two founders as “a giant leap forward”—features an enclosure made entirely of a nanocomposite that is part of a family of nanotech materials developed by Ivo, called Diluvite.

The properties of Diluvite are the result of years of research. In simple terms, the base is a material with a crystalline structure (in the case of Adamantis and Ensium: a metal alloy), enhanced with nanoscale additions that push stiffness and damping far beyond natural limits, converting vibrations into heat. Finding a company capable of casting this special metal composite proved difficult. A search across Europe, met only with “no,” finally ended in Belgium with an enthusiastic “yes.” The company’s experience with Lamborghini and McLaren undoubtedly helped its willingness to take on the challenge.

ADAMANTIS AND ENSIUM
 

Both the cabinet design and the composite ensure maximum rigidity. It is almost impossible to set into motion, and if it does move, vibrations are immediately converted into heat. Aequo Audio’s website states: “It pushed the natural boundaries of what is physically possible, being the first material in the world able to eliminate any resonance as measured anywhere from 0.1 to 100,000 Hz at such consistency (…) far beyond the human-audible spectrum.” And: “It sets them apart from the rest in the high-end playing field.”

Over coffee, Ivo adds: “We also managed to achieve these properties using extremely thin material—just a few millimeters—very different from all those thick cabinets.” Aside from acoustic performance, making the material suitable for casting was a major challenge. In short: its first application appears in the two new Aequo Audio models, Adamantis and Ensium, launched in 2025. The two share the same cabinet design, but the Ensium features internally amplified bass, the ARPEC system, and higher efficiency.

Of course, many more factors play a role. The Skåning family—known for founding Dynaudio and their innovations, as well as their influence on Scan-Speak—were closely involved. Both Ejvind and Per Skåning contributed to the development of Aequo’s midrange driver, fully built according to Aequo’s specifications and produced in the Skåning factory.

As the website notes: “A midrange driver that combined lightning-fast motor movement with highly natural non-ringing membranes completed the 3-way driver set of the first loudspeaker called ‘Ensis’ by the end of 2015.” During the listening session, the speed of this driver is immediately striking. The speaker also incorporates the patented Analog Room and Placement Extension Control (ARPEC) for low-frequency adjustment to the room—entirely in the analog domain—as well as the Enhanced Horizontal Dispersion Lens (EDHL), designed to optimize high-frequency energy distribution and “greatly improve holographic soundstage capabilities.”

MUSIC!
 

Aequo Audio stands for “I hear the same.” This focus on realistic reproduction has been the goal from the very beginning. “The same as the listening spectator at the best seat in the venue would experience. The same as the musician intended it to be. The same as the recording engineers wanted you to hear it, and the same that only the very best high-end loudspeakers can make possible: uncompromised realism.”

This aligns perfectly with my own experience and with the philosophy of both men. Paul also has a background in music and intends to expand on this passion in the future. What the two friends share as well is a holistic approach to the end result, which they call the Octagon Philosophy—reflected in the octagonal shape of Aequo Audio’s logo.

The large demo room is not yet fully operational, but its acoustics already reveal Ivo’s unmistakable influence. A defining element of Aequo Audio’s philosophy is the piano placed at the center of the otherwise empty space. Its wide tonal and frequency range serves as a reference for the room’s acoustic behavior. Ivo emphasizes the subtle yet crucial role of phase shifts, especially in creating depth in the soundstage. You hear it in the room, see it in the driver placement, and experience it in the listening space we move to next.

It also speaks to the integrity of Ivo and Paul that they point out a flaw in the bass response caused by the placement of a side door. “We considered canceling your visit.” It hardly matters. Yes, I hear it—but I am immediately overwhelmed by the rest of the soundstage. And I hear much more.

SPEED
 

The solitary sofa (I feel like a bank director) offers a clear view of a Westminster Lab Quest preamp, flanked symmetrically by Rei mono blocks from the same brand. A Taiko Audio Extreme Server serves as the source. The system is completed by the stars of the visit: a pair of Aequo Audio Ensium loudspeakers, priced at around €44,900 per pair, bringing the total system cost to just under €200,000.

What stands out immediately is how the Ensiums reveal the system’s level—and especially the incredible speed of the midrange—before seamlessly presenting the entire frequency spectrum as a coherent whole. I hear it in the voice of José Carreras in Ariel Ramírez’s Misa Criolla, in Jeff Beck’s Stratocaster (especially in the live version of Brush with the Blues), and—gulp—even in my own guitar playing on Molyvos from the album The Ark. Carreras and Beck have never sounded so fast and precise; as for my own recording, I might have practiced a bit more.

I even detect intermodulation distortion in the choir behind Carreras. Ivo looks momentarily startled, but I reassure him: I know it’s a flaw in the microphone recording that slipped through during mixing. An older but effective technique to demonstrate stereo imaging is Q-Sound. Madonna made it famous, but I prefer Amused to Death—Roger Waters at his best. The stereo image further reveals Aequo Audio’s unique class and Ivo Sparidaens’ genius. The 3D soundstage extends impressively in both depth and width.

OVERWHELMING IN EVERY RESPECT
 

The visit was overwhelming in every respect. Aequo Audio strives to meet demand without ever compromising quality control. Having heard the result, I can only conclude that what leaves the production line is perfection.

The Ensium easily outperforms its price, and I am confident the other model I did not hear will do the same. Brabant hospitality reveals itself in upcoming invitations, such as a visit to the presentation space currently occupied only by a white piano. The nanocomposite technology will likely be applied to more Aequo Audio products in the future.

But most of all, I look forward to the warm welcome of these two men, the extraordinary soundstage, and the abundance of music.

 

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John van der Veer - HVT Magazine  - September 2025​​​