{"id":31107,"date":"2022-02-22T13:43:52","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T11:43:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/?p=31107"},"modified":"2022-02-22T13:51:58","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T11:51:58","slug":"care-orchestra-spiritual-blue-evo-and-celestial-deep-breath-evo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/review\/loudspeaker-reviews\/loudspeakers-passive-reviews\/care-orchestra-spiritual-blue-evo-and-celestial-deep-breath-evo\/","title":{"rendered":"Care Orchestra Spiritual Blue Evo and Celestial Deep Breath Evo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review samples provided by Care Orchestra<\/a><\/h4>\n

Retail Prices:<\/h4>\n

Celestial Deep Breath Evo (monitors) – from 2.250 euro per pair
\nSpiritual Blue Evo (floorstanders) – from 3.410 euro per pair
\nGlossy finishes, leather inserts, special fabrics, and precious woods on request
\nOptional accessory – Magnetic anti-dust cover made of transparent plexiglass<\/h4>\n

Care Orchestra S.R.L<\/h3>\n

When Care Orchestra was founded, one of the goals was to enhance the Italian identity of the company and therefore keep all the production in Italy. This way, the company was renouncing low industrial costs but favoring the craftsmanship for which the country is famous while also adding the possibility to customize the products according to the customer’s wishes. Besides a basic production with “typical” black or white lacquering, the company also offers complete customization of the finishes, with marble, leather, and various colors and fabrics.<\/p>\n

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The wood composite speaker cabinets are made without any visible junction elements and are lacquered in their entirety. The marble products are carved from solid blocks, also to avoid joints.<\/p>\n

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The company is also happy to study solutions together with the client and they work with architects to meet the customer’s needs.<\/p>\n

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Celestial Deep Breath Evo<\/h3>\n

The Deep Breath Evo speakers are 2-way bookshelf\/stand-mount, bass-reflex tuned speakers with an internal volume of 15 liters and a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. The specified frequency range is 48 – 41,000 Hz (+\/- 3 dB) with a sensitivity of 91.5 dB (1m, 2.83 V). The internal volume is designed to avoid reflections. The transducers are housed in custom-made holes that allow for a laser-cut leather layer to cover them. The second-order crossover network uses very fast, high-precision Jantzen high-end components and the internal wiring is silver Van Den Hul. Stands are not supplied. The ones shown are Linn models kindly supplied by Hexagon Audio<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Spiritual Blue Evo<\/h3>\n

The Blue Evo speakers are 2-way floor-standing, bass-reflex tuned speakers with an internal volume of 20.4 liters and a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. The specified frequency range is 41 – 42,000 Hz (+\/- 3 dB) with a sensitivity of 88 dB (1m, 2.83 V). The internal volume is designed to avoid reflections. The transducers are housed in custom-made holes that allow for a laser-cut leather layer to cover them. The second-order crossover network uses very fast, high-precision Jantzen high-end components and the internal wiring is silver Van Den Hul. The speaker bases have tapped holes for spikes, but these are not supplied.<\/p>\n

Review Context<\/h3>\n

For this review, I will use the Secondary System<\/a>, as well as the Main System<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Secondary system is based around the Ayon Spirit III<\/a> integrated KT150 tube amplifier and the Ayon CD-10 II<\/a> CD player and DAC together with an Antipodes EX<\/a> Music Server as the digital source. My regular speakers in this setup are the Xavian Perla Esclusiva<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The main system’s core consists of the CH C1<\/a> DAC, CH L1<\/a> preamp, CH A1.5<\/a> power amp, and the Grimm MU-1<\/a> Music Server. The speakers that I normally use here are the Magico S1 MkII.<\/p>\n

I wasn’t sure if the speakers were brand-new or if they had played before. So, prior to any serious listening, I played both speaker pairs for several days on normal volume. Even so, I can’t say that they changed very much from those first notes.<\/p>\n

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Listening – Celestial Deep Breath Evo<\/h3>\n

After having decided to start with the Celestial Deep Breath Evo monitors in my secondary system, I assembled a few CDs and listened to a handful of tracks to assure myself that the system still sounded the same. Fortunately, it did:-) Before setting up the Care Orchestra monitors in their ideal positions, I first positioned them between the Xavians.<\/p>\n

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Of course, I knew that they were small but next to the Celestial Deep Breath Evos, the Xavians look absolutely tiny! While the speakers sounded fabulously expressive and dynamic right from the first few notes, their bass was quite prominent and so I quickly decided to space them out and place them in this room’s ideal positions, where the Xavians normally are. The wider spacing certainly helped the bass even out but the speakers remained impressively robust. Certainly compared to the Xavians they reach considerably more deeply while also having a bigger impact. Now, it must be said that this room has a rather large room mode at around 50hz but with the Xavians’ earlier bass roll-off, any issues are neatly averted. Rather, the room aids the speakers in reaching just that little bit lower to achieve something that resembles full range. Of course, that is not the case and one quick listen to the Celestial Deep Breath Evos is all that it takes to realize that. With their deeper-reaching bass, the Care Orchestra monitors do now and then excite the room mode but only when that particular frequency is prominent in the music. When it is not, I am truly impressed with these speakers’ bass behavior. It’s not only deep but also taut, fast, tight, and articulate as well as robust and full-bodied. It’s a combination of properties that are not often heard together, certainly not in this speaker’s price range. More often, a 2000-euro speaker pair is either warm and smooth or lean and agile. The Celestial Deep Breath Evo monitor walks the perfect path in between.<\/p>\n

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More important than bass quantity or quality is the quality of the speaker’s overall sound and on that subject, again, I am impressed. While there is no denying the presence of a mild coloration throughout the midbass and lower midrange, it is of the sympathetic kind and quickly accepted, also because the speaker is just so ridiculously involving! No kidding, when using these speakers, it is difficult to keep focusing on technical details. There is something about them that makes one immediately pay attention. It’s a combination of undiluted excitement, drive, and dynamics with a very healthy dose of communication and openness topped off with a Sonus Faber-like musicality and naturalness. It’s probably no coincidence that these speakers are also manufactured in Italy.<\/p>\n

If pressed, I can note that the resolution and refinement are above average but not benchmark-setting. In terms of inner detail, they are more or less on par with the Xavians, and perhaps slightly more linear and transparent. But who cares? When the musical message is communicated so splendidly that my foot starts tapping and never stops and I only want to turn up the volume to enjoy more music, why would one crave such audiophile nuances? Besides, what these speakers do absolutely magnificently, is to project the sound to all the corners of the room while placing mono sound images solidly and sharply in the middle. Mind you, the stark focus is no indicator of a sharp sound. Even when turned up to 11, the Celestial Deep Breath Evo monitors never sound harsh or even stressed a little.<\/p>\n

Next: A change of Amplifier<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In an effort to maximize the transparency, I changed from the Ayon Spirit III Class-A integrated tube amp for the NuPrime AMG-STA hybrid ClassA\/D power amp directly driven by the Ayon CD10’s digitally-volume-controlled output.<\/p>\n

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I retained the Siltech Paris RCA interlinks but I also added the highly revealing FoilFlex speaker cables in place of the entry-level Van Den Hul Skyline Hybrids. The latter may be almost inexcusably affordable, but honestly, I have not yet been able to improve on them in a significant manner without spending a very large sum of money. Sure, they are not perfect and they can easily be improved upon in various audiophile aspects, but musically and emotionally speaking, they simply work utterly synergistically while doing very little wrong. And in this system, that is what counts most for me.<\/p>\n

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The change in amplifier and speaker cables proved interesting as it further highlighted the speakers’ neutral and even-handed behavior. The little NuPrime amp has all the control to drive even difficult speakers such as Martin Logans, Apogees, and Magicos well, but with the Care Orchestra monitors, it is arguably a little too controlled. While my brain confirmed a modest increase in resolution and refinement, my foot was no longer tapping and I realized that the sound had lost much of its life and gusto. Changing the FoilFlex for the Driade Flow 405 speaker cables brought back a large part of the Ayon amp’s charm and made the foot tap again, even if I had to admit that the Ayon amp was not only more magical but also even more rhythmic and impactful.<\/p>\n

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Moving on to the main system<\/h3>\n

I started in the secondary system because the main system’s components are in a completely different price class and it doesn’t help the readers much if I am referencing equipment that is not likely to be combined with the product under review.<\/p>\n

That said, I was curious to find out how far I could push the Celestial Deep Breath Evos. So, having moved the Magico S1 mkII’s out of the way and having moved the Care Orchestra monitors in the same positions, listening resumed.<\/p>\n

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Oh yes, that worked well, very well indeed! Even in exalted company, the relatively modest Celestial Deep Breath Evos were not embarrassed. Not at all! In fact, the bass was now allowed to blossom and the soundstage was even larger than before, even bettering the Magicos in terms of depth and 3D.<\/p>\n

I mentioned Sonus Faber but what the speakers reminded me of even more strongly are the Franco Serblin Accordos<\/a>. Tonality and timbre, dynamics, communication, spatiality, in all these aspects, I was reminded of those sleek design statements. All aspects, mind you, except bass. The Accordo’s may have a prettier exterior but they are tiny and no match for the positively grown-up bass that the Celestial Deep Breath Evos are capable of producing. I kid you not: the bass may not be of the same superlative quality but it is every bit as robust and dynamic and goes almost as deeply.<\/p>\n

As with the change from the Ayon to the NuPrime amp, the change to the CH Precision A1.5 did not elicit ground-breaking levels of resolution or refinement from the speakers. But, just like in the secondary system, the soundstaging was fantastic and the level of involvement was off the charts. Friends who visited commented on the same thing: these speakers just sound right<\/em>!<\/p>\n

By the way, all the listening so far was done with the tweeters placed on the outsides. I also tested placement with the speakers on the insides but with an unchanged overall speaker position, this sounded less spacious and less crisply focused. No doubt this could be adjusted by moving the speakers a little further apart but that would also change their bass behavior. Given that it was spot on, I did not want to change this.<\/p>\n

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Listening – Spiritual Blue Evo<\/h3>\n

Since the Spiritual Blue Evos are positioned in a slightly higher price category than the Celestial Deep Breath Evo, and because I was already listening in the main system anyway, I substituted the monitors for the Spiritual Blue Evo floorstanders. With this change, I was expecting to hear deeper bass and a higher level of refinement, and a family resemblance.<\/p>\n

Lower bass was certainly on the menu but what was more striking was that the speaker sounded duller and less lively and expressive. Of course, the speakers’ 88dB sensitivity (versus the monitors’ 91dB) meant that the preamp needed to be set 3dB higher but I had already accounted for that. But even when playing at the same loudness, the Spiritual Blue Evos seemed to have a very different character than the monitors. First, while the bass was indeed deeper, it was also less punchy and a little restrained. Second, the midrange was significantly warmer, and finally, the treble was darker, and seemingly rolled off. On a more positive note, what I also heard was a higher level of refinement but along with the deeper bass, these were the only redeeming qualities. All factors combined led to a sound that while always sweet and pleasant and remarkably forgiving of mediocre recordings, felt filtered and hesitant.<\/p>\n

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In spite of their pretty looks, higher-spec tweeter, and clever engineering, the Spiritual Blue Evos were not even hinting at the relatively simple monitors’ sheer enthusiasm. I think that part of this can be explained when comparing the two speakers’ specifications. The Celestial Deep Breath Evo monitors employ a 91dB high-output woofer and 92dB high-output tweeter, both made by Scan-Speak. Given that their sensitivity is very similar, the two drivers are well-balanced by nature and in need of very little attenuation, if any. Driver sensitivity for the Spiritual Blue Evo is not specified but given that the speakers employ drivers from two different brands (Scan-Speak and Seas), and considering the lower overall sensitivity, I would venture a guess that the tweeter needed to be attenuated. Further, I wonder if the higher 2900 Hz crossover point has something to do with the feeling that the midrange was not quite as communicative as with the monitors that crossed over at 1900 Hz.<\/p>\n

I tried readjusting the speaker positions but could not get them to play as well as I had hoped. Given that the main system already contains the most neutral, open, and articulate components, I was at a loss to improve the performance.<\/p>\n

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At this point, I should note that this room’s ideal speaker positions at 3 meters from their rear ends to the back wall are very nearly halfway into the room. Yet, the technical specifications for the Spiritual Blue Evo mention that these speakers have what the company calls Hemispherical Bass Reflex technology. There are 3 bass-reflex ports, one on top, one in the middle, and one on the bottom. This 3-port system is said to allow maximum performance even when placed close to walls or in environments with less than optimal acoustics. Could it be that this speaker actually needs nearby walls to sound its best?<\/p>\n

Next: Back to the secondary system<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Back to the secondary system<\/h3>\n

Back in the secondary system, my gut feeling was that the Ayon would probably not match very well with the Spiritual Blue Evos. After all, this was an amp that sounded extremely robust, earthy, full-bodied, and a little dark.<\/p>\n

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But at this point, I figured what the heck, let’s try it anyway. Imagine my surprise when the speakers actually started singing! Not only that, they were positively rocking and rolling! I couldn’t believe this strange turn of events but sure enough, CD after CD, the speakers kept surprising me. Granted, the midrange was warmer and the treble was definitely darker than that of the monitors, but not to the point that this was distracting from the musical message. Rather, I’d say it is a matter of personal preference. But the important thing is that I no longer had the feeling of restraint. Clearly, the speaker positions, now 60cm from the speakers’ rear end to the rear wall, were highly beneficial.<\/p>\n

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Not only that, but I also noticed that my aforementioned room mode was excited significantly less heavily, making all kinds of music utterly listenable, even when it contained heavy bass tracks below 50Hz. It was still there but more like a friendly hump rather than an aggressive roar.<\/p>\n

At some point, I was playing an old Aaliyah CD, One In A Million. Better believe me when I say that the music was absolutely stomping! As I kept raising the volume with a big grin on my face I played nearly every track and when I got to a slow ballad near the end, I was full-on emotionally moved.<\/p>\n

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Although I was now happy and completely satisfied, I felt it was my duty to try the NuPrime AMG-STA amplifier as well as the Driade and FoilFlex cables.<\/p>\n

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Not surprisingly, given that it excels with complex or less efficient speakers the AMG-STA did very well, heightening the precision in the bass and lending the speakers a touch more treble air and refinement in the process. But as with the monitors, I still felt that the Ayon amplifier yielded a more expressive as well as emotionally more satisfying performance from the floorstanders. A change to the always musically pleasing Driade Flow 405 cables brought ripeness, saturation, and flow, but if I’m honest, not to the same extent as the Ayon amp with the simple Van Den Hul cables. Well, I guess that’s system synergy for you!<\/p>\n

Epilog<\/h3>\n

While the Celestial Deep Breath Evo monitors work sublimely well with either the Ayon Spirit III or the CH Precision A1.5 amplifiers and with little preference regarding room size or placement, the Spiritual Blue Evo floorstanders had a clear preference for the Ayon amplifier, as well as for placement in a smaller room and closer to the rear wall.<\/p>\n

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Optionally, Care Orchestra also supplies magnetic anti-dust covers made of transparent plexiglass. These are for protection only and not meant for listening.<\/p>\n

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The oversized speaker terminals are very sturdy but their thick central piece makes it impossible to use spades. Practically, the connectors seem to be designed to accept either bare wire or bananas.<\/p>\n

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Upon checking with the manufacturer, Mr. Onadipe provided the following feedback:<\/p>\n

“The terminals were chosen after analyzing frequency characteristics on different posts\/ terminals, the ones with a high diameter\/thickness ratio and with gold plating have the best performance results in combination with van den Hul internal cables. They are gold-plated and do not oxidize. Also, these terminals are aesthetically liked.”<\/em><\/p>\n

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Conclusion<\/h2>\n

Both Care Orchestra models impress with a sound that is full-bodied and tonally saturated yet also well-paced and engaging. Of the two models, the Celestial Deep Breath Evo monitors stand out for their infectiously vivid and expressive character and fantastic soundstaging while the Spiritual Blue Evo floorstanders form a special proposition by reaching deeper in the bass while being designed for positioning close to walls.<\/p>\n

Associated Equipment<\/a><\/p>\n

External Links<\/h3>\n

Manufacturer’s website: careorchestra.com<\/a>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

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