{"id":32282,"date":"2022-07-05T13:34:59","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T11:34:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/?p=32282"},"modified":"2024-11-16T22:33:47","modified_gmt":"2024-11-16T20:33:47","slug":"driade-premium-model-2s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/review\/loudspeaker-reviews\/loudspeakers-passive-reviews\/driade-premium-model-2s\/","title":{"rendered":"Driade Premium Model 2S"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review samples supplied by Driade<\/a>
\nBenelux retail prices per pair including VAT:
\nPremium 2S Oak natural or whitewash – 5.000 euro
\nPremium 2S Oak black or white satin or American Walnut – 5.200 euro
\nPremium 2S Teak – 5.400 euro
\nMDF Fronts with black fabric and Neodymium Magnet-coupling – 400 euro<\/h4>\n

About Driade<\/h3>\n

Driade loudspeakers represent natural sound, pace & rhythm, and revived joy in music. The research is mostly focused on natural sound reproduction and the loudspeakers’ shapes are crafted to gracefully complement the home furnishing. The classic appearance may suggest otherwise, but Driade keeps up with the latest technological developments in loudspeaker design and even takes the lead in certain areas whilst remaining committed to offering an unsurpassed price-to-quality relationship.<\/p>\n

Hand-made in the Netherlands and Germany<\/h3>\n

Driade is one of a few high-end loudspeaker manufacturers that develop their own drivers. All Driade drivers are designed by Arnold Heres in cooperation with Philipp Vavron. All drivers, enclosures, and other parts are exclusively manufactured in the Netherlands and Germany.<\/p>\n

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Premium Model 2S<\/h3>\n

It was a bit of a shame that I have reviewed various Driade cables<\/a> but never any of their speakers. The recent Premium 2S provided the perfect occasion to rectify this!<\/p>\n

The Driade Model 2 loudspeaker was recently replaced by the Model 2S. This model has a Carbon-paper woofer cone, coils impregnated and baked with polymolecular paraffin and induction-free resistors that are manufactured to specification for Driade. Upon first glance, one might not notice anything special about the Premium model 2S but the speaker’s slender silhouette belies its sturdiness and structural integrity. Rather than using unnecessarily thick panels for the entire enclosure that needlessly add weight, cleverly-positioned internal bracing, two sand-filled cavities, lock-jointed, bonded 20mm dual-side veneered MDF paneling, and 20mm solid wood top and bottom ends provide precisely the right amount of strength and rigidity that is required to create a speaker that performs cleanly and uncolored yet lively and expressive.<\/p>\n

Fitted in the two-way floorstanders are technically advanced transducers and innovative cross-over circuitry for seamless frequency, impulse, and phase control. Arnold is understandably close-lipped about it but the cross-overs are not standard designs. Likewise, the port on the front panel is not a straightforward bass-reflex port but rather a vent into several inter-coupled internal cavities, a construct that is aimed to provide not only deep-reaching-, but also very fast and articulate bass.<\/p>\n

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The 7\u201d Carbon-paper bass driver features an open, airflow-optimized magnet system with ventilated phase plug construction, a 32mm voice coil, and a massive, under-hung magnet system with polished open pole plates whilst the 25mm hand-coated silk diaphragm tweeter features an extremely low resonance frequency. With an 88.5dB efficiency and a static impedance of 7.7 Ohms that drops dynamically no lower than 3.5 Ohms, the speakers are very easy to drive with any amplifier.<\/p>\n

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Driade does not use standard damping material or copper sleeves that encapsulate the voice coil gap. Internally, all Driade loudspeakers employ carbon-based damping material and proprietary Driade Flow cabling. Consciously, the company uses no bi-wiring option. For all Driade speakers, all components are measured and paired and the total of all components in one crossover set is paired within 0.1 %!<\/p>\n

High-Quality spikes are fitted as standard and supplied along with floor-protecting discs. All models are available in real wood veneers and in black satin lacquered Oak (RAL 9005) or white satin lacquered Oak (RAL 9010).<\/p>\n

Review Context<\/h3>\n

The main system<\/a> used for this review consists of the CH Precision C1<\/a> DAC and CH Precision A1.5<\/a> power amp with Grimm MU1<\/a>,\u00a0Antipodes K50<\/a>, and Taiko Audio Extreme Music Servers. More details can be found on the Main System<\/a> page. For speaker cables, I used the Mad Scientist Black Magic<\/a>, the Jorma Trinity<\/a>, and the Driade Flow 405<\/a>. The first are my current favorite cables for use with the Magicos (if cost is no object) and the latter have proven always to be hugely musical and easy-going performers.<\/p>\n

The secondary system consists primarily of the Ayon CD-10 II<\/a> CD player and the Ayon Spirit III<\/a> integrated amplifier. Here, I used the same Driade Flow 405 as well as the FoilFlex<\/a> speaker cables, and Driade Flow Link Reference 808<\/a> interlinks.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Arnold provided a Kora TB140 hybrid tube\/transistor integrated amplifier for two reasons: first, it combined very well with the Premium Model 2S, and second, at 5.000 euro, it sits in exactly the same price class. I will start with my own two systems and will save the Kora for last.<\/p>\n

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Initial Listening<\/h3>\n

Prior to being delivered to me, the speakers had been playing for over 100 hours during which, Arnold assures me, they have been properly tortured. As I often do with new review loudspeakers, I first installed the Premium Model 2S in my secondary system in place of the Xavian Perla Esclusiva<\/a> and connected them to the Ayon Spirit III tube amplifier, to let them acclimatize and to get an initial feel for them. With their modest size (100 x 24.5 x 29 cm), the Premium Model 2S is less tall than the diminutive Xavians and one could be forgiven for assuming that the Driades might be best suited for smaller spaces. But as I already knew from audio shows, Driade speakers have no problems filling even very large halls, and this was about to be proven once again the moment that I fired them up.<\/p>\n

It’s clear from the very first notes that these slender beauties sound anything but small. Quite the contrary, they sound solid, well-rooted, confident, lively, and beautifully expressive. In those last three respects, they remind me of the Qln Prestige Ones<\/a> that were also compellingly lively. But there’s more to the Driades than first meets the eye and ear. While it’s natural for a floor-standing speaker to outperform a monitor in the bass, the Premium Model 2S’ bass is truly something special. For a minute, though, I thought that the FoilFlex speaker cables were responsible for that especially nimble bass quality but a swap to the smoother and rounder Driade Flow 405<\/a> proved otherwise, while resulting in a lusher, more relaxed delivery, the speakers still provided the same kind of immediate propulsion and expression.<\/p>\n

Playing Chris Standring’s latest CD Simple Things, the Premium Model 2S are remarkably well-behaved in the bass and while deep and super-articulate, not at all thick or boomy. With both cables but certainly less so with the Flow 405, the upper midrange and lower treble are quite forward but even with the very explicit FoilFlex, the sound is not edgy or sharp. Honestly, I’d much rather have speakers behave like this than the all too common inverse alternative: speakers that sound saddled: with a dip in the midrange, making them cozy and forgiving but also less exciting. After a few minutes, I’m already growing accustomed to their balance and the impression solidifies that the speakers are not only articulate and expressive but judging from my tapping foot, PRaT is also a very strong asset. These speakers really know how to boogie!<\/p>\n

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Another strong quality of the Premium Model 2S that really speaks for their design is that you simply cannot hear the transition from woofer to midrange. Audio buddy JW was particularly quick to pick up on this, noting that the speakers sounded very coherent and with no dips or audible phase shifts in the very important midrange, and in that respect, more like a well-executed 3-way than a 2-way speaker, as well as having no perceptible cabinet coloration. The latter is an important aspect for JW and me alike since we both have a long history with dipoles, which are known for their inherently low coloration.<\/p>\n

As it rarely happens anymore, I found myself listening to the entire CD, which left me wondering why I don’t spend more time with my secondary system. Well, the answer, of course, is the change of speakers. There’s something quite addictive about the Premium Model 2S. As I listened to the entire CD I could only conclude that they are capable and deeply engaging performers.<\/p>\n

Changing to Brendan Rothwell’s rather luscious and full-sounding Sentiment CD or any of Brian Culbertson’s latest Trilogy CDs, alas, the room mode made itself known and the bass excess took me out of my zen mood. Still, the midrange was crisp and expressive and the upper bass articulate and precise. Although there was now a rather voluminous room-induced bass boost, I was surprised to find that it was very evenly distributed and not confined to a single frequency, as is normally the case in this room when using full-range speakers, especially big ported ones. Of course, any speaker that extends more deeply than the Xavians will excite my room mode and the only reason that I’m normally getting away with this is that the Xavians roll-off in the bass just before the room mode kicks in. That way, the room mode actually aids the bass response, rather than messing with it, as is all too often the case.<\/p>\n

This does illustrate that, in order to achieve the most even-handed sound from the Driades, as with pretty much any loudspeaker, you should not place them too much into a corner.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, with these warmer-than-average CDs, I did no longer notice any forwardness in the upper midrange but once I had reconnected the Perla Esclusivas, I was surprised to find them sounding like they had a suckout in the upper midrange. Moreover, the normally quite spicy performers now sounded a little lackluster, confirming that the Driades really are exceptionally expressive.<\/p>\n

In any case, given the pleasing results with the Ayon amplifier, a nice takeaway from this first listening session is that the Driades seem to be really happy when paired with tube amplification.<\/p>\n

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Next: Main System<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Main system<\/h3>\n

Next, I moved the Premium Model 2Ses to the main system to be powered by the CH Precision A1.5, starting with the Mad Scientist Black Magic speaker cables that I normally use in this system.<\/p>\n

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If there were any lingering concerns regarding the speakers’ bass behavior in the small room, these were now totally and utterly obliviated. Set up in the same positions as the Magicos, the Premium Model 2S are again highly rhythmic, engagingly tuneful, and quite deep in the bass, yet extremely well-controlled and absolutely not rounded, sweetened, or fat. As in the other setup with the Ayon tube amplifier, the bass is not only precise but also possesses an addictive boogie factor.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, since very nearly all ported speakers so far have sounded slightly boomy compared to the close-cabinet Magicos, the Driades behave absolutely exemplary. There is simply ZERO overhang! Actually, I’d say that the bass is even more articulate and precise than that from the Magicos, go figure!<\/p>\n

Initially, it seemed that the speakers did not focus quite as well as I was used to but this was quickly remedied by toeing them in just a little more than normal. Now, the sound clicked together, with superb focus. I also noticed that the speakers are best not positioned too close to each other.\u00a0 When initially placed in-between the Magicos, with 160cm clearance, the midrange was too hot. Simply moving the speakers further apart into the Magico’s positions (with 220cm clearance) proved to provide a more ideal balance where the midrange remains a little forward compared to what I am used to but with great focus and captivatingly energetic delivery. This is what the speakers were designed for: to transfer lots of information in the most expressive manner. Well, they certainly perform as intended!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It occurred to me that Driade delivery alludes to the directness and communication that I experienced with AvantGarde Uno G2<\/a> horn speakers, but this time with imperceptible transitions and no coloration.<\/p>\n

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The Mad Scientist cables are admittedly very revealing and direct and relatively dry, and while that works very well with the Magicos, a swap to the Driade Flow 405 makes for an immediately more relaxed and arguably more musical performance. Sure, the upper bass becomes rounder but the midrange gains a seductive lushness and now comes across as less prominent while the speakers retain their engaging pacing and expressive liveliness.<\/p>\n

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The recurring feeling I have with these speakers is that they are very much all-eaters. I mean, they bring out the best of every music style, and no matter what you play, even mediocre recordings, they always turn in a musically engaging performance without fail.<\/p>\n

I did stumble on one aspect of the Premium Model 2S’ performance that I felt could be considered less than ideal, which is that for their incisive pacing and immense openness and expression, the uppermost treble was not quite as airy or as detailed as I would like. Admittedly, I have been spoiled by the Magicos and my past ribbon adventures, and I should add that the Driade cables do work more synergistically in this respect than the Mad Scientist cables.\u00a0 In discussing this with Arnold, he explained that the speakers have, by design, a gentle rolling off of the uppermost treble above 14kHz. This is a conscious decision, implemented to ensure ideal pairing even with affordable audio components that often don’t sound as cleanly or as refined as high-end equivalents.<\/p>\n

The Driades’ tuning allows for a measure of roughness and bad harmonics from the components upstream, avoiding harshness while still providing a hugely informative and expressive performance.<\/p>\n

Besides, my criticism is entirely unfair anyway as I keep forgetting that I am listening to speakers that cost 5.000 euros per pair, not 15, 20, or 25. Such is their benchmark-setting bass performance and positively spirited and hugely involving overall performance, that, had I not known their retail prices, I would have assumed they inhabit a much more elevated price category.<\/p>\n

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I already hinted at the speakers’ timbral neutrality and the lack of cabinet sound and these observations are further confirmed in the more transparent main setup. Although the speakers’ midrange is prominent, the performance comes across as very neutral, and even more importantly, entirely natural<\/em>. The timbre is spot-on and there is simply not even a hint of artifice. I can hear the woofer paper\/carbon cone material but this is actually a compliment as I much rather hear the natural slightly papery quality than an unnatural thickened, colored, or synthetic sound that can be produced even by some high-tech plastic or composite material woofers. And I’m not ashamed to admit that I hear more thickness and coloration in the Magico’s woofers!<\/p>\n

Although I don’t usually play very loudly and the Premium Model 2S certainly does not need high volume levels in order to sound open, communicative, or involving, the speakers have absolutely no problem playing at hurricane levels!<\/p>\n

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Kora TB140<\/h3>\n

Along with the Driade loudspeakers, Arnold also dropped off an interesting integrated amplifier, the Kora TB140, which is a hybrid tube\/transistor design. Mind you, this is not the usual tube preamp\/transistor poweramp design but a true hybrid in which four triode tubes deliver a symmetrical voltage signal directly to the output terminals which is augmented by four transistors for the current. This only scratches the surface of its technology but I will save the details for a separate review.<\/p>\n

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As Arnold explained, he was so much enamored with the performance of the Kora-Driade pairing, that he decided to become a dealer for the brand. What’s more, Driade offers a package deal where you get a free set of Driade Flow 405 speaker cables with the purchase of the Premium Model 2S speakers and the Kora TB140 amplifier.<\/p>\n

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Driade Flow 405 speaker cable<\/em><\/p>\n

So, how does the Kora amplifier sound? In a word: fantastic! Truly, I was not ready to hear this level of performance from a 5000-euro amplifier. I tried the Kora in both of my systems and with a wide range of cables and no matter the pairing, this amplifier turns in a performance that is closer to that of my CH system than it has a right to.<\/p>\n

Contrary to what one might expect from a hybrid tube amplifier, the Kora does not sound creamy, fat, overly smooth, or rose-tinted, but rather extremely quick and articulate, super-expressive, and ultra-linear and transparent. With these qualities, it does indeed maximize the Premium Model 2S’s key strengths. Of course, the Kora utilizes a unique concept which they call SquareTube (which I will go into in the dedicated review), but no doubt, its pure and direct sound also has a lot to do with the absence of output transformers which in most cases are responsible for that typical “tube” sound.<\/p>\n

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The best way to illustrate this is to go back to the Ayon in my secondary setup after having listened to the Kora. The Ayon Spirit III is a KT-150 push-pull tube amplifier and it has that Ayon-typical full, sonorous, dark, and robust sound. It also has a more colorful midrange while it largely avoids rounding or adding creaminess or smear. One could argue that the Ayon makes the Premium Model 2S sound easier on the ear, warmer, more euphoric, and perhaps more romantic, and I will not disagree. However, I will counter that you will not have heard all that these speakers have to offer in terms of resolution, bass performance, speed, expression, and lightning-fast transients if they are not used with an amplifier as good as the Kora.<\/p>\n

One thing to keep in mind is that the Kora does not do any editorializing of the signal, it does not add warmth and it certainly does not add a nice sauce to cover any flaws upstream. This is another reason why the Driade combo offering is such a great idea. As I knew from earlier tests, the Driade Flow 405 speaker cable offers an appealingly smooth, rich, and fluid delivery, coupled with great finesse, which as my final tests confirmed, works really well with this pairing.<\/p>\n

Sidenote – The (in) validity of the Knuckle Test<\/h3>\n

At some point, it was popular to judge speaker cabinets by how “dead” they sound, and this was done simply by rapping them with your knuckles. A hollow sound was considered no good and really the only way that a speaker could pass was by basically responding like a solid piece of concrete. Well, the collective speaker designer guild has learned a thing or two since then, and Arnold certainly has his own viewpoints.<\/p>\n

The interesting thing is that despite not passing the old knuckle test, the Premium Model 2S has absolutely no cabinet coloration that I can detect. Here’s what Arnold has to say on the matter.<\/p>\n

The cabinet isn’t hollow, but if you knock on the outside in certain spots, it can indeed sound as such. The important thing is that when excited from the inside out, it doesn’t. The “hollow” sound that you can hear when rapping the cabinet with your knuckles is direct feedback from the hard, 2-sided veneered MDF. <\/em>Especially the shape of the cabinet, the division of the cabinet into 2\/3 at the top and 1\/3 at the bottom, and the type and careful placement of the damping material, ensure the bass precision.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Premium Model 2S does not use a bass reflex cabinet, as it is usually calculated and damped. The long, large port also works very differently, because the air volume behind the port to the angled and narrow rear wall is more decisive here. And of course, there are some other aspects that are responsible for the great bass that you observed.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sidenote – Port Placement<\/h3>\n

I asked Arnold about the placement of the port on the front side of the speaker. The common accepted wisdom is that this makes it easier to place speakers near rear walls but there is also some consensus that it would be more logical to have the port in the rear as the air then breaths in sync with the woofer membrane movements, rather than in reverse. Arnold replies:<\/p>\n

A bass reflex port or system has so many (in)dependencies that it is not just about the placement of a hole in the front or the rear with a tuned pipe in it. A port at the back gives extra reflections from a back wall and when the speakers are pointed inwards there is a higher risk of doubling the acoustic output near a corner. This, of course, only applies if they are not freely set up.<\/em><\/p>\n

Incidentally, the Driades do not have a normal bass-reflex system, otherwise, the lows would not be as fast and defined and the speakers would not be able to play so loudly at low frequencies. They also go >10 Hz lower than a standard calculated bass-reflex system.<\/em><\/p>\n

The shape of the cabinet is one of the essential aspects. The extra separate internal cavity at the bottom is also an essential part of this design. <\/em>And so there are some more aspects, e.g. driver structure, cabinet construction (bracing), damping, etc., which provide a different low and mid-low reproduction.<\/em><\/p>\n

The notion that forward woofer motion sucks the air in from the outside into the bass reflex pipe and into the cabinet volume and vice versa, is correct, but they do this at a different frequency. Besides, the woofer is active and the air is passive.<\/em><\/p>\n

With a<\/em> closed cabinet, it is easier to achieve low coloration, but this system also has many disadvantages.<\/em><\/p>\n

In summary, clearly, there is much more to music reproduction than having an acoustically dead cabinet, or achieving a perfect measured linear response, for that matter. It is all in the speaker’s design, and with the Driades, the musically engaging results speak for themselves!<\/p>\n

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Conclusion<\/h2>\n
\n

The Premium Model 2S surprised me by sounding superbly confident, lively, and beautifully expressive. The speakers are also remarkably well-behaved in the bass which is deep and super-articulate and not at all thick or boomy. Most impressively given their ported design is that the Premium Model 2S produced the best bass I’ve heard from any speaker. Better even than that of my Magico S1 MkII’s.<\/p>\n

There is a prominence in the midrange but the speakers are timbrally spot-on and very neutral and most importantly, entirely natural. PRaT is also a very strong asset and there is no audible transition from woofer to midrange which further adds to their immensely solid and coherent delivery.<\/p>\n

It occurred to me that Driades’ delivery contained aspects of the appealing directness and communication that I experienced with horn speakers, but this time with imperceptible transitions and no coloration.<\/p>\n

The speakers are not fussy at all and they are designed to be easy to drive and voiced such that they will work splendidly with any amplifier. They are also musical omnivores. That said, their performance can be maximized in the direction of speed, tightness, openness, and expression by using a supremely transparent amplifier like the Kora TB140, and honestly, I know of no better amp at its price, or pulled more toward the warm and romantic, by using an amplifier such as the Ayon Spirit III.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Ultimately, all speakers are voiced one way or another. I’m excited to come across a pair that sounds different from the majority out there, and at a price that should make the decision very easy.<\/p>\n

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

External Links<\/h3>\n

Manufacturer and worldwide distributor: Driade<\/a>
\nDriade Flow website: theflowcable<\/a>
\nKora website: Kora.fr<\/a>
\nContact Driade<\/a><\/p>\n

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