{"id":38129,"date":"2024-06-06T12:11:52","date_gmt":"2024-06-06T10:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/?p=38129"},"modified":"2025-10-27T10:29:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T08:29:22","slug":"clarisys-audio-minuet-plus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/review\/loudspeaker-reviews\/loudspeakers-passive-reviews\/clarisys-audio-minuet-plus\/","title":{"rendered":"Clarisys Audio Minuet Plus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reviewed at puurhifidelity<\/a><\/h4>\n

Retail price in the NL, including 21% VAT: \u20ac 53.000
\nAvailable in any custom color at no extra cost<\/h4>\n

Remember how smitten I was with the Clarisys Audio Minuet<\/a> when I heard it one year ago (2023) at PUUR hifidelity? Now, go figure that the speaker company issued an improved “Neodymium” model called Minuet Plus that does everything the previous Ferrite model did but with improvements across the board and higher efficiency so that any competent amplifier can drive them, including tubes.<\/p>\n

Intrigued? You bet I was!<\/p>\n

How it started<\/h3>\n

Apogee Acoustics was active between 1981 and 1999 when it went out of business due to several successive events, among which rising costs and increasing competition in a shrinking market. Later, a new company was founded by an Australian named Graeme Keet (Graz), that offers replacement ribbons, re-released a range of speaker models under the “Classic” label, and developed a brand new model named Synergy 1.5. Alas, both speaker ranges are available only by special request and I have never personally seen or heard a current model Apogee loudspeaker, so my experience is limited to original models and refurbished samples. Clarisys is distributed all around the globe and widely available from dedicated retailers.<\/p>\n

Founded in Vietnam, the Clarisys journey began in 2010 when a group of friends united by their love for the high-fidelity sound of the iconic Apogee speakers decided to start fabricating loudspeakers themselves, based on the classic Apogee designs. While their first models were refurbished originals using a mixture of old and new technology, their journey took a pivotal turn when they met Florian Wiegand, an enthusiastic audiophile and Apogee collector with a profound understanding of speaker design. The new collaboration proved highly fruitful and kick-started the quest to optimize and improve the original design of ribbon speakers, using double-sided bass speakers with a neodymium magnet structure, removing failure points, and improving structural rigidity.<\/p>\n

As Florian told me, their love and fascination with the original designs and their unique sonic presentations instilled the desire to reproduce these classics and subsequently find ways to improve them. And it has to be said that the current Clarisys models are indeed far from mere clones.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A quick glance at the back of the Minuet Plus, with the grilles removed, illustrates the progress made. The aluminum subframe-exoskeleton construction reminds me of a mixture of the internals of the Magico Q series and the time alignment adjustment arrays of large Wilson speakers. You have to see it in person; it is very impressive!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Recent Clarisys timeline<\/h3>\n

Clarisys Audio was founded in 2011 and has spent the last ten years designing speakers for friends and family and researching ways to improve upon the original Apogee designs.<\/p>\n

The year 2021 saw the official market entry with the Minuet and Studio Plus models.<\/p>\n

In 2022, the production line was upgraded to meet market demand and introduce all new Neodymium models, such as the Auditorium.<\/p>\n

In 2023, the Minuet Neodymium model was introduced at Axpona with partners Shunyata Research
\nand Hegel Music Systems, together with products from Pink Faun and Constellation.<\/p>\n

A new Neodymium version of the Minuet was released, initially loosely referred to as Minuet Neodymium or Minuet Neo. The original Ferrite Minuet model was discontinued. The new Neodymium model has been renamed to Minuet Plus, aligning it with the rest of the range.<\/p>\n

Clarisys Minuet Plus<\/h3>\n

At 132 cm tall, 9 cm deep, and 79 cm wide, the new Plus model is slightly taller and wider than its predecessor. Weighing 95 kg per speaker, the new Plus model is 20 Kg heavier than the Ferrite Minuet, and its aluminum subframe exoskeleton massively increases rigidity.<\/p>\n

Like the Ferrite model, the Neodymium model uses a double-sided bass panel, allowing more current to flow through the panel, react more accurately in the magnetic field, and achieve an easier-to-drive impedance. However, thanks to the Neodymium magnets, the nominal impedance went from 3,5 Ohms for the Ferrite version to 4,25 Ohms. This may still seem like a relatively low value, but it should be considered that most speakers on the market are 4-8 Ohms on average. <\/em>In contrast, the\u00a0Minuet’s impedance is flat<\/em> across the speaker’s entire range, contrary to most cabinet designs, bass-reflex designs in particular, that can have very large dips in certain areas. The speaker’s efficiency increased from 88dB to 89dB and allows the use of tube amplifiers with a matching 4-ohm output transformer.<\/p>\n

The internal crossover is an in-house, 1st order (6dB\/octave), phase-coherent design with a 500Hz crossover frequency, using in-house built carbonite-resistors, Jantzen Capacitors, custom-made inductors, and custom-made copper foil cabling.<\/p>\n

The speaker cable connectors are bi-wire, and there is also a grounding plug compatible with the Shunyata Research Altaira compatible grounding system (to remove Eddie currents).<\/p>\n

Double-sided ribbons<\/h3>\n

The Minuet and Minuet Plus both have double-sided bass panels. For the Plus model, Clarisys has just released an updated double-sided midrange and tweeter ribbon, making the two speaker driver foils even more uniform, further increasing efficiency, and supposedly leading to even better sound. However, the speakers I will listen to for this review still have the single-sided midrange\/treble ribbons. I will make an addendum to this review after the new ribbons have been installed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

System Context<\/h3>\n

I will review Clarisys Audio Minuet Plus in the main demo room of PUUR hifidelity in Zeist, the Netherlands. The amplification is done with the Goldmund Mimesis Signature preamp with on-board DAC using the ESS9028Q2M SABRE32 Reference DAC chip and Telos 300 power amplifier, and the music source is the Pink Faun 2.16 Ultra music server. The system is almost fully wired with Ikigai Audio Kinzan (the top line), including the digital interlink, except for the AudioQuest Thunderbird\/Thunderbird Bass speaker cables.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Listening<\/h3>\n

As with the Ferrite Minuets, when I heard them a year ago, the Minuet Plus immediately pulled me into the performance. Robert and Daan’s musical taste is more eclectic than mine. Still, no matter what they played, every track sounded pure, authentic, emotion-laden, and immersive, even more so than the previous time. Last year’s demo with the Ferrite model was fantastic, but the Neodymium model sounds even more realistic.<\/p>\n

Especially the ease with which the speakers accellerate from whisper-quiet to ear-piercing loud was astounding. This is the biggest difference between the Ferrite and Neodymium model: the transient behavior, immediacy, and dynamic impact are beyond anything else I heard, except for certain horn systems. But none of those systems can match the transparency, purity, linearity, and, importantly, the coherence of the Minuet Plus.<\/p>\n

Apogees have always had deep and powerful bass, but it was never as crisp or incisive as I wanted, and this was one of the main reasons I ultimately changed over to dynamic speakers. After a period of trial and error, this led to the Magico S1 MkII, which I still use. But in comparing the sound of my system to the sound here in the PUUR demo room, I think I can safely say that not only is bass incisiveness no longer an argument, but I honestly fear for my speakers if I ever were to listen to the Minuet Plus in my listening space…<\/p>\n

The treble and midrange offer the traits one expects from a ribbon driver, such as immense transparency, clarity, and precision. However, the Minuet Plus is considerably more immediate and expressive than other ribbon-based speakers I heard. It’s not just about startling attack and edge-of-seat dynamics, though. The Minuet Plus can also be supremely delicate, and although the speakers are blindingly fast, the sound is not dry-cut or mechanical. Rather, instrument decay and reverbs linger on with full sustain.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Achilles heel of any ribbon speaker is often the bass. Combining a ribbon with a dynamic woofer is very hard, but even when two foils are used, this can be very tricky. The Apogee designs have always been special in this regard, and this is another area where Clarisys improvements are evident. The Minuet has bass that will startle those previously unfamiliar with these designs with unreal depth and stunning slam. But, importantly, the bass is also lightning-fast and immediate, integrating seamlessly with the mid\/treble unit. The integration is done so well that it sounds more like a single sound source than a two-way design. Oh, and to put a classic Apogee fear to rest, none of the Clarisys models I heard ever exhibited the slightest buzz, not even when playing torture tracks designed to unveil such resonances, such as heavy-hitting bass or midrange transients against a silent background played at ear-splitting levels. And because Clarisys employs piano felt instead of the foam that inevitably decays over time, longevity is not a concern.<\/p>\n

These speakers play just as clearly and expressively at whisper-quiet levels as they do when blasting one against the sofa’s backrest. Truly, there were moments when I could not suppress expressing my excitement while grinning ear to ear as I underwent what seemed more like a live experience than the replay of a recording.<\/p>\n

Of course, the entire system was more upscale now, but the same brands were still used in the same space. It was a strange sensation to have pegged these speakers’ performance within the first minute and not find anything in the hours of listening that would ensue that would change my mind. In terms of linearity, transparency, and neutrality, the Minuet Plus reminds me of the Magico Q5, but without that speaker’s insane power demand and ultra-clinical tendencies.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Listening Environment<\/h3>\n

The first half of the listening session was done with the blue velvet curtains closed and the second half with them open, exposing the wall behind. Years of Magnepan and Apogee experience have taught me that it is best not to use damping behind a dipole speaker. And indeed, this realization has somewhat “plagued” the gentlemen of PUUR hifidelity because the wall behind the curtains contains an off-center door, a rolled-up fire hose, and other unsightly elements. As such, from a visual point of view, they’d rather keep the curtains closed. And I have to admit: the blue curtains do look really nice. But as soon as they listened to the system with the curtains open, Robert and Daan agreed that the bare wall sounded better, deepening the soundstage, sharpening the transient behavior, and adding more air.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I should mention that the Minuets are inherently far from shy or restrained. In fact, they are so open, dynamic, and expressive that it may take some getting used to, certainly for those accustomed to smooth, relaxed, and warm-sounding dynamic speakers. Consequently, the Minuets may sound more pleasant to some ears with some damping behind them. But the beauty is that they will perform very well regardless, and even in relatively small spaces. Of course, you will not get the best soundstaging if the speakers are not allowed enough room to breathe. Still, unlike most cabinet speakers, they behave extremely well even in confined spaces, and they do not have any tendency to sound boxy or boomy.<\/p>\n

Because the Minuets are relatively wide and have the midrange\/treble drivers on the insides, they need to be positioned wider apart than narrow tower speakers. Basically, the mid\/treble ribbon should be where you normally place the tweeters of a regular speaker.<\/p>\n

From my time with Apogees, I know these speakers can have precise focus, but only when they are positioned far enough apart. You have to pull them apart until after the image popped into focus and starts to dissolve again. Then, push them just a bit closer until the focus is back. After that, one can experiment with toe-in, depending on how far the listening position is and how hot one wants the sound to be.<\/p>\n

In the PUUR listening room, the speakers could not quite reach this point as the side walls prevented pulling them apart further. However, Robert conducted some experiments with the positioning in my presence and I witnessed the focus and soundstage width improve as the speakers got closer to the sidewalls. This is another advantage of dipoles: they are far less prone to coloration due to sidewalls than cabinet loudspeakers.<\/p>\n

The importance of System Synergy<\/h3>\n

Regular readers know how I always talk about system synergy, but it really is a key factor in reaching an optimal balance in any system. Of course, some components and systems are (much) easier than others. The new Minuet Plus are a great case in point. Let me share the little adventure that took place in the lead-up to this review.<\/p>\n

Initially, the PUUR system was wired exclusively with Ikigai Audio Kinzan, including speaker cables, which led to a fantastically articulate, lucid, precise, and explicit presentation. I am not exaggerating when I say the transient behavior was off the charts! But as impressive as it was, my ears soon tired, and I ultimately felt it was a little too hot and hard. As impressive as it was, it was just too much of a good thing. I wondered, would this be a downside of the Plus model over the older Ferrite model?<\/p>\n

Florian has stated that these speakers do not work well with silver and that they recommend using copper conductors instead. But just like us audiophiles rarely read manuals, we don’t always blindly follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The Ikigai Kinzan range employs gold-infused silver, and although I never heard Ikigai cables outside of PUUR demos, in my experience thus far, silver-gold cables tend to sound sweet and fluid. So, could they still be responsible? Of course, there was only one way to find out.<\/p>\n

Sure enough, as soon as Audioquest Thunderbird speaker cables were used, everything clicked right into place, and a change from USB to Coax added the final touches. To be fair, the AudioQuest cable sounded less spectacular than the Ikigai, and the transient behavior was just a little less explicit, but the speakers have so much in reserve that it was still mightily impressive. Most importantly, the balance was now perfect, and the hardness had completely vanished.<\/p>\n

So, it turns out Florian was right, although I would not say the cables are the culprit. Rather, it is the combination of the two. These speakers are so honest, so easily excited, and so utterly revealing that they can be unforgiving until you create just the right environment for them. Of course, a complimentary balance can be obtained in any number of ways, and it needs to be emphasized that the other Ikigai cables still worked wonders across the board in this system.<\/p>\n

Line Source versus Point Source<\/h3>\n

A line source has a different spatial rendition than a point source, which may or may not coincide with personal preferences. However, having lived with both speaker systems for extended periods of time, I can only say that there is merit in both. One might ask: Which is more realistic? That question can only be answered by oneself, as both systems offer aspects of what a live performance sounds like, and it is up to the listener to decide which of those aspects closest resembles the real thing.<\/p>\n

For me, a loudspeaker’s most important musical qualities are neutrality, linearity, transparency, agility, articulation, purity, expression, and fast transient response. And wouldn’t you know it, the Clarisys Minuet Plus excels in each trait!<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

If my conclusion for the Minuet Ferrite was that they are superb, then the Minuet Plus are superb PLUS! These speakers excel across the board, combining virtues that are usually mutually exclusive. If you want a sweetly romantic, warm, polite, and smooth sound, the Minuets are probably not for you. But if it is pure realism you want, look no further. The Minuet Plus have the rare ability to sound technically<\/em> clean, clear, and super-accurate while simultaneously being texturally and timbrally highly realistic and\u00a0musically<\/em> deeply engaging.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

PUUR hifidelity – Daan Vreeswijk & Robert Brijde<\/strong><\/h4>\n

PUUR hifidelity Website: puurhifidelity<\/a>
\nManufacturer’s Website: clarisysaudioglobal<\/a>
\nEmail: info@puuravd.com<\/a>
\nPhone: +31 (0)30 307 84 77
\nSlotlaan 306
\n3701 GX Zeist
\nNederland<\/h4>\n
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