{"id":43225,"date":"2026-05-07T08:50:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T06:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/?p=43225"},"modified":"2026-05-07T08:50:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T06:50:46","slug":"aequo-audio-ensium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/review\/loudspeaker-reviews\/speakers-active-analog-reviews\/aequo-audio-ensium\/","title":{"rendered":"Aequo Audio Ensium"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review organized by Marc Loubeau \/ Prestige Audio Diffusion<\/a>
\nReview samples supplied by Aequoaudio.com<\/a>
\n<\/a>Retail prices in the NL including 21% VAT:
\nAdamantis (passive): \u20ac TBC
\nEnsium Hybrid (bass-assisted): \u20ac44.900 (as reviewed) TBC
\nEnsium Fully Active: \u20ac TBC<\/h4>\n

Brief history<\/h3>\n

With Aequo Audio, the focus has always been on what the company’s founders, Ivo and Paul, consider the most important factor in loudspeaker performance: realism. The more real the music sounds, the better the emotional impact, and the more you feel like being present at the actual performance. Hence the name \u2018Aequo Audio\u2019, which is Latin for \u2018I hear the same\u2019.<\/p>\n

The first Aequo Audio speaker was the Ensis, introduced in 2015.\u00a0Building on the foundations of this speaker, the Stilla was introduced in 2018 (see the review<\/a>). Now, the level of realism has been taken to new heights with the introduction of the Adamantis and Ensium, in large part, thanks to the company’s proprietary new castable ultra-dense material, Diluvite.<\/p>\n

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Diluvite<\/h3>\n

The basis for the leap in performance of these new speakers is in the proprietary material used for the cabinets. Rather than relying on popular materials such as wood, aluminum, or fiberglass, Aequo Audio developed its own nanotech composite material, Diluvite<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Stiffness and Damping are both desired when fighting off unwanted vibration. However, improving stiffness almost always means simultaneously lowering damping, and vice versa. For instance, extremely stiff carbon-ply epoxy laminates and engineered ceramics can provide double or triple the stiffness of steel at much lower density, but fail to dissipate energy when put into resonance.<\/p>\n

Diluvite is a castable material twice as stiff as aluminum, yet it offers ten times better damping. It is also extremely resistant to vibration. And even when the material is excited, it immediately converts vibration into heat. Moreover, Diluvite is the first material in the world able to eliminate any resonance, as measured from 0,1 to 100.000 Hz, with complete consistency across the entire frequency range.\u00a0 This uniformity in damping is very important for achieving uncolored, natural music reproduction.<\/p>\n

Next to its superb acoustic qualities, the Diluvite material enabled a truly \u2018form follows function\u2019 3D design method so many loudspeaker designers rave about, but very few actually have the luxury to implement. Starting the design with an optimal acoustic shape and perfect driver time alignment, Aequo ended up with a complex organic shape, ultra-low baffle diffraction, and greatly increased acoustic-, phase-, distortion-, and dynamic linearity.<\/p>\n

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Adamantis and Ensium<\/h3>\n

The Adamantis and Ensium look almost identical, and they are tuned to achieve the same sonic ideals, but with a very significant difference. Adamantis is passive, while Ensium has ARPEC (Analog Room and Placement Extension Controller) assisted bass. (see the ARPEC section further below for more information). Both speakers are connected to an amplifier like regular passive speakers, but Ensium has an additional power cable and active bass. They use the same cabinet, tweeter, and woofer, but the midrange driver differs.<\/p>\n

Adamantis uses a “Mega-fast 5-inch Nomex-coated paper pulp composite” driver, while Ensium uses a “Mega-fast 5-inch mineral-filled PP<\/span> composite” driver, to ensure optimal sensitivity matching for both models. According to Aequo Audio, the two drivers actually sound very similar.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both models are 3-way designs with super-wideband phase alignment, using similar crossovers in separate enclosures made with high-quality Danish and German components, including special-order precision-value air-coils in a symmetric topology, with only audiophile PP (super)-caps and low-tolerance Danish super-resistors.<\/p>\n

The Adamantis’s frequency response is specified to achieve an already amazing 20 Hz – 45 kHz -3 dB in-room response, with a nominal impedance of 4 Ohms. The bass-assisted Ensium is specified to achieve an even more ludicrous 16 Hz – 45 kHz -3 dB in-room response, with a super-amplifier-friendly nominal impedance of 8 ohms.<\/p>\n

The Ensium has a power input and single-wiring speaker terminals. The Adamantis has no power input but supports\u00a0bi-wiring and bi-amping.<\/p>\n

Both models are 116 cm tall, 42 cm wide (including footers), and 52 cm deep, and both weigh 129 kg.<\/p>\n

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ARPEC<\/h3>\n

ARPEC (Analog Room and Placement Extension Controller) is Aequo Audio’s audiophile solution for addressing bass issues in any room size or shape, and it goes far beyond a simple EQ. The incoming full-range signal is used by the analog ARPEC system to add current (Amperes) to the input voltage at low and bass frequencies, allowing easy optimization for room size and placement. Without DSP or any digital component in the signal path, ARPEC maintains perfect time and phase alignment and improves time alignment in any room.<\/p>\n

Room and placement adjustments are easy and intuitive, made by turning two stepless rotators on each loudspeaker. In essence, the two complex, dynamic crossover curves are steered by the ARPEC’s two intuitive rotary dials.<\/p>\n

One rotator adjusts the room size, ranging from XXS to XXL; the other adjusts for speaker placement, ranging from standing in a corner to a position completely free of walls. These powerful adjustments allow the speakers to be much more freely positioned while still achieving excellent sound in virtually any room, even in very difficult or asymmetrical rooms.<\/p>\n

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Ensium Description<\/h3>\n

The bass-assisted Ensium is an even bigger powerhouse than its passive sibling, Adamantis. With an efficiency of 91dB at 8 ohms (vs 89dB at 4 ohms), it is bolder, more sensitive, and more advanced.<\/p>\n

Armed with Aequo Audio’s proprietary ARPEC active analog bass system, Ensium offers placement flexibility and seamless integration into any listening space in minutes. ARPEC allows tuning the speakers to be as neutral as one might expect from a top-level mastering studio, without needing subwoofers or the typically complex room treatments. And best of all, without the use of sonically harmful, complex DSP solutions. The speaker operates entirely in the analog domain, thus effectively avoiding any signal delay. Besides offering full control over bass behavior, the Ensiums are very easy to drive and do not require a hugely powerful amplifier to deliver their best.<\/p>\n

The built-in power amplifiers are very powerful yet very neutral, allowing the speakers to bring out the best in over-forgiving or slower amplifiers, as well as in more analytical equipment. The amplifier sections switch on and off automatically in response to the input signal. The review pair switches on within 3 seconds of the music starting, and switches off again after 8 minutes. Paul of Aequo Audio indicated that they are considering increasing the standby window to about an hour.<\/p>\n

The midrange and treble operate purely passively and are directly connected to the speaker terminals, while the bass driver is driven by the ARPEC system, powered by the internal power amplifier. The result: loudspeakers capable of achieving excellent performance and room integration in virtually any room.<\/p>\n

The drivers are developed in close cooperation with AudioTechnology – by Skaaning. The collaboration led to various prototype combinations of motor designs, both underhung and overhung, suspensions, and cone configurations, which ultimately led to the current drivers that are produced in controlled batches\u00a0in accordance with Aequo Audio’s precise specs.<\/p>\n

More information about Per Skaaning and AudioTechnology can be found here:\u00a0 https:\/\/audiotechnology.dk\/about-us\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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The woofer section employs a lightweight, super-fast, low-inductance 10.5-inch (sub)woofer with a <\/span>mineral-coated alloy cone. It has a very low-distortion motor with a heat-resistant, anodized voice coil<\/span> on a temperature-regulating titanium voice coil former, and a custom ultra-light fiber dustcap. All of this reduces self-induction and eddy-current losses, saves weight, and increases speed <\/span>by 20%. The woofer <\/span>can travel up to <\/span>28 mm peak-to-peak in a symmetric magnetic field, and it stays clean up to 900Hz, with the first breakup at 2kHz, well above its active region.<\/span> A bass-reflex port tuned to 19Hz delivers deep bass while avoiding the chuffing of higher-tuned ports. Special attention was paid to time alignment to achieve ideal coherence between the bass and the midrange.<\/span><\/p>\n

When designing a speaker with a strong focus on coherence, the assumption might be that the best position for the woofer would be as close to the midrange as possible. However, as Ivo explained, the speakers behave much more predictably across a wide range of rooms when the woofer is positioned near the floor. This is because room modes become twice as severe with equal wall distances, and if a woofer is placed at the top (where the midrange and treble need to be to produce the proper stage height), it\u2019s also almost halfway up the room’s height. Thus, it would excite far more severe room modes in that position than if it were vertically asymmetrical. Careful attention was paid to the crossover and the speaker’s phase behavior. To time-align the drivers relative to the listening position, the midrange and tweeter are positioned farther back than the woofer. To accommodate various seating heights and listening distances, the rear spike is height-adjustable.<\/p>\n

According to Aequo Audio, the Ensium’s maximum linear output is higher than that of a typical dual-10-inch closed-cabinet speaker or even a triple-9-inch ported speaker, and in practice, more comparable to a closed-cabinet speaker with three 10-inch bass drivers. While it’s tempting to take such claims with a grain of salt, I can confirm that the bass does actually dive right down into what’s normally considered subwoofer territory with utter authority. The Ensium is specified at an absolutely ludicrous 16 Hz – 45 kHz (-3 dB in-room response), with a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. <\/span><\/p>\n

You read that right: 16 Hz at -3 dB! Even for a subwoofer, this kind of performance is not a given. Such output at the extreme end of the frequency spectrum is achieved only by the biggest and best of the breed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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For the upper bass and midrange, a fully symmetric, super-fast 5-inch mineral-filled PP composite cone driver is used, identical to the one used in the Stilla. It operates within a closed box inside a 3D-optimized enclosure.<\/p>\n

The -6dB crossover point where the midrange driver starts to take over from the subwoofer was at 100Hz with the Ensis. With the Stilla, this was raised to 130Hz, and with the Ensium, it is at 170Hz.<\/p>\n

This frequency was chosen for the following reasons:<\/p>\n

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  1. It allows incorporating all affected frequencies for boundary gain more effectively.<\/li>\n
  2. This achieves full, correct time and phase alignment by positioning the woofer at the same distance from the listener as the midrange, allowing a crossover at higher frequencies without loss of point-source quality.<\/li>\n
  3. Thanks to the woofer’s high inherent speed, the resolution at 100-170Hz does not diminish.<\/li>\n
  4. The midrange now needs less excursion and remains much cleaner at high volumes, with significantly less distortion overall in the upper bass\/lower midrange area.<\/li>\n
  5. It’s great to be able to move more volume more quickly, with better timing, and with more upper-bass slam, power, and realism.<\/li>\n
  6. The overall system now has a higher linear dynamic output, where otherwise the midrange would have been the weakest link.<\/li>\n
  7. In various asymmetrical rooms and with the corresponding ARPEC Room-size and Placement settings, the acoustic phase in the upper bass is now better adjusted, so little to no difference remains in asymmetry regarding the reproduction of, for example, cello, deep male voices, etc. Further, after calibration, it no longer disrupts the ultimate imaging and realism of these instruments, including their relationship to higher harmonics, although these may be less affected by the asymmetry of room\/wall boundaries that mainly influence lower frequencies.<\/li>\n
  8. The 170Hz range is probably not coincidental, as it also falls within the crossover region of many of the world’s best three-way speakers. And it falls within the range where it is desirable for the ceiling to serve as a boundary as well.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Next: Description continued, Available Finishes, and Listening<\/em><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The tweeter used in the Ensium is faster than the one in the Stilla and identical to the one in the Ensis. Aequo Audio deliberately chose a soft-dome tweeter rather than typical high-end speaker membranes made of synthetic diamond or beryllium. The idea behind the application of beryllium tweeters is to enable unflexed \u2018pistonic\u2019 movement, with the main resonant breakups pushed above the audible frequency range. Yet, every resonance has harmonic artifacts beyond the frequency bandwidth, compromising stiffness at the cost of damping and producing an unrealistic spark rather than musical realism.<\/p>\n

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    Despite using a woven textile rather than exotic materials, the EHDL (Enhanced Horizontal Dispersion Lens) tweeter is anything but standard. While the tweeter has a flexible surround, its acoustic center is fixed in place by an aluminum dispersion cone on a carbon fiber rod to eliminate membrane resonances and other high-frequency irregularities. The aluminum cone also serves as a controlled vertical\/horizontal dispersion lens, enabling an ultimate holographic 3D soundstage and imaging. It solves the problems of top-octave response irregularities and simultaneously addresses the non-pistonic drawbacks commonly encountered by soft-dome tweeters, without introducing the harshness of hard domes.<\/p>\n

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    Additional Characteristics<\/h3>\n

    Aequo Audio uses super-fast, well-controlled motor designs on stiffer materials in the bass section and softer, good self-dampening cone\/dome materials in the mid\/high section. All drivers have low moving mass, high speed, and very low distortion, combined with very powerful motor systems, to achieve a fast response with high efficiency. Perfect phase alignment is achieved throughout the whole frequency range through driver positioning based on the acoustic centers.<\/p>\n

    Compared to the Stilla, the Ensium reduces distortion levels by half while being capable of playing at much higher volumes. This is a notable achievement!<\/p>\n

    The very heavy, high-damping cabinet materials are responsible for a pure, natural sound without ringing. Low-order crossover filter topology and minimized cabinet diffraction result in a speaker that easily disappears.<\/p>\n

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    Selected colors and wood types<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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    Below is the premium selection of colors and wood types. Bespoke lacquers and wood types are available on request.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Above: High-Gloss White finish.<\/em><\/p>\n

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    Above: Rosewood finish.<\/em><\/p>\n

    The Technology section<\/a> on the Aequo Audio website offers a wealth of information for those who want to dig deeper.<\/p>\n

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    Listening<\/h3>\n

    The review pair had played for an estimated 150 hours before being delivered to me. In my system, they have played for approximately 60 hours, during which I noted a subtle change in the ease and flow. Paul and Ivo indicated that they should be well on their way to being run in, but also added that further settling would likely occur even beyond the 250-hour mark.<\/p>\n

    Ivo<\/span>\u00a0and Paul kindly installed, positioned, and adjusted the speakers for me.\u00a0<\/span>Since I usually handle everything myself, it was a luxury to see someone else do it for a change!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>They did an excellent<\/span>\u00a0job dialing in the speakers. At\u00a0<\/span>th<\/span>at moment<\/span>, the listening couch was still\u00a0<\/span>p<\/span>lac<\/span>ed<\/span> far from the back wall to achieve the most linear bass response from the <\/span>Apogee Duetta Signature Ribbon Speakers<\/span>. <\/span>My<\/span>\u00a0room has a complex shape and is larger than the\u00a0<\/span>typical<\/span> Dutch home. Just like any room, it has its <\/span>peaks and nulls, and I have tried <\/span>to address these throug<\/span>h<\/span> various acoustic treatments and careful <\/span>placement of speakers and the listening couch. <\/span>Since the Apogees are<\/span> fully open dipoles with a full-range, out-of-phase output at the back, they interact with the room’s nulls and peaks differently from dynamic speakers, which can be a blessing or a curse. Peaks can be addressed quite effectively with the right acoustic treatment, but nulls are best addressed by finding the ideal relative speaker\/listener position. <\/span>Due to their in-phase\/out-of-phase bass, the Apogees require <\/span>different positioning to achieve an ideal balance. <\/span>From earlier experience, I knew this setup was not <\/span>ideal for dynamic loudspeakers. On the other hand,<\/span> the recent installation of six large Mass Spring Bass Absorber panels has proven highly effective at controlling low-bass decay with the Duettas, and I had not yet found out <\/span>how the newly treated room would respond to dynamic speakers. Therefore, rather than repositioning the listening couch to its previous, less acoustically treated spot used with my former dynamic reference speakers, the Magico S1 MkIIs, I chose to test the current positions first.<\/span><\/p>\n

    As the starting position for the Ensiums, we chose the former Magico positions, about 3 meters from the current listening position, now that the couch was further from the back wall. Despite the close distance, Ivo and Paul achieved an<\/span> immersive sound with incredibly tangible focus, edge-of-your-seat immediacy, explosive dynamics, wide and deep soundstaging, and impressively tight, well-controlled bass, with an amazingly realistic timbre. It has to be said, these guys know how to position speakers in a room!<\/p>\n

    Having reviewed the previous model, Stilla<\/a>, I am very familiar with their sound. From a new speaker by the same company, following the same design principles with a different cabinet, I expected a familiar house sound, improved, but surely more similar than different. However, when I first heard the Ensium in the Aequo showroom as part of my Playback Designs SPA-8 Quick Impression<\/a>, my feeling was that they were actually more different than similar. They impressed me with their remarkably clear, pure, and communicative midrange, supported by a weighty yet fast and expressive bass. From memory, the Stilla was quite a bit smoother, warmer, and more laidback. Even though this was my first visit to this showroom, I was pretty confident that the Ensiums were much cleaner and much more neutral than the Sttillas, but given the unfamiliar acoustics and other amplifiers, I could not be sure. Now that I have heard them in my listening room, however, it was obvious that they are not simply upgraded Stillas, but they perform on an entirely new level.<\/p>\n

    During successive listening, I was repeatedly in awe at the explosive dynamics. They possess a level of immediacy, expression, and attack that rivals the best I have heard in these areas. For their power and expressive immediacy, the Ensium reminded me of a blend of Wilson Audio’s Sasha V and AvantGarde horn loudspeakers. Thinking of the Stillas, my initial recollection seemed correct: the Stilla was indeed quite a bit smoother, warmer, and more laid-back. But most of all, the Ensium was far more neutral, coherent, and transparent. Clearly, the Diluvite cabinet makes all the difference in the world!<\/p>\n

    Next: Listening Continued, Speaker Cables, and Amplifiers<\/em><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    At this point, the Ensiums had scored maximum points for their technical abilities. In this room, I never heard better bass, control, or dynamics. However, there was an element of leanness and over-control to the sound. This was because, while very accurate, the upper bass and lower midrange were quite lean. I tried to address this with ARPEC, but while it was easy to achieve a fuller sound, this also made the bass sound less precise than I preferred, and it did not address the lower midrange. I knew that the leanness in the bass was caused by a null in my room (a point where out-of-phase reflections cancel certain frequencies that is near-impossible to compensate for electronically), and that the eventual solution would be to move the listening couch back to its old “dynamic speaker” position, closer to the rear wall. However, I wasn’t ready to give in just yet. Rather than moving the listening couch closer to the back wall, I moved the speakers further back. This was always a no-go in this room, as the area behind the speakers always added significant coloration to the sound. But this time, that was not the case. Even without ARPEC adjustments, the speakers behaved remarkably linearly. This confirms the manufacturer’s claim that the Ensiums behave a lot more like closed-cabinet speakers than ported ones. It was definitely clear that<\/span> the Ensium’s 19Hz port interacts <\/span>much<\/span>\u00a0less with my room than,\u00a0<\/span>for example<\/span>, the multi-ported Wilson Watt\/Puppy 8 <\/span>I<\/span>\u00a0used\u00a0<\/span>previously, although <\/span>I can’t exclude the positive influence of the Mass Spring Bass Absorber panels in this context.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Adding ARPEC to the mix went far beyond dotting the i’s: the system proved indispensable, enabling me to finely tune the bass to match the midrange perfectly at any given position. <\/span><\/p>\n

    T<\/span>he Room Size and Placement dials allow very precise compensation for speaker positioning and room size. Essentially, the two rotary dials control the balance between dryness and flow, mimicking a closed cabinet, a ported one, or anything in between, depending on the adjustments. As such, the system is elementary in shaping the speakers’ character. At the flick of a dial, it allowed me to easily compensate for excess fullness or a lack of body, as required at any position. At a certain point, the Ensiums were closer to the rear wall than any speakers had ever been, and thanks to ARPEC, I could still make them sound cleaner and more neutral than any passive speaker.<\/p>\n

    Still, although the sound was now smooth, pleasant, well-balanced, and forgiving, the performance had also lost some of the sparkly communication and immediacy that had impressed me so thoroughly in the initial setup. So, now, it was finally time to move the couch back to the standard position for dynamic speakers.<\/p>\n

    With the couch back in its old position, I was immediately rewarded with glorious and amazingly deep bass, right down to a trouser-flapping 20Hz! The speakers are even specified to start at 16Hz, but I do not have test tones that low, and I’m not even sure if my digital equipment would reproduce them. But, sure enough, 20Hz was there, in its full glory, shaking the room! Until now, I had never heard such low frequencies in my room, not even with large subwoofers, but the Ensiums do it effortlessly!<\/p>\n

    As I moved the speakers closer to the listening position, a few inches at a time, I could hear the communicative qualities increase while the bass remained deep and powerful. At certain intervals, the bass became leaner as the room’s boundary reinforcement diminished, and each time, this was easily compensated for by readjusting the ARPEC dials. With passive speakers, placement is always a compromise between ideal bass and precise imaging. But with ARPEC, I was able to pull the speakers a little closer to achieve spectacular clarity and perfect imaging, while the slightly leaner bass at those positions was easily rebalanced by turning up the Placement dial. In their final positions, they ended up very close to where Ivo and Paul had placed them, which was also very close to where the Magicos and other dynamic speakers always worked best. Now, the puzzle pieces fell right into place, and the speakers sounded technically superb, as well as lyrical and emotionally engaging.<\/p>\n

    The Ensiums sound wide-open, lively, articulate, and hugely expressive across the entire frequency range. They excel at delivering highly realistic percussion, piano, and vocals. Honestly, their transient response is unlike anything I’ve heard from any speaker that isn’t a horn. Vocals are projected a little higher than with the Magico S1 MkIIs or most stand-mounted speakers, but that does not bother me at all; it is just an observation, though I know some listeners are very specific about this aspect.<\/p>\n

    They are not bright on top, and neither is the treble lean or white-ish, as can be the case with certain hard domes and ribbon tweeters. They do have a very fast, highly energetic upper midrange and treble, providing a positively communicative sound. Their openness and immediacy can, however, be a two-edged sword. These speakers do not rose-tint anything, and this lays bare any edge or rawness elsewhere in the system or in the recording.<\/p>\n

    Aequo Audio has considered this, and the Ensium allows adjusting the speaker tilt by raising or lowering the rear spike. This allows fine-tuning the driver alignment depending on listening height and distance. Simultaneously, the balance between forward\/lively and laidback\/smooth can be adjusted in the same manner to some extent. In my case, a little more backward tilting restored the balance and provided a fuller lower midrange with friendlier treble.<\/p>\n

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    Above and below: Ensium production line<\/em><\/p>\n

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    It is expected that a large three-way speaker will not sound as pure, cohesive, communicative, or as invisible as a small two-way monitor speaker. Indeed, if you are after the cohesion and maximum point-source behavior of a very good small monitor, then the Ensium might not be the ideal choice. However, the Ensium is among the very best when it comes to imaging and soundstaging, and thanks to clever design and the super-dense, uniformly damped Diluvite nanocast cabinet material, the Ensium is actually among the sonically most invisible speakers I have heard! Further, the Ensium sounds amazingly pure, incredibly communicative, and its three drivers are clearly well-integrated into a whole. The treble and midrange literally sound as though they come from a single driver, and there’s never a feeling that the active bass section is leading a separate life. Honestly, I’ve never achieved a level of coherence with separate subwoofers as good as this, despite my best efforts.<\/p>\n

    However, I do hear a very slight difference in tonality between the midrange\/treble and the bass. Or rather, the midrange is so utterly pure, clean, and open that the bass has comparatively slightly more character. Don’t get me wrong, the bass, in and of itself, is super-agile, extremely well-controlled, and actually sounds faster, cleaner, and more accurate than pretty much all passive speakers I’ve used. So, the bass is not at fault, and I really am nitpicking here, but the comparatively even cleaner midrange offsets it. On the other hand, even though these speakers sure have analytical qualities, this slight bit of character prevents them from sounding cool or clinical.<\/p>\n

    The Ensium’s bass performance and integration become even more impressive when compared to other speakers with active bass systems. I waxed lyrical about hybrid Martin Logans in the recent past, commenting on the coherence of their active bass sections relative to older Martin Logan designs, but in retrospect, my experience with those speakers reinforces the case for Aequo Audio and the analog ARPEC system. Although the ESL 11<\/a> and ESL 15<\/a> had magnificent bass that was coupled almost seamlessly to the electrostatic foils, there was a considerable difference in character between the dynamic woofer and the electrostatic foil. After being initially wowed, this aspect started bothering me over time. When I later added a pair of Magico S1 MkII’s, they were so much more coherent that they soon became my primary speakers. But listening to the Aequo Audio Ensium speakers now, with my ears fine-tuned for bass precision and coherence, it’s clear that the Ensiums’ bass sections do an amazing job.<\/p>\n

    Because speakers are such a personal choice and so pivotal in their room interaction, I am usually eager to return to my own speakers after a review. The Ensium, however, is something else. Not only do they work every bit as well in my room as the Apogee ribbon speakers or the Magicos, they actually outperform them in a number of aspects, and they produce the best bass I have heard in this room, period!<\/p>\n

    Tellingly, for partially active speakers with such extensive adjustability, the Ensium makes it easy to forget about its adjustments, and they do not incur the desire to keep tweaking them. Rather, they invite the listener to shift attention from analytical mode to simply enjoying the music. The dynamics, control, and bass power are absolutely awesome, and they put a huge grin on your face. But the speakers are not just powerhouses; they also excel with their agility and effortlessly respond to subtle shifts in speed and dynamic behavior. The sound projects entirely freely in all directions and does not stick to the cabinets. Moreover, their spaciousness is present in all listening positions, not just in the sweet spot, but throughout the listening area. Even when seated on the side, I can still hear vocals stably focused between the speakers. Such properties make it easy to enjoy the speakers anywhere in the room, and not just for the person sitting in the sweet spot.<\/p>\n

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    Above: To enable easy transport, unloading, and positioning, the speakers are delivered in cleverly constructed flight cases, pre-mounted on heavy-duty metal carts, ready to roll out of the cases and into position. Once the ideal positions are found, the carts can be removed.<\/i><\/p>\n

    Speaker Cables<\/h3>\n

    For this review, I predominantly used Driade Flow Reference 808<\/a> speaker cables, the same as I use with the Magicos and Apogees. I love these cables for their blend of extreme resolution, airy refinement, low coloration, and flow, but they are slightly lean and don’t add any smoothness or warmth. The\u00a0SMR Cable Technologies Vanish 334<\/a> is marketed as neither adding nor taking away anything, but compared to the Driade, it sounds fuller, smoother, and more relaxed. As it turns out, the Ensium responds well to the SMR cable, providing more voluptuous bass, a creamier midrange, and smoother, slightly darker treble. <\/span>While I prefer the Driade cables for their more articulate bass and crisper overall sound, there was no denying that the SMR cable adds more charm and sweetness while remaining highly resolving. As mentioned, the SMR cables are still very neutral, so, if desired, the Ensiums can still be tweaked to sound warmer, fuller, or darker with other cables.<\/p>\n

    Amplifiers<\/h3>\n

    A major advantage of the Ensium’s active bass is that the speakers are compatible with all amplifiers. This contrasts starkly with low-impedance passive speakers that place heavy demands on an amplifier’s power and stability.\u00a0Maintaining purity is one of the most challenging aspects when increasing an amplifier’s power. The more transistors and complexity you add, the more likely it is that this complexity becomes audible. This explains why very powerful Class A or AB amplifiers with exceptional purity are invariably very expensive. Conversely, superb low- to medium-power amplifiers can be found much more easily and at much friendlier price points.<\/p>\n

    The Ensium’s revealing nature means you’ll hear the amplifier’s quality, but it does not need to be very powerful at all. The bass section always has enough power, and the 8-Ohm input is hugely amplifier-friendly. One could even consider a good integrated amplifier, whether transistor- or tube-based, and, regardless of its sonic signature, it will drive the Ensiums well.<\/p>\n

    Alas, I did not have an integrated amplifier at hand, but I did hear the Playback Designs SPA-8<\/a> and Westminster Labs Rei<\/a> power amplifiers with the Ensiums when I visited the Aequo Audio showroom. From that experience, I know that differences in character between amplifiers are still very audible.<\/p>\n

    During the Ensium review, the AVM SA 8.3 power amplifier was also delivered for review. This is a very powerful amplifier, which is not required for the Ensiums. Nevertheless, it worked wonderfully! This amplifier has a tube input stage, combined with MOSFETs for the power output stage. Interestingly, this amplifier is a bit more “solid-state” in its behavior than the CH, with rock-solid stability and control, while also offering a smooth sound with a slightly creamier midrange. The ultimate resolution and refinement are slightly lower than with the CH, but the fuller bass, extra body, and subtle charm work really well with the Ensiums.<\/p>\n

    Next: Fully Active Ensium, Speaker Context, Value, and Conclusion<\/em><\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Fully Active Ensium<\/h3>\n

    In addition to the hybrid Ensium model reviewed here and the fully passive Adamantis version, Aequo Audio will also introduce a fully active Ensium version, enabling a super streamlined system. Whereas the hybrid Ensium requires an external power amplifier, the fully active Ensium eliminates the need for a separate power amplifier and can be driven directly by a preamp or DAC with built-in volume control. This enables the creation of an extremely high-performance, yet hugely cost-effective system. For instance, one could use an all-in-one Music Server\/DAC\/Preamp such as the Grimm MU2<\/a> and connect it directly to the fully active Ensiums via a pair of XLR cables. Besides keeping the setup simple, this also offers truly exceptional value for money.<\/p>\n

    Speaker Context<\/h3>\n

    Decades of using aluminum, beryllium, and ribbon tweeters have primed me for a predeliction towards these drivers. This is not to say I consider these the best drivers; it’s a matter of personal preference. I know that some listeners actually find ribbons or metal dome tweeters to sound white-ish or unnatural, which I can totally understand if one is used to soft-dome tweeters. This is just to point out how driver characteristics can be perceived differently, and this should be taken into account when reading my comments in the Speaker Context section.<\/p>\n

    I have owned the Magico S3 MkI and S3 MkII, and the smaller S1 MkII was my reference for the last 8 years, until I fell back in love with Apogees, and sold the Magicos to a good friend a couple of months ago. This means I can no longer make a direct comparison. However, when I reviewed the Aequo Stilla, I did do a direct comparison in this room with the S1 MkIIs, and because I know my system so well, it’s easy to extrapolate how these Magicos differ from the Aequo Ensium.<\/p>\n

    The Ensium has superior transient behavior and more bite and expression in the upper midrange and treble, with realistic body and absolutely no whiteness whatsoever. But compared to the Apogee Duetta and Centaur ribbon midrange and treble foils, or the Magico Diamond-coated Beryllium tweeters, I feel like I’m missing some delicacy and fluidity in the treble. To be clear, I also feel this way when listening to most other speakers with soft-dome tweeters, including Wilson Audio, YG Acoustics, and several others. More than anything, it’s a matter of taste. The other passive speakers I have for comparison are the Driade Premium Model 9<\/a>. These small monitors naturally do not go as deep, are not nearly as direct or dynamic, and certainly not as powerful as the Ensium, but they are very uniform, and while not as airy and delicate as the Magicos, they have a sweeter treble. I also listened to a selection of tracks through the Genelec 8050A and 8341A active studio monitors in the other room. The discrepancy in robustness, bass authenticity, focus, soundstaging, timbre, and dynamic behavior was absolutely massive, in favor of the Ensiums! However, the Genelec’s midrange and treble were a little gentler and more forgiving to my ears. Based on these comparisons, I feel it’s fair to say that the Ensium’s upper midrange and treble are more energetic and spicier than average. However, and this is a very important point, it is far easier to make an expressive speaker sound friendlier with the tilt adjustment, component-matching, and cable selection than to make a subdued, polite speaker sound truly dynamic and expressive. More precisely, a polite speaker will never sound as lively and expressive as the Ensium, no matter what you do. And indeed, none of the aforementioned speakers are quite as propulsive and exhilarating as the Ensium.<\/p>\n

    Depending on the adjustment of the ARPEC controls, the Ensium’s bass can be considerably tighter and more controlled than the Magico S1 MkII, and they are overwhelmingly more communicative, pure, immediate, and direct, particularly in the upper midrange. Neither the Duettas nor the Magico S1 MkII reach the same levels as the Ensiums in focus, imaging stability, bass tightness and control, immediacy, impact, power, and dynamics. The S1 MkII is smoother, creamier, more liquid, and more refined, making these speakers more forgiving, but the question is whether these qualities add to the sense of realism.<\/p>\n

    Based on what I heard at shows, the current S-series Magicos (unlike the original Q-series) have a highly sophisticated, liquid, and polished sound. The separate midrange driver greatly increases the purity and resolution compared to the S1 MkII. Despite the increased resolution, they are not bright or clinical; rather, I feel the current Magicos are slightly darker than average. The Ensium is not overly bright or clinical, but it does have a more open and energetic upper midrange and treble.<\/p>\n

    Although the 2-way S1 MkII sounded quite deep and spacious, the models with more drivers tend to sound spatially more constrained. The Ensium is a three-way speaker with an active bass section, yet the pair produces an impressively free, wide, and deep soundstage, along with very stable focus.<\/p>\n

    Most decisively, perhaps, is the way in which the Ensium manages to sound composed and controlled, yet simultaneously hugely communicative and explosively dynamic, making many other speakers sound polite in comparison. Consequently, I don’t feel that Magico and Aequo Audio compete directly; instead, they cater to different audiences. If I had to name other brands that feel more like competitors, Wilson Audio, Goldmund, and AvantGarde spring to mind.<\/p>\n

    Value<\/h3>\n

    High-end products have always been seemingly disproportionately costly compared to mid-tier products. These products are designed for maximum performance rather than cost-efficiency. When you push for the last few percentage points of performance, fighting physics becomes very costly, and the perceived price-to-performance ratio no longer scales predictably. Further compounding this are economies of scale, where the development costs of bleeding-edge technology must be recovered across fewer units than in mass production.<\/p>\n

    Over the last decade, particularly in the last few years, prices of high-end products have skyrocketed. As audiophiles, we are now seeing serious speakers retailing for 60k-70k, and several previously attainable models are nearing or even crossing the 100k mark.<\/p>\n

    With this in mind, the Ensium is reasonably priced compared with competing brands. Moreover, it offers much greater flexibility, allows successful placement in difficult rooms, and removes the need for a large, powerful amplifier, further strengthening its proposition. All things considered, the Ensium actually offers very good value for money.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Conclusion<\/h2>\n

    Loudspeakers are challenging to review. As much as we collectively chase perfection, speaker design is, to a not-insignificant extent, the art of achieving an optimal balance of compromises. This leads to enormous differences among speakers, creating strong preferences among listeners and reviewers alike. More importantly, a loudspeaker’s performance is greatly affected by the room’s acoustics. Whereas one speaker may perform splendidly in a given space, another might not work at all. Unless one knows their listening room’s acoustics very well, this can lead to skewed conclusions.<\/p>\n

    After living in the same apartment for almost two decades and having implemented all sorts of acoustic treatments, I believe I have developed a solid understanding of my room’s acoustics, though I still have my own preferences.\u00a0Dynamic speakers, particularly large, ported ones, have never worked very well in my room. The Magico S1 MkII was an exception, thanks to the stiff, heavy, closed cabinets, which is why I used them as references for the past 8 years. During that time, a few dynamic speakers have tempted me with certain qualities, but I always find myself eager to return\u00a0to my own speakers. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The Ensium, however, is something else. They are as clean and uncolored as the Magicos were, yet more open, dynamic, and expressive. With their fully analog ARPEC system, the speakers can be positioned much more freely while still achieving excellent sound in virtually any room, even in very difficult or asymmetrical rooms. Not only do they work every bit as well in my room as the Apogee ribbon speakers or the Magicos, but they produce the best bass I have heard in this room!<\/p>\n

    Although the Ensium offers a lot of flexibility with ARPEC, they are very neutral and revealing. They give it to you straight, and a bad recording will not be made better than it is. But when the recordings are good, they reproduce the live experience in all its dynamic power and realism, right into the listening room. These speakers can easily and very convincingly play at concert levels, and their confidence inspires one to play louder than one would normally, but they do not need to play loudly to sound convincing. When playing quietly, the sound remains solid and stands firm. Whether you play whisper-quiet or at full hurricane level. That\u2019s true authority!<\/p>\n

    Although unique and pioneering technology will never be cheap, the Ensium is actually reasonably priced in comparison to competing brands. It offers much greater flexibility and, importantly, removes the need for a large, powerful amplifier. The Ensium will fill any room with spacious, communicative, well-controlled, and authoritative sound, regardless of the amplifier used<\/span>. For its overall performance and flexibility, the Ensium is highly recommended!<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

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

    External Links<\/h3>\n

    Manufacturer’s website: Aequoaudio.com<\/a>
    \nAequo Auditorium:     Auditorium-Eindhoven<\/a>
    \nDiluvite Nanotech Composites website:     Diluvite.com<\/a><\/p>\n

    PRESTIGE AUDIO DIFFUSION
    \nDistributor for France & Monaco \/ French part of Belgium \/ French part of Switzerland \/ Luxembourg<\/p>\n

    Contact : Marc Loubeau
    \nTel\u00a0: +33(0)6 49 89 68 88
    \nEmail\u00a0:\u00a0    contact@prestigeaudio-diffusion.fr<\/a>
    \nWebsite:     www.prestigeaudio-diffusion.fr<\/a><\/p>\n

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