{"id":43534,"date":"2026-07-23T13:49:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T11:49:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/?p=43534"},"modified":"2026-07-23T13:49:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T11:49:20","slug":"apertura-armonia-evo-edena-evo-and-adamante","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/amplifier-reviews\/phono-preamp-reviews\/apertura-armonia-evo-edena-evo-and-adamante\/","title":{"rendered":"Apertura Armonia Evo, Edena Evo, and Adamante"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review sample supplied by hexagonaudio<\/a>
\nManufacturer: Stentor SAS – Apertura<\/a>
\n<\/a>Retail prices in the NL (incl 21% VAT):
\nArmonia Evolution – \u20ac6.500
\nEdena Evolution – \u20ac9.500
\nAdamante – \u20ac18.000<\/h4>\n

Three Models Compared<\/h3>\n

In this review, I will compare three models from the current Apertura lineup to provide a representative cross-section of their performance and illustrate what to expect when moving up the ladder. The Armonia Evolution is the smallest model with a ribbon tweeter. The Edena Evolution is similar, but larger in construction. It uses the same ribbon tweeter with a larger woofer. The Adamante is the biggest and most upscale model under the Flagship Engima MkII. It has two woofers and a larger ribbon tweeter, in a D’Appolito configuration.<\/p>\n

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Apertura in a nutshell<\/h3>\n

The story starts with Christian Yvon and his passion for sound reproduction.<\/p>\n

In 1978, Christian Yvon created his own laboratory to lead sound and acoustic research; he has developed several new technologies while striving to reproduce the recorded musical information as faithfully as possible, not more, not less; the proprietary DRIM crossover structure is one of them.<\/p>\n

In 1979, he worked for Goldmund speakers and developed many of their products, such as the \u201cDialogue,\u201d \u201cApologue,\u201d \u201cAnalogue,\u201d and \u201cEpilogue\u201d loudspeakers. Christian Yvon also worked for Focal, Sonus Faber, and many others.<\/p>\n

In 1982, he decided to develop his own loudspeakers, choosing the name Apertura as the brand and going on to develop\u00a0a full range of loudspeakers over the decades.<\/p>\n

In 2010, Christian Yvon met Eric Poyer. Eric Poyer had extensive experience at a renowned high-end manufacturer before founding his own OEM audio company over 20 years ago. Christian and Eric partnered and created the company “Stentor” to develop and produce a complete line of Apertura products.\u00a0 For the last 16 years, this collaboration has resulted in the development of a comprehensive product range.<\/p>\n

Stentor SAS \u2013 Apertura is a family business company where the whole team is 100% committed to building the perfect loudspeaker. As a part of this team, Christian is in charge of acoustic design, and Eric is responsible for mechanical design and production. Apertura loudspeakers are handcrafted in France at the head office near Nantes on the West Coast, in close collaboration with a small number of tightly selected subcontractors. Cabinets and drive units are rigorously selected from the best, and every manufacturing step is performed internally to build a high-end product, including acoustic and mechanical design, drive unit testing and matching, crossover design and manufacture, assembly, and individual strict tests before packing.<\/p>\n

Technologies common to all three models<\/h3>\n

> Low Storage Cabinet with curved walls: not flat, machined panels<\/h5>\n

The curved walls and asymmetrical shape of the Apertura cabinets go beyond aesthetics. Instead of typical MDF, their construction uses multiple thin HDF layers bonded and molded under pressure, making them stiffer and better at dissipating energy than solid slabs. This raises the resonant frequency and prevents resonance at a single frequency. The cabinet’s low-storage signature helps minimize intermodulation distortion, which can blur and obscure the mid-range or create uneven, one-note bass sounds. Combined with an asymmetrical footprint, internal bracing, double-thickness panels in key locations, and lap joints instead of butt joints, this results in a cabinet with diffuse resonance, excellent energy dissipation, and minimal coloration.<\/p>\n

> Asymmetry And The Internal Air Volume: Attenuation of internal energy through clever choice of materials and cabinet design<\/h5>\n

Many believe that asymmetrical cabinet walls prevent standing waves, but Apertura believes that\u2019s a misnomer. Curved walls mainly add stiffness and resist flexure; they do not control internal standing waves. Controlling internal energy is essential for sound clarity, as drive units project energy backward that can cause resonances and leakage. Effective solutions involve more than just adding absorptive wadding; they require a multi-faceted approach. Apertura uses calculated damping materials, including proprietary pocketed sheeting, to influence airflow and reduce unwanted vibrations. The rear panel area is also minimized, while the top and bottom panels are double-thickness to prevent driver rear energy from disrupting the sound.<\/p>\n

> Mechanical Grounding: One spike, not three and definitely not four<\/h5>\n

The unwanted pressure from the driver’s rear wave can cause many issues, such as vibrating the cabinet and feeding energy back into the drivers, thereby distorting the sound. However, simply absorbing this energy creates problems. The cabinet\u2019s main role is to load drivers and contain rear output, but once energy enters, it moves problems elsewhere. The ideal is a clean exit path into the supporting surface, like proper grounding. Often, speakers rest on spikes, but these are often misused, creating multiple, confusing paths that disrupt stability. Apertura uses a single ground path at the speaker\u2019s center, with adjustable round-tipped outriggers for precise alignment.<\/p>\n

> The DRIM Crossover: Simplicity and phase coherence, as well as steep slopes<\/h5>\n

According to Apertura, the crossover is the weakest point in any loudspeaker design, often harming signal phase and timing. Christian Yvon\u2019s DRIM crossover topology, unique to his designs, achieves phase coherence crucial for musical reproduction with steep slopes to eliminate out-of-band driver artifacts. Simple, low-order crossovers have good phase coherence but roll off slowly, allowing breakup modes and peaks to form. The DRIM crossover combines phase coherence with steep, adjustable slopes for precise driver matching. Apertura speakers use this approach with two-way designs for simplicity and musicality, and adaptable slopes to accommodate wideband ribbon drivers. Drivers are measured, matched, and the crossover tuned for each pair, resulting in excellent driver integration, consistency, and system performance at this price.<\/p>\n

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Armonia Evolution<\/h3>\n

The Armonia Evolution is the smallest Apertura loudspeaker model to feature a ribbon tweeter. This newest tweeter model features a flat, metalized polymer diaphragm that is twice as large as the one on the non-Evo Armonia tweeter. The double surface area reduces the ribbon’s movement, thereby lowering distortion. The tweeter is paired with an 18 cm \u201cisotactic matrix\u201d mid\/woofer with a woven polypropylene composite cone and a long voice coil for a high linear excursion. The isotactic matrix material combines stiffness, lightness, and good damping properties. The speaker has an amplifier-friendly nominal 8-Ohm impedance with a moderate 87dB efficiency.<\/p>\n

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The Armonia Evo’s proprietary DRIM crossover design features triple attenuation slopes and phase control throughout the entire bandwidth. The Armonia Evolution crossover uses two separate circuit boards for the low-pass and high-pass sections and incorporates very high-end capacitors. Each set of drive units is individually measured, with crossover parameters adjusted accordingly. Hand wiring is performed on a 140 \u00b5m copper printed circuit board. The crossover structure is optimized to prevent magnetic interference between components, and the pure copper terminal block is silver-plated.<\/p>\n

The cabinet features a unique shape with two curved sides of varying lengths and no parallel front and back panels. It consists of a laminar, pressure-molded structure made from thin layers designed to absorb vibrations and prevent the transmission of vibrational modes. Inside, a multi-cavity framework adds stiffness and provides designated spots for damping materials to eliminate standing waves, utilizing three different types of damping materials.<\/p>\n

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Instead of the usual 3 or 4 spikes, the Armonia Evolution is mechanically grounded using a 5-footer system. To optimize the dispersal of structure-borne noise into the floor, the speaker enclosure rests primarily on a central cone positioned at the center of gravity, along with four adjustable outriggers for precise alignment. Aluminum stands and spikes are included: silver anodized for the High Gloss White finish and black anodized for all other finishes.<\/p>\n

Armonia Evolution specifications:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Six different standard finishes are available:
\nSatin: Light Oak, American Walnut
\nHigh Gloss: Figured Maple, Rosewood, Piano Black, White<\/p>\n

Frequency range: 37Hz – 30kHz +-3dB
\nSensitivity: 87dB\/2.83v\/1m
\nImpedance: 8\u03a9
\nLoad: bass-reflex
\nDrive units: 18 cm mid-woofer, 8\u00d7120 mm ribbon tweeter
\nCrossover frequency: 2,8 kHz
\nDimensions with stands: 292 x 291 x 1069 mm (W x D x H)
\nWeight: 22,2kg<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Edena Evolution<\/h3>\n

The Edena Evolution is similar to the Armenia Evolution, but in a larger cabinet. It uses the same latest-generation ribbon tweeter with the same 2.8kHz crossover frequency and a surface area twice that of the previous non-Evo Edena. Like the Armonia Evo, the Edena Evo still has a nominal 8-Ohm impedance, but it has a larger 22 cm woofer, achieving a 2dB higher efficiency of 89dB and deeper bass.<\/p>\n

The tweeter is paired with a 22 cm \u201cisotactic matrix\u201d mid\/woofer with a woven polypropylene composite cone and a long voice coil for a high linear excursion. The isotactic matrix material combines stiffness, lightness, and good damping properties.<\/p>\n

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The Edena Evo’s DRIM crossover shares the same design principles and features as the Armonia Evo crossover (with a small difference due to\u00a0different woofer specifications), and the speaker uses the same pure copper, silver-plated terminal block.<\/p>\n

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Like the Armonia and all other models, the Edena Evolution is mechanically grounded using a 5-footer system. Aluminum stands and spikes are included: silver anodized for the High Gloss White finish and black anodized for all other finishes.<\/p>\n

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Edena Evolution in high gloss white with silver anodized stands.<\/em><\/p>\n

Edena Evolution specifications:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Six different standard finishes are available:
\nSatin: American Walnut
\nHigh Gloss: Figured Maple, American Walnut, Rosewood,\u00a0 Piano Black, White Cream (RAL 9010)<\/p>\n

Frequency range: 35Hz – 30kHz\/ +-3dB
\nSensitivity: 89dB\/2.83v\/1m
\nImpedance: 8\u03a9
\nLoad: bass-reflex
\nDrive units: 22cm mid-woofer, 8\u00d7120 mm ribbon tweeter
\nCrossover frequency: 2,8 kHz
\nDimensions with stands: 328 x 317 x 1149 mm (W x D x H)
\nWeight: 32,4 kg<\/p>\n

Adamante<\/h3>\n

The Adamante is an elegantly scaled-down reflection of the flagship model. Built upon the expertise from developing the flagship Enigma loudspeaker, it shares the same ambitions and design principles. It features the same innovative DRIM crossover topology and large-area ribbon tweeter as the Enigma Flagship model.<\/span>\u00a0The challenge in designing this model was to achieve performance nearly matching Enigma’s while significantly reducing the cabinet size<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Adamante uses two 18 cm (6.5\u2019\u2019) bass\/mid-range drivers and a professional ribbon tweeter in an MTM (Midwoofer-Tweeter-Midwoofer) configuration. While this appears similar to D’Appolito, in which the tweeter is also flanked vertically by two mid\/woofers, there is an important distinction. A D’Appolito configuration mandates particular crossover orders, driver spacing, and electrical phase alignments that Apertura deliberately deviates from with the DRIM crossover. This delivers more focused vertical directivity and higher power handling, but it also requires that the speakers be very precisely positioned.<\/p>\n

The tweeter uses an aluminum\/ polymer sandwich diaphragm for improved linearity. The ribbon is mechanically held tightly on both sides to prevent oscillations for certain signals. The tweeter’s effective surface area is twice that of the Edena Evo (or the older Onira model) and four times that of a regular dome tweeter, with a moving mass of only 88mg. The wide emissive surface, combined with designer Christian Yvon’s crossover technology, enables an unusually low cut-off frequency, allowing the ribbon’s sound qualities to extend further down the frequency range.<\/p>\n

The woofers feature an enhanced magnet assembly, lower distortion, better mechanical damping, and reduced electromagnetic interference compared to those used in the now-discontinued Onira model. The cone is an \u201cIsotactic Matrix,” a new woven polypropylene composite that offers strength, lightness, and effective damping.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The DRIM crossover technology minimizes intermodulation and maintains time alignment. This filter technology has an ellipse on one of its branches, with three different slopes: 6dB, 12dB, and 24dB per octave. Low-pass and High-pass circuits are independent. The components are hand-wired on a high-power PCB (with 210 \u00b5m-thick copper traces), with 37 high-end components per speaker.<\/p>\n

The Adamante uses the same special cabinet shape as the other models: two curved sides of different lengths and no symmetrical faces. This choice is dictated by cosmetic and technical issues. The<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>panels’ varying sizes, radii, angles, and lengths<\/span> lead to a desirable non-uniform resonance distribution and reduced sound radiation for the most excited ones. The<\/span>\u00a0enclosure panels\u00a0<\/span>consist of several<\/span>\u00a0thin layers of high-density MDF,\u00a0<\/span>bond<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0and pressure-molded to\u00a0<\/span>re<\/span>ach<\/span>\u00a0a final thickness of 28 to 44mm. This sandwich\u00a0<\/span>construction helps diminish and break down vibration waves within<\/span>\u00a0the material.<\/span>\u00a0The laminar structure is\u00a0<\/span>assembled<\/span>\u00a0around a\u00a0<\/span>sophisticated<\/span> framework of eight heavy bracing panels. Internal damping employs innovative methods and a blend of four\u00a0<\/span>materials to\u00a0<\/span>eliminate<\/span>\u00a0standing waves.<\/span><\/p>\n

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To achieve optimal mechanical inertia in the Adamante, a 10 mm steel coupling plate is used to fasten the front and back metal stands, in Anodized black for all speaker finishes. As with all Apertura models, the Adamante is mechanically grounded using 5 footers.<\/p>\n

The Adamante’s acoustic load principle is similar to the one used for Enigma. It\u2019s a hybrid load, mixing an acoustic line and a bass-reflex. Thanks to its large diameter, the bass reflex port tube mounted on the underside of the loudspeaker reduces airflow noise, improves room interaction, and lowers non-linearity.<\/p>\n

However, there’s a lot more to the port than meets the eye!<\/p>\n

In a bass-reflex loading enclosure, there is an acoustic interaction among a driver, an internal volume, and an opening to the outside via a tube. If you have a single bass driver in an enclosure, the driver “sees” the full internal volume, and the bass reflex behavior should align with the calculation. Now, what happens if you have two bass drivers or more? There is still a single internal volume and, in most cases, a single port tube. If the port tube is positioned between the two drivers, each driver will interact with the same internal volume and be tuned in the same way by the tube. However, if the port tube is off-center, the two drivers are no longer at equal distances from the vent output, meaning they should have different tuned performance compared to the other driver. To achieve the lowest airflow noise and distortion, a 120mm port was used, and, due to its large size, the only possible location was on the bottom. This leads to the top driver interacting with the full internal volume, while the bottom one interacts with only a fraction of it. Apertura’s solution uses horizontal and vertical bracing panels to create two separate cavities, so each driver perceives roughly half of the internal volume. The diagram below illustrates the internal sections.<\/p>\n

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Adamante specifications:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Five different standard finishes are available:
\nHigh Gloss: Figured Maple, American Walnut, Rosewood,\u00a0 Piano Black, White Cream (RAL 9010)<\/p>\n

Frequency range: 32Hz – 30kHz +-3dB
\nSensitivity: 93dB\/2,83v\/1m
\nImpedance: 4\u03a9
\nLoad: Hybrid Bass-Reflex \/ Acoustic line
\nDrive units: 2 x 18 cm Isotactic Matrix cone Bass\/Mid range unit, 15 x 145 cm ribbon tweeter
\nCrossover frequency: 1.8 kHz
\nDimensions with metal stands: 360 x 391 x 1211 mm (W x D x H)
\nWeight: 52 kg<\/p>\n

Running In<\/h3>\n

All three speakers were run in for at least 150 hours prior to delivery. During the review, each speaker was used in several sessions over a 6-week period. No change in sound was observed during the review period.<\/p>\n

Build quality<\/h3>\n

All three models feature a high-quality cabinet construction with a sleek high-gloss lacquer finish. The lacquer is so smooth that it has an almost liquid appearance. The cabinets are extremely sturdy and perfectly assembled, with no hard edges, gaps, or imperfections anywhere.<\/p>\n

Footer considerations and Mechanical Grounding<\/h3>\n

Before I discovered how significant the sonic impact of the mechanical grounding is, I had decided to make it easy for myself and first compare the three models using only the four outrigger footers.<\/p>\n

Well into my listening comparisons, it became very clear that Apertura’s mechanical grounding principle, which primarily rests the speaker on a central cone, is not just a nice addition but an integral part of the speaker’s design, with an impact that should not be underestimated. The Edena, in particular, benefits so massively from being set up this way that it should not be auditioned using only the four balancing footers.<\/p>\n

Review Context<\/h3>\n

The speakers were<\/span> listened to\u00a0<\/span>in the main system<\/a>, comprising<\/span>\u00a0the CH Precision C1.2<\/a> DAC,\u00a0L1<\/a>\u00a0preamplifier, and\u00a0A1.5<\/a> power amplifier<\/span>. <\/span>Digital sources include the Aqua La Diva M2<\/a> CD Transport, Antipodes Oladra<\/a>, and Grimm MU1<\/a> music servers. Speakers used for comparison are the Apogee Duetta Signature (recently refurbished and fitted with new foils) and the Driade Premium Model 9<\/a><\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>All interlinks are Driade Flow Link Reference 808<\/a>, and the speaker cables are Driade Flow Reference 808<\/a>.\u00a0All components (including review components) are powered by the PS Audio P20<\/a> PowerPlant.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Listening – Armonia Evolution<\/h3>\n

The slender, modestly sized Armonia Evolution instantly charmed its way into my heart with its well-balanced, engaging sound. These speakers sound deliciously fluid, delicate, refined, and slightly sweet yet confident, with foot-tapping upbeat pacing. Given the modest internal volume and the small bass driver, the bass understandably does not dive as deep as that of the larger models. But you only really notice this when comparing to larger models, or when playing tracks with particularly low frequencies, such as R&B or electronic music. U<\/span>ntil it rolls off, the bass is strong, has<\/span> bite, propulsion, drive, and solidity. The speaker also doesn’t sound thin at all; they’re surprisingly full and mature, capable of rich harmonics, without sounding ripe or harmonically saturated.\u00a0There’s a touch of warmth in the midrange and a subtle, forgiving smoothness overall. The midrange and treble are highly refined, subtly sweet, and particularly easy on the ear, while still providing truly excellent resolution.<\/p>\n

These speakers are undemanding and sound beautiful and captivating with minimal effort. However, they generously reward extra care taken in positioning. To achieve the best bass, presence, focus, and soundstaging, the speakers should not be too far apart, too far from the listener, or too close to the walls. With any speaker, when placed too close to rear walls and\/or too far from the listener, the bass can become a little muddy or indistinct. This is where the center-cone is highly beneficial, as it greatly improves bass precision, control, and overall clarity.<\/p>\n

The Armonia Evo sounds delightful even when supported only on its four outrigger footers. However, when using it as intended, resting primarily on its central cone and using the four outrigger footers only for balancing the speaker, the sound became noticeably tighter, crisper, more open, more direct, and more expressive. It’s important to finely adjust the tightness of the outrigger footers’ nuts. The speaker never sounds edgy or hard, even when little care is given to its setup, but if you tighten the outer four spikes too much, you’ll lose some of the speaker’s delicacy, flow, and lyrical nature. For the ideal balance between technical accuracy and emotion-inducing flow, I found it best to tighten only one of the two nuts per spike, so either on top of the outrigger, or on the bottom, not on both sides.<\/p>\n

The ribbon tweeter is really well integrated and seamlessly mated to the woofer, and unlike some ribbons, there is no hardness and absolutely no metallic nature to the treble. You never hear it as a separate entity, but you do notice its advantages, such as super high resolution and incredible refinement. It’s simply gorgeously natural.<\/p>\n

The speakers provide excellent imaging and focus, a wide, lush, free-flowing stage, and a very good portrayal of depth within that stage. Instruments positioned deeper in the mix are also projected onto the stage in that way.<\/p>\n

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While the speakers sound open and linear across the entire 5-meter-wide seating area, as with all taller-than-dome ribbon designs, the vertical treble dispersion is limited. The vertical dispersion also affects the sound balance, depending on how high one sits. On-axis with the ears, in my case when I am sitting up a bit, the upper midrange is most open, while at my slightly lower, more relaxed sitting position, the treble and upper midrange become a little darker, and the lower midrange becomes a little fuller and more prominent. The speakers sound great either way, and I did not have a strong preference for one over the other. It’s worth being aware of, though, as this creates the opportunity to achieve the desired balance with the seating position or by subtly tilting the speakers backward or forward.<\/p>\n

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Compared to the Driade Premium Model 9<\/a>, the Armonia Evo is less taut and expressive and a bit more relaxed. However, it is more elegant and sophisticated, with a sweeter midrange and considerably airier, higher-resolution treble that is particularly easy on the ear. The difference in presentation can lead to the impression that the Armonia Evo is not very dynamic, but after listening for a while and reacclimatising, the Armonias reveal themselves to be more dynamic than they appear in a direct comparison. They are not introverted or restrained, just more mild and friendlier. A floor-standing speaker usually provides deeper bass, and this is true for the Armonia Evo as well. Its bass is fuller than that of the Driade monitor, slightly more relaxed, and goes deeper, while offering very similar precision and speed.<\/p>\n

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Although it is very neutral and offers superb resolution, it does not function as a magnifying glass or an analytical tool. Rather, it always puts the music first and gets straight to its soul. Even in comparison with larger and more costly speakers, the Armonia Evo remains an excellent performer that is very easy to fall in love with. It’s a small miracle that it can achieve such highly refined performance at such a relatively modest price point.<\/p>\n

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Listening – Edena Evolution<\/h3>\n

Seconds into hearing the Edena Evo, it’s clear I had severely underestimated this model. Judged solely on specifications, the Edena Evo and Armonia Evo appear identical, with the only difference being the larger woofer and cabinet. While that may be technically correct, the sonic difference between them turned out to be very significant.<\/p>\n

Like the Armonia Evo, the Edena Evo has a huge heart and is immediately pleasing, satisfying, and emotionally involving. There is definitely a family “character” most evident in the upper midrange and treble, which is no surprise, given that the same tweeter and crossover are used. Perhaps also unsurprising is that the bass is considerably fuller and goes much deeper than that of the Armonia Evo. But that’s not the end of it, as the bass is not just much more voluminous, but the Edena truly sounds like a much larger speaker. The bass has more ease and is more relaxed, and the lower midrange is even more natural. The overwhelming feeling is of a big, entirely unstressed, natural, and totally free-flowing sound.<\/p>\n

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Edena Evo on the left, Armonia Evo on the right<\/em><\/p>\n

The Edena’s focus is excellent, and the sound breathes entirely freely and does not stick to the speaker cabinets. In these respects, it performs similarly to the Armonia Evo. The Armonia Evo already has no hardness, but the Edena Evo is smoother in the lower midrange, even more liquid, and more forgiving. Whereas the Armonia Evo is sweet and relaxed yet essentially neutral, the Edena Evo is not just more voluptuous in the bass, but also harmonically richer, riper, and a little warmer. It reminds me of the BBC-style Graham Audio LS5\/9 for its round, relaxed bass and warm, captivatingly natural midrange. However, whereas the LS5\/9s trade off resolution and precision for their musical sweetness and warmth, the Edena Evo offers excellent resolution and a deliciously airy, refined presentation. Also, whereas the LS5\/9 did not have particularly precise focus or soundstaging, the Edena Evo performs on a very high audiophile level in these aspects while remaining gorgeously natural.<\/p>\n

Considerably more so than with the Armonia Evo, neglecting the importance of the mechanical grounding system and using the central cone seriously undercuts the speaker’s performance. Used only on their four outrigger footers, without the center cone, the speakers are very laidback and lack pacing, snap, dynamics, and expression. Reconfiguring the speakers to be supported primarily by the center cone yields significant improvements, addressing my initial reservations about bass grip and midrange reticence, and achieving what I feel is the right balance between a technically correct and a musically pleasing performance, although the Edena Evo remains richer, sweeter, and more relaxed than the Armonia Evo.<\/p>\n

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It’s definitely worth experimenting with the footer adjustment, but it can be tricky to get precisely right. The rounded-tip footers\/spikes are supplied with two nuts, and to achieve maximum solidity, I tightened one nut on top of the outrigger and one underneath. However, just as with the Armonia Evo, that proved not ideal, as it took away some of the speaker’s alluring free-flowing naturalness and made it more stringent. A good place to start is by having both nuts only loosely against the outriggers. Improvements in tightness and control can be achieved by tightening one of the two nuts by hand. Don’t use pliers, as this will go against the mechanical grounding principle. In essence, the speakers should rest on the center cone, using the outriggers only for balance. Care should be taken to ensure that successive adjustments to the four outer footers do not inadvertently reduce support for the center cone.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As much as I like the Armonia Evo, going back to it after hearing the perfectly adjusted Edena Evo clearly demonstrates the larger model’s advantages. Ultimately, there’s just no beating a larger woofer in a bigger cabinet. The Edena Evo’s deep, rich bass and astonishing naturalness make the smaller model sound, well, smaller indeed. All of a sudden, the Armonia Evos sound comparatively ever so slightly nasal and “squeezed” in the midrange, compared to the utterly free-flowing, free-breathing Edena Evo.<\/p>\n

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Just as with the Armonia Evo, the ribbon tweeter is seamlessly mated to the woofer, and you never hear it as a separate entity. Interestingly, the larger woofer’s unforced behavior actually enhances the tweeter’s inherent naturalness, making it even more organic and natural, while retaining super-high resolution and presenting everything you play with incredible ease. Vocals, in particular, are simply magical with the Edena Evo; even more so than with the Armonia Evo, they are effortlessly unforced and utterly natural. The Edena Evo encourages\u00a0relaxed, immersive listening for extended periods. However, it is not as energetic, communicative, or exciting as some other speakers. Nevertheless, the Edena Evo offers excellent focus and very good soundstaging and -layering, better in those respects than the Apogee Duetta Signatures and Centaurs, and, from memory, on par with the Magico S1 MkII.<\/p>\n

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The Edena Evo exemplifies true gentlemanly behavior, refusing to ever raise its voice, let alone shout at you. Meanwhile, it is dynamically capable but in an unnoticeable, understated manner, never strained or brash. Because of this, the Edena Evo is more forgiving than the Armonia Evo and makes even mediocre recordings sound pleasant. On the other hand, this mild-mannered balance does not have me sitting on the edge of my seat in excitement. That’s why this model might be best suited to listeners who want to calmly relax into the music rather than to those who want to experience it viscerally or long for a thrill ride. <\/span>Just as I experienced with the Graham speakers, the Edena Evo invites the listener to stop all analysis and let the music pour straight into the soul.<\/p>\n

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Listening – Adamante<\/h3>\n

The Adamante’s added value is immediately obvious. Yes, it is quite a bit more expensive, but the increase in performance more than justifies the higher cost. Earlier, I talked about the Edena Evo not just being a better Armonia Evo, and the same is true for the Adamante, which is far more than a better-performing Edena Evo. The Armonia Evo and Edena Evo are not voiced identically, but they are very closely related,\u00a0 like two siblings. The Adamante, however, is a different story altogether. It stems from the same family, but rather than a sibling, it’s more like it’s the parent. Without exaggeration, the Adamante is in a class all its own. The jump in performance is so huge that I struggle to find the right words for this intro. But what it boils down to is that, with the Adamante, the level of realism is so much higher that I soon concluded it no longer sounded like hi-fi but more like a live performance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Adamante’s\u00a0 4dB increase in sensitivity is very noticeable and, along with the speaker’s bolder, more expressive character, this called for a volume readjustment by about the same amount. Yet even at the same relative loudness setting, the Adamante clearly stands out in performance from its siblings.<\/p>\n

Let’s start with driver integration and coherence. With the Armonia and Edena, I couldn’t hear the transition, nor could I identify the tweeters as a distinct entity, but with the Adamante, somehow, I have an even stronger sense of coherence between the woofers and the tweeter. The midrange, in particular, is even more seamlessly integrated with the bass, and the lower midrange is much more powerful and convincing. The bass goes even lower than the Edena Evo’s, and it is also much more robust and authoritative. And most important of all, the Adamante\u00a0simply sounds so much more alive and energetic, and delivers the music with much greater gusto, propulsion, and vibrancy. <\/span><\/p>\n

As great as the other two models are, the Adamante is positioned several rungs higher on the audiophile ladder. <\/span>The resolution, speed, expression, transient behavior, and other audiophile parameters are clearly at a super-high level, easily as good as I am used to hearing from Apogee or Magico. Nevertheless, like the other two models, the Adamante still focuses on the music rather than the technicalities, and within a minute, you’re just listening to the music instead of paying attention to the details.<\/p>\n

The Adamante’s timbre is also more convincing; there’s a bit more of a “wooden” tonality, in an absolutely beautiful way, without adding warmth, indistinctness, or coloration, but serving to convey a heightened sense of realism.<\/p>\n

When going back to the Armonia Evo, it remains an admirable performer with its great all-round sound and refined delicacy, and the Edena Evo also remains special with its seductive smoothness and beguiling electrostatic-like liquidity. Whereas the Edena Evo is rich and lush in the bass and slightly warm in the lower midrange, the Adamante is not warm nor laid-back at all and is actually particularly communicative and expressive in the midrange. After listening to the Edena Evo, it seems like the Adamante’s midrange is quite prominent, while the upper treble sounds slightly darker. But listen longer, and it emerges that this is a trick of the mind, induced by the Adamante’s midrange being much more powerful than the Edena’s, and you realize that the Adamante’s midrange and treble are <\/span>actually perfectly balanced.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tweeter’s horizontal dispersion mirrors that of the Armonia Evo and Edena Evo: it is very broad and effectively covers the entire seating area. However, vertically, it is more sensitive, so you’ll want to be extra careful and precise when adjusting the speaker’s vertical alignment.<\/p>\n

As with the smaller models, all Apogees, most other full-range ribbon speakers, and all speakers with tweeters taller than typical dome tweeters, the treble rolls off very noticeably when standing or walking around.\u00a0Nevertheless, the essence of the music is still retained, and this aspect does not bother me personally.<\/p>\n

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My current reference speakers are the Apogee Duetta Signature, recently fully refurbished with the latest ribbons. Of the three Apertura models, the Adamante’s midrange and treble are most similar to that of the Duettas: crystal-clear, open and direct, and certainly less lush and romantic than that of the other two Apertura speakers. However, it sounds considerably<\/span> more lifelike and convincing to me. <\/span>The Duettas’ bass is surprisingly strong for a full-range ribbon speaker, reaching down to 25Hz, but it simply cannot match the Adamante’s robust solidity and impactful slam, and it actually has more in common with the Edena Evo.<\/p>\n

The Adamante’s bass initially had me a little on the fence. On the one hand, it was superbly robust, punchy, powerful, and ever so engaging in a way that I had not heard since my Wilson Watt\/Puppy system 8; on the other, it was a little rough and boomy. Could this superior speaker’s bass really be this divisive? Could it be a downside of the D’Appolito arrangement? Persevering with positioning, toe-in, and tilting, I eventually found that, whereas the Armonia Evo and Edena Evo perform in a musically engaging manner with very little effort and even in non-ideal conditions, the Adamante is clearly more of a Diva that requires careful setup to perform at its best.<\/p>\n

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An interesting aspect of all three speakers is that they are generally relaxed and highly refined, yet they can still be surprisingly expressive when the music calls for it. With the Armonia Evo and Edena Evo, this is most evident in the midrange and treble, while the bass is comparatively more mellow. With the Adamante, however, the bass is every bit as dynamic and expressive as the midrange and treble.<\/p>\n

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I use relatively large 6-cm diameter Artesania Audio floor discs (delivered with Artesania Prestige Racks) because I know them well and they make it easy to slide speakers across the floor with confidence. As I did not have enough of them to facilitate three pairs of speakers, I used larger 10-cm ones (delivered with Artesania Exoteryc racks) for the Adamante. That proved to be a mistake.<\/p>\n

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As I found, the smaller Artesania discs sound better with all three Aperturas than the larger ones: more linear overall, nimbler and more elegant in the bass, and more open and transparent on top. The big discs (delivered with Artesania Exoteryc racks) make the speakers sound lumpy and bombastic, and they seem unsuited for speakers unless they are bass-shy.<\/p>\n

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Adamante on 6-cm Artesania Floor Discs, with the included Apertura Floor Discs on the right.<\/em><\/p>\n

Armed with this knowledge, I could not very well omit a comparison with the tiny ~1.5-cm discs included with each Apertura speaker. In line with expectations, they provide a balance that goes in the other direction: leaner in the bass, tonally less deeply saturated, and brighter in the treble.<\/p>\n

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While I can’t say which of these footers is “best” for all intents and purposes, I found the 6-cm Artesania discs to provide the best balance for my taste and situation. In any case, it is well worth experimenting with various discs to find the ideal balance in a given system.<\/p>\n

Using the recommended mechanical grounding system and adding the central cone most assuredly further improved performance but, presumably thanks to its much more solid outrigger system, does not yield quite as transformative a result as it did with the Edena. Nevertheless, the bass becomes tighter and more controlled, and the speaker’s overall precision and transparency are further improved. Because of this speaker’s higher inherent precision, one needs to adjust the four-footers even more carefully than with the other two models. Simply leaving the outrigger footer’s nuts loosely tightened is not enough, because the speaker’s honesty and immediacy will leave no doubt about whether everything is set up just so and perfectly symmetrical for both speakers. The speaker tilt (vertical angle) is particularly important to get right so the two woofers align perfectly and sound as one.<\/p>\n

If all that sounds like a lot of effort, I should note that this goes for all reference-class loudspeakers. I had to go to the same lengths for the Wilsons, Martin Logans, Kromas, Magicos, and the Apogees, to get the best out of them.\u00a0After I had positioned the Adamantes with millimeter precision in all dimensions, including careful tilting, the bass was superbly clean and free of roughness and boxiness, and the speakers were beautifully transparent, entirely coherent, and perfectly flat. Moreover, the midrange now truly sang<\/em>, and the speakers were every bit as lyrical as the Armonia Evo and Edena Evo, while retaining their technical precision and highly expressive behavior, and I was absolutely loving it.<\/p>\n

Honestly, I could see myself living with the Adamantes!<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

Regular readers know of my love for ribbons, and I can confirm that all three Apertura models meet my expectations: they all offer superb resolution, transparency, delicacy, fluidity, and air. Despite their different drivers, all three models sound utterly coherent. Given how hard it is to mate a ribbon midrange\/tweeter with a dynamic woofer, that is a wonderful accomplishment.<\/p>\n

The Armonia Evo is an excellent all-rounder, easy to incorporate into various setups,<\/span> that <\/span>delivers<\/span>\u00a0a musically engaging, lyrical, and emotionally\u00a0<\/span>involving experience with minimal effort.<\/span> But with attentive tuning, its audiophile qualities can be substantially enhanced, easily surpassing the quality <\/span>you’d normally expect at this price point.<\/p>\n

The Edena Evo provides deeper and fuller bass, a considerably more organic, lusher midrange, and even more liquid treble. Besides this, it also has a sweeter, warmer, and more relaxed presentation than the Armonia Evo, making it not just a matter of performance but also one of personal taste.<\/p>\n

Both the Armonia Evo and Edena Evo provide excellent value for money, and the significantly higher price of the Adamante may be harder to accept. Nonetheless, it should be noted that reference-class speaker prices in general have increased considerably in recent years. Compared to quite a few other speakers in the Adamante’s performance class, American speakers in particular, a price of 50.000 euros or more seems to have become the norm.<\/p>\n

All three models perform splendidly, and I highly recommend each of them, but the Adamante pulls ahead by quite a distance in terms of timbre, dynamics, and sheer realism.\u00a0Vocals, acoustic instruments, percussion, and even electronic music are all presented with great conviction. The Adamante exudes much more raw energy and stands out as the most direct and dynamic among the three.<\/p>\n

Its sonic properties add up to an<\/span> incomparably more realistic delivery, combining emotion-inducing musicality with <\/span>a healthy lust to rock, whereas the Armonia Evo and Edena Evo are less “slamming” and more suited for introspective listening. When it comes to vitality, authority, and slam, the Adamante even reminds me of the kind of performance <\/span>typically linked with brands like<\/span> Wilson Audio or JBL. But then, there’s the immensely detailed, open, and airy midrange and treble, which take all the qualities of the Armonia Evo and Edena Evo and add a healthy dose of energetic directness and bite, balancing<\/span>\u00a0the speaker out just perfectly.<\/p>\n

Don’t underestimate the Adamante. This is a precision speaker that can be every bit as liquid, delicate, and refined as the Edena Evo, but it is considerably more demanding, as it does not mask recording deficiencies, system mismatches, or room issues. But with careful setup and in the right room, the Adamante is one of the best sub-30,000-euro speakers I have reviewed and one of the very few that I could see myself living with long term.<\/p>\n

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Manufacturer’s comments<\/h3>\n

Eric Poyer of Stentor SAS – Apertura raised an important point:<\/p>\n

“An important factor to consider is the acoustic center position, which differs for each of the three speakers.” (see the illustration above)<\/em><\/p>\n

I used all three speakers in a perfectly straight position and adjusted my ear height “on the fly” by sitting lower or higher to achieve the flattest balance, but for final installations, it is recommended to tilt the speakers as needed to accommodate the seating height, as this directly affects the tonal balance. For instance, if the acoustic center is lower than the ears, the speakers can be angled slightly back to compensate.<\/p>\n

Eric added: “Every room is different, but based on experience, as a starting point for finding the right position, I try to maximize the distance between the two speakers while keeping a reasonable distance from the side walls and the speaker front facing the listening position.”<\/i><\/p>\n

While my room dictates that speakers be positioned well away from the back wall and sidewalls, as Eric rightly mentions, every room is indeed different. It is always advisable to experiment with all variables!<\/p>\n

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