T.H.E. Show Newport 2013

From an engineering standpoint, Emerald Physic’s CS2.3 Mk.II loudspeaker ($5950/pair in gloss black with outboard DSP crossover), appears to do many things wrong—that large-diameter midrange unit, the coaxial tweeter with no apparent attempt at dealing with the symmetrical acoustic environment, the cavities between the 15" woofer cones and the front baffle—but I was pleasantly surprised by what I heard. The speakers sounded better than I was expecting on Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Tin Pan Alley,” producing a big, easy-on-the-ear balance.

This shot shows the rear of the speaker, revealing the open-baffle design. Source for the dem was a Wyred 4 Sound DAC, fed USB data from a Mac mini. Amplification was all Emerald Physics: two 100.2SE amps on the woofers, one 100.2SE amplifier for the midrange and treble, to give a total system price when sold direct of just under $13,000.