Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

Rauna Balder loudspeaker Associated Equipment

Sidebar 1: Associated Equipment

The test procedure followed, with minor changes, that established for my previous loudspeaker reviews: each pair was used with a Mark Levinson No.26/No.20 combination—amplification unlikely to be used with any of these speakers but which would undoubtedly get the best from them—a Marantz CD94 CD player used via its optical digital output to feed a Marantz CDA94 outboard DAC unit, and a 1987 Linn Sondek/Ittok/Troika combination sitting on a Sound Organization table.

Interconnect was Madrigal HPC, speaker cable was also from Madrigal. The loudspeakers were carefully positioned for optimum performance, and, where practicable, coupled to the tile-on-concrete floor beneath the rug with Tiptoes. In addition to a rigorous listening test, with no other speakers in the room, the Raunas were used for an extended period of everyday use.—John Atkinson

COMPANY INFO
Rauna of Sweden AB
www.rauna.com
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COMMENTS
Timbo in Oz's picture
Submitted by Timbo in Oz on August 18, 2021 - 10:12pm

Hi John, As you may recall I own 3 pairs of Audiosphere speakers. They are cast in two halves and glued together in off-white concrete. They do have a small amounnt of diffraction as the circular front baffle meets the spherical enclosures. But they do manage to disappear as sources when you close eyes.

One pair of the 'sort-of phase-linear' model 2s that use a Coral Flat 5 WR 5" driver with the paper dustcap being a continuation of the pressed paper cone. ? They're a little less edgy than those with a shiny metal dustcap.

And, two pairs of the Model 3s which use a 35MM Foster dome which gets a notch for an impedance peak, and a 3rd oder HP @ a bit abobve 3.3Khz. The mid-bass are Foster/x FW202s which die off naturally to match in. I call the 'sphere 2s poor man's QUAD 57s, and the 3s are poor-man's 63s. But they go deeper, being able to do 32 Hz Pedal reeds in-room and adjusted as per Allison's unequal distances/ratios idea. 1 to floor, X 1.5 to one wall and 2.25 to the other near wall.

I've sold QUAD 57s in an audio shop, and own a pair of 63s. They really do need subs, but integrated and eq'd well (after optimal positioning.) I'll be going with a Duke leJeune Swarm, with two of the subs getting down to 2O Hz or lower.

As a fan of Tony Faulkiners coherent recordings, the spheres are worth having. Especially the 2-ways. Which are not a disappointment against 63s with subs, exceot for big pipe organs.

You may recall that I'm an ex Cathedral Chorister via the RSCMusic (a leader in *the 1sts). Soooo, and I realise I've never asked you!? But can your stand excess vibrato and shrillness from female singers? I just can't!

;-)

Tim Bailey

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