28 Test Loudspeakers Cessaro Chopin

Nr_2-2013
Every legend carries some truth also in the world of
loudspeakers. The unmatched dynamics of horn
speakers for example is such a legend, and Cessaro
proves most impressively that there is more than just
a germ of truth in this one.
Mystical
H
orn loudspeakers always have hu-
gely fascinated listeners, but they
also polarized them more than any other
type of speakers. For some they are merely
squawking funfair noisemakers, for others
they are just the best loudspeakers availa-
ble. Undeniably, horn speakers differ from
other build forms with respect to sound
characteristics, also because they use the
physics of sound waves themselves in or-
der to amplify them. The sound becomes
natural of a sort. The problem however
is that the sound amplication has nega-
tive effects, too. This sometimes results in
the noisemakers many people (those in
the rst group) have in mind when theyre
thinking of horn speakers. But: When they
are thoroughly designed and properly
built, horn loudspeakers can play in a class
of their own. Ralph Krebs obviously be-
longs to the second group of listeners. With
his entry-level model Chopin he presents
a horn speaker that not only attracts atten-
tion because of its looks, but also knows
how to convince the listener with its sound
characteristics. Without a doubt: Concept
and realization must have been awless in
this case.
When you see the Chopin for the rst time,
the rst thing you will notice probably is
the treble horn made from wood. It so-
mehow reminds us of a donut but it is
made from solid noble Zebrano wood and
has been specially attuned for the tweeter
using computer simulations and CNC pro-
duction methods. The tweeter is a 1 TAD
driver with alnico magnet and beryllium
diaphragm. The tweeter unit is supported
by a Supravox chassis in the lower frequen-
cy range. It also features an alnico magnet
and is carried out as a horn-loaded reex
system; for a true bass horn the course is
to short, for a bass reex system it is too
long. The principle aims at uniting the best
of both worlds and also ts in the middle
of the two extremes with respect to sound.
The result of the efforts is a 132 cm tall,
two-way oorstanding speaker that picks
up the looks of the tweeter horn with its
curved side parts. The middle part, which
incorporates the horn reex system, is
made from sandwich-layered wood and
covered with the nest black piano lacquer.
In combination with the real wood veneer
of the side parts this makes for a beautiful
contrast. From a distance one almost has
the impression that the tweeter horn is
oating in front of the speakers, which
seems to consist only of the side parts.
Cessaro_LP213_englisch.indd 28 21.02.13 12:39
Loudspeakers Test 29
Audio System
Integrated Amplier:
Quad II Classic Integrated
Pre-Amp:
MalValve preamp four line
Power Amplier:
Accustic Arts Amp2 MK2
SymAsym
Turntable:
Transrotor Fat Bob / SME 309 /
Lyra Kleos
Clearaudio Master Reference /
Universal / Goldnger Statement
Phono Pre-Amp:
MalValve preamp three phono
Audionet PAM G2/EPC
Accessories:
Power Cables: PS Audio & HMS
Analog Cales: van den Hul & SME
Speaker Cables: Transparent
Vinyl Cleaning Machine: Clearaudio
Reference
Klang + Ton Nada
Audio Physic Avantera
little damping are preferable. The Chopin
therefore is predestined for the use with
tube ampliers; probably the engineers
had that in mind during development, too.
Once they had arrived in our listening
room, we set up the Chopin (contrary to
the recommendation of the manufacturer)
freely in the room without the support of
a wall in their back and connected them to
a normal amplier, not a tube amp. Also
this room is about double the size of what
Cessaro recommends for the Chopin. But
what can I say? The manufacturer appa-
rently is very modest; apart from the lack
of really deep bass a fact that is mostly
due to the position of the speakers in the
room we didnt have anything to criti-
cize at all! Quite the contrary: The Chopin
shows a joy of playing and a naturalness
that is pure fun to listen to. The sound is
reproduced in such a direct and dynamic
manner that it is almost breathtaking. We
cannot help but think that we have liste-
ned to music with the wrong speakers for
all our lives, thats how nely resolved and
fast the Chopin play. This is the pure horn
feeling and it is really hard to stop the
music again. When the Cessaros are placed
in front of a wall, they seem to know no
limits anymore. The deep bass range is
slightly enhanced, making the sound even
more full and balanced while the incredi-
ble dynamics and speed remains intact.
Finally, we have mated the Chopin with
the adequate partners it is intended for, a
tube amplier combo consisting of the big
MalValve pre-amplier and a single-ended
2A3 power amplier. Of course we put on
a vinyl record in this case it was Bruce
Springsteen. And now it nally becomes
crystal clear what the developers wanted to
achieve with the Chopin: A special sound
that can only be created with such a combi-
nation, a sound that combines speed, ease,
and weight at the same time. In the end,
every legend must have a provenance, and
Nr_2-2013
The overall shape is dynamic; it looks al-
most as if the speakers were preparing for
jumping forward. If you dont like the Ze-
brano or prefer a different wood you can
have your loudspeakers customized by the
manufacturer: Cessaro offers a wide choice
of veneers and lacquers. Have a look at the
companys homepage for a foretaste.
The efciency is specied with 97 db,
which is extraordinarily high. Cessaro re-
commends the use of an amplier that is
fast and has a high resolution; a high power
output is not necessary with such efcien-
cy. On the contrary: Small ampliers with
Proper opening: The mouth of the
horn has a respectable surface area
The woofer plays more spec-
tacularly than it looks like
The horn tweeter in all its glory: The
elaborate unit is made from solid wood
Cessaro_LP213_englisch.indd 29 21.02.13 12:39
30 Test Loudspeakers Cessaro Chopin
Nr_2-2013
Gespieltes
Trentemoeller
The Trentemoeller Chronicles
Vinyl Edition
Spacemonkeys
Laika Come Home
Jazzmatazz
Volume 1
Massive Attack
Blue Lines
Bruce Springsteen
Devils and Dust
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those who dont believe it just have to listen
to this setup. It produces this incompara-
ble charm that could be called a warm
sound. Voices have a sublime melodious-
ness, instruments a unique naturalness.
This is hot stuff! The sound is even physi-
cally perceptible. The bass notes come ex-
tremely quickly, they are dry and very deep
here the horn reex layout pays off. What
we listened to was The Boss, and this is
how he should sound! But also subtle vocal
recordings or masterly guitar pieces are re-
produced in a wonderfully clean and unco-
lored manner. Trentemoellers album The
Trentemoeller Chronicles Vinyl Edition
was a true highlight. It explores the very
deepest bass regions, and the incredibly
detailed three-dimensionality as well as
the sparkle in the upper frequency regions
make you want to kneel down in awe. In
case you dont own a noble tube amplier
Cessaro Chopin
Price ca. 28.000 Euro
Distributor Fink Fidelity
Phone +49(0)6043 9887070
Internet: www.cessaro-horn-acoustics.com
Warranty 2 years
W x H x D 132 x 34 x 78 cm
Weight 70 kg
In brief
Every legend has its true source. Cessaro pro-
ve with their small Chopin model that there
is some truth in the legend of the horn. It is a
well-engineered design with abso-
lute high-end appeal; dynamic, un-
believably fast and highly revealing.
A true masterpiece!
Lab comment
The frequency response of the small Cessa-
ro horn exhibits a small depression on the
midrange and a slightly overemphasized tre-
ble range. The frequency response does not
change too much at an angle, which confirms
our impression of a very good sound distribu-
tion. The bass range has been measured free-
standing but doesnt let us miss anything; a
very successful combination.
Measurements
On this picture the speakers can
be adored in all their beauty
Quality from top to bottom: The back-
side terminal is of the same high
quality as the rest of the speakers
Cessaro_LP213_englisch.indd 30 21.02.13 12:39
combo, you still should check out these speakers. They also excel with normal
systems without making sacrices. Thanks to the high efciency you wont even
need lots of power for great dynamics.
Furthermore, the Cessaro Chopins are extremely well built pieces of music
furniture with an extraordinary design. Cessaro succeeds in managing the
balance between perfect craftsmanship and great sound
with the greatest of ease. Taking into account the
nish options and the fact that no veneer is like
the other, you can assume that you purchase
truly unique pieces. Considering the efforts
and the result, the price of 28,000 Euros is
more than reasonable. What you get for this
money has what it takes to become a legend.
One can become addicted to this, and it
might happen that you want to have even
more luckily, Cessaro will have the right
solution in this case, too.
Philipp Busch
The high-quality TAD tweeters are barely visible
behind the bespoke horn anymore
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