Floorstanding loudspeakers — Clarisys Audio Audio STUDIO +

The Studio Plus, now listed as the Studio Mk2, is a full-range ribbon floorstanding loudspeaker from Clarisys Audio, a maker that assembles its drivers in Hanoi, Vietnam and carries out crossover integration, tuning and final checks at its Swiss site in Zwingen. A pair is priced at USD 110,000. It uses a double-sided bass panel together with two full-length ribbons for midrange and treble, and neodymium magnets drive the ribbons. The Clarisys range also includes the Piccolo, Minuet, Aria, Auditorium and the six-tower Atrium, and the brand offers a warranty of up to 5 years. All Clarisys drivers share the same material substrate.

Key specs that matter

Clarisys rates the efficiency at 96 dB at 1 kHz with a 2.83 V input, measured at 1 m on axis. Nominal impedance is 5 ohm. The frequency range runs from 20 Hz at minus 3 dB to above 25 kHz. Each speaker measures 160 cm high, 70 cm wide and only 9 cm deep, and weighs 90 kg without packaging.

Engineering and use context

The midrange and treble section is a pair of pure aluminium ribbons in a true bipole arrangement, radiating equally to the front and rear, and both ribbons take over from 275 Hz upward. Below that the double-sided bass panel handles the signal. According to the maker, the double-sided layout lets more current flow through the panel so that it reacts more accurately in the magnetic field, and it also produces an impedance that is easier to drive. The frame is aluminium and is designed for resonance control. The Mk2 version adds an upgraded bass ribbon array and a passive external crossover in a 3-way design, built with custom-made inductors, Multicap capacitors, custom-made resistors and pure copper foil wiring. Clarisys matches impedance at the driver level, so the network needs no resistors for level padding between the ribbons.

Pairing

The amplifier connects to the external crossover housing, which then feeds the bass panel and the ribbons, and the nominal rating given above is the load the amplifier sees. Clarisys has presented its speakers with Soulution amplification, although no specific partner is required, and the brand also builds ribbon subwoofer modules within its larger systems.

Alternatives

The Clarisys Auditorium is the larger floorstanding ribbon model, 203 cm tall with a 6 ohm nominal impedance and an efficiency of about 90 dB.