Floorstanding loudspeakers — Audes Llc. Maestro 146

The Maestro 146 is the three-way floorstanding model in the Maestro series from Audes, the Estonian maker located in Johvi. Audes redesigned the whole Maestro range to mark 2015, the 80th year since the RET radio factory was registered in Tallinn, the earliest event in the company's history. The aim of the new cabinets was a classic hi-fi look with sharp, precise forms. The 146 took over from the earlier Maestro 145 after the tweeter used in that model went out of production.

Key specs that matter

The bass is handled by an in-house Audes 8 inch woofer with a paper cone, a 5.25 inch mid-woofer covers the band from 250 Hz, and a 1 inch fabric dome tweeter takes over at 4,000 Hz. The rated range is 39 Hz to 20,000 Hz within plus or minus 3 dB, and the response is 6 dB down at 34 Hz. Sensitivity reaches 91 dB for 2.83 V at 1 m, and the nominal impedance is 4 ohm. Audes gives a maximum long-term power of 130 W and a short-term maximum of 200 W. The enclosure is 1,036 mm high, 243 mm wide and 349 mm deep, it rests on a base of 263 x 369 mm, and each unit weighs 20 kg.

Engineering and use context

Audes says the 146 was designed for high efficiency and for being easy to drive. In the replacement of the 145, the new tweeter is a Seas 27TDFC, and the crossover network was reworked around it rather than simply swapping the driver. Beyond the drivers, Audes fits the Maestro series with inductors of its own, optimised for these models, alongside the proprietary woofers. Splitting the range three ways lets the bass unit stay at the bottom, so the smaller mid-woofer is spared the lowest octaves. Buyers choose between black paint and a satin walnut veneer of real wood, and other colours and veneers are available to special order. The current Maestro list also includes the 116 tower, the 106 two-way bookshelf with a matching 697 mm stand, and the models 005 and 025.

Pairing

The high sensitivity means the 146 needs little power to reach normal listening levels, but the amplifier should still be able to work into its low nominal impedance, and the long-term power rating is the limit to keep in mind with a more powerful amplifier. Among the Maestro models whose data Audes publishes, the 146 is the only 4 ohm design, since both the 116 and the 106 carry an 8 ohm rating and lower sensitivity, which also makes the 146 the most sensitive of the three.

Alternatives

The Audes Maestro 116 is the smaller two-way floorstander of the same series, pairing a 6.5 inch woofer with a fabric dome tweeter in a 17 kg cabinet.