Floorstanding loudspeakers — Odeon Audio Nova 2022

The Nova 2022 is a floorstanding loudspeaker from Odeon Audio, built with a high sensitivity figure typical of the brand's horn-influenced approach. Odeon Audio is an Italian specialist manufacturer known for horn-loaded loudspeaker designs, generally favouring the dynamic ease and low distortion horn loading can offer over the more common direct-radiating box speaker approach most mainstream brands use.

Position in line

It sits alongside the Nova S in Odeon Audio's floorstanding hierarchy, likely representing a specific model year or generation of the Nova platform given the 2022 designation in its name. This kind of year-stamped naming convention suggests Odeon Audio periodically refines and re-releases its core models rather than maintaining a strictly static, unchanging product lineup over many years.

Key specs that matter

Rated response is 38 Hz to 24.5 kHz. Sensitivity is 91 dB into 8 ohms, a high figure that reflects the horn-loading design philosophy Odeon Audio applies across its catalogue. At 100 x 20 x 24 cm it is a moderately sized tower, its relatively slim proportions suggesting the horn loading here is achieved through internal folding rather than a large external horn flare of the kind seen on more overtly vintage-styled designs.

Sound and use context

Expect a dynamic, easy-to-drive presentation given the high sensitivity, typical of Odeon Audio's horn-influenced design philosophy - a character generally described within the horn-speaker community as effortless and immediate, quite different from the more polite, lower-sensitivity presentation typical of most mainstream direct-radiating towers.

Pairing

The 91 dB sensitivity means even a modest amplifier reaches substantial volume with ease, opening up amplifier choices, including low-power tube designs, that would be impractical with a less efficient loudspeaker.

Alternatives

The Nova S sits alongside this model in Odeon Audio's range, likely representing either an earlier or a differently specified version of the same core Nova platform, worth clarifying the exact relationship with a dealer. Odeon Audio remains a comparatively niche name outside dedicated horn-speaker enthusiast circles, so seeking out a dealer with direct hands-on experience of the brand specific voicing is worth the extra effort compared with a more mainstream, widely distributed alternative. As with most horn-loaded designs, careful room placement and toe-in adjustment tend to matter more here than with a conventional direct-radiating tower.