Полочная акустика — Diapason KARIS WAVE

The Karis Wave is a limited-edition stand-mount loudspeaker from Diapason of Italy, restricted to 200 units, with each pair supplied with a certificate of authenticity bearing a reference number and the signatures of Alessandro Schiavi and Antonio Comini. Comini, a wood artist, hand carves every enclosure from solid walnut, working from a multifaceted diamond form intended to behave as close to a point source as possible. A pair sells in Australia for AUD 11,499.

Key specs that matter

This two-way model uses one tweeter and one mid-woofer. Diapason quotes 50 Hz to 25,000 Hz, a sensitivity of 87 dB SPL at 2.83 V and one metre, and a nominal impedance of 8 ohm, with a minimum of 7.2 ohm at 300 Hz. The crossover frequency is 4000 Hz. Its reflex port opens through the back of the cabinet, and bass tuning is set by that vent. Each speaker measures 190 x 260 x 285 mm and weighs 4.5 kg.

Engineering and use context

Both drive units are made by SEAS of Norway, built to Diapason specifications. The tweeter has a 19 mm silk Sonomex dome with a wide surround, driven by a ferrite magnet. The 110 mm mid-woofer uses a polymethylpentene cone on an aluminium former and a large ferrite magnet chosen to keep low-frequency behaviour reliable. With Diapason Direct Drive technology the rear connectors are wired straight to the woofer, so no low-pass circuit sits in its path. The cabinet is engraved with multifaceted front and rear baffles to manage diffraction and then carved piece by piece by hand, a process the maker says virtually erases cabinet resonance modes. Staves of aged Canaletto walnut are finished and assembled following traditional methods for lasting stability, and the final surface is a water-based natural finish. Internal wiring is Van den Hul halogen-free cable. A Karis Wave Olive variant carved from solid olive wood is also offered.

Pairing

Given the benign load and moderate sensitivity, a mid-power amplifier fits better than a minimal one. The dedicated Wave stand, sold separately, is made of solid Canaletto walnut and brushed stainless steel, measures 274 x 274 x 900 mm and weighs 12.6 kg. Leave some free space between each rear vent and the wall in a 20 m2 room.

Alternatives

Diapason also builds the Adamantes V, a two-way stand-mount of the Classic Collection whose faceted cabinet shape was later adopted by the Karis models.