Caladan + ELECTROCOMPANIET = Magic!

[@writemeanovel]

Yes !!! I was psyched when I saw this in the background on one of your earlier videos. I own the eci 6d which is also an integrated and sounds superb. I’m glad to see this European integrated getting some play in the US. They make wonderful gear.

[@tgrady61]

It was so well worth the wait! They sound amazing!

[@vernkeplinger6237]

Me too. I had them 5 months they still sound astonishing.

[@word2RG]

Crazy how accurate speakers have become, that we judge a gentle 3db dip to be deviant. Honestly, i expected to see gross inaccuracies. Im extremely impressed!

[@AudioVino1]

Sorry Ron and Clayton really wanted to experience the Caladans but 4 months with no response from voice mails or email was a bit too much. I gave a credit card number to Clayton I have never heard back or have seen any order. I presume the number was lost since I haven't been charged either. I have moved on to another Open baffle design and are loving them. Hopefully the business side is straightening out for Clayton.

[@soundbydesignindia3730]

This goes so very negative for many brands that are struggling to be out there, but when they hit the stage they dont carry the basic fundamentals to shine on from there. Hope they learn quick.

[@sumtingyum]

Which one did you end up going with?

[@Audioal68]

I have the white version of the ECI 80d. You simply can't go wrong with this integrated.

[@CButti-x1s]

Hi Ron. Great review. How would you contrast the Electrocompaniet against the Hegel H390? I realize of course that the Hegel is much more powerful but on sound basis. I've got a feeling Hegel is probably on the verge of retiring the current H390 as it updates it's line.

[@vernkeplinger6237]

Ron. Well my friend you were spot on with the Caladans and I could not be happier with them. NOW I have gone and purchased an ELECTROCOMPANIET ECI-80D. Ah yes........down the rabbit hole. Through the looking glass. Fingers crossed.

[@Newrecordday2013]

You are gonna love that combo!

[@vernkeplinger6237]

@@Newrecordday2013 5 week wait for delivery, that seem to be the theme. Its worth waiting for. thnx again bud.

[@Mark-rw3kw]

@@vernkeplinger6237 I would get a Hegel H190V instead.

[@adamfrost9048]

I love my maple finish Caladans and wouldn't trade it, but that walnut is looking really good too.

[@TombstoneTube]

did the Caladans meet the hype?

[@adamfrost9048]

​@@TombstoneTube I don't have a ton of experience with high end speakers and my room isn't optimal so I don't really know the answer to that, but I will say that playing Come Together on a fresh vinyl copy of Abby Road last week was really really good.

[@h2ophilter]

damn, still waiting for my walnut version. i was on the July list, but havent gotten called yet.

[@adamfrost9048]

@@h2ophilter I think for most audiophile type people it's worth the wait. Once you get them then you have to sort of wait through the break in period as well for the crossover capacitors used in these. It takes a bit of futzing with room position as well, but I have a smallish room.

[@williammilligan1451]

Would be interesting to see a comparison with AGD products...

[@reestyfarts]

Silly money.

[@sunvalleydrivemusic]

That pairing sounds so good. Wow.

[@rog86]

Superb video. I love how you have a reference track followed by the recordings. Your articulation and descriptions are warm and amusing. Really good, cheers :). Oh , and I heard an electocompniet amp about 8 years ago, and organs in 60s 70s pop songs sounded so real , best I've heard. Very interesting to hear how this amp does. Will try to seek one out.

[@joenovak6393]

Caladan is on my purchase list, but I have ordered Decware Zen Master which is being made by lii-song. Also added Lii 15 bass baffle from Randall at Caintuck Audio.

[@TombstoneTube]

That's exactly what I'm planning to pair with my Sarah.

[@BrentLeVasseur]

The amp I’d like to see compared to this one is my Benchmark AHB2 which is similarly priced and my bread and butter amp for both my speakers and headphone listening with Hifiman Susvaras.

[@robertozanetti7707]

Very beutiful but the baffle was made of real solid wood or is it a moulded product

[@scottchristopherwilkie1664]

The Caladans have amazing bass . I wasnt expecting that🎉

[@thomasschafer7268]

😅😅😅from 2 beyma 12br70. Shure?

[@monrosj]

My pair of Caladan's were suppose to be delivered in March 2024. New estimated delivery is mid to late August. No way the current published lead time for new orders is really 90 days.

[@geniusinabottle]

Which options did you choose?

[@monrosj]

@@geniusinabottle walnut baffle and GAIA III feet.

[@BrentLeVasseur]

Nice Ron! When you do the side by side sound comparisons like bluetooth vs. wired etc… you might want to not show which is which until the end and just label them A and B, and that way it is more of a blind test for us the viewer. And that helps us remove any presupposed psychological bias for or against one of the options.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Thanks Brent - appreciate that feedback!

[@Mark-rw3kw]

ECI 80D amp for $3900 is a bit expensive IMO, especially 80 wpc. Lots of competition near that price, and even half that price.

[@BrentLeVasseur]

The wattage isn’t the issue unless you plan to use another hard to drive speaker. The Caladan is very sensitive.

[@Mark-rw3kw]

@@BrentLeVasseur Yes, but the price is an issue.

[@BrentLeVasseur]

@@Mark-rw3kw What is your budget and needs? Maybe I can help.

[@EdKalyan]

Would like to pair these with the Galion TS A75. At 1500 for the amp and 3k for the Caladans it will be a big first step into the audiophile pool.

[@evil_twit]

To understand how unimportant the difference between 80 watts and 150 watts is means to calculate how much more power you need to ge the speakers, lets say 12 dB louder than their rated 1w 1m dB. output rating.

[@fonkenful]

Rather awkward location for headphone sockets?

[@tractioncontroloff9796]

I would love to see a Caladan vs NX Ottica comparison.

[@walterpen371]

For the same price range, how about ADVANCE PARIS integrated amp. ? Would be great if you can review it. Thanks for sharing.

[@michaelwhiseant3276]

Need help deciding between the Arendal 1723 and the Caladans! My room is 30x20. One half of 30’ is HT and the other half 2ch. So I sit roughly 15’ from my front wall. I do have some room treatments but nothing like the sound shed. Which one would you pick for your room Ron? Seems like you’re more excited about the caladans??

[@matytinman]

Mistery speakers: GR-Research / Danny Richie -> LGK 2.0 Woofer/full range (8 Ohms) + M130X Woofer (8 Ohms)? And yes, as was the case with The Bully, the one that most resembles the original recording. Well, they must need sub(s).

[@mcbowler]

I need to know the difference between straight class D, purifi or hypex, and this ECI. Do it again!

[@yippie6862]

Yes, I'm confused about the design of the ECI.

[@frankvanhelvert6231]

that ""mystery"" speaker sounds really great!! gr-research perhaps!? thanks ron!!😇

[@baronofgreymatter14]

How do these sounds vs Danny's speakers

[@Newrecordday2013]

🔥🔥🔥 ELECTROCOMPANIET ECI-80D: bit.ly/4cIKhOM 💎💎💎 Caladan: bit.ly/3XMjVXU 00:00 - Introduction 01:15 - System Synergy 03:45 - First Impressions 06:30 - Detailed Breakdown 10:45 - Treble Impressions 14:20 - Midrange Impressions 18:00 - Vocals and Caladan Synergy 21:15 - Bass Impressions 25:00 - Soundstage Impressions 28:30 - Final Thoughts Enjoy the show! Remember to share your thoughts below and like the video!

[@histubeness]

Ron, --It would be great if you could also provide a link for the mystery speaker.

[@bartbarelds8454]

Sorry, i’m a sucker for the mid region. I’d pick those “mistery” speakers over the caladan any day.

[@tomy2988]

Yeah that mystery speaker sounded great.

[@frankvanhelvert6231]

yep absolutely wonderfull!! agree

[@Tarodenaro]

Huh, it's weird isnt it? Most of you are so used to the "wide" soundstage of headphones, but i bet it's a refreshing listening to a "big", "depth" and "tall" sound of EC on an Open Baffle speakers 😄 3D is not just wide 👍

[@yippie6862]

Surprisingly, this $3,900 amplifier is very light weight. Even though it is Class A/B it appears to use a switch mode power supply. Similar to what Class D amps use. There is no traditional Toroidal or EI transformer. The inside looks spartan. I know the design should not matter because it has good sound quality, however, that still bothers me.

[@scottchristopherwilkie1664]

Same ,the transformer should be beefy .

[@larrydunn4626]

17:56. what I hear first is an uplifted timbre, then some bleed from midbass into the vocals.

[@jjnewbold]

Hoping you discuss pairing with the Yamaha RN-2000A when you do review Caladan

[@Newrecordday2013]

That amp went home along time ago. Apologies!

[@jos5067]

@@Newrecordday2013😢

[@flashhog01]

Great video! I still find it quite strange that the hype around these speakers and sound clips provided are very far from what I experienced in person at CAF last year. I’d buy them quite quickly if they sounded like these clips.

[@Newrecordday2013]

The room matters - a lot!

[@DNSWRLD]

Equipment, Placement and Room acoustics matter alot.

[@stevefink6913]

I'd be very tempted to go with an Auralic Aries S1 Streamer - $2,000., Holo Cyan 2 DAC - $1,200. & CHoco Emei Amp - $1,700. to drive Caladan Spkrs !!

[@jeremyaguilar3805]

Mr. Ron, if you would like to review an early version of Don Sach’s phono stage, let me know and how dare you, calling me a hipster. Was that a GR at the end of the video?

[@falcogol3451]

Definitely the mystery speaker

[@abxaudiophiles]

Well done Ron! Always nice a thurough! PS - We loved the Caldan the few times we heard them! #OpenBafflesRule.. 😍😍

[@rareearthfab5511]

I love the content and these speakers would have been ordered if they would respond to any contact! I reached out to them multiple times after your first video with the Caladans but never did receive any response. Saying that… I would love if you could put out a video that gave examples of your descriptions of what you use to describe speakers/audio equipment. So we could understand exactly what you are describing when you use terms like vailed, or siblence, forward, recessed, open/airy… etc.. I think you have the equipment and ability to pull this off where many reviewers do not. This would be fantastic! I have about 50K invested in my system and as much as I enjoy listening as often as I can, I still very much consider myself an amateur audiophile and trying to better my understanding so that I can make educated improvements.

[@ichigobankai2343]

One remote going bad sure you could chalk it up to bad luck but with the second remote the odds are they are most likely defective. And for around 4k that is not acceptable.

[@joecartwright9221]

Heil tweeter goes down to 800hz . There’s another manufacturer that makes a open baffle speaker 🔈 with the Heil tweeter. It was reviewed on the Audiophiac’s KZbin site. Maybe you could get those for comparison 🤔

[@Kukkema]

Do you have a Tidal playlist?

[@CarlVanDoren61]

Not enough tweeter for midsection 😮

[@vernkeplinger6237]

Hey Ron, I was wondering what type of wood are your caladans made of ?

[@Newrecordday2013]

Walnut

[@paulgyro]

Ugh to this continued amp speaker magical pairing stuff.

[@larrydunn4626]

I must have missed it... who is the female vocalist playing ukelele?

[@NeilBlanchard]

I am curious what DAC is in this unit? If they didn't include a DAC - then maybe the remote and I/O connections could be better? 80W/ch @ 8 ohms, and 150W/ch @ 4 ohms is very good, but in my opinion, cramming in a DAC is too much to bite off, so to speak.

[@electrocompaniet7586]

the DAC in the ECI80D is an Asahi Kasei (AKM) AK4118AEQ

[@janulik9535]

Hey there, i own eci80 d and the in bult dac is surprisingky good. Audiophiliac has also mentioned this in his review

[@JRadian]

Are the "Reference tracks" and Speaker recordings level-matched? At 1Khz or? Speaker recordings always sound less loud to me, which can affect the comparison.

[@depthsofyourmind6070]

Wait the caladans you have in the video are different from the ones in the earlier video you did about these speakers…. Are they different models or just different finishes?

[@boomcrash]

I think I remember him saying that the original Caladans were on loan and that he would be receiving his own at a later date.

[@depthsofyourmind6070]

@@boomcrash I’m still deciding if the M3 sipphires are worth it or I should just wait for a pair of these

[@scottchristopherwilkie1664]

Didn't Clayton say himself the Caladan was a further evolution of his audio designs?

[@depthsofyourmind6070]

@@scottchristopherwilkie1664 I ended up getting the m3s and I love then

[@PalakGW]

Hey Ron, I have the M4 sapphire; do you think it will match with this amp? Or the design of the caladan is too far off? Cheers!

[@Newrecordday2013]

Will be a great match!

[@janulik9535]

hey there, I have eci 80d, I can nto accomodate caladans in my space, bro what is the mistery speaker

[@Roof_Pizza]

Needs an HDMI nowadays. Still looking at the Yamaha RN2000A at this price point, And I can't be the only one thinking the model number suggests it's class D.

[@yippie6862]

It's actually a Class A/B design. I just don't understand how they did that while using a switch mode power supply?

[@Roof_Pizza]

@@yippie6862 I'm just sayin' that a class A/B shouldn't have a 'D' in it's name.

[@mobilgin]

Well.....have you looked at the price for those amps ? Where is just no way to justify such price for A/B amp.......🤕🤯......I will stay close to my HYPEX amplifiers....have a feeling we are not going a part in near future .

[@labalo5]

Take it to all the experts out there Ron…!

[@quadrannilator]

Im not a measurement fanatic. However, if you talk about system synergy, I would appreciate it you could point people like me into the direction (in whatever form it is - a knowledgeable person, electrical engineering, quantitative measurements, etc) of trying to understand WHAT makes somethings connected together sound like THIS or THAT? I want to understand this phenomenon on an electrical level. I understand most audiophiles will not have a simultaneous desire to be electrical engineers, but it would be really nice to know WHY this pairing is good and HOW to make good pairings in the future without trial and error of all potential permutations of audio gear.

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

I don't think anyone knows, I think it's all guessing and trial and error. That's why a device that you can use to make your system sound however you prefer it to sound is what everyone should be pushing for, instead of trying to match individual pieces with their own "Baked in" sound signature with something else with its own baked in sound and hoping they perform magic together. That could take years and cost hundreds of thousands of $ before you hit the perfect match. It's quite a ridiculous hobby when you think about it, hardly any "reviewers" say we've tried all these amp/speaker combinations and THESE 👉 are the ones with the best Synergy. They usually just do sales pitches of 1 bit of gear by itself and use all the audio jargon to attempt to explain what that one piece of gear sounds like, so you have no idea what it will sound like paired with your current gear. Imo every "review" should be done as a whole system and the reviewer shouldn't know the price of anything they're reviewing. The amount of bias that happens when a reviewer knows that X product costs 5X as much as Y product is outrageous. 99 times out of 100 they'll say the more expensive gear sounds better, and I bet my balls that changes if they didn't know the price or SEE 👀 the gear, which is also another bias.

[@analogueman5364]

I don't think you can measure synergy electrically. But happy to be proved wrong.

[@quadrannilator]

@@crazyprayingmantis5596 and I completely understand what you said... it takes a lot of combinations and while people become biased trying to express subjective experiences. And we have to try to best work with the sonic signatures of the gear we know, and see how it performs with some other downstream component - and hope that at least for a review, you can find some general characteristics about a speaker/headphone that you can actually talk about.

[@quadrannilator]

@@analogueman5364 but that's the kind of thing that excites me to know! On the other hand, I think audiophiles love of trying to find synergies and marginal sound upgrades all their life, is very much akin to the inner high a Gambler gets in his life. So yeah, if one wants to enjoy the mystery and adventure, who am I to predict sound through numbers and take away the fun, even if I knew? 😜

[@ericelmore887]

How does the rogue CM3 compare?

[@Newrecordday2013]

I haven’t heard the CM3 so I don’t know.

[@ericelmore887]

@@Newrecordday2013the rogue Cronus magnum 3. You have reviewed it in the past. It’s my current amp.

[@BoRerunn]

How much bass do the Caladins produce

[@BrentLeVasseur]

It’s not how much but the quality of the tone, speed, impact, and texture. Have you ever heard open baffle bass before? It’s not the same as a boxed speaker or subwoofer in that it doesn’t pressurize the room and hit you in the chest like an explosion. They are two completely different animals. With open baffle bass you hear all the detail and tone without the pressurization and chest thumping that you get with a boxed design. Think of it like Bruce Lee punching you with his lighting fast strikes vs. say Mike Tyson with a slower knock you on your butt strike. That’s the best analogy I can think of to illustrate the difference.

[@VictorEnnis-n1w]

Love you Ron. Truly do. You’re one of my favorites. But for 4 Grand and it looking like that. I better be able to see the instruments as well as hear them. Just sayin. Thanks for a terrific video my friend…….Though that said. If it truly is that amazing. Like passing the blindfold test to show its obvious superiority over many other amps. I reckon it can live in the closet and cabled from there.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Haha! I totally hear you man! Loud and clear! I wouldn’t have celebrated it as much as I did if I didn’t feel like it didn’t deserve it!

[@stillaliveandwell5291]

Watch those double negatives!😅😊❤ Why does Clayton say the Calladans need a symetrical room? I thought OBs don't care about side wall distance due to limited off-axis response as stated at Pure Audio Project where they say distance to sidewall doesn't matter or have to be equal. The Audiophiliac S.G. agrees and his PAP set up is waaay unsymetrical (like mine would have to be). Your answer would be much appreciated!

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

Ron, what do you think about reviews where the reviewer doesnt know the price, brand or doesnt even get to set eyes on the gear itself before reviewing? How much bias happens when those things are known? I know for myself knowing all these things would influence my decisions heavily

[@Newrecordday2013]

Can you give me an example of this in our niche? I can’t imagine not knowing the price or brand of what I am reviewing. How would that work? I’m curious?

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

@@Newrecordday2013 I don't know, I'm asking what you think about it and how much do you think knowing the price, brand of something and actually seeing it influences your (or anyone's) opinion of a product. It would be interesting to compare reviews of gear where the reviewer is totally blind to any information with reviews where the reviewer knows everything about the product, don't you think?

[@Newrecordday2013]

I agree it would be interesting but I also don’t think it’s realistic. Do I think value has an impact on my review? If it does, it’s negligible compared to everything else that matters a lot more to me, starting with how it sounds. Thanks!

[@donnywidodo8874]

ive been eyeing this for months too as it somewhat cheaper in my country, but there's also burson timekeeper.... decision... decision

[@rogerhuston8287]

I heard the Caladans at Axpona, In that room I wasn't impressed. I really, really wanted to love them, but if $50k worth of equipment didn't do it for me, them what chance with my setup.

[@MK-rn2hm]

Been an audio enthusiast for 52 years now. Never could understand when reviewers say amp gets out of the way of reproducing music. What does that really mean? Isn’t any sound coming out of a speaker only possible from an amp? So how does one know an amp is transparent unless someone has magically heard the same speaker powered by themselves. Only then could you compare. Else any sound is still the work of the amplifier at the end of the day.

[@davidbee8178]

Mmmm . . . not sure I agree 100% . . . I have a pair of Dynaudio Heritage Speakers (excellent BTW :-) and they DO sound a little different with different good quality amplifiers . . .

[@billybunter3753]

If I said I'm drunk and I can't contribute to the conversation would anyone believe me? I'm absolutely munted!

[@marlonharewood8366]

Munted, eh? Never heard that expression before, but I like it and will be using that going forward. Congratulations, you have contributed, I'm not even listening to Ron anymore.

[@butchgo3756]

I wonder what Danny is going to name his new speaker??????

[@Newrecordday2013]

Probably “The Mullet.”

[@Artcore103]

80w is just too weak for that kind of money. Why do manufacturers do this, when they could easily make it more powerful. 4 12"s could certainly utilize more I suspect, for maximum output.

[@NosTubes58]

It’s primarily because 75% of the world outside of the USA have smaller listening room, yet as most are constructed of concrete built to withstand the different wars throughout history, whereas American homes have rooms built around drywall, which essentially allows the sound waves to exit ones primarily quarters ( space ) in which makes Americans more power and bass crazed than say European and Asian cultures, where power rock or metal type recordings aren’t their thing to begin with……, so less power ratings as well as low end impact aren’t the only thing that sells outside of the USA. Simplicity and quality of note are of more importance.

[@DNSWRLD]

The European and Asian mindset towards Hi-Fi is like their cars. We prefer thing's in a much smaller but sophisticated package, without sacrificing quality. I once owned a Grand Cherokee and totally blown away by it's campact dimensions and it's luxurious ride, functionality and equipment. I love the Audio Research brand but struggle to find placement for their new offerings, they are just waaaay toooo huge.

[@analogueman5364]

80 watts is more than enough for mist domestic environments with average efficiency speakers. Don't forget peak power will be higher and with any well made analogue amp it's about how that power is delivered.

[@dougg1075]

You don’t need much power with efficient speakers. I have the Willsenton R8 with Heresy IV and a sub . I can rock way louder than you would think possible with 25watts . I’m done

[@adamnocon9432]

Shipping rate for Caladans is $300 in US, expensive!

[@bocrux]

Bluetooth is for podcasts.

[@esaranba47]

I'm sorry but I'm not sure if it's really useful to use the Caladans to review amps or electronics at this point if no one have been able to listen to them (besides some shows). The conversation about the electronics you are reviewing is also distracted by the Caladan's unfortunate delays. Clayton needs to get this right. And if you are outside US, forget it, you are not even able to pre-order them. Hopefully these will be able to ship soon

[@matytinman]

ELECTROCOMPANIET ECI-80D -> one of the keys should be the SMPS power supply.

[@richbulena8847]

Sorry to be that guy, but I believe it's pronounced "electrocompaneet".

[@Newrecordday2013]

I’ll bet you are right - no worries!

[@andreasmisundberntsen9237]

Norwegian guy here. It's electrocomp-a-knee-et, if that helps. Nice review by the way. It's the brand that got me into the hobby many years ago, back when I was lusting for the ECI-3.

[@johnd7268]

Wow, that little logo reminds me of Emotiva’s… very similar.

[@joenovak6393]

More of the other way, Emotiva as a stand-alone brand in 2003, Electrocompaniet EST 1973 and logo change 1994.

[@corbindavidbowser1885]

And the mystery speakers are……?

[@histubeness]

So what, in fact, were the "mystery speakers"? --Ron? --Anyone? What's the purpose of not noting what they are? Full disclosure, please. --UPDATE ... It's now a month later, and still no mention of the name of the mystery speaker. Still waiting. Why the secrecy?

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

Currently in a conversation with someone who is claiming that all non load dependent amps sound the same, is there any literature about this? What are people's thoughts about this claim? And Bluetooth is at a level that good now that i bet most people wouldn't be passing a blind listening test between Bluetooth and streaming or other digital sources. I don't see the need for a streamer when Bluetooth sounds as good as it does

[@burg856]

So you're saying Clayton is having a hard time producing and delivering the Caladan speakers but has already raised the price by $400? That seems to be a pattern with him. They better be good I guess. LOL

[@Newrecordday2013]

I have nothing to do with that. Thanks.

[@vernkeplinger6237]

Hey, Porsche raised the price of the 911 this year, hmmmm..................whats up with that. LOL

[@boomcrash]

Mystery speaker? C’mon, we know where it’s from. I mean, just look at it 😊

[@Alvedrotten]

😂 just say "Electrocompany". Please!

[@TriAmpHiFi]

Class A/B?.......................... Amps with switching power supplies shouldn't be able to call themselves that. Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊

[@Fred-ck1gh]

Holy smoke what you butchered the pronunciation of Electrocompaniet!😁🤣🤣 As a Swede I know that you Americans have a hard time to get it right with Norwegian or Swedish words and how to pronounce them! 😁

[@Newrecordday2013]

Haha! I’m the worst!