OPEN BAFFLE SPEAKER REVIEW!! Decware Zen Master Series Loudspeaker

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Bang & Olufsen Beolab 28
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► OPEN BAFFLE SPEAKER REVIEW - DECWARE ZEN MASTER LOUDSPEAKERS
Our first open baffle speaker review is here with the Decware Zen Master Loudspeakers! Are open baffle speakers better? Could the Decware Zen speakers be the best open baffle speaker? Are the Zen Speakers better than crowd favorites Magnepan or Spatial Audio? Does the Decware open baffle speaker sound better than other transparent speakers like Klipsch Heritage speakers?
INTRO: 00:00
LII AUDIO F15 SPECS: 00:19
ZEN MASTER SERIES SPEAKER DESIGN: 01:20
DECWARE OPEN BAFFLE SPEAKER SETUP: 02:21
BEST AMPLIFIERS FOR DECWARE SPEAKERS: 03:14
DECWARE SOUND DEMO: 03:44
DECWARE ZEN SPEAKER BASS: 04:29
ZEN MASTER SERIES MIDRANGE: 05:40
NO TWEETER, NO PROBLEM: 06:41
DECWARE ZEN SOUNDSTAGE: 07:39
HIGH EFFICIENCY SPEAKER DYNAMICS: 08:38
DECWARE SPEAKER DRAWBACKS: 09:13
DECWARE VS KLIPSCH: 10:15
DECWARE VS SPATIAL AUDIO SAPHIRES: 11:17
DECWARE VS MAGNEPAN: 11:26
CONCLUSION: 11:52
KRISTI'S THOUGHTS: 12:38
SIGN OFF: 22:16
★ MORE ANDREW ROBINSON REVIEWS
➔ Decware Zen Amp Review: • AMPLIFIER for HIGH EFF...
➔ Klipsch La Scala Review: • WHY PERFECTION DOESN'T...
➔ Klipsch Heresy IV Review: • MIND BLOWN!! KLIPSCH H...
➔ Klipsch Forte IV Review: • Klipsch Forte IV Revie...
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[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

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[@zachariahadams]

It's all physics. Modern drivers can handle momentum a lot better these days. I just don't know about that standing wave between the baffles.

[@kennethabbott3856]

Imaging and holographic presentation from the Maggie 1.7i's.

[@DrSinisster]

Daring to be different, an keep it simple. Its always been my style.

[@Wolfpack-N]

My wife and I are the opposite. I am asking her what they say when I watch movies and TV downstairs in my living room, so much so that I usually just put the subtitles on.

[@MrDabulls73]

I apologize for an off topic question but I’m having issues finding an answer to my question and I trust your opinions.....I own Airpulse A300 . My question is about the XLR balanced inputs . Can I connect XLR cables from an amplifier (Cambridge Audio CXA81) XLR balanced output to my Airpulse A300 active speakers? I ask only because the speakers are active and do no want to over power them . Any help to my question would be greatly appreciated. Keep up the great work on your channel.

[@vince6584]

Andrew, congrats, you have just stepped into a bigger world my friend. I am a very proud owner of the Spatial Audio M3's designed by Clatyon Shaw, owner of Spatial Audio. I have posted your lilnk on our forum Audio Circle. I mentioned to Clayton, he should hook you up with a demo. You will never want to listen to a box speaker again. Vince Dallaire

[@alwayslearning3130]

Went to Decware. Heard them with the Sarah. Orders placed. Yes, the reason I like them is they sound different, (better) than anything I have heard before. There is an authority to the sound, just wow!

[@timleelim9930]

I use open baffle speakers because they had me baffled as to why i boxed myself in previously.

[@Noname0670]

I see what you did there

[@johncallaghan3097]

I see people are still commenting, so for what it's worth, this is my tuppence worth. Having purchased the plans/licence to build for these speakers from Decware for $30, I set about building my own. This was mandatory as they were nearly £4000 5 or 6 months ago, and in the UK where I live, probably half as much again with delivery costs, taxes and import duty. Call it at least $6000, which is way more than I was prepared to spend. I got the 40mm thick oak baffles cut professionally for £600 and the drivers for around the same amount. All told, the speakers cost me c. £1300 (about $1570). Sapele baseplates and oak triangular shelf brackets are what secure and hold up the baffles, which each are raised at the front using a pair of small universal castors. This not only elevates them a little, but makes them very easy to move around for fine tuning. They were a doddle to assemble -- just needed a screwdriver, absolutely no soldering required. I can't say they look as pretty as the commercially built speakers, but boy -- do they sound good! So much so that they have become endgame for me. Better IMHO than any box speaker I've ever heard. The sound is big and effortless, no sense of strain at all. It comes at you from nowhere really, it's just present, with outstanding and holographic soundstaging, amazing midrange and the sweetest treble. As Andrew noted, the bass is the weakest point, but I've improved it by placing my Rel T0 sub midway between the speakers and about a foot behind them -- and most importantly, raised about 18-20" off the floor. Haven't gone mad with it, have carefully tuned the sub so everything blends seamlessly, and you wouldn't know it was part of the deal. Listening with eyes closed, musicians and singers are there in the room with you. Your'e cocooned in delicious music. In one case, Cara Dillon sounds so mellifluous, in another, there's indescribably tactile percussion like that of Brent Lewis, in a third -- perhaps unexpectedly -- Vini Vici's _Make Us Stronger_ can be hitting you in the chest (there's more to bass than pure loudness -- there's also what I think of as "volume" in that it fills the room and excites your senses). And as for Swing music like Glenn Miller, it's glorious and will have you resisting the urge to get up and jig about (or maybe not - I quite often find myself doing just that). Oh heck, you can listen to just about anything from classical to Reggae and it'll do your head in. Best £1300 I've ever spent...

[@piccalillipit9211]

This is really interesting thank you very much. I've moved from a large house to a relatively small apartment, and I want to go from a high wattage push pull KT88 with Wilson Benesh Square 5's to something more suitable for having neighbours. My old system you have to drive it to really appreciate it - its definitely NOT at its best at low volumes. I want to build a single-ended amp of just 2 or 3 watts and have some very easy to drive speakers that give an effortless big sound, from your very helpful description - these sound perfect.

[@jhopkins3311]

I purchased the Lii15s directly and then build my own open baffles using solid maple. Also, I built a SPUD amp (2.5w/ch, class a, tube). I whole heartedly agree with your review. Amazingly realistic sound quality! Holographic imaging, dynamics, and ultimate presence, galore.

[@rlowes]

This speaker isn’t just about open baffle. There are actually are two MAJOR things going on with these speakers over traditional speakers. OB, yes, but also, a single “full range” driver! Those are both huge departures from the normal multi-way box speakers out there. There are other open baffle speakers out there with multi-drivers and crossovers like traditional speakers (e.g the Spatial speakers you mentioned). And then there are also tons of single driver, full-rangers out there that have a traditional box or horn loaded like a “normal” speaker as well (some made by Decware I believe). My point is, this isn’t just an OB experience with this speaker, you’ve got a single full-range crossover-less driver experience wrapped up in this one too.

[@jeb419]

Yes also it’s frequency range seems impressive. I’ve owned single driver speakers that are known for their “midrange magic” such as the Western Electric 755a and others but the bass is lacking as are the highs. I think the dream would be to have a single driver, that was efficient, has a actual full range (below 50hz) and highs above 12k, but also with excellent dispersion patterns so they aren’t beamy with a tiny sweet spot. I haven’t found that but that would be my dream speaker

[@NakeanWickliff]

@@jeb419 I’m not sure what you’re looking for is physically possible. The larger the driver the lower in frequency it begins to beam. The whizzer cone helps in this but I don’t think it completely mitigates the problem. I agree through the, so no me driver, crossoverless, open baffle with the Lii -15 was an experience I would love to have again. Honestly because I need some many departures at once I’m not sure which I appreciate it more.

[@jmcott14]

As a Danny fan, Kristi’s GR joke definitely made me lol

[@thereadingfamily]

Lol, Danny could improve them based on baffle design like a wing or 2

[@billjackson3257]

@@thereadingfamily I was thinking the same thing.

[@veroman007]

They should know that you never center a driver in an open baffle with equal distance from all of the edges or you get uneven responses in certain frequencies. Every open baffle designer knows at least this much but it does look cool

[@Cujobob]

@@Pete.across.the.street I haven’t played with his upgrades but I’ve heard… man… probably over a dozen of his speakers. He designs them around neutrality on and off axis, good polar response, basically. His designs sound basically the same in that no certain frequency stands out or is missing. I can’t speak to whether the fancy parts he suggests are actually better, but the detail level of his designs exceeds that of other speakers for the most part. If you’re at all curious, I would really only suggest doing an upgrade if you intend to stick with a certain speaker for a while or you have money to burn and just want to find out for yourself. Sometimes it’s just better to upgrade speakers. If you ever get one of his designs, get one with the planar tweeter. Significantly better IMO.

[@ColocasiaCorm]

Danny sucks

[@epi2045]

Part of the reason why I love Magnepan’s. Owned three pairs over the years. Still own 2 of them. The natural dipole design gives an airy sound stage and imaging is beautiful.

[@0901hannah]

I am so excited that you guys are reviewing these. More Decware please!

[@FireTriode]

Steve's gonna have to expand his operation soon... 😉

[@chengo51]

I didn't expect such a review because these drivers are the ones I play with since Lii sell them ! I started with them just alone directly placed on the floor, then I made the OBs, different sizes and played for few months with them. In my room, the OBs didn't make it because of the furnitures and shape of the room. Then I decided to fix these F15 drivers into a Karlsonator box I made, biiiiig box. In that box, the drivers are nearly on the floor and tilted upward. I use a Firstwatt F5 amplifier I also made and soon (hopefully) a Deckware UFO2 Amp. Just for knowledge, the F5 amp has no capacitors on the sound path and with these baffles with no crossover, electronic interferences are really minimal. This system has bass contrary to OBs and at low levels (some would say very very low), all is there ! But never forget that the most important thing in a system is......the recording ! With top notch recording.....you cry of joy with this system !

[@DrawTheLine35]

My favorite thing about open baffle or panel speakers in general is their presence. It can feel like a singer/artist is in the room with you. It's something that just can't be replicated with a box speaker, or at least one I haven't found yet. One day I'll own a set of open baffle speakers, I just need the right space for them

[@Darrylizer1]

GR Research makes some very interesting open baffle designs in both kit and finished models.

[@Darrylizer1]

I've wondered about these guys for some time. Thanks for the review!

[@mikehughescq]

Not sure I’ve ever commented on a hi-fi review before but I do love that the thing you’re wedded to is the many varieties of what can constitute good sound rather than any specific route to achieving that.

[@KristiWright]

Thanks for commenting and watching!

[@takuminishijou5697]

I had the open baffle experience recently myself. I built a pair and they are amazing. I don't think I will ever go back to a box speaker. Great description of open baffle sound

[@JD_and_TheBanned]

Thank you! I’ve been wanting to hear a review of these for a long time, and I’m not disappointed.

[@Steveh817]

I don’t own a pair of open baffle speakers but you’ll never have to worry about someone putting anything on top of them that will leave a water stain like a plant or beverage. LaScala owner here with said issue 😩

[@KristiWright]

Oh no! I'm sure that person feels badly.

[@Steveh817]

@@KristiWright Early 80’s. She felt bad. Forgave her. We got married. Divorced. Her, not the speakers. Still have them. Anxiously awaiting a SE84UFO2.

[@mauriciomucino1015]

@@Steveh817 That was for the Best man!

[@markwasilow2173]

If you remove the full range speaker, you can toss bean bags thru it!😂

[@geofflongford2008]

Or fill in the hole and surf.

[@amdaniels11]

Love your reviews! Highly intelligent and thoughtful use-notes. Such a pleasure to listen to u both ♥️😎👍👍

[@jorgenjensen462]

Great presentation as usual. Really appreciate the amount of effort in creating these reviews. I like the fact that you list the source music you listened to. For me you really bring out the enjoyment of listening to music instead of just hearing it!

[@msgillingham]

Great review Andrew, for two years now I've been experimenting with open baffle speakers, so much so I sold off my Quad esl57's and built my own open baffles. For jazz classical and vocals the open baffles produce a wonderful insight into the music you are playing. I will gladly for go the extention in the bass region for the absolute sweetness of the midrange. Keep up the good work your reviews are excellent.

[@jaypthm6416]

So glad to see a proper review of open baffles. Great review!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you!

[@armandorancano6415]

You guys are the absolute best audio reviewers on KZbin. You don't lead the way in every aspect of coverage or presentation, but like the Decware Zen amp, you are the most satisfying, the most musical. I feel like I am watching a football game with a pair of star broadcasters. Andrew, you are the play-by-play, Kristi, you are the color analyst. Among my career roles was interviewing. Oh, how I would love to interview you for an hour. I'm sure your journeys would be captivating. Best to you both. I am definitely a fan.

[@corystansbury]

I use Audio Nirvana 10" full ranges with Dirac room correction and a Rythmik sub. It's the most realistic and natural systems I've ever heard. I haven't tweaked anything in 5 years if that tells you anything. It just works.

[@GeorgeTsiros]

really want to try the 8" classic ones, without the whizzer cone, but they seem to not be available anymore? :( I also have a pair of super 12", they are quite good!

[@peterlundskow4061]

Thanks for being one of first to review open baffle. Speaking of no parts to fix. The drivers themselves can be bought directly from manufacturer for $399 a piece. From that point it would not be that hard to build the wooden mounts themselves out of a hardwood you prefer that in total would cost much less than the price Decware sells them for. There are plans available online to do a DIY build. I have been considering doing this for a while & probably will do that soon.

[@raymondlonghitano3117]

I got to hear these speakers in Steve’s listening room at Decware powered by the 25th anniversary Zen Triode Amp. It was less than 30 seconds in that I realized these were something special, and about 6 hours later, I knew I had to have a pair. I had to rethink everything I thought I knew about speakers, and HiFi in general, considering we were not using a sub, and was driven by ~2 watts. Admittedly, a sub may be necessary for some music, but a small powered sub would be all it will take to make me happy. If you want to feel like you are in the studio during the making of a recording, or at a live event, you need to give these a try!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

100% AGREE!

[@SeanOHanlon]

The only thing that surprises me is that it took you 6 hours to decide that you had to have a pair. I was sold on a pair of Spatial M4s within the first 20 minutes.

[@Selrisitai]

@@SeanOHanlon Lol, I think his point was that he couldn't stop listening for six hours! XD

[@robk5745]

So happy you did this review guys, love it! I’ve never heard an open baffle so wish I could have been a fly on the wall!

[@hailtothevictorz]

One of the speakers on my radar. I have the older Spatial Hologram M3 Turbo S (awesome), and I love Kristi's comments about missing the Zens once they were gone, the lack of coloration and resonance (can you miss something that wasn't there?), because I never really noticed the boxiness of my Klipsch Cornwalls (or any box speaker) until I had the chance to go from my livingroom M3's to the Cornwalls in the garage (aka dedicated listening space). All the emotion is still there, but now you have this nagging cabinet resonance you can hear. Thanks Clayton.

[@hollowheadsrestorations]

I think there is a “listener” break-in factor with point source drivers - open baffle or otherwise. I have a set up in my home, which I hated at first, but over time, have come to love. I think Christi is right….. it’s the difference that takes adjusting to. I think mentally, the brain expects to hear something that sounds like typical box speakers, and when it doesn’t, the response is instinctively negative. But when you really take time to listen, they truly are more realistic in terms of presentation. Yes, there are reproduction limitations in terms of frequency range etc., but in terms of realistic presentation, they’re hard to beat.

[@cameronkrause4712]

I agree with you here, and I also think that the average North American consumer has been conditioned to look/listen for big bass. This big bass thing is not to my taste as I have never been interested in turning my home into a night-club.

[@goat1981]

I made DIY versions of this speaker using the F15 driver paired with the W15 woofer from Lii Audio. These are really incredible drivers and honestly the best speaker system I've heard. Thank you for the great review!

[@electricj5]

are you running the w15 with passive cross over or sub plate amp? i've been thinking about the same build. any input is welcome

[@brucestanley9656]

Back in the early 1980's I worked with Bob Carver, who then had Phase Linear, on The Andromeda lll speakers, which were these very radical open back speakers. Mated with very high current amplification, they were quite spectacular. They also came with a dual 12" subwoofer. I wish I had a pair of them now. Good times! Love your (and Kristi's) comments!

[@gbaker6478]

My first open baffle speaker was a 6 inch clarion car door speaker. I couldn't wait to hear them so I unplugged my right heresy 2 and hooked one up. When I turned the amp on I was in disbelief as to what I was hearing. It was as loud as the heresy 2 left speaker, sounded just as good, and as I tried different music I started to prefer it over the klipsch, it sounded amazing. I never forgot about that, open baffle is hands down the way to go if you have the room.

[@marksilgalis9400]

Bravo, Brava! Great review! I love that you two bring DIFFERENT stuff to the review stage. I've recently (with your help) come to a state of happy equilibrium with my system. It's doing everything I want. Are you the only reviewers that I watch? Definitely not. I have bought more stuff that you've favorably reviewed than what other reviewers have covered. Do I agree with you all the time? Of course not; but I have calibrated my taste with respect to yours. Keep on pluggin' and keep doing what you both do so well.

[@TombstoneTube]

Very clear, direct review.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Much appreciated!

[@Dmu_girl-2008]

This was really interesting as I knew nothing about open baffle speakers loved hearing both your views

[@KristiWright]

That made two of us! Thanks for watching!

[@maxpower78-15]

Very good looking design. They look high-end and almost like furniture. Very cool.

[@redbirdjazzz]

I'd love to hear your take on the more budget-friendly open baffles that Decware recommends, the Caintuck Audio model Betsy.

[@svalbard01]

Yes, 💯. Would love a review of this (especially the ALNICO)

[@rikardekvall3433]

Great vid as usually. Danny at GR does stir up some loudspeaker emotions with Christy.😉 Love your work. Open baffle are different and attractive. Just like going from a Ford Focus to the Porsche 911. Different animal.

[@realworldaudio]

They look gorgeous in your room, Andrew! Thank you for reviewing them. I agree with yours and Kristi's impressions, people either love open baffle to death (naturalness, immediacy) or they want the box sound (heavy and slow). For the readers, you will not know until you hear one. So, if you never heard OB speakers, do not judge prematurely as there's nothing in your experience basis yet to prepare you for the experience. I have not heard the Zen OB yet, but I have designed and built several OBs and these look very promising.

[@DS-wb2we]

Love these guys

[@jamesbarrick3403]

I like this. But TBH I like this more as a DIY project. These speakers are in the $3k to $5k range. You can get all of the components for very high performance for about $500 to $1000. The wood and how fancy you want to go is up to you.

[@danpangione]

I agree, the drivers are $399 each, on sale right now. The woodworking is nice on the zens but nothing too crazy. Building this enclosure seems pretty simple. Not needing a crossover is a huge plus for DIY. I think I might give it a shot!

[@jamesbarrick3403]

@@danpangione link for drivers please?

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

James, the link we provided in the description will take you to all the info you're after including the plans to build the speaker yourself.

[@el34glo59]

U can make them. But to make them look good, you need to spend more than 500-1000. They're cool tho

[@AALavdas]

@@danpangione They are actually 399 per pair

[@cameronkrause4712]

BTW Christi, I thought it was rather cool of Andrew to send out 2 pair of speakers when you had your little contest the other day. And, he did it without a grudging face like some other people might have done. The reason that I bugged you a little bit about the North America/ USA thing is because when Andrew initially announced it as North America wide, I nearly jumped for joy, as I have been encouraging that kind of thing for the passed decade. I'm a big believer in Canada and the USA working together towards common interests in manufacturing and commerce. Sadly, in some ways both of our countries sold out our manufacturers and retailers to Asian interests. It would be nice if both of our countries could find our way back to the same page and work together. So, you may ask what does this have to do with Andrew? Maybe not a lot, but I welcome the change in perception no matter where it comes from, Your channel is great, and it brings us lots of satisfaction up here in the frozen North. Thanks.

[@grey5626]

@Cameron Krause: ooph, bridging the divide between Canada and the USA is a challenge. We both have one of the same abusive parents. The difference is, Americans told England to get bent, Canada is still part of the Commonwealth. Americans, unfortunately, still have the legacy of slavery as brought to the Americas by Spanish and British imperial colonists. The 13th Amendment has a deliberate loophole which explicitly sanctions slavery for convicts, which is why the USA still has the world's largest prison population. Meanwhile, has Canada done much to really help Americans? Sorry, I don't consider lining your coffers by selling contraband to your Southern neighbors to be very kind. No, I don't just mean alcohol during prohibition either, most Cuban cigars, are also imported to the USA via Canada. In other words, it's awfully predatory profiteering, not the sort of thing to engender much good will. If you leave the Commonwealth (which I would imagine would be easier in.a post-Brexit UK where Prince Andrew is a pretty concretely established pedophile with various eyewitness accounts), and stop poking fun at Americans for still using Imperial units (at least in my public schools in America, we also learned the metric system) and basically treated us as survivors of an abusive empire, maybe, I could see us coming to some sort of accord. I don't see that happening though. Canadians seem more than happy to remain part of the Commonwealth, and as much as I can laugh at "Canada for President" videos, I can't, in all honesty, see much good coming from a country which seems to treat its Indigenous tribes with even less respect than Americans, which is saying something. I really enjoy visiting Canada. I even attempted to convince my ex-wife to move to Vancouver, unsuccessfully. I fear there are some bridges which are too great to cross. At least your CSE seems less heinous than the GCHQ folks with whom I've crossed paths, but that isn't saying a whole lot. We may all be in America, but that doesn't mean that we are likely to share much in common with each other, just visit Mexico for a while to get an idea of how vastly different cultures and imperial legacies are if you think Americans are alike.

[@RichardDurishin]

I have been waiting for this. Excellent review. I hope you can get a pair of the Spatial Audio Lab's X5 to test. I think that is where I am headed.

[@chutgowdingo-loon3212]

Some 12 or so years ago I had the opportunity to listen to a pair of Jamo Reference R909 open baffle speakers at a friends high end audio store in Perth, Australia. This was an expensive ($12,000 AUD a pair) and large speaker, standing more than 50 inches tall - a 3 way design with dual 15 inch woofers,. All I will say is, that was an audio experience I wll never forget. Unfortunately the Jamo of old is long gone - the Jamo of today is not even a shadow of what it used to be.

[@steverees1936]

I really love the look of these speakers and yes I would add two REL subs to make up for the lack of low frequencies. They would be so fitting in my living room, but need to be finished in dark Oak or Walnut so they would be pleasing to the wife 😁

[@phitchr]

Great review!

[@marksweeney7327]

Great video. A real education on open baffle speakers.

[@ABC-rh7zc]

This was an atypical starting point for open baffle speakers. There are plenty with 2-way or 3-way configurations which don't have the high frequency issue of this speaker. There are also some which extend down to 30Hz or lower.

[@NakeanWickliff]

I had these speakers in a smaller baffle. The craziest imaging I have EVER heard. Had them paired with dual ultimax 18 sealed subs that were time aligned at the crossover and also eq’d both sub and speaker (these are NOT FLAT and DO NOT EXTEND ABOVE 14K!!) the lack of extension never bothered me. Love that he compared them to, quiet literally, the most boxy, resonance prone, “modern” speaker he could have!! Haha. I had OG Heresy to compare these to and couldn’t I hear the box afterward. Unless you’re measuring and time aligning your subs, they’re gonna sound “slow” and they won’t be integrated properly. Last but not least, these are HEAD IN A VICE SPEAKERS!!! If you move at all the tone completely changes. Single driver that large starts to beam quite low in frequencies. I Loved them when I had them. Wish I had them back to play with different baffles.

[@robertmitchell87]

Unusual and very cool speakers

[@jeb419]

Such a great review, I mean the way you reviewed these, as usual. Very clearly describing all the aspects of the speaker one would want to know about.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you so much!

[@jeb419]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews also, added my reply before Kristi’a thoughts, and I think her input was excellent. I know the feeling of being “not so impressed” at first by these type of “audiophile midrange clarity” type of speakers. I think the average listener in my home is more like her when I play them some of my “audiophile midrange grail” type of speakers. Then my other system will be something more modern with deeper bass and shimmering highs and my non audiophile guests always seem to prefer those. Also relate to what she said about going from open baffle to boxed speakers so I get that there is a bit difference is interesting and there seems to be something pleasing about open baffle (maybe not for home theater). Anyway, sorry for the long reply but keep up the good work!

[@DaleCrommie]

I have been entrenched in box speakers, for fifty years. It has taken 10 years of playing with the concept. Small, 8 inch, full range speakers sounded so thin and vapid. Then came Lii Audio and the LF-15. With a well braced 2’ by 3 ft piece of MDF, the Lii are full of the good stuff. Bass is satisfying, but the Continuity of a guitar playing is amazing. You can see and feel the guitar playing in a whole state. You don’t just hear the notes from the front of the speakers, but you feel it from the back radiation. Took me awhile, but I am selling off all of my boxes. I am most interested in soundstage, and the Lii does it. So crazy simple, too.

[@SeanOHanlon]

I'm definitely one of those people who has been spoiled by the OB experience. IMHO they literally unlock and open up recordings in a way that no other speaker design does.

[@contemporaryhomeaudio]

I'm a fairly handy carpenter. I recently built a pair of cabinets for a friend that has a couple of sets of 8" full range drivers. Among our regular Sunday morning audiophile get together we're mostly astonished at what comes out of a single driver. Having no crossover electronics in the single path is audible. There's an ease at which the speaker emits sound. I'm going to do a pair of 12" or 15" for myself. I already use two subs each with two drivers, one firing upwards into the box, the other forward firing. I've got bass handled. Now you have me thinking open baffle. I'd be curious to see how a commercially available pair of open baffle speakers like the Decware compare to what's available in the DYI market. A truly great pair of 12"-15" drivers retail for $450-$695. I build things from wood, I don't see $3400 speakers when I look at the Decware Zen Master.

[@harryme472]

" I don't see $3400 speakers when I look at the Decware Zen Master ". ` Nuff said.

[@TheMirolab]

I'm thinking the same thing.... I could buy the drivers and build that myself....... I just might!

[@erics.4113]

Very cool kit! Glad to get exposure to such specialty gear.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Reinbry78]

Thanks for doing this. Been super interested in these!! Or at least lesser versions of these 😀

[@hayb2007]

By lesser do you mean Caintuck?

[@Nevin_Tom_Philip]

Hey Andrew I have a question. The dialogue level varies from movies to movies right. So do you increase or decrease the center channel level .And if you do how much db is the max or min you adjust.

[@ElCidPhysics90]

So do these sound good because of the open baffle design or the drivers? How would these sound if you added a tweeter?

[@dougg1075]

Super cool looking.

[@craigosterberg5045]

Thanks for the video

[@robertwang7825]

These speakers are made by a Chinese company - Lii Audio , they have 8 inch and 10 inch drivers for smaller rooms. They also have the Leonidas range which is a 2 spkr open baffle for bigger rooms. Their silver range drivers are suppose to be the top of the line. You can even purchase just the drivers for your DIY project.

[@commane21]

Got the Spatial X5’s in the house. Also sensitive to placement. But with a powered sub, it has more lower freq. likely than the Decware.

[@FireTriode]

Bravo! You two never fail to impress with your content and choice of components to review. I've been a proponent of full- range single- driver speakers and single- ended tube amps for quite some time now. I've had *years* of experience with planar- magnetics, electrostatics and multi- driver speakers utilizing every configuration under the sun... and *nothing* has touched my soul like an SET/ FRSD system. 🔊 😃

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Appreciate that Cory! Also, thanks for sharing what's worked or works for you.

[@FireTriode]

@@andrewrobinsonreviews, Thanks for the review! I'd *really* love to hear your impression of the Hornshoppe speakers with a good sub (or 2).

[@maxpower78-15]

Must admit. Love the look of these speakers. Unconventional looking and unique.

[@andersnus]

Great show today!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you so much.

[@andersnus]

Love your content and I really enjoy the way it's evolved, though I do miss the record store videos too! Hopefully that can happen again from time to time. Cheers to you two!

[@Staybrown11]

Great great review Kristi, and the other guy “Andrew” 😂😂😂….hopefully Ron from cheap audio records sends a pair of his favorite open baffle speakers…you two would do a dope review…

[@steven_fox]

Great review to explore a newer segment for you guys! I’ve been curious about these speakers for a while. Now if you can only get your hands on some Spatial X3’s or X5’s to compare. Open baffle + powered sub + air motion tweeter - sounds like your perfect combo for your tastes!

[@kenpendergrass6400]

I’ve been using my Zens for 16 months. I Love them for the reasons you mentioned. It took me months to get them positioned in a very awkward small room but once I got them figured out wow. And I find a 100 hour or more burn in. One day I sat down and the whole system opens or opened. Way past what I already thought was a fantastic system. I use a NAD M10. Which I also love and is a good pairing for the Zens. I’m delighted to have my opinion confirmed by you. I think the only subwoofer that might be fast enough would be a servo subwoofer, see G R Research. The Zen is easy to DIY. And Decware is a good source of information. He even sells plans. There are two things or aspects of the Zen design I’ve seen people miss. The baffle must be thick dense wood and curved sides. And the base must be heavy. I will have to try the angle stick. I say there is not a sweet spot. And for me they do disappear if I can calm and slow my brain, dim the lights, lean back and close my eyes. Warmly Ken

[@blackliquid7743]

I would like to see a review of the Spacial Audio X5. I enjoy your channel! 😀 subscribed

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

I would like to see that review too!

[@dextercool]

Fascinating. Waiting on your review for the Lintons :) And if you could compare them with the Magnats - that would be sweet!

[@chrispicquet733]

I Love It!!!! All the speakers I upgraded and built from scratch,I tested every driver in Free Air. I have Klipsch' Belles that I upgraded with *****.sorry,my secret.but I love open baffled speakers.i have a pair of Electrovoice TRX 15 tri-axles that are unbelievable in open baffled configuration!!!

[@abdo-dr1tu]

Open baffle speakers are different in two ways: 1) they're anti-modal, which in a nutshell means that for good bass you need to put them exactly where you would NOT put a subwoofer in a room. this is great as this lines up with the location for good stereo imaging (away from the walls and corners, closer to the center of the room). 2) they really reduce very early reflections, and increase late reflections. this means there is less coloration by the room and a bigger feeling of spaciousness and envelopment. I would really love for you to build or buy the LX521, it's really the epitome of dipole / open baffle design and an end game for many. the drawbacks like you mentioned are that they need a big room and they need a lot of space away from the boundaries.

[@honestlyforreal6304]

I love the mechanical transparency

[@JEG6919]

These look way cool!

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

They are gorgeous in person. I was really worried their real beauty wouldn't come through in video, but I think they're well represented here.

[@Chemist1076]

This is my experience as well with OB. Bass and drums sound real and present in the room

[@mikerichardson60]

I love Maggies and my Vandersteens. Once you fall in love with open baffle you don't go back. You need to spend time with proper positioning but it's worth the effort.

[@esolo4751]

Gr can't change it? Danny- hold my tube connector.

[@AudiophileToday]

I'd be very interested to hear your comparison of the Zen Master vs. the Li Song S10 that I believe you reviewed as well. I've been having an itch for a flea-watt Class A SET for a while, but as you know, that really comes down to the speaker.

[@edwardguerrero423]

Thank you, Andrew, for this informative, objective review and your attention to the details. Most of your observations apply to the Caintuck Betsy Baffles I own with the Wild Burro ALNICO drivers. Both DECWARE and Caintuck have added Lii Audio Silver speaker drivers as an option, and Steve has posted highly complimentary comments on his forum about their Silver-10 full range tower speaker. I would sincerely appreciate seeing your impressions of that model if possible. Kind regards!

[@geevee1045]

I really enjoy both your reviews. Honest, open opinions are so refreshing for a change. The idea that a boxless speaker wakes you up to the colored sound of your favorite speakers, for the 1st time, is fascinating. Regarding tube amps, I know it's a step down from your Zen tube amp but any chance of reviewing the Reisong A10 tube amp. Would love to hear your opinion on this cheapie.

[@robertwebster8615]

I love the CURLY CHERRY 9 $3834/pr... Great looking wood! :)

[@TexasCorgiGun]

Kristi's joke was hilarious 😂😂😂

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

She's funny!

[@johnr5847]

Andrew, what speakers do you like best with your decware amp and why?

[@IsaacChew]

I bought a pair of Lii Audio f15 in open baffle. Driven by an 8W 300B tube amp. The sound is dynamic, transparent. The tone is natural and thus very life-like. The sound presentation is big, i dun find them hard in placement. It is easy to make them sound good. They easily beat my box speakers.

[@IsaacChew]

Actually Andrew’s descriptor on the speaker is very very accurate. I may be more easy going when it comes to soundstage. Btw, I use a Rythmik servo 12 inch active speaker w the OB speakers. The soundscape is so wide. What a different presentation! The music come to you in waves in a gentler way that is more akin to real sound.

[@sugarland24]

The drivers can be purchased for about $400.00 a pair + shipping. If you are good with woodworking this could be a fun project.

[@estoylisto]

Or even if you are good at resourcing.. you can get your wood cut by CNC to the design of your taste for a way cheaper 😏

[@penangtv6108]

Are those alnico magnets? 👍

[@jumpman83]

And the baffle plans are available for purchase from Decware as well.

[@ronniecramer1252]

I just ordered a pair last week. They were $400 plus $48.00 for shipping for the pair.

[@stephenbrockway5899]

@@penangtv6108 They are not Alnico magnets. I have made that suggestion to their design team.

[@leoconalty9983]

Oh! I reckon GR research will indeed have a solution for for an upgrade and I bet it'll be to do with reducing the 'wall sized' front baffle. Enjoyed the review, as always.

[@mw4609]

So glad you're venturing into non-box speakers! Those Zen speakers will not disappear, and one look at them indicates why - those giant baffles - also why turning your head changes the sound and placement is critical (not so with LXmini). You're correct that a typical premanufactured sub won't sound great (because the cabinet pressure of sealed/ported slows cone movement). You'll want open-baffle subs to match the articulation of no-baffle/open-baffle speakers (simple DSP time delay won't fix it - maybe could get by with phase alignment by room correction software). Zen needs to be pulled out into the room, yes that is a trait of large cone area open-baffle designs (again, not so with LXmini), and anyone can see why by looking at the design. Zen did right with no crossover (the best crossover is no crossover, just like the best cable is no cable) and attempting to cover freq. range with one driver - I applaud that endeavor!. Zen went wrong with that large baffle, which was needed to get bass down to 50Hz with OB design, and wrong by trying to create great high freq. with a large driver - they would need a coincident tweeter design for that. Zen succeeded in a very simple single-driver crossoverless high-efficiency design on a single baffle - that should be fairly inexpensive.

[@APT79]

I appreciate you reviewing this sort of esoteric gear that you don't tend to see in most setup's.

[@andrewrobinsonreviews]

Thank you so much, Andrew! We appreciate you watching.

[@petermailloux]

Great review. Makes me want to hear a pair of open baffle speakers. Please review the Ohm Walsh speakers. I’d love to get your take on semi omni directional speakers. Especially for home theater with a phantom center channel. I hear you don’t need one because of the huge sweet spot they make, but I’m skeptical. I do love that they are an American company and made right here in the USA in Brooklyn NY. Thanks!

[@MAELOB]

Spatial next right?

[@neumeisteranimalhospital2627]

Let's hope so, but maybe New Record Day guy is the only one who gets Spatials to review.

[@dougg1075]

Beautiful speakers

[@wesmiddaugh230]

My son and I went to one of the Burning Amp shows in Saulsito Ca. Got to meet one of the really great people in audio, Nelson Pass. They had a pair of full range open baffle speakers there and with Japanese drivers, dont remember the name, that cost $40,000 a pair where played. My son commented that they were the best reproduction he had every heard. Nelson then hooked up a pair of i think 1w light bulb amps, he apologized because he had put them together the night before. He was funny he was so willing to help anyone there and his light bulb amps were ok. My main speakers are Audio Concepts Orchids, Dynaudio drivers, transmission line and time aligned from the 80s. 50Hz played well is amazing...Les Paul mono is in my room. Thank you for the review.

[@josecintron85]

Although I love Andrew's geek review, my favorite part of the reviews is Kristi's reviews.

[@KristiWright]

Well, I really appreciate that you watch to the end! My part is the easy part. Andrew does all the hard work!

[@petermailloux]

I agree. I always watch to the end to catch their back and forth convo.

[@xilebat]

Loving the left field speaker choices…

[@mw4609]

Most box speakers are a waste raw materials - when you hear good examples there is no going back for critical music listening. OB isn't left field, it is (with some exceptions) the entire field - most everything else is not even in the ballpark.

[@el34glo59]

I like decwares stuff. Those errx the have are awesome for tough rooms and holographic imaging

[@edjackson4389]

The accuracy of the bass is what I love. Box speakers never sound quite the same after hearing open baffle bass. Two 15" drivers per side is better for a full low end.

[@maxpower78-15]

And now for something completely different.. cool stuff

[@johnnixon2504]

I have really noticed what I like to call “brain break in” when I go from a planar headphone (audeze or Dan Clark) to dynamic headphones (sennheiser)

[@stevewright1539]

Don' t think that C700 mention (and shot) went by unnoticed. Looking forward to that review. Greatly!

[@glenncurry3041]

As a long time Maggie owner and lover (yes lots of power! and extremely position sensitive) I find the difference to be the very core design application. I treat my 1.7is as drivers. The room is the cabinet. Regular boxes are intended to be self contained and project sound. Open Baffles fill the room with sound energy by moving the air inside the room.