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Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Magazine reviewers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below.
Product Strengths
- Exceptional clarity and bass response creates a dynamic listening experience
- Alta Audio's proprietary DampHard construction results in a clean and silent background, ensuring fine musical details are evident
- Designed to replicate live music events with a natural sound, using drivers that sing in flawless harmony together
- A ribbon tweeter uncovers very fine and musically significant detail in recorded music, surpassing dome tweeters in resolution
- A true full-range speaker offers deep, powerful, and accurate bass response due to Alta Audio's XTL (Extended Transmission Line) bass tuning system
Product Considerations
- Positioning the speakers is important to optimize bass response and soundstage
- Bass performance might be limited by the 6-inch woofer at high volume levels in larger rooms
- Poorer recordings can be disappointing to listen to due to the speaker's revealing nature
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Celesta offers more bass authority and approaches the Raidho D1's layering and timbral quality
- Celesta rivals the Magico S1 MkII in midrange quality, resolution, and linearity, its ribbon tweeter offers even greater resolution than the Magico beryllium tweeter
Takeaway: The Celesta FRM-2/FRM-2M is a high-end loudspeaker with a natural sound that lets listeners hear all the details in their music. If you want a speaker that sounds like live music, the Celesta could be a great choice.
Compared to their other products
We think it's helpful to understand how this product fits into the brand's full lineup (below). To learn more about these products, visit the brand's page.
Alyssa Speakers
- Positioning: The compact loudspeaker offering, designed to deliver the performance of larger floor-standing speakers in a smaller form factor.
- Description: Produces deep, natural bass and intimate detail, making them ideal for small to medium-sized rooms. Features a ribbon tweeter and a proprietary midrange/woofer with a titanium former, which provides smoother dynamics and exceptional power handling compared to the Alec and Adam models.
Alec Speakers
- Positioning: A two-way floor-standing model positioned as a compact yet powerful option in Alta Audio's lineup.
- Description: Known for their natural and sonically accurate imaging, using a neodymium magnet ribbon tweeter and an 8.75" woofer, offering infrasonic bass and refined cohesion, distinguishing them from the Alyssa's more compact design and the Adam's three-way configuration.
Adam Speakers
- Positioning: A three-way floor-standing tower, offering a blend of style and performance in Alta Audio's lineup.
- Description: Excels in clarity and dynamics, with a 3rd generation ribbon tweeter and a wide-band midrange for low distortion and fast transient response. They are suitable for larger rooms, setting them apart from the Alec's two-way design and the Celesta's focus on smaller spaces.
Celesta FRM-2M Speaker
- Positioning: A full-range monitor speaker designed for audiophile-grade sound in smaller spaces.
- Description: Celebrated for its room-filling sound and advanced engineering, including silver foil capacitors and Litz wire inductors for remarkable clarity. It offers a more compact alternative to the Adam and Reference Tower models.
Reference Tower Speakers
- Positioning: Alta Audio's flagship model, representing the pinnacle of their design and sonic capabilities.
- Description: Features 11 drivers in a Dual Plane Mirror Imaging configuration, providing a nearly perfect impulse response and extended bass. They are best suited for large spaces and audiophiles seeking the ultimate in sound accuracy and aesthetic beauty, surpassing the capabilities of the Celesta and Aphrodite models.
Aphrodite Speakers
- Positioning: A state-of-the-art system named after the Greek goddess of love, offering a high-end listening experience.
- Description: Engineered with titanium formers and carbon fiber composite cones for linear response and excellent dispersion. They can accommodate larger size and higher power requirements, distinguishing them from the more compact Alyssa and Celesta models.
Read the reviews
Celesta FRM-2M
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Manufacturer's notes
- Sensitivity: 87.5db / 2.83 Volts @ 1 Meter
- Impedance: 4 Ohms
- Height: 17 inches including spikes (16.5 inches without spikes)
- Width: 10.75 inches (widest point)
- Frequency Response: 29Hz to 47kHz
- Power Requirements: 50 to 200 Watts
- Depth: 15.5 inches (widest point)
- Weight: 55lbs
Our take on the brand
Used
Alta Audio
What if you spend a bit more?
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Powerful and deep bass response for its size
- Clear and natural sound reproduction, with vocals being particularly noteworthy
- An 'all-in-two' system, the RIALTO includes a streamer, DAC, pre-amp, and amp, making it easy to set up and use, especially with the Cabasse StreamCONTROL app
- Effective room correction helps to optimize the sound for the listening environment
- Elegant design and build quality
Product Considerations
- The lack of seamless gapless playback between digital tracks requires a workaround or use of an analog source
- The RIALTO has a laid-back treble response, which may not appeal to listeners who prefer a brighter sound
- Potential for technical hiccups exists, because of the amount of technology packed into the RIALTO
- Many features are controlled with the mobile app
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The RIALTO provides a more balanced—and much more natural—listening experience than the Devialet Phantom II 98 dB Stereo
Takeaway: The Cabasse RIALTO is a compact and elegant audio system that offers powerful sound and a range of integrated features, making it a great choice for music lovers who want an easy-to-use and high-performing system. The sound quality and room correction allow it to adapt well to different listening spaces, offering an immersive experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Majestic Performance Meets Unparalleled Engineering The SuperMon Isobaric was created to bring about a revolution in the audio industry.Our latest innovation not only offers impeccable sound quality, but it combines it with a level of never-seen-before construction and engineering.The outer construction and cabinet consist of Metal, and aluminum in particular to ensure the most sophisticated sound quality possible. The large-diameter 7mm thick precision-machined aluminum front plate ensures linear frequency response and represents an extremely stable platform for the magnetic movement system inside.
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Build quality is second to none, using the best construction materials
- Very well-controlled midrange
- Excellent imaging capabilities
- All aluminum cabinets make for an impressive sight
- Good dynamic range, if given enough power to compensate for bass equalization
Product Considerations
- Depressed bass response below 100Hz, potentially requiring equalization
- Rough treble response on-axis that can be piercing with certain content, solvable by mild to no toe-in angle
- The effort involved in attaining a great sound from these speakers will inevitably be a turn-off for some people
- At 80 lbs each, users will need to be careful when handling these speakers
- The use of an isobaric design has likely caused more problems than it has solved in this instance
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The SuperMon Mini provides an incredible amount of detail to go with that superb imaging and soundstaging, while the LS3/5a has a natural tonality that's simply breathtaking
Takeaway: With EQ'd bass and correct placement, the SuperMon Isobarics can sound terrific—offering excellent soundstage and imaging. These speakers are for audio lovers to proudly display and will likely be the subject of conversation.
Video review
Our take on the brand
When Crystal Cable launched the original, glass cabinet Arabesque in 2009, the audio world was stunned by the performance of a speaker that sounded as clean and clear as it looked. The Arabesque shape of this groundbreaking loudspeaker was developed to prevent resonance and standing waves and to eliminate parallel walls and common dimensions, resulting in natural resonant decay without resorting to damping materials. This unique design and technology was then further perfected in the following Arabesque speaker models: the Arabesque Mini, the Arabesque III and the Minissimo.
Now, the new Minissimo Forte takes things to an even higher level. Crystal Cable's goal was to further refine the performance possible from a standmount loudspeaker, while maintaining its predecessor's beauty and compactness. An advanced new passive-active crossover has been added, alongside special fully balanced filter technology. Our unique MAD™ (Multiple Absorption and Dispersion) system and the new stable and decoupled stand further reduce cavity resonances, and improve sound quality. Together, this series of engineering improvements delivers superb sonic performance.
Development
With so much of the design right first time, the original Minissimo stand mount loudspeaker was a hard act to follow. So our engineers thoroughly analyzed the behavior of the loudspeaker using tools like COMSOL™ Multiphysics computer aided design facilities and our custom-made vibration measurement system. The decision was then taken to focus in on three specific areas where further improvements could be achieved, namely the speaker cabinet, stand assembly and crossover.
Developing the cabinet
One key design aim was to take the Minissimo's cabinet and support stand out of the equation, making them as acoustically inert as possible. This was done by identifying and then eliminating all vibration paths inside the speaker, by the fitment of a special layer of internal resonance-reducing material. This is unique in the field of loudspeaker design, and has further lowered cabinet noise as well as preventing extraneous vibrations between cabinet and stand.
Developing the crossover
For the 'passive-active' crossover design, our engineers benefited greatly from the spectacular results achieved while designing the Symphony loudspeaker of sister-brand Siltech, with which Crystal Cable shares all resources and production facilities. Most loudspeakers employ a passive separation filter using coils to provide the drivers with the correct signal, but this can cause non-linearity and dynamic compression of the signal. The passive-active filter used in Minissimo Forte eliminates these limitations by using frequency dependent components, which allows for much greater control of the sound, higher resolution of details in the music, and increases the dynamic range.
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- The Minissimo Forte creates a palpably dimensional and believable representation of musical sounds, offering the most believable representation of a musical sound through a stereo system
- It communicates the dynamic life of music exceptionally well at lower playback levels
- Incredible resolution and coloration-free tonality
- The speakers play organically with excellent timbre, detail, and incredible soundstage
Product Considerations
- The owner's manual lacks detailed setup instructions regarding channel configuration
- Positioning the right and left speakers with the 'fat' part of the apostrophe on the outside results in a reduction in the seamlessness of the soundstage
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to Harbeth, the Crystal Cable speakers possessed a skill—allowing even better insight into the recording
- Compared to BBC LS3/5a loudspeakers, the Minissimo Forte goes a step, or two, further in transparency
Takeaway: The Crystal Cable Minissimo Forte loudspeaker is excellent for audiophiles who want a high level of realism. These speakers are especially good in small and medium spaces with high-end electronics.
Video review
Our take on the brand
What else competes at this price?
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Solid bass performance for a speaker of its size
- Able to do justice to any genre of music and at realistic volume levels
- Very easy to drive
- Offers a balanced presentation from top to bottom with seamlessness between the woofer and tweeter
- Started sounding like far more than a pair of 8″ two-way monitors when properly positioned along the side walls
Product Considerations
- Achieving the best imaging and deep bass may require experimenting with toe-in and distance from corners and the back wall
- Does not provide much forward/backward information, with the image typically stopping at the outer edge of the speakers
- The basic 'D' model comes only in black ash veneer, while higher-end models offer more choices
- Bass can be overblown if not adjusted properly in room placement
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The AN-E has more bass, is easier to drive, and has a bigger presentation
- Some may prefer the J because they find it a more taught presentation in the mid bass, as well as more "present" in the voice band
Takeaway:
The AN-J is a near full-range loudspeaker capable of articulation and organic flow, making music sound natural and engaging. If someone is looking for a communicative quality that remains consistent wherever they listen, then the AN-J could be a good fit.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Balanced, refined, and musical performance
- Fine stereo imaging and a wide—beautifully focused—soundstage
- Impressive bass power and authority for a standmount speaker
- Excellent build quality and finish
- Uni-Q driver produces a consistent dispersion pattern
Product Considerations
- Demands an amplifier with plenty of power due to its low sensitivity (85dB/W/m) and 4 Ohm impedance (minimum 3.2 Ohms)
- Dedicated stands are expensive (S-RF1)
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4: Sounds larger-scale, more muscular, and punchy
Takeaway: The KEF Reference 1 Meta is a superb speaker combining excellent sound with clever engineering, well suited for audiophiles looking for a high-quality listening experience. It delivers an immersive and detailed soundstage.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Adept at handling complex compositions and uncovering the finest sonic detail without losing track of the musical picture as a whole
- Gets listeners closer than ever to the artist's intent
- Excellent sense of detail, of boundaries naturally drawn
- High-frequencies sound realistic and natural
Product Considerations
- Low frequencies were somewhat lightweight
- With such a tipped-up tweeter, the resulting sound could be too bright
- Due to a lack of boundary reinforcement, Bowers & Wilkins speakers with top-mounted tweeters always drop off below around 5kHz
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Versus Magico A1, Magico A1 aim for pure neutrality
- Versus Dynaudio Confidence 20, Dynaudio Confidence 20 is for listeners who just want to enjoy their music
Takeaway: The 805 D4 makes music sound very realistic and clear, almost as if you are there. It can make a small room feel big with its sound.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Features a 1-inch pure beryllium inverted dome tweeter that rests inside its own chamber, which acts as a tuned resonator, and helps give the speaker its iconic profile
- The cabinet's shape helps to mechanically time-align the two drivers and optimize the phase between them
- Bass is firm, free of any distortion or boominess, and agile when driven correctly with a capable amplifier
- The speaker is neutral throughout the midrange, and clear, focused, and detailed
- Transparency to the music and resulting 3-dimensional soundstage that is boundary-defying in almost all directions, with dynamics close second only to the La Scala
Product Considerations
- For true full-range playback, a subwoofer is required
- The beryllium tweeter has the ability to showcase the flaws in poor recordings
- Sound improves the more upmarket the accompanying equipment is
- Amplification pairing is vital and can drastically change the sound
- Placement of these speakers in different spots in the room changed the sound drastically
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The Diablo's have more detail on tap but remain smooth and realistic, with the midrange being leaner but cleaner than the Fleetwood Deville SQ
- The Diablo will offer everything the Sonus Faber Sopra 1 does—and even more
Takeaway: The Focal Diablo Utopia Color Evo speakers are transparent and reveal details in music with incredible imaging, making for a fun listening experience. To hear all the nuances in music, these speakers could be a great choice.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Fantastic, clean, and clear orchestration, with no sibilance, and no hot top end
- Spectacular imaging and soundstage, very detailed, but buttery smooth; vocals are reproduced very well and are right where they need to be
- The Guarneri G5 delivers vocals with a richness and body that ensures they grab and hold attention without sounding enhanced or cartoonish
- Well-proportioned and packed with pleasing details; the metal sections joining the more traditional wood and leather are nice
Product Considerations
- Bass didn't go very far and was disappointing; low-end extension was lacking; a subwoofer may be needed to complete the experience
- The Sonus Faber Guarneri G5 is somewhat restrained at quieter listening levels; some of the scale and three-dimensionality is less apparent and can lack a little excitement
- The Guarneri G5 needs a reasonable amount of power to do its best work
- The Guarneri G5 stand is pricey
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Guarneri Tradition: The mid-range of the G5 was more lush and the mid/treble transition smoother and more natural, and the bass delivery of the new Guarneris was noticeably more tuneful and better defined
- Vs Wilson: The Wilson is clinical in a good way; the Sonus Fabers are buttery smooth
Takeaway: The Guarneri is a beautiful speaker that brings joy by making everything sound more beautiful, especially vocals and violins, with a buttery smooth sound. If you love music, this speaker is worth considering, especially if you listen at healthy levels in a smaller room.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Magazine reviewers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below.
Product Strengths
- Exceptional clarity and bass response creates a dynamic listening experience
- Alta Audio's proprietary DampHard construction results in a clean and silent background, ensuring fine musical details are evident
- Designed to replicate live music events with a natural sound, using drivers that sing in flawless harmony together
- A ribbon tweeter uncovers very fine and musically significant detail in recorded music, surpassing dome tweeters in resolution
- A true full-range speaker offers deep, powerful, and accurate bass response due to Alta Audio's XTL (Extended Transmission Line) bass tuning system
Product Considerations
- Positioning the speakers is important to optimize bass response and soundstage
- Bass performance might be limited by the 6-inch woofer at high volume levels in larger rooms
- Poorer recordings can be disappointing to listen to due to the speaker's revealing nature
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Celesta offers more bass authority and approaches the Raidho D1's layering and timbral quality
- Celesta rivals the Magico S1 MkII in midrange quality, resolution, and linearity, its ribbon tweeter offers even greater resolution than the Magico beryllium tweeter
Takeaway: The Celesta FRM-2/FRM-2M is a high-end loudspeaker with a natural sound that lets listeners hear all the details in their music. If you want a speaker that sounds like live music, the Celesta could be a great choice.
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