Website author headshot
Cameron Oatley
ExtremeHiFi
Website author headshot
Julian Shapiro
ExtremeHiFi

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

Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.

Product Strengths

  • The Lyra delivers a horn-like visceral immediacy with stunning dynamic performance, sounding alive in a way that other speakers do not.
  • It is capable of conveying the subtlest nuance of texture and shading.
  • Noise floor and distortion are reduced to infinitesimal levels.
  • It is one of the finest full range floor standing dynamic driver loudspeakers, capable of effortless dynamics, thunderous bass, and the sweetest highs.
  • The Lyra offers the highest resolution and lowest noise floor obtainable from a dynamic driver loudspeaker, combined with unsurpassed harmonic integrity and an effortless dynamic presentation.

Product Considerations

  • At over 250 kgs each, moving these speakers is a team affair.
  • The Lyra requires very clean sources and amplification to shine and is highly revealing of upstream components.
  • Some specialized colors carry an additional charge.

Comparisons (according to reviewers)

  • Vs Wilson Audio Alexx V—The Lyra compares well and is so good that it's hard-pressed to choose one.
  • The Lyra's bass is faster, tighter, and more precise than Rockport Altair.

Takeaway: The Lyra provides an immersive and dynamic musical experience with exceptional clarity and detail. It is a great option for audiophiles who want top-tier sound and are looking for a speaker to be a final purchase.

What are hifi reviews useful for? (1) Identifying products you should demo in person at a dealer. (2) Learning which products reviewers unanimously praise as the best they've heard (this means they probably are legitimately great). (3) Identifying a product's attributes that satisfy your idiosyncratic needs and tastes. Beyond that, we often discount what reviewers say because they heap praise on most products—and are often apprehensive about publishing strong criticism or comparisons between products. Further, they seldom have more than a few products on-hand, often relying on their memories to compare past products. Always listen for yourself.

All

Lyra

reviews

[{"title":"Rockport Technologies Lyra Loudspeaker $169,500 Review","link":"https://audiophilepure.com/2017/11/12/rockport-technologies-lyra-loudspeaker-169500-review","source":"Audiophilepure","datePublished":"2017"},{"title":"Rockport Technologies Lyra Loudspeaker","link":"https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2023/6/28/rockport-technologies-lyra-loudspeaker","source":"Audiophilia","datePublished":""},{"title":"Rockport Technologies Lyra Loudspeaker","link":"https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/rockport-technologies-lyra-loudspeaker","source":"The Absolute Sound","datePublished":"2017"},{"title":"Rockport Technologies Lyra Loudspeaker $190,000 Review","link":"https://audiophilepure.com/2023/11/08/rockport-technologies-lyra-loudspeaker-190000-review","source":"Audiophilepure","datePublished":"2023"},{"title":"Why Did I Sell My Rockport Lyras So Soon?","link":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sywbqik-QTY","source":"Jay's Audio Lab","datePublished":"2024"}]
An excellent review of a great product
/
Publisher
/
3/1/2022
An excellent review of a great product
Publisher
/
3/1/2022

Manufacturer details

  • Woofers: (2) 10" carbon fiber sandwich composite
  • Midrange: (2) 6" carbon fiber sandwich composite
  • Tweeter: Waveguide mounted 1" beryllium dome
  • Height: 53.50"
  • Width: 14.10"
  • Depth: 26.50"
  • Weight: 560 lbs. each
  • Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 30 KHz, -3dB
  • Nominal Impedance: 4 ohms
  • Sensitivity: 90 dB SPL/2.83 v
  • Min. amplifier power: 30 watts
Three years of development, 30 years in the making The culmination of three decades of loudspeaker design and manufacture, the new Lyra is the quintessential expression of Rockport Technologies craftsmanship. The Lyra embodies an unsurpassed combination of refinement and authority, housed in the most technically advanced loudspeaker enclosure ever produced.
Three years of development, 30 years in the making The culmination of three decades of loudspeaker design and manufacture, the new Lyra is the quintessential expression of Rockport Technologies craftsmanship. The Lyra embodies an unsurpassed combination of refinement and authority, housed in the most technically advanced loudspeaker enclosure ever produced.

Extraordinarily complex, beautifully simple An exquisite marriage of elegant industrial design and optimized acoustic proportion, the entire enclosure for the Lyra is comprised of just two components, the outer housing and the inner housing/baffle. Each of these components is formed as a single, continuous aluminum casting which nest together to create the inner and outer shell of the composite enclosure. All of the bracing, stiffening fins, drive unit recesses, and interior volumes are an integral part of the inner housing/baffle casting, as are the series of elliptical section stiffening ribs in the outer housing.

A form that truly follows function After the incredibly complex casting process, the entire visible exterior profile of both the inner and outer housings are machined on a five axis CNC, as are all of the surfaces for mounting the drive units and other components. Because of our fabrication process, the Lyra's form is not constrained by the limitations of flat panel, sheet stock, or extrusion manufacturing me...
Manufacturer Site

Brand highlights

Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:

  • Rockport designs and manufactures the majority of their drivers in-house, allowing precise control over every aspect of their performance.
  • They are known for their cabinets' extensive use of damping and constrained layer construction techniques to minimize unwanted resonances.
  • Every Rockport loudspeaker is individually measured and fine-tuned, with crossovers being tweaked to match specific drivers ensuring consistent performance across all units.
  • The brand emphasizes that their designs deliver exceptional scale and dynamic ease, even in smaller models, offering a more significant sense of realism than expected for their size.

Atria II

  • Positioning: The entry-level high-performance speaker in Rockport's lineup.
  • Description: Features a waveguide-mounted beryllium tweeter and custom carbon fiber drivers, delivering a remarkable level of musical realism. Designed for smaller rooms but delivers a surprising scale of sound, making it a great choice for those seeking high-quality audio without the need for a large space, unlike the larger Avior II.

Avior II

  • Positioning: A mid-range model that balances size and performance in Rockport's lineup.
  • Description: Features a redesigned crossover and advanced carbon fiber drivers, providing a transparent and dynamic sound. Offers a richer sound than the Atria II.

Lynx

  • Positioning: A compact yet powerful speaker, positioned below the flagship models.
  • Description: Uses technology from the flagship Lyra, including a DAMSTIF3 enclosure and advanced driver units, offering a low noise floor and dynamic range.

Orion

  • Positioning: A high-end model, offering advanced technology and performance.
  • Description: Features a unique DAMSTIF II enclosure and custom drivers, providing exceptional dynamic contrasts and low-level detail retrieval.

Lyra

  • Positioning: The flagship model, representing the pinnacle of Rockport's speaker design.
  • Description: Features a groundbreaking DAMSTIF enclosure and a unique 3½-way driver configuration, delivering the highest resolution and lowest noise floor. It is the ultimate choice for those who desire the best in audio performance and are willing to invest in the most advanced technology Rockport offers, surpassing all other models in the lineup.
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Avg. Product Price
$100,001+
Used For Sale
4
 Available (Scroll Down)
Brand Popularity
319
 of 900+
Badges
Top 50 Brand
Top 250 Brand
Products Listed
6
Founding Year
1984

Our take on the brand

Rockport Technologies designs and builds their own custom drivers and uses triple-laminated, constrained-mode damped materials for their speaker enclosures, achieving exceptional precision and minimizing resonance. Their speakers feature ultra-high modulus carbon fiber driver cones and crossover networks that are fine-tuned to within 1% tolerance for each specific speaker, with every unit tested before leaving the factory.

Look inside the brand

Brand Page

Our interview with the brand

What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?

For us, everything comes down to three main elements: the enclosure, the drivers, and the crossover. We push each of those as far as possible.

We’re one of the few high-end companies that designs and builds our own drivers completely from scratch. That means we control every aspect of performance. Our drivers have the lowest distortion of any we know of in the loudspeaker industry. The carbon-fiber sandwich midrange and woofer cones, paired with 100% beryllium tweeters, behave like perfect pistons well beyond their operating range. The result is an incredibly clean, natural sound with no added noise or coloration.  The moving parts in our drivers are ultra-light and nearly friction-free, powered by extremely strong motor systems—similar to a lightweight sports car with immense torque. That balance allows the speaker to deliver explosive dynamics while revealing the smallest musical details, the subtle cues that make recorded music feel alive.

Each crossover is individually calibrated to the specific drivers it’s paired with. It’s the only way to ensure every pair of loudspeakers meets our reference standard within a quarter of a decibel. We’re the only company we know of that goes to that level, and it’s a big reason we build a limited number of speakers each year.

Finally, our DAMSTIF™ enclosure designs are without question the stiffest, most massive, and well-damped in the world. They’re so inert that they contribute nothing to the sound, no matter the frequency or volume. This total absence of cabinet coloration results in extraordinary clarity across the entire frequency range, along with the blackest possible background.

In the end, all that engineering comes down to one goal: getting out of the way of the music. The less the speaker adds, the more you hear exactly what the artist intended.

What's your approach to customer support?

All of our speakers are designed to be easily serviced in the field. If there’s ever an issue, such as a blown driver or a system mishap, we can usually work with the customer’s local dealer to take care of it right at home. It’s rare that anything needs to come back to us for repair.

We take a lot of pride in the fact that we can service every single speaker we’ve ever built in our 35-plus-year history. We’ve never left a customer without support. We keep a deep inventory of parts and can bring any Rockport back to its original performance.

That kind of long-term commitment has always been part of who we are. We think of our products as once-in-a-lifetime purchases—built to last, to be cherished, and eventually passed down to the next generation.

What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?

That’s always changing, but lately we’ve been spinning:

• “Ta Confiance” – Kham Meslien

• “Antigravity” – Sohn

• “Whiskey and You” – Chris Stapleton

Each track brings out something different. Kham Meslien’s music has this deep, organic tone and sense of space. Sohn’s production pushes a system’s layering and control. And Chris Stapleton’s voice cuts straight to the heart. When a system gets all of that right, you stop thinking about sound and just get lost in the performance.

What other products pair best with yours?

We design our speakers to work beautifully with a wide range of electronics and test them with many different systems to be sure. Right now, that includes equipment from AudioQuest, CH Precision, D’Agostino, dCS, Doshi, Gryphon, HRS, Shunyata Research, Soulution, and Transparent Audio.

All of these companies share a similar mindset: total dedication to performance and musical honesty. When you combine components built with that kind of care, the whole system disappears—and the music takes over.

From our interview with
Jon Zimmer
.
Brand Page

What if you spend more?

No items found.

What competes at this price?

YG Acoustics
Sonja 3.2
161825
/
Released
2023
Sonja 3.2 is a true, reference loudspeaker, delivering the life-like, natural sound which is the hallmark of YG. Capable delicate holographic imaging while still recreating concert scale audio, it is one of the very best loudspeakers in the world.
Check Amazon
YG Acoustics makes speakers with unique DualCoherent crossover technology that ensures both perfect frequency response and phase coherence, while their BilletCore drivers are machined from solid aluminum billets for enhanced precision. Their modular design allows users to upgrade and expand their systems over time, and they use proprietary software that optimizes both frequency and phase response, capabilities not commonly found in other hifi brands.
Expand Details

Our Summary

Product Strengths

  • Exceptional build quality using aerospace-grade aluminum
  • Creates a holographic soundstage
  • Delivers every genre with exceptional clarity and authority
  • The design strives to editorialize the signal as little as possible, letting the music flow

Product Considerations

  • Substantial investment required
  • Considerable weight—145kg per speaker
  • Demands thoughtful amplifier matching, requiring a lot of power to shine
  • Requires optimal room placement

Takeaway: The YG Acoustics Reference Sonja 3.2 speakers are a masterpiece of acoustic engineering, providing a realistic, precise, and effortless sound experience. If one wants to hear their favorite music at its best, these speakers could be worth the investment.

Video review

Our take on the brand

YG Acoustics makes speakers with unique DualCoherent crossover technology that ensures both perfect frequency response and phase coherence, while their BilletCore drivers are machined from solid aluminum billets for enhanced precision. Their modular design allows users to upgrade and expand their systems over time, and they use proprietary software that optimizes both frequency and phase response, capabilities not commonly found in other hifi brands.
Website author headshot
Julian Shapiro
ExtremeHiFi Writer
Product Page
Product Page
Aries Cerat
Aurora
105000
/
Released
2022
The Aurora is our newest speaker design, carrying some trickle down technology from our top model the Contendo, as well as some newly developed technologies
Check Amazon
Aries Cerat is a hifi brand known for its use of oversized components and TriodeFet technology, which combines tube and solid-state designs to create a distinctive sound signature. Their products, including the Kassandra DAC and Symphonia horn speakers, are built with massive power handling capabilities and carefully selected drivers to deliver a muscular, dynamic sound that rivals top analogue systems.
Expand Details

Our Summary

Product Strengths

  • Surprisingly free of horn colorations
  • Very rich, present, and neutrally balanced

Product Considerations

  • The reviewer was sitting too close to hear them at their best in the small room
  • Looking a bit like something the Borg might have invented

Takeaway: The Aries Cerat Aurora Reference is a unique, horn-loaded speaker that sounds surprisingly good. They were considered the most interesting and novel new speaker at the show.

Video review

Our take on the brand

Aries Cerat is a hifi brand known for its use of oversized components and TriodeFet technology, which combines tube and solid-state designs to create a distinctive sound signature. Their products, including the Kassandra DAC and Symphonia horn speakers, are built with massive power handling capabilities and carefully selected drivers to deliver a muscular, dynamic sound that rivals top analogue systems.
Website author headshot
Julian Shapiro
ExtremeHiFi Writer
Product Page
Product Page
YG Acoustics
XX
225800
/
Released
2024
Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of YG Acoustics, XX 3 is a unique product: an ultimate performance loudspeaker that will redefine what you think is possible. Benefitting from the latest in driver and crossover technology, it offers the highest possible sound quality from a single tower design. It is an acoustic, scientific and engineering marvel.
Check Amazon
YG Acoustics makes speakers with unique DualCoherent crossover technology that ensures both perfect frequency response and phase coherence, while their BilletCore drivers are machined from solid aluminum billets for enhanced precision. Their modular design allows users to upgrade and expand their systems over time, and they use proprietary software that optimizes both frequency and phase response, capabilities not commonly found in other hifi brands.
Expand Details

Our Summary

Product Strengths

  • Exceptional build quality
  • Incredible bass
  • Product is not an inferior DAC to Gordon
  • Beats the Blackback at soundstage
  • Connectivity options are strong

Product Considerations

  • [Pricing complaints removed]

Video review

Our take on the brand

YG Acoustics makes speakers with unique DualCoherent crossover technology that ensures both perfect frequency response and phase coherence, while their BilletCore drivers are machined from solid aluminum billets for enhanced precision. Their modular design allows users to upgrade and expand their systems over time, and they use proprietary software that optimizes both frequency and phase response, capabilities not commonly found in other hifi brands.
Website author headshot
Julian Shapiro
ExtremeHiFi Writer
Product Page
Product Page
Clarisys
Auditorium
149000
/
Released
2022
Experience Clarisys Audio's Auditorium for ultimate sound quality. Boasting neodymium magnets and a double-sided bass panel, double-sided midrange, and double-sided treble. All drivers are 100% identical, giving you perfect coherence.
Check Amazon
Clarisys Audio speakers feature a unique double-sided ribbon design that enhances current flow and magnetic response, with a metal exoskeleton frame preventing the warping common in traditional ribbon speakers. The brand caters to tube amp enthusiasts through their use of Neodymium magnets for improved sensitivity, while offering DIY-friendly support and parts for vintage Apogee speaker refurbishment.
Expand Details

Our Summary

Product Strengths

  • Experienced a 'wall of sound' from the speakers
  • These speakers do not need room treatment

Product Considerations

  • Extremely well-built, resulting in a thousand-pound shipping weight
  • Speakers purchased at Audium come with a service, where if the buyer has issues, someone will fly to the buyer's home and fix them

Takeaway: The Audium speakers offer a phenomenal sound experience without needing extra sound treatment in the room. The build is solid, and the company will even fly to the buyer's house to fix them.

Video review

Our take on the brand

Clarisys Audio speakers feature a unique double-sided ribbon design that enhances current flow and magnetic response, with a metal exoskeleton frame preventing the warping common in traditional ribbon speakers. The brand caters to tube amp enthusiasts through their use of Neodymium magnets for improved sensitivity, while offering DIY-friendly support and parts for vintage Apogee speaker refurbishment.
Website author headshot
Julian Shapiro
ExtremeHiFi Writer
Product Page
Product Page
Stenheim
Reference Ultime Two
165000
/
Released
2021
The Reference Ultime Two is the most compact speaker in the Reference line, but it is still considerably bigger than the Alumine Five and built to a different scale. It is designed for larger spaces and to front more powerful systems, to fill big rooms with dynamic, captivating sound that covers the full bandwidth, providing deeper bass than is possible with a smaller cabinet design.
Check Amazon
Stenheim is a hifi speaker brand known for its aluminum enclosures and minimalist, Bauhaus-inspired design that appeals to both audiophiles and art lovers. Their speakers feature high sensitivity for compatibility with low-powered tube amplifiers and use paper and fabric cone drivers for a natural sound, setting them apart from brands that use ceramic or metal drivers.
Expand Details

Our Summary

Product Strengths

  • Exceptional build quality
  • Good sound quality
  • Great value for the money
  • Easy to use interface
  • Offers connectivity options

Product Considerations

  • May not suit all listeners
  • No balanced outputs

Takeaway: Overall, a solid product for the price point. It delivers good performance and offers a user-friendly experience.

Video review

Our take on the brand

Stenheim is a hifi speaker brand known for its aluminum enclosures and minimalist, Bauhaus-inspired design that appeals to both audiophiles and art lovers. Their speakers feature high sensitivity for compatibility with low-powered tube amplifiers and use paper and fabric cone drivers for a natural sound, setting them apart from brands that use ceramic or metal drivers.
Website author headshot
Julian Shapiro
ExtremeHiFi Writer
Product Page
Product Page

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