Active Analog Speakers Reviews

Aequo Audio Stilla

Christiaan Punter 22 October 2020 No Comments

Ivo and Paul take the steering wheel

Ivo Sparidaens measuring the distance to the back wall using a laser distance meter

When it was time for the speakers to return, Ivo and Paul both came to visit and do some final listening. Since the speakers were by now positioned in the secondary listening room I asked Ivo to set up the speakers according to his own preferences. This way, it would be interesting to find what an alternative positioning method could potentially achieve. The first thing that was confirmed using a laser distance meter is that I had placed the Magicos perfectly accurately to within a single millimeter.

Here’s Paul Rassin, functioning as a guinea pig for Ivo’s laser beams

Having used nothing but a measuring tape (but doing countless measurements) that was certainly nice to know. As a result, having used the Magico position marks on the floor, the Stillas had already been positioned very accurately. As it turned out, after Ivo finished setting them up and not knowing where I placed them, the Stillas ended in a position very close to what I used to review them. The main difference was that he used more toe-in.

Fully Active

The Stilla is also available as a fully active system which I think is especially interesting. Of course, with the extra Hypex Ncore amplification, you need to be in the market for a super-clean sound but in my opinion, neutral amplification makes these speakers sound best. With the same type of amplifiers driving the bass and midrange/treble sections and without any speaker cable-induced variances, I’d wager that they will sound mightily impressive. And the real beauty is that the fully active version carries only a relatively modest 1999-euro price increase. Try getting separate high-quality amplification and speaker cables of the same quality for that kind of money. Actually, that’s close to what my Jorma speaker cables cost. Of course, a hair under 20K is not small change in any way but just to put things into perspective: the CH Precision A1.5 alone carries a price tag of 31.000 euro and does not come with speakers or speaker cables.

On the Horizon

Meanwhile, Aequo Audio is working on a visually striking new speaker, the fully passive Adamantis. Positioned neither below nor above the Ensis or Stilla, it is in a different category altogether. Without the ARPEC system and associated onboard amplification, these speakers will require more care in positioning and a serious external amplifier. But implementing all of the knowledge gained in the acoustic field and being cast from a new and proprietary Nano-Tech-based material called Diluvite, the Adamantis promises unprecedented low resonances and a level of sound quality that belies their price tag.

But the development at Aequo Audio doesn’t stop there. In their quest for the ideal cabinet- and driver material, the company has started a new branch called Diluvite Nanotech Composites that focuses solely on developing and marketing their new material in a wide range of alternatives to serve numerous applications.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the company is also looking into fabricating tweeter diaphragms using materials that stem from the Diluvite research.

Aequo Audio has made several white papers filled with interesting info about the Adamantis, Diluvite, RF and EMI shielding that I read with great interest but I’ll refrain from diving into this any deeper because this review is already long enough!

Oh, one last thing that I really must mention is that Aequo Audio will open a new auditorium in Eindhoven that will be open by appointment for prospective buyers who are interested in hearing a pair of Aequo Audio loudspeakers in an inspiring environment.

Conclusion

How does one summarize a product that requires basically two reviews’ worth of text to only superficially describe all the technological solutions that went into its creation and to explain why they cost 18K? Well, the thing is, with the Stillas, one does not need to know about any of the technologies that hide underneath. All it takes is a single demo to understand their brilliance. But if that did not fully do the trick, just try going back to your old speakers. Going back to the Magico S1 MkII’s sure was a real eye- and ear opener!

These are not lifestyle products but seriously high-end speakers that tick all the audiophile parameter boxes. In a way, their sleek and elegant appearance perfectly exemplifies their intended use. Just position them anywhere, adjust the ARPEC system as needed and enjoy!