Kharma Elegance dB9-S
The Hi End market is a jungle, it is harder and harder to find a way through. There are many offers, all with different characteristics.
The common goal is the right sound reproduction but methods and technologies employed are all very different. This is true especially for the loudspeakers' field.
Direct radiation, horn, dipole, electrostatic, hybrid, from one way speakers to four ways speakers and so on.
None of these ideas are wrong. Some say that there is always a new and better technology, I do not think this is correct.
There are implementations of each design that are good and others that are not as good. It depends on the design and the production. Then we have to think about the needs of the final users; in a small space you cannot place a horn loudspeaker, for example.
In Audio-activity.com we like to test all the different technologies without bias that would compromise our judgement.
Our mission is to listen and tell you our impressions.
The common goal is the right sound reproduction but methods and technologies employed are all very different. This is true especially for the loudspeakers' field.
Direct radiation, horn, dipole, electrostatic, hybrid, from one way speakers to four ways speakers and so on.
None of these ideas are wrong. Some say that there is always a new and better technology, I do not think this is correct.
There are implementations of each design that are good and others that are not as good. It depends on the design and the production. Then we have to think about the needs of the final users; in a small space you cannot place a horn loudspeaker, for example.
In Audio-activity.com we like to test all the different technologies without bias that would compromise our judgement.
Our mission is to listen and tell you our impressions.
Today we are reviewing Kharma. Kharma is not an old or historic brand but it is on top of the world ranking as for quality. We do not like "hit parades" in general but we cannot deny that Kharma is among the best 10 brands as for the quality of its products.
I have been following Kharma loudspeakers for many years. The former Italian distributor used to show them in his shop in Turin.
I remember very well that the first time I heard them they were driven by a DarTZeel 108 power amplifier. You could listen to a sound that I still remember today with pleasure.
I do not remember which Kharma model it was but I know for sure for it was a Ceramique Series. After a few years I had the pleasure to review the Kharma 3.2.2 for AUDIOReview with a flattering result I must say. I did not give to it an A because I was not 100% convinced by its sound.
Charles van Oosterum, founder and designer of Kharma, has decided to change the characteristics of the old production. No more ceramic speakers and different cabinets and crossovers.
Few months ago, during an audio show in Lanciano, we asked Charles the reasons for this change and they are explained in this interview:
www.audio-activity.com/cvo-interview.html
I have been following Kharma loudspeakers for many years. The former Italian distributor used to show them in his shop in Turin.
I remember very well that the first time I heard them they were driven by a DarTZeel 108 power amplifier. You could listen to a sound that I still remember today with pleasure.
I do not remember which Kharma model it was but I know for sure for it was a Ceramique Series. After a few years I had the pleasure to review the Kharma 3.2.2 for AUDIOReview with a flattering result I must say. I did not give to it an A because I was not 100% convinced by its sound.
Charles van Oosterum, founder and designer of Kharma, has decided to change the characteristics of the old production. No more ceramic speakers and different cabinets and crossovers.
Few months ago, during an audio show in Lanciano, we asked Charles the reasons for this change and they are explained in this interview:
www.audio-activity.com/cvo-interview.html
Well, the new Series are manufactured with different materials drivers: aluminium woofers, midrange in a composite material developed by Kharma itself and called Omega 7, a beryllium dome tweeter. Beryllium is a material that is very much used today. It is quite as hard as a diamond with a price that is high but still affordable.
Among the technical/aesthetic characteristics of this new Series are the magnetic grids with an invisible fastening. You have probably noticed that also the screws that fasten the speakers to the front panel are hidden from the sight with rings of the same colour of the panel, that have the home brand printed on them.
The result is of a very accurate product that is quite rare in this sector.
The shape of the cabinet is typical of Kharma. The baffle is somehow reduced on the top part where there are the smaller drivers that are more subject to reflections caused by the cabinet.
The loudspeaker is well secured with four big black supports that come out from the cabinet corners. On these supports you will have to place the big spikes with the spike pads that come with the device.
On the back there are: the reflex port, that has a small diameter, and the practical Cardas binding posts that do not accept banana plugs.
These are the specifications:
System: 3-way
RMS Power: 250 Watt
Program power: 500 Watt
Frequency range: 26 Hz - 30 kHz
Nominal Impedance: 4 Ohm
Efficience: 2,83V / 1m: 89 dB
Maximum SPL: 113 dB
Among the technical/aesthetic characteristics of this new Series are the magnetic grids with an invisible fastening. You have probably noticed that also the screws that fasten the speakers to the front panel are hidden from the sight with rings of the same colour of the panel, that have the home brand printed on them.
The result is of a very accurate product that is quite rare in this sector.
The shape of the cabinet is typical of Kharma. The baffle is somehow reduced on the top part where there are the smaller drivers that are more subject to reflections caused by the cabinet.
The loudspeaker is well secured with four big black supports that come out from the cabinet corners. On these supports you will have to place the big spikes with the spike pads that come with the device.
On the back there are: the reflex port, that has a small diameter, and the practical Cardas binding posts that do not accept banana plugs.
These are the specifications:
System: 3-way
RMS Power: 250 Watt
Program power: 500 Watt
Frequency range: 26 Hz - 30 kHz
Nominal Impedance: 4 Ohm
Efficience: 2,83V / 1m: 89 dB
Maximum SPL: 113 dB
We have connected the loudspeakers to the following system: turntable Basis 2001, tonearm Graham 2.2, cartridge Lyra Kleos, phono preamplifier: Einstein "The Turntable's Choice", CD/SACD player: Yamaha CD-S3000, multimedia player: Oppo 105 D, preamplifier: MBL 4006, power amplifiers: Bryston 7B ST mono, loudspeakers: JBL 4350B, interconnect cables: MIT Oracle MA-X Proline, MIT Shotgun S2 RCA, Transparent Super XLR, Transparent Super RCA, Cammino PH B 2.2 Ref XLR phono cable, loudspeaker cables: MIT Magnum MA, Vovox Initio, USB cable: MIT SL-Matrix USB, power cables: MIT Shotgun AC 1, Black Noise Pearl and others DIY, mains distributor: Lector Edison 230/8, mains filter: Black Noise 2500.
Listening to devices that are so important, makes you feel somehow reverential. If you enter a playing room in an audio show for a quick listening you do not have the same sensations that you have while setting them up in your own room, where you have all the time you need to listen, understand each small detail and to play dozens of records in order to be able to relate about their sound.
I started with "Le Sacre du Printemps" a SACD DG performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Salonen.
The first song of the SACD is "Night on Bald Mountain" by Mussorgsky. It is a very dynamic and sometimes violent song. The "Miraculous Mandarin" by Bartòk and then the "Sacre" by Stravinsky. For these songs it is necessary to have an orchestra directed with strength and precision. Esa Pekka Salonen, the director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, is very skillful in directing the orchestra from California.
The recording is very good and with a sound quality, very close to ideal. The instruments are all well placed on the soundstage, are recognisable and never confused. The violent beats of the percussions, to begin with the bass drum, are easily reproduced by the Kharmas. They react with an unexpected strength without ever losing control. When the drummer puts his hand on the bass drum membrane silencing it, the woofers seem to be one with it; very good performance, especially because the diameter of the cones is not so big after all and when the dB9-S literally disappear, I am free to let my memories wander to the live performance of this same song at the Scala Theatre in Milan.
Listening to devices that are so important, makes you feel somehow reverential. If you enter a playing room in an audio show for a quick listening you do not have the same sensations that you have while setting them up in your own room, where you have all the time you need to listen, understand each small detail and to play dozens of records in order to be able to relate about their sound.
I started with "Le Sacre du Printemps" a SACD DG performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Salonen.
The first song of the SACD is "Night on Bald Mountain" by Mussorgsky. It is a very dynamic and sometimes violent song. The "Miraculous Mandarin" by Bartòk and then the "Sacre" by Stravinsky. For these songs it is necessary to have an orchestra directed with strength and precision. Esa Pekka Salonen, the director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, is very skillful in directing the orchestra from California.
The recording is very good and with a sound quality, very close to ideal. The instruments are all well placed on the soundstage, are recognisable and never confused. The violent beats of the percussions, to begin with the bass drum, are easily reproduced by the Kharmas. They react with an unexpected strength without ever losing control. When the drummer puts his hand on the bass drum membrane silencing it, the woofers seem to be one with it; very good performance, especially because the diameter of the cones is not so big after all and when the dB9-S literally disappear, I am free to let my memories wander to the live performance of this same song at the Scala Theatre in Milan.
Not many recordings are as natural as "Time Out" by Dave Brubeck Quintet especially in the remastered SACD Columbia/Legacy edition.
The volume is never enough, bass and drums are positioned behind the sax but not as far behind as sometimes happens.
The recording was done in a studio and not in a theatre and the instruments could not be too far apart one from the other and with these Kharmas we notice it.
The double bass is sharp in its neverending work, while the percussion brushes of the magnificent Joe Morello lightly touch the membrane of the instrument between one accent and the other.
The sound of the piano seems to be better than the usual, there is a great tonal balance and also Paul Desmond's sax is perfectly fit in the whole.
Very nice is also the sound of the cymbals that are perfect for the beryllium tweeters.
Their sound is full and rich in all the harmonics that make the sound similar to the real one.
If you are an aficionado by now you probably know that I like to test the devices using different music genres. On the turntable now there is a vinyl of the 70's by a group that plays Hard Rock: the Uriah Heep. The record is “Very 'eavy … Very 'umble” ( Bronze Records). The Kharmas suddenly become "Gods of Metal" and show an unknown determination.
Hammond organ, distorted guitars, the scratchy voice of David Byron; it's all here and it's very engaging. It's a quantum leap in the '70's. I go back to the time when I used to play in rock bands.
The recording is enough accurate if compared to other records of that period and the reproduction is wonderful.
In this record there is a fascinating version of the famous song "Come Away Melinda". The powerful Bryston have no difficulty with a volume quite high and credible for this kind of music. The dB9-s with the right amplification can play very loud without any problem.
I listen to the 3rd Symphony by Beethoven "Eroica" (LP Westminster) performed by the Vienna State Orchestra directed by Hermann Scherchen. I immediately notice the scope of the orchestra, the lively dynamics and the ability of the Kharmas to emit sounds without efforts.
The overall result is really good. The tweeters are always in control and perfectly define the air among instruments and soundstage.
Nothing better to relax after a frantic day at work than "The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in san Francisco" on SACD Riverside. Just a few minutes to warm up loudspeakers and electronics and the volume reaches the level of a live concert. This is a 1959 recording, the instruments have been recorded in the two channels and there is not much sound between the two loudspeakers. These two Kharmas are so good in reproducing the real essence of music that nothing else matters and all you want to do is enjoy music and move head and feet to its rhythm.
It's not right to speak about the sound of the single drivers and not to mention the performance of the crossover or the fact that the cabinet has no resonances. But let me say that the beryllium tweeters are fantastic and the midranges are swift and accurate without the colourings of the old ceramic ones.
The midrange has a sweet accent but without audible colourings.
The dB9-S can play very loud without any distortions thanks also to the small and jet powerful woofers.
The Jack DeJohnette's drumming in "Inside Out" (CD EMI) is credible, swift and dynamic as a well recorded drumset should be.
What we have just described are loudspeakers that have a sound of a very high level. They have a luxurious finish and they are well designed. They are easy to fit in any environment and with any kind of furniture.
Kharma has full right to stand with all the big loudspeaker producers of the world also with the Elegance line that is the entry level of the Dutch brand. Exquisite and Enigma Veyron are the other series and belong to another galaxy.
The dB9, not the S's, are also also manufactured in an active version.
The price is quite expensive, therefore I let each one of you judge after having considered the high level manufacturing and the sound.
Listen to it in a well set up system and in a well finished environment. You'll love it.
Angelo Jasparro
Manufacturer: Kharma
The volume is never enough, bass and drums are positioned behind the sax but not as far behind as sometimes happens.
The recording was done in a studio and not in a theatre and the instruments could not be too far apart one from the other and with these Kharmas we notice it.
The double bass is sharp in its neverending work, while the percussion brushes of the magnificent Joe Morello lightly touch the membrane of the instrument between one accent and the other.
The sound of the piano seems to be better than the usual, there is a great tonal balance and also Paul Desmond's sax is perfectly fit in the whole.
Very nice is also the sound of the cymbals that are perfect for the beryllium tweeters.
Their sound is full and rich in all the harmonics that make the sound similar to the real one.
If you are an aficionado by now you probably know that I like to test the devices using different music genres. On the turntable now there is a vinyl of the 70's by a group that plays Hard Rock: the Uriah Heep. The record is “Very 'eavy … Very 'umble” ( Bronze Records). The Kharmas suddenly become "Gods of Metal" and show an unknown determination.
Hammond organ, distorted guitars, the scratchy voice of David Byron; it's all here and it's very engaging. It's a quantum leap in the '70's. I go back to the time when I used to play in rock bands.
The recording is enough accurate if compared to other records of that period and the reproduction is wonderful.
In this record there is a fascinating version of the famous song "Come Away Melinda". The powerful Bryston have no difficulty with a volume quite high and credible for this kind of music. The dB9-s with the right amplification can play very loud without any problem.
I listen to the 3rd Symphony by Beethoven "Eroica" (LP Westminster) performed by the Vienna State Orchestra directed by Hermann Scherchen. I immediately notice the scope of the orchestra, the lively dynamics and the ability of the Kharmas to emit sounds without efforts.
The overall result is really good. The tweeters are always in control and perfectly define the air among instruments and soundstage.
Nothing better to relax after a frantic day at work than "The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in san Francisco" on SACD Riverside. Just a few minutes to warm up loudspeakers and electronics and the volume reaches the level of a live concert. This is a 1959 recording, the instruments have been recorded in the two channels and there is not much sound between the two loudspeakers. These two Kharmas are so good in reproducing the real essence of music that nothing else matters and all you want to do is enjoy music and move head and feet to its rhythm.
It's not right to speak about the sound of the single drivers and not to mention the performance of the crossover or the fact that the cabinet has no resonances. But let me say that the beryllium tweeters are fantastic and the midranges are swift and accurate without the colourings of the old ceramic ones.
The midrange has a sweet accent but without audible colourings.
The dB9-S can play very loud without any distortions thanks also to the small and jet powerful woofers.
The Jack DeJohnette's drumming in "Inside Out" (CD EMI) is credible, swift and dynamic as a well recorded drumset should be.
What we have just described are loudspeakers that have a sound of a very high level. They have a luxurious finish and they are well designed. They are easy to fit in any environment and with any kind of furniture.
Kharma has full right to stand with all the big loudspeaker producers of the world also with the Elegance line that is the entry level of the Dutch brand. Exquisite and Enigma Veyron are the other series and belong to another galaxy.
The dB9, not the S's, are also also manufactured in an active version.
The price is quite expensive, therefore I let each one of you judge after having considered the high level manufacturing and the sound.
Listen to it in a well set up system and in a well finished environment. You'll love it.
Angelo Jasparro
Manufacturer: Kharma
