6moons audio reviews: apertura...

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Reviewer: Joël ChevassusFinancial Interests: click hereSource: Apple iMac, Squeezebox Touch + Welborne Labs PSU, Jadis JD-2 Drive, Audio GD Ref 5, Totaldac, TrendsUD-10.1, Wyred4 Sound Music Server [on loan], Wyred4Sound DAC 2 [on loan], MacBook Lion OSX with HiFace USBto S/PDIF interface, iMac Lion OSXAmp/Preamp: Rogue Audio Hera II, Wyred4Sound STP-SE, SPL Volume2, Orpheus Lab Three M, Trends TA-10.2.Speakers: Triangle Magellan Duetto, Vivid Audio K1Cables: Legato digital cable, Skywire Audio 2020 digital cable, Naturelle Audio interconnects Live 8 MK2, Audio ArtSC-5 SE speaker cables, Legato Precision speaker cables, Legato Fluidita interconnectsPower Cords: Audio Art Power 1 SE, Furutech and Legato power cordsStands & room: DIY stuff, Triangle TS400 stands, Vicoustic panels.Review components retail: €3.850 for lacquer finish, €3.550 for standard finish - prices may vary according to countryand VAT

6moons audio reviews: Apertura Armonia file:///D:/pmoro/Bureau/apertura/Armonia.htm

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Context. Apertura is a speaker brand established in France 20 years ago. Founder and designer Christian Yvonpreviously worked for prestigious firms like Focal and Sonus faber. In particular he was involved with rather ambitiousprojects for Goldmund in the field of loudspeaker design.

At that times he co-designed with engineer Georges Bernard the famous Dialogue, Apologue and Epilogue Goldmundspeakers which in a certain way were the fanciest expressions of the 1980's Star Wars style before launching Aperturain the early 1990s in partnership with Musitec.


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... showing all three current Apertura models.

Having explored several concepts and designs with recognized products like Tanagra, Double Kalibrator and morerecently Thema, Altra Signature and Variation, Christian Yvon seems to pursue a strict quest for minimalist signal paths.This conceptual effort in fact may be summed up as a commitment focused on the cancellation of defects rather thanthe implementation of specific qualities. In my opinion this is a quite common approach but it’s nonetheless useful toremember from time to time that the overall playback chain in the end is no more than a succession of variousdistortions and losses. In Yvon’s opinion, quality can only be improved when all the faults have first been removed. Iwould add that perhaps these aspects are part of one and the same process.


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For over 25 years now Christian Yvon has worked on the problem of crossoverfilters to develop his own technology with a crossover structure called DRIM orDual Resonant Intermodulation Minimization which is a kind of multi-elliptic orCauer filter design. Elliptic filters use equalized ripple behavior in both the passband and stop band whereby the amount of ripple in each band is independentlyadjustable. Apertura’s proprietary design uses resonant circuits that allow eachdriver to operate within a well-defined frequency band thanks to a progressivetriple transition slope of 6dB, 12dB and 24dB/octave with a stabilized rejectionmode of nearly –40dB.

This particular crossover design is said to help reduce intermodulation distortion whilst keeping phase rotation undercontrol. It is said to be particularly insensitive to impedance fluctuations too. Thanks to this patented filtering technique,it is possible to compensate for peaks and dips in the frequency response.

Two years ago Christian Yvon decided to part with Musitec because of divergent opinions on their in-housesubcontracting strategy and insufficient efforts dedicated at R&D. He took the opportunity to form a new partnershipwith Mr Eric Poyer who has a background in the audio industry and will manage all production and commercial aspects


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for the latest Apertura products. Their new factory is located in Brittany near Nantes.

This newfound freedom seems nevertheless to have come with an unexpected extra cost when ex-partner Musitecdecided to keep alive the previous Apertura website whilst supporting French distributor Jefferson with establishing newbrand Tanagra. This of course uses one of Yvon’s successful past model names and also old Apertura stock of partsand enclosures to increase confusion around the Apertura brand. Genuine Apertura products today are only those listedat www.apertura-audio.com.


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The reborn Apertura remains focused on Yvon’s familiar concepts and more particularly two-way designs, light and fastmid/woofers, ribbon tweeters, powerful magnets and non-parallel enclosures. In fact the shape of the new Aperturamodels is a result of prior multidisciplinary work. Three months ago I had opportunity to meet Robert Trunz, former CEOof B&W and now partner and distributor for Vivid Audio in Switzerland. Mr. Trunz explained that his unconditional supportof Laurence Dickie has its origins in the B&W Nautilus project. Robert Trunz was at the time aiming for form factorswildly divergent from traditional rectangular enclosures and Dickie’s first response had been the flagship Nautilus. A fewmonths later the partnership with Philip Guttentag in Vivid Audio commenced with all the stunning inspiration we knowtoday.


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Despite Yvon’s industrial design being less ambitious than Dickie’s, Apertura shares the same notion that geometry andform must primarily serve the diffraction and cancellation of spurious standing waves. This quest for non-parallel shapesand vibration damping in enclosure design started some years ago with the launch of the Thema floorstander. It was thefirst Apertura speaker to sport a new shape called ARCH (anti-resonance chamber). This design conferred great rigidityand allowed unwanted vibration to rapidly dissipate via the central cone. It also favoured a non-resonant sound, allowingfor precise placement at the correct angle. But it also proved to be a way to adapt aesthetics to function with audaciousforms that serve the speaker’s visual identity.


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Another trait shared with Vivid Audio is the internal separation of design from manufacturing and marketing. Thisfunctional/organizational segregation seems to be key to preserving creativity of design whilst production and trade aremanaged in a strictly professional way as would be the case in any other manufacturing business. This division ofconcerns between design and production consents to an effective structuring of conceptual ideas. Apertura thenbecomes able to increase its focus on specific internal skills and can release more competitive products to market atlower prices. This concept was another incentive which led me to this assignment.

Description. The overall workmanship of my review samples was very good and I was surprised at the unusual qualityof the packaging for the price. Clearly Apertura cares that their speakers arrive at your listening room in flawlesscondition. Today’s Armonia is an attractively proportioned floorstander standing just over 108cm tall. My loanersfeatured a stunning maple veneer with a satin lacquer. Armonia is the first model of the Apertura range to use thisspecific shape, which appears to reach even greater neutrality compared to previous efforts.


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At first glance the Armonia could seem an ode tocurves and asymmetry. Its two cheeks use curvaturesof different radii. It has no symmetrical face sinceangles between front and back panels are carefullycalculated to maximize stiffness and reduce cabinetresonance. The sidewalls are made of thick multi-layered bent MDF.

That leads to a very elegant uncommon profile whichprimarily supports Apertura’s sonic goals of reducingthe surface of the most reflective panels. The fourinternal window-pane braces complete the speakerskeleton. These 21mm panels are high-density MDFand form a laminar structure more rigid and dampedthan conventional ones. To optimize the dispersal ofspurious noise, Armonia’s enclosure sits on a centralcone that determines the center of gravity, with the fourouter spikes used for stability only. Specific dampingmaterials are used to minimize internal standing waves.


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Armonia’s 7" Seas mid/woofer is a woven polypropylene composite driven by a powerful magnetic circuit with 11cmvoice coil for enhanced dynamic range. This "isotactic matrix" cone combines stiffness and self damping to supportplayback over a wide bandwidth without any break-up and with low distortion. The chassis shape is the result of CADand finite element analysis. Thanks to its thin ribs, the basket leaves the rear of the drive unit open to improve thepropagation of the rear wave and minimize reflections. Bass loading is via large port above the rear terminals.

The 3” high-frequency driver is a next-gen Fountek ribbon tweeter with an aluminium/polymer sandwich diaphragm formore linearity and greater power handling than previous generations. The use of a Neodymium motor and 18mgmembrane (10 times lighter than a dome tweeter of similar surface area) allows accurate reproduction of all transients.The 3kHz crossover is the brainchild of Christian Yvon and as already mentioned an elliptical affair with threeprogressive slopes. The actual hand-over section runs a 1st-order filter. Parts include Jantzen coils with 1.4mm² bakedwires and Mundorf and Jantzen polypropylene capacitors. The high-quality terminals on the rear panel support singlewiring only. Improved sensitivity and the two-way concept do not justify biwiring/biamping. Internal wiring is silver-platedcopper in PTFE dielectric. Strict phase optimisation is claimed to support very three-dimensional soundstaging.


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Specs are 37Hz - 30kHz frequency response at +/-3dB with 88dB/1W/1M sensitivity. Nominal impedance is 8Ω anddimensions including metal feet are 350 x 293 x 1081 WxDxH and weight is just over 25kg per. The designer’s excellentmeasurements give a first indication of the neutral character of this speaker.


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Sound. My loaner pair did not require a very long break-in and after two or three weeks was able to deliver in full. Atfirst the ribbon sounded a bit harsh and lean. After a short period bass extension and overall resolution improvedsignificantly and I was no longer able to distinguish any harshness in the upper midrange. The Armonia is the kind ofspeaker for which it is tough to identify significant faults. It is very coherent and over the previous models has greaterpower handling, lower distortion levels and no particular caveats. I remember my previous session with the Altrafloorstander. It had plenty of delicacy but at times sounded a bit fragile and on very dynamic tracks distorted a bit. Itssonic fingerprint was less neutral than the new and more affordable generation. Sonic attributes of the new Apertura arean overall laid-back character with fair dynamic contrast and first-class tone. In comparison with the Altra the Armoniaseems more solid with better tonal balance. I hardly discerned any coloration across the bandwidth, only a perhapsslightly recessed top octave. Even so overall tonal balance felt reasonably neutral due in part to the absence ofbrightness in the lower treble and due to a linear but luscious midrange. Listening to voices showed a nearly completeabsence of sibilants yet the sensation of presence was well rendered.


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By comparison to my Triangle Magellan monitors, the Armonias delivered a less dynamic and forward sound with moreseductive tone and soundstage depth. In absolute terms the Aperturas’ dynamic skills were enjoyable but their mainspecial feature versus my Magellans two-ways was their solid and more palpable voice without it being thrust forwardat me. While the balance did seem a little on the mellow side, the Armonia didn’t sound dull and captured all the subtleshifts in dynamics for an overall vivid sonic result.


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The difference in tonal balance between Apertura and Triangle was easily perceptible. The former had less top-octaveenergy and probably lower harmonic richness. The tonal DNA was closer to the Sonus faber Guarneri Evolution Irecently reviewed. They delivered less detail than the Italians however and the Sonus faber remain unbeaten for theirquality of tone and the imaging. Image depth nevertheless seemed to be a noticeable achievement for the Frenchspeakers and at their price the only true competitors I recently encountered were the 20th-anniversary PMCfloorstanders which delivered a stunning three-dimensional soundstage but with perhaps a less neutral response.


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The comparison with my new Vivid Audio K1 speakers was a bit more difficult due to the huge price gap. Even so,considered on the sole criteria of tone and stage depth, the French were almost as good as the Vivids. In terms ofresolution, speed, bandwidth, linearity and precision, the K1 of course outclassed them. But where expensive full-rangespeaker usually require more set-up effort, the French shone during their short match against the South Africans withremarkable coherence and setup ease. The Armonia delivered clean low frequencies for such a compact two-wayfloorstander without exaggeration and good linearity and the rear port was free from chuffing. With high SPL capabilityand low-distortion bass down to 35Hz, I considered this performance more than respectable given the asking price. Thecentral spike did its job admirably but I noticed spurious LF vibrations directed into my paving stones. This proved easilyaddressed with a small silicon sliver between cone and floor.


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The very balanced and delicate sonic character of the Armonias makes for effortless musical fulfillment. In that sensethe Armonia name fits the speaker’s sonic identity perfectly. There is no specific restriction on music compatibility andthese speakers handle all musical genres with accuracy. In this price range many floorstanders tend to sound too brightand lean, delivering punched-up colors that become annoying in the long run. By contrast the Apertura floorstandersdeliver beautiful tone with no excess emphasis, a rich midrange with accurate highs and controlled bass that does notcall for particular room gain reinforcement. They are a fair compromise between articulation, speed, imaging andwarmth. There was no obvious coloration, no underlying voicing structure that would have emerged over the long termas an intrinsic feature of the speaker rather than the recordings.

The Armonias reproduced a precise balance of fundamentals and harmonics except forthe top octave which seemed a bit recessed according to my Triangle/Vivid-trainedlistening habits but with good realization of a guitar's strings attacks. The BireliLagrene/Sylvain Luc Duet album [Francis Dreyfus Music, B001PQRL8C] highlightedperfect attacks and good decays and the timbre contrast between both guitarists wasexpressed fairly. The French speakers succeeded in reproducing involving levels ofdynamic shifts without the too often forward effect that gives you the impression ofzooming in on the guitar strings.


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The Armonias did not betray any signs of stress during long guitar sessions and the resultseemed to be focused on always high musical involvement. They reproduced every smallnuance including the sustained upper harmonics of Sylvain Luc’s instrument even if not asinsistent as it would have been over the Magellan Duettos and Vivid K1. Listening toFurther Explorations [Concord, B005VR9AEE], the live spirit was nicely captured. Theaccurate three-dimensional image allowed for a deep realistic soundstage with lots of liveambience. I usually give a lot of attention to drums with this type of recording as in myopinion realistic tone and impact relies on an even balance between attacks and decays.That allows for a quite perfect illusion and the Armonias did it in a very accurate manner.

On the Keith Jarrett ECM recording of The Goldberg Variations [ECR Records,B00004STOZ], the Apertura floorstanders demonstrated an overall excellent liquidarticulation that was exempt from any harshness or excessive brightness in the treble. Thelevel of ambient detail was nevertheless one step below the crystalline clarity of theTriangle Magellan and Vivid K1. Yet there was no sensation of lack or loss of substantialinformation, just a different voicing with a less energetic top end. Changing musical genreto approach more electric shores, the Armonias did not disappoint during high-levelpassages. It was certainly not the most suitable genre to highlight their remarkable timbreaccuracy but they did demonstrate to be rather versatile speakers. Of course they won’tslam very hard or kick you physically during heavy passages but they delivered plenty ofvisceral uncompressed energy contrasting their apparent delicacy.

That was the case also for Queen’s A night at the opera[Island, B004M17ITY]. But it was also the case on the lastlive performance recording by Return to Forever TheMothership Return [Eagle Vision, B007FOH7QE], whichseems really unforgiving for loudspeakers at any price.

Big orchestral works such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s recent Walzer Revolution [DeutscheHarmonia Mundi, B006ZFKWNY] with the Concentus Musicus Wien also received fairtreatment. In fact the Armonias delivered a well-organized soundstage with distinct colorsand stunning dynamic shifts. One very surprising feature was their ability to be extremelydelicate but also capable of a lot of weight when needed. This is not an easy exercise forany loudspeaker especially in this price range. The Apertura succeeded in preserving thisduality without sacrificing tonal balance. I was definitely impressed by their versatility andinvolving nature.


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Listening to Roberta Gambarini’s Easy to Love [Orkhestra, B000GEIOLC], her voicesounded naturally smooth, pure and plain with a discrete touch of triode-like presence. TheArmonias delivered a strikingly fair balance, avoiding forward effects on the vocals whilepreserving small ambient details and clarity of phrasing. The Italian singer remainedprecisely placed in the center without being pulled or smeared to either side. The doublebass was stunningly articulated for a simple two-way floorstander.

Conclusion. Summing up, theArmonias give a lot for the money.They are particularly attractive inconsideration of what they don’tdo. Many speakers of this marketsegment convey a specificperspective that often signals notmerely aesthetic but also technicalchoices. The small Aperturafloorstanders seem to bestrikingly insensitive to anyconstraints or limitations despitetheir particular design. Thatmakes them truly enjoyable,versatile and comfortablespeakers in the long run. In theircategory they deliver first-classsonic qualities such as three-dimensional and very stablesoundstaging, absolutelygorgeous diversified tone and anincredible sense of pace andrhythm. They escape alltendencies to brightness while stilldelivering more than just a politesound. They remain very involvingand lively under any


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circumstances. All this is the veryessence of music and reveals thespeakers' high-end pedigree.Highly recommended!

Apertura website


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