System upgrade - Kharma Exquisite Mini
Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 9:28 pm
Tuesday last I took delivery of a new pair of Kharma Exquisite Minis and bade a fond farewell to my DB7s.
This has been an incredible few months for me. The Constellation Audio upgrade was significant and really opened my ears to the potential of my DB7s and made me start to think about what else I could do to maximse the performance of my system and make it as future-proof as possible. My initial thoughts lead me to an upgrade of my CD player, the Meridian 808.5, and I very nearly purchased an Esoteric K-01X. However, I had second thoughts and took a deep breath and thought long and hard about what would make the biggest, most long-term difference to the sound of my system. The logical answer was a change of speaker. I considered the Wilson Audio Duette 2, the Magico Q1, the Estelon XC and the TAD CR1 before finally looking at the Kharma Exquisite Mini. I loved my time with the DB7s and especially their warm, smooth yet also detailed sound. The Mini is Kharma's fullest expression of their sound in a compact 2-way cabinet. The bigger, more expensive Kharmas simply give you more bass which is not something that was necessary in my small- to medium-sized room. So I settled on the Minis and they arrived on Tuesday.
In person, the Minis have an understated elegance which is very appealing to me. They retain the compact profile of the DB7 and the wood veneer panels on the sides are sides of the top half of the speaker are very tastefully applied. In short, they are gorgeous to behold, rather like a piece of fine furniture.
Of course, the sound is the real reason why I bought these speakers. After three evenings, they are nowhere near to being run in but the great thing about Kharma speakers is just how gentle the burning in process actually is. They begin very smooth and, over time, they gradually open up and become more open and dynamic. There is never any time when they sound bright or dull. Quite simply, these are incredibly satisfying speakers.
The clarity and detail is amazing. Images are precisely and solidly located within the soundstage and there is an uncanny three-dimensional feel to the musical presentation. Nothing feels artificially spotlighted and the music is just naturally presented to the listener. There is a palpable physicality and a real sense of presence to the music. The integration between the two drivers is especially noteworthy. You never get a sense of the diamond tweeter drawing attention to itself. Both drivers simply complement each other flawlessly and simply serve the music together.
Perhaps the most satisfying aspect is just how much more involving and emotional the listening experience has become. This is a fourteen year old speaker design which has been refined steadily over the years and the result is a notable maturity in the sound, even-handed and neutral, yet never ever sterile and always alive to the human element in the music. I have never felt so emotionally close to my music and my journey with these speakers is only just beginning.
This has been an incredible few months for me. The Constellation Audio upgrade was significant and really opened my ears to the potential of my DB7s and made me start to think about what else I could do to maximse the performance of my system and make it as future-proof as possible. My initial thoughts lead me to an upgrade of my CD player, the Meridian 808.5, and I very nearly purchased an Esoteric K-01X. However, I had second thoughts and took a deep breath and thought long and hard about what would make the biggest, most long-term difference to the sound of my system. The logical answer was a change of speaker. I considered the Wilson Audio Duette 2, the Magico Q1, the Estelon XC and the TAD CR1 before finally looking at the Kharma Exquisite Mini. I loved my time with the DB7s and especially their warm, smooth yet also detailed sound. The Mini is Kharma's fullest expression of their sound in a compact 2-way cabinet. The bigger, more expensive Kharmas simply give you more bass which is not something that was necessary in my small- to medium-sized room. So I settled on the Minis and they arrived on Tuesday.
In person, the Minis have an understated elegance which is very appealing to me. They retain the compact profile of the DB7 and the wood veneer panels on the sides are sides of the top half of the speaker are very tastefully applied. In short, they are gorgeous to behold, rather like a piece of fine furniture.
Of course, the sound is the real reason why I bought these speakers. After three evenings, they are nowhere near to being run in but the great thing about Kharma speakers is just how gentle the burning in process actually is. They begin very smooth and, over time, they gradually open up and become more open and dynamic. There is never any time when they sound bright or dull. Quite simply, these are incredibly satisfying speakers.
The clarity and detail is amazing. Images are precisely and solidly located within the soundstage and there is an uncanny three-dimensional feel to the musical presentation. Nothing feels artificially spotlighted and the music is just naturally presented to the listener. There is a palpable physicality and a real sense of presence to the music. The integration between the two drivers is especially noteworthy. You never get a sense of the diamond tweeter drawing attention to itself. Both drivers simply complement each other flawlessly and simply serve the music together.
Perhaps the most satisfying aspect is just how much more involving and emotional the listening experience has become. This is a fourteen year old speaker design which has been refined steadily over the years and the result is a notable maturity in the sound, even-handed and neutral, yet never ever sterile and always alive to the human element in the music. I have never felt so emotionally close to my music and my journey with these speakers is only just beginning.