Cube Audio Nenuphar Single Driver Speaker (10 inch) TQWT Enclosure


Cube Audio (Poland) designs single drivers and single driver speakers. 

Principals are Grzegorz Rulka and Marek Kostrzyński.

Link to the Cube Audio Nenuphar (with F10 Neo driver) speaker page: 

https://www.cubeaudio.eu/cube-audio-nenuphar

Link to 6Moons review by Srajan Ebaen (August 2018):

https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/cubeaudio2/

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Parameters (from Cube Audio):

Power: 40 W

Efficiency: 92 dB

Frequency response: 30Hz - 18kHz ( 6db)*

Dimensions: 30 x 50 x 105 cm

Weight: 40 Kg


* Frequency response may vary and depends on room size and accompanying electronic equipment.
david_ten

Showing 6 responses by exlibris

I'll be auditioning them with my 45 amp in a week or two and will report back.
Art Dudley seems to have liked them at the Montreal show in March.
I demoed the speakers last night and I'm impressed enough that I will follow that up with a home audition.
I heard them on April 3 at a dealer.
I was intrigued enough by the sound to get a home audition.  I don't want to say much more because it was a system and room that I wasn't familiar with.  I'm not sure when I'll get the home audition but I'll be sure to give a full report then. 
This thread is about the Nenuphar so I hesitate to talk about other speakers.  I did demo a German horn speaker in the same system that I heard the Nenuphar.  I found it shockingly good. My only decision now will be to purchase it or the model one above it.  My search is over.   I'll post about it over on thread that led to this thread. 
Let me just say again though how much I enjoyed the Nenuphar.  I think the 6moons review pretty much nails it in terms of it being able to almost alter your state of consciousness.   It's a heady experience and a very tactile one.  Even the way it plays ticks and pops is fascinating - they dance around the room and it's like you can actually feel them on your skin.  Prior to hearing the horns I was totally sold on the Cubes.  I just figured I'd need a Koetsu or Benz-Micro and maybe some 300Bs to get rid of some of dryness and slightly 'bleached' quality of the sound and bring a little more warmth, soul, and testicular fortitude to the proceedings.
I demoed the Nenuphar again today.  It's a really incredible speaker.   For my taste, however, it was a little 'dry' and didn't have the emotional impact that I'm used to and looking for.  
With the right associated equipment I suspect (hope) I could dial it in but it would be a work in progress rather than a plug and play purchase.
I would describe it as a 'cerebral' speaker rather than soulful one.
It really can be intoxicating in terms of its spatial presentation, clarity, and the way it energizes the room. It's really special.     


A very key aspect regarding the Nenuphar is it was designed ’specifically ’ to be driven by SET amplifiers with high output impedance/ very low damping factor (DF). I could imagine a perceived "dryness" to the sound of this speaker if the amplifier DF is more than required for this unique speaker. It would effectively damp the life and "soul" of an already very damped/controlled driver with its exceptionally powerful magnet /motor unit. I suspect one wouldn’t want or need a DF > 10 or so.
Charles
Hi Charles,
I don’t think that it’s the architecture of the amplifier that is the cause; I think I’m simply hearing the paper in the driver.
I drove them with three different amps: my 2 watt Thomas Mayer 45 SET, a 150 watt Solution SS amp and, finally, with a 30 watt Unison EL34 PSET integrated amp. In all cases I perceived dryness. I need to stress that what I hear as dryness, others may welcome as neutrality and honesty. Everyone should listen to these amazing speakers and decide for themselves.
In Herb Reichart’s recent blurb he says "... (the Nenuphars) have a direct, fresh, nothing-between-you-and-the-recording presentation." I would agree with him but to me it felt more like "nothing between me and the stylus."