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

4mm and wise to do it horizontally. Some padding under so not resting on connectors. Stainless steel non magnetic hex is a good idea, thanks jollytinker.

Also wise to have someone else do the swap if one has an ICD or Pacemaker. : )

+1 to @jollytinker 's advice.

@jollytinker Ha. You just gave me flashbacks to having my soldering iron pulled out of my hand by the magnets on my accuton drivers.  Fortunately just to the magnet and not towards the driver.  Super fun times!

vinpic29 posts 12-26-2021 12:55pm No change, still amazing ☺️ V2 it’s a welcome evolution (no revolution). As I write this I am listening to Grant Green’s Idle Moments masterpiece. With the V1 the Gibson and the saxophone edged on the shiny/dominant side creating a sense of imbalance vis a vis the other instruments. The V2 adds meat to the bones of the bass / drums / cymbals whilst making the Gibson/sax sound more truthful (at least to my ears). The overall balance and listening pleasure goes up one to two notches depending on the piece of music. The most impressive difference I’ve listened to date has been on Willem De Vriend’s Beethoven 7th (DSD file played off the MU1 ssd). The V1 was a bit too bright and did not reproduce accurately the dark/grave strings base (I did know it was there by listening thru my Susvara’s). Spent months trying to tweak my system to no avail. V2 got everything in the right place without losing an inch of the Nenuphars’ mid-range magic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WEll now jusr wait 1 minute there

Are you going to tell us,,,

folks who ~~just purchased~~ past year lets say,,, the V1,,,with consideration of your ***accurate and unbiase test listenings*** That these V1 owners are now left with a speaker that is **a bit, if not to say a significant nuances*** less than what the V2 delivers????

If your listening tests are indeed accurate and spot on,, then seems to me to be ~~~FAIR in ALL THIS~~~, that Cube would offer free ship both ways, and free new cones at a nice easy going price cost to their loyal and haappy,,well once were happy,, now left in a lurch... Cube owes its owners some recompense for what they thought was the best Cube had to offer,, the V1. Now we hear the V2 is really *The Real Deal**. Something just aint right here. Something is smelling fishy if you ask me. Cube ought to take the hit,,and secondly,, why is Cube CONTINUINGG to list the V1 w pics.

Almost no info on the new V2 on the web site???? WE all need answers, Cube has alottttt of explaining to do on this ,,,to put it nicely,,,Conundrum,,otherwise know by another more common street slang term. You guys can do what you want,,, go at your own risk.,

,and expense.

Well if the V2 out performs the V1,, well then we will see some half off offers from  Cube on the V1's.

Or are they going to only sell the V2.

Delete V1 from their inventory,,and we are stillllllllllllll waiting to 

1) see new pics of the V2

2) read what is the **all new*** V2 cone material made of....what IF the pics of the V2 look almost if not identical to the **old version** V1???

Then what are we to assume???

Lotssss of Q's for Cube to answe,, as folks paid big bucks for these speakers.

Some ~~Fiasco~~ like this old V1, vs NEW V2,,might in the long run do more harm to the company than good.

Faith and confidence starts to take a  hit. 

And furthermore,,,what IF,,we get another review, which has some ((issues** with the above review,,, then what..??.

Who are we to believe.

Review with the 2 thumbs up,, or the audiophile who gives 1 thumb up, one down, and  goes on to say,,,**all in all, I prefer the old model version V1 better***

Then what???

This thing could start to get real ugly, real fast. 

abd1,  Just for fun, see if there is a polarity switch on your Streamer, DAC or Preamp.  Change the phase setting and listen.  You might not have the phase set properly.

Mozartfan,  You can’t fault Cube Audio for refining their product further.  If they didn’t try to develop a 15” single driver speaker, we would never have a perceived better Nenuphar.  If you apply your logic to every manufacturer of audio equipment then every manufacturer would be in the wrong for refining their products.  Be glad the technology has advanced in full range reference single driver design.  I don’t want to speak for Cube Audio, but I am sure they have considered the impact of the new advancement on existing V1 Nenuphar owners.  Can you image them getting 5000 requests at once for the driver upgrade and how they could handle such a request given their existing work force and resources besides being able to fulfill existing orders for all of their other products.  You might consider contacting your local dealer or distributor and inquiring about a possible upgrade path.  JMHO.

V1 or V2? Still a great speaker either way.

Happy New Year to everyone.

V1 or V2? Still a great speaker either way.

Agreed, and I strongly believe that preference is dictated by associated audio system components and the signature or voicing sought by the listener. A First Watt F5 amplifier owner  may prefer one, and a Shindo amplifier owner may prefer the other.

Charles

Happy New Year everyone! I just want to say that this thread has been a bright spot over the last two not all together bright years and continues to engage, amuse and enlighten. David has done a great job keeping us on task and sharing our discoveries. Now we are in the throws of deciding if there truly is a Santa Claus in the second version of our beloved 10 inch driver. I’ve got some new tricks up my sleeve to report on in the coming year (not including upgrading? to V2) which are the result of conversations with vinpic. Cheers!

FYI, I spoke with the two California dealers the other day and neither one had heard of the V2 driver. Guess it will be a while before they have them.

FYI, I spoke with the two California dealers the other day and neither one had heard of the V2 driver. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Note ,, **Never heard** as in , they are stepping away from this V2 til Cube can starighten things out, Smart move, And I know neither like what Cube is up to here.

 

@mozartfan I have no clue how you draw that conclusion from the statement that was made. You are not even in left field somewhere. You are standing out in the parking lot looking the other direction. That is a mind numbing lack of reading comprehension on full display.

Never heard as in not aware of.

@stephendunn Thanks, Stephen. Credit goes to all.

Looking forward to your reports on what's "up your sleeve" in the coming year!  

Wishing everyone a wonderful, healthy, prosperous, and Audio Filled New Year.

Happy to report that I've been successful in my quest to acquire a used Decware Zen Triode 25th Anniversary amp (about six months old) and the Enleum 23R amp (new).  The Decware should be here in a few days and the Enleum will leave Korea shortly.  Will be careful to break in Enleum for 200-300 hours before going to battle.  Honestly, after reading about the synergy these two amps have with the Nens, I'm totally lost as to which might emerge the winner or if that might even be discernible--the differences boiling down to a matter of taste.  There's a third amp in the mix--well a fourth if you count my "reference" Vinnie Rossi L2iSE.  All I'll say about it now is that it's a highly regarded SEP with about double the output of the Zen. This should be interesting.

@stephendunn 

This should be interesting

Indeed!  As always I'm looking forward to your listening impressions. This should be quite informative. 

Charles

@stephendunn Fun times in the near future, for sure. The differences between all four amps and which ones draw you in the most will be very interesting to follow.

I’m curious and interested in the Enleum’s headphone performance. Is that an area you will be teasing out?

Another teaser from 6Moons... A driver based on the Neo V2 and F10 Select.

New Cube Audio Driver

David, yes I will be evaluating headphone performance as well especially since the mystery amp, a Decware Taboo MK IV, is actually a headphone amp that is also designed to drive speakers. My current long time headphone amp is a Melos SHA 1 which, despite its age (mid ’90’s), fixed power cord and single tube circuit, has held pride of place against all challengers, most recently the VR L2iSE (which admittedly is not designed as a headphone amp). My headphones are Hifiman HE1000se.

Despite my curiosity to hear the V2 driver, I’m approaching the decision not to upgrade simply on the basis of the new driver’s 3db loss of sensitivity. Even if one of the solid state amps wins the up coming shoot out, I think I would still want the original driver’s 93db sensitivity to check out other lower watt tube amps in the future. One of the great attributes of the original Nen driver IMHO is that it behaves as if it has much higher sensitivity, say 96 or 98db, probably because its load doesn’t dip below 4 ohms. I know Vinpic is happy with the upgrade and its pairing with the Enleum 23R, so if that amp emerges head and shoulders above the rest, I might reconsider. We’ll see.

@stephendunn  Stephen, thanks for the added clarity. Looking forward to all of your combinations and your final assessments. I have the HE1K and the 560, however, my reference are the Utopias. At some point, a new / different topology headamp is in my future, therefore the interest in your findings.

I've known of the 3dB drop in sensitivity for what seems like ages now. C'mon Cube Audio! : )

Given my choice of the 2A3 amp and purposely speccing it for 3 watt output...the V2 drivers are not going to work for me because I'm fully invested in Scott Sheaffer's Found Music amp build.

Stephen, I'm in agreement with your assessment (and current position) and how a new choice may impact your decision regarding V1 v. V2.

Photos of the Nenuphar V2 in a room in New Zealand, courtesy of Mono and Stereo.

Cube Audio Nenuphar V2 In Room Photos

[Note: it appears the 'spec' information shared is from Cube Audio's site and is for the V1]

Does anybody listen to their Nenuphars in the near field? I'm guessing they would work well, but you never know and would love to hear about anyone's first-hand experience. Thanks.

@paullb What is your reference / criteria for "nearfield" in your setup scenario?

I find the Nenuphars work incredibly well nearfield [in my room]. In my current listening position, as I type, my ears are 7 ft measured on the direct diagonal to each driver. Some may find this ’nearfield’ ...others may not...room dependant.

I’ve been as close as 5ft on the same measurement.

@ David_ten

perfect. I was thinking about 5 to 7 feet. Nearfield could be closer in a small room or a desktop type setting, but not for speakers design for 20-40m² rooms. 5 feet is as close as I would want to get. I bet your Imaging and depth of field are out of this world (I assume they are out of the room). 

A second page has been added to the announcement from 6Moons regarding the new Cube Audio driver and speaker.

The speaker is named "Jazzon"

I checked Cube Audio’s site and nothing as of yet.

Cube Audio Jazzon via 6Moons

Is there an endpoint in this "hobby"? 🙄

A few weeks ago I posted about setting up my Nenuphar Mini's in my new room and having trouble with imaging. Thought I'd follow up...

First, even though I love my house, acoustically my new room sucks. However, I was able to position the Cube's just so to get a nice centered image. I had more toe-in than normal and the speakers were almost pointed directly at the MLP. I had wanted to get some GIK Acoustic panels but my wife has other thoughts. With physical room correction off the table, for now, I went back to the drawing board. Then I remembered how much I liked my Emotiva XMC-1 with Dirac, which I sold when we moved. Dirac was the first room correction I tried that I felt made a real improvement. I remembered there being a standalone Dirac processer -- MiniDSP! Turns out they're now on Dirac 3 and MiniDSP sells a couple Dirac processors designed for 2-channel audio. So I purchased the DDRC-22. After spending way too many hours on a Saturday trying to figure out why I wasn't getting any sound out of it when doing the room sweeps (my bad, I had to turn the volume way way up and then realized there's a -10db attenuation setting as default) I finally got it going and ran my first curve last night. Now listening to Fabiano Do Nascimento's Tempos Dos Mestres album and I've never heard my system sound so good! Sound is layered, pin point, textured... beautiful. Still have some tweaking to do and going to run sweeps again this weekend and fine tune some. Anyway, I'm sure mentioning DSP will trigger some nerves, but I highly recommend checking this out. They also make a processor with analog inputs so if you spin vinyl or roll tape you can run your analog sound through the processor and get Dirac room correction -- pretty cool.

@abd1 If it works it works.  I had a bad experience with system wide room correction (Lyngdorf), but still use it on my subs (miniDSP).  In the end you have to trust your ears.  Dogma is for people who prefer thoughts of superiority over experimentation and subjective experience, and what is music enjoyment if not the latter?  We've all got different rooms, systems, ears, and brains. 

Congrats.

@cal3713 

I also like how it corrects subs. I forgot that Dirac tends to tame the bass so much. When I run it again I'm going to run my sub a little hot. BTW, I used to frown on using subs in 2-channel but once I got a pair of REL T5i's I quickly changed my mind. Now I'm using a JL F110 v1 and looking for another. I still have REL's, hard to get rid of such a great little sub. I'm thinking of trying all 3 in my room and seeing what Dirac does with them. I can run the REL's off my amp using the high pass filter. I place the subs right by my Cube's and they are in stereo so it's like my version of the Nenuphar Basis Mini. Then I can put the JL F110 in the back corner of my room and run it off the pre-amp's outs. Might just be worth trying for the fun of it.

+1 @cal3713 

Dogma is for people who prefer thoughts of superiority over experimentation and subjective experience, and what is music enjoyment if not the latter?  We've all got different rooms, systems, ears, and brains. 

@abd1   Congratulations on looking for solutions and applying them. Happy to hear you are pleased with the results and enjoying your system anew.

Now listening to Fabiano Do Nascimento's Tempos Dos Mestres album and I've never heard my system sound so good! 

New Cube Audio info dropped recently on 6moons.

https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/cubeaudio8/

Everything seems straightforward, except I wonder if the Nenuphar with the new v2 driver's efficiency has, in fact, decreased to 90 DB. That's the spec they are shooting for with the new Jazzon speaker and F10 select driver ("Driver efficiency had to be cut back a little bit"). 

@paullb That's the word on the street. : )

Thanks for the heads up regarding the new info on the Jazzon speaker.

Cube Audio Jazzon page 3 info from 6Moons:

Cube Audio Jazzon via 6Moons Page 3

For the past several weeks I've been listening to two extraordinary amplifiers, the Enleum 23R and the Decware Super Zen 25th Anniversary Edition, both achieving the most engaging synergy with the the Nenuphars I've experienced yet. These amps elevate the Nen's performance to a new level, surpassing even the VR L2iSE (whose Achilles heel is it's output impedance which creates a relatively high damping factor) which bested (to my ears) the First Watt SIT 1, SIT 3, Pass Labs INT-25 and a Triode Labs 2A3 Classic.  dspringham has called the Zen Triode "unearthly good" and vinpic has enthused over the Enleum 23R driving his Nen's with the new version of the 10 inch drivers and toetapaudio has posted how well the Bakoon 13R (precursor to the Enleum 23R) drives the Nens, so I can't claim I've summited any new peaks, but I have had the privilege of comparing these two amps side by side.  And you know what?  I find it very  hard to tell them apart, especially their uncanny portrayal of "ensemble" music--small jazz groups, chamber music, "girl and guitar", etc.  It is only when you go large, orchestra or rock say, that you might hear the Enleum 23R have slightly better bass definition, slightly better separation, slightly faster speed overall.   But the two share engrossing detail, tonal accuracy, harmonic richness, holographic imaging, immense dynamics and life-like ambient air that I have never heard from any other amplifiers.  Considering the two very different technologies of the these amps, this surprises me.  What they do share, technically, are three things we know the Nens love: zero feedback, damping factor of 1 and pure signal path--although the Enleum's purity is achieved not through minimal circuitry as is the case with the Zen Triode but through a proprietary biasing arrangement that Soo In Chae calls JET2, which converts the analog signal to digital then back to analog again.  The difference in output--the Zen at 2.3 watts per channel, the Enleum at 35 watts into 8 ohms--never manifest itself in my listening.  At high levels they maintained their control, openness and air.  Even pushing beyond tolerable levels I could hear no compression and the Zen never showed signs of clipping.

So which one will I live with?  Tough question.  Wouldn't have to change tubes with the Enleum, but then again I might enjoy rolling a few tubes in the Zen (I did replace the stock rectifier with the Sophia Electric Aqua 247b to nice effect).  I do like to listen to big music, so I'm leaning towards the Enleum, but maybe the Zen is a little more present with voices?  I go back and forth and sometimes I have to look up and see which one I've got playing to know for sure.

BTW, I vastly prefer both amps without the VR L2iSE as DHT pre (with Takatsuki tubes).  Running through the pre seems to add a smoothing veil which detracts from the wonderful detail and texture these two amps have in spades.

Also, I've listened to the Enleum 23R headphone output.  It is every bit as exciting as listening to the beautiful little beast drive the Nens.

@stephendunn 

Good man, welcome to Enleum.  Stunning amp and extraordinary pairing with the Nenuphars.  Your next move should be to try the cube audio Sub 12’’ (I use one only in a 36sqm room, positioned ~80cm closer to the listening position to offset the DSP time lag, connected via the high line inputs to the Enleum.  This is probably the most significant upgrade I have experienced in a long while, more than any changes in streamer/dac (I am a happy owner of Grimm MU1 and Mola Mola Tambaqui)… deeper/cleaner bass, increased soundstage and transparency, more realistic timbres.  Simply gorgeous.  

@stephendunn 

I go back and forth and sometimes I have to look up and see which one I've got playing to know for sure.

Quite the complement for both amplifiers!

Thanks for taking the time to post your very insightful listening impressions.  Truly a situation where either choice is a homerun. 

Charles 

@stephendunn Stephen, congratulations!!!

What a terrific outcome. I’d keep both. : )

Are you using your Decware Super Zen 25th Anniversary Edition without a preamp? Given how well it has performed for you, any thoughts on going for the monoblock version and it’s 6 watt output? Is the iFi Pro iDSD still in your chain?

Compared to the cost of your Vinnie Rossi L2iSE integrated, both the Enleum and Decware also take honors on price.

Interesting... The bass response is now 38Hz (6 dB).  It was 30 Hz (6 dB).  Why did the V2 lose the lowest bass response?  Should be easier to drive as an 8 ohm impedance.  What is the minimum impedance?  We know replacing the foam surround decreases the efficiency but extends the life of the driver.  Losing the lowest bass would be a non started for some.  I wonder why the decreased bass response wasn't noted in the 6 Moons review.  Not everybody uses the Nenuphars with subwoofers.

@mikeg Mike, the same questions came to mind when I saw the specs over at Cube Audio.

First thought was a typo (i.e 28 Hz)..I would have minimally expected 30 Hz (6dB)...a slight gain in LF. This is especially puzzling given what Cube highlighted regarding the V2 version:

"You can expect it now to be have even more bass"

@vinpic Any thoughts, given you have the V2 Nenuphars?

I have sent Grzegorz an email requesting clarification.

Heard back from Grzegorz. It was a typo: 28 Hz (6dB) is correct!!!

They will make the correction on their webpage.

I’ve deleted the former post. Here it is, with the [single correction]. If there are others, I will repost.

Specs for the V2 Nenuphars from Cube Audio:

Parameters:

​​Impedance: 8 Ohm

Max power: 40 W

Efficiency: 91 dB

Frequency response: 28 Hz - 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.

A typo indeed.  V2 covers a wider frequency range (lower & higher with a slightly more balanced mid-range if you ask me).  I don’t have a lot of direct experience of the new bass extension as I use Cube’s V2 10’’ monitors and complement with their Sub12’’ 

@vinpic 

Yes, I think the Cube Audio sub is the next step, although I'm thinking of the 10" since my room is slightly smaller than yours.  Right now I'm using a KEF KC62--a mini sub that does a credible job.

@david_ten 

I prefer both the Enleum and the Zen Triode without a pre.  

I'm not tempted to try mono block Zen Triodes since 1) I don't feel the single Zen needs more head room--although the monos might offer other benefits as well, just twice as many tubes to maintain 2) I think the Enleum may end up in the system the lion's share of the time. It plays better at lower volumes than the Zen, although that might have more to do with controlling volume through the TotalDAC instead of the Zen dual volume controls.  I'll have to experiment.  

I sent the iFi Pro iDSD back--a great a value but fell short of the TotalDAC D-1 Dual.  

Confirming that Cube Audio has made the correction on their webpage.

@vinpic The upper range listed is the same as that of the V1 [ 18KHz (6dB) ]

Are you saying that the V2’s upper frequency number is higher and that ’number’ also needs to be corrected? Thanks.

"V2 covers a wider frequency range (lower & higher"

@stephendunn  Thanks for answering my questions!

Are there other moves / plans on the component / pairing front in store?

@david_ten

I will be auditioning a Playback Designs MPD-8 Dream DAC in March.

And sometime April/May I will audition the Magnepan LRS speakers driven by the VR L2iSE.

I’ll also be adding some room treatments in incremental stages.

And I’ll continue to work with the Decware Zen Triode 25th Anniversary Edition, rolling a few more tubes and experimenting with it’s various settings.

And, as mentioned, I will probably add a Cube Audio 10" woofer.

But mostly, as always, discover new music. Such as Jan Lisiecki’s Chopin’s Nocturnes (DG) reviewed by Alex Ross in this week’s New Yorker. Listening now through the Enleum 23R. Delicious.