I heard the C4's at the Raidho facility in Denmark back in April 2010. At the time they weren't 100% production matured(though close, I gather), being that Mr. Kristensen and his staff were still tinkering with various aspects of their sound reproduction - in particular, both to my ears and according to Lars as well, the bass area. I can't say that I remember their sound per se, but I do recollect quite vividly my impressions.
They're big speakers, and that was certainly apparent audibly as well. The presentation was extremely resolved, very coherent, unwavering, attentive, and with an enveloping, palpable and convincing soundstage. The Doors felt as if they were standing on the stage before us, as did The Weavers and many others; one even had the almost eerie impression of feeling the stage-floor vibrating with live performances. Dynamics felt mostly unrestrained, were it not for the limitations of the amp, within the SPL's at play(and though they were plentiful they didn't really sound that), both micro and macro, as did frequency extension both up- and downwards. The music just seemed to live freely and induce in me a very emotional response - a hugely important aspect to me. I didn't feel the sound either laid back or up-front, but simply very calmly present and in-the-room, and with an impressive sense of scale.
The one area I felt at times calling negative attention to itself, an aspect that Lars was quite aware of and intend on being corrected, was the reproduction of the central to upper bass. Here it felt as if sometimes exhibiting a hollow-ish character with too much "bloom," though I'm sure Lars and his team must have gotten a handle on this in their approved production samples.
To sum up: at the time of the audition of the C4's I felt they represented perhaps some of, if not the (overall) best I'd ever heard reproduced, apart from named shortcoming in the lower octaves. I friend of mine, who joined the audition as well, was annoyed by the excess/nature of the bass, so much so that he focused mostly on that deficiency(he's very hard to please in regards to bass reproduction). To me though the C4's struck a balance of being highly informative in the light of the whole, so to speak; they never turned analytical or effect-laden. Moreover, the sheer scale, size and ease of the sound, combined with the other qualities, was a relief to me, in that it commands or wins you over in a rather lifelike and physical presence; you're wholly enveloped in the presentation, sort of shaken loose from any restraints one may have in giving in to the music. I'm not speaking in absolute terms here as if a perfect resemblance of the live performance has been recreated, but that a threshold appears to have been crossed or attained that makes you react accordingly.
It would follow from this, I'd claim, that it's not so much about absolute perfection to speak of anything lifelike, but that certain parameters has been met to an extend that triggers a "lifelike-reaction." Size/scale, ease of presentation, dynamics and physicality are very important factors here, as is coherency(not necessarily large multi-way speakers' core-trait), and it's why small speakers to my ears/body can't come close in this vital regard.
They're big speakers, and that was certainly apparent audibly as well. The presentation was extremely resolved, very coherent, unwavering, attentive, and with an enveloping, palpable and convincing soundstage. The Doors felt as if they were standing on the stage before us, as did The Weavers and many others; one even had the almost eerie impression of feeling the stage-floor vibrating with live performances. Dynamics felt mostly unrestrained, were it not for the limitations of the amp, within the SPL's at play(and though they were plentiful they didn't really sound that), both micro and macro, as did frequency extension both up- and downwards. The music just seemed to live freely and induce in me a very emotional response - a hugely important aspect to me. I didn't feel the sound either laid back or up-front, but simply very calmly present and in-the-room, and with an impressive sense of scale.
The one area I felt at times calling negative attention to itself, an aspect that Lars was quite aware of and intend on being corrected, was the reproduction of the central to upper bass. Here it felt as if sometimes exhibiting a hollow-ish character with too much "bloom," though I'm sure Lars and his team must have gotten a handle on this in their approved production samples.
To sum up: at the time of the audition of the C4's I felt they represented perhaps some of, if not the (overall) best I'd ever heard reproduced, apart from named shortcoming in the lower octaves. I friend of mine, who joined the audition as well, was annoyed by the excess/nature of the bass, so much so that he focused mostly on that deficiency(he's very hard to please in regards to bass reproduction). To me though the C4's struck a balance of being highly informative in the light of the whole, so to speak; they never turned analytical or effect-laden. Moreover, the sheer scale, size and ease of the sound, combined with the other qualities, was a relief to me, in that it commands or wins you over in a rather lifelike and physical presence; you're wholly enveloped in the presentation, sort of shaken loose from any restraints one may have in giving in to the music. I'm not speaking in absolute terms here as if a perfect resemblance of the live performance has been recreated, but that a threshold appears to have been crossed or attained that makes you react accordingly.
It would follow from this, I'd claim, that it's not so much about absolute perfection to speak of anything lifelike, but that certain parameters has been met to an extend that triggers a "lifelike-reaction." Size/scale, ease of presentation, dynamics and physicality are very important factors here, as is coherency(not necessarily large multi-way speakers' core-trait), and it's why small speakers to my ears/body can't come close in this vital regard.