New speakers unveiled from Clayton Shaw - Caladan

Thanks for your update!

@jrimer I went to my first audio show in July this year at Pacific Audio Fest and that is one of the main things I noticed along with several rooms playing music too loud. A lot of modern music doesn''t have wide open space and is more challenging. When I asked for the music I listened to, many of the speakers sounded pretty average. 

If the Caladans are anything like the Spatial Audio Q6s (Spatial Audio has voluntarily put the production of the Q6 speakers on pause since they wouldn't be needed if Clayton can essentially duplicate the sound at 1/2 the price -- according to Spatial Audio on their own website) I heard at PAF, they are really nice. They were also played with LTA equipment which is good stuff but the amps Don Sachs has made including his upcoming new stuff really goes to a new level. 

I spent some more time in Clayton’s room at CAF. I thought the speakers sounded nice for the money. They didn’t sound honky or boomy like some systems did at the show, but I didn’t think they were better than his earlier products. I thought the system I heard at PAF was considerably better, although I think this was at least partially due to Don Sach’s and Lynn Olsen’d excellent electronics coupled with the Lampizator DAC. 

The new speakers lacked some of the dynamics and clarity of Spatial’s more expensive offerings, and had a bit of a hard edge to the treble, which I think is probably due to the LTA electronics (I’ve found this true with other LTA auditions). The bass performance was also a touch less controlled. 
 

But of course this was in a different room which was far from ideal, so an audition in your own room with your own gear is the only way to truly assess. 
 

Still, for $3000, this is a very credible offering. There aren’t many speakers at this price point that do as well. They look nice as well. 

Jaytor,

Excellent summary of your listening experience.  I have heard Spatials with LTA more than once and I had the same impression as you did. At the PAF, the front end of the Spatials with Don and Lynn's gear and the stellar Lampizator DAC was something very special.  But those Spatial were around $9K and the Caladan speaker are a third of that cost so compromises likely had to be made.  Your review is a good data point for us devotees of Clayton's speakers.  Thanks for sharing it.

While ric is right, as usual, I don't have the equipment to DIY. Anyway, by comparison to many/most similar speakers, they cost a lot more