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The pugilist learns how to dance. Freely quoting a song title from Sting's The Last Ship, the imminent arrival of EBTB's €999/pr Luna II 4-inch 2-way in a cast aluminum enclosure with heavily sculpted synthetic stone baffle had me petition Gato. I wanted a briefly extended loan of their just reviewed DIA-250. Boenicke Audio's W5 minis were around the corner too. Given how the twice-priced Gato had pulled a feisty 'later alligator' with my Wyred4Sound mINT, I was keen on giving all these speakers the best pulpit from which to preach. From 320kbps Spotify+ USB streams (I keep my work computer religiously free of stored music) to 16/44.1 S/PDIF from a 160GB AIFF-loaded iPod Classic to 24/96* hi-rez Toslink from my RWA-modded Astell&Kern AK100, I could span the full gamut of possible music quality right there on my work desk.

* This SSD-based battery-powered mini stores and plays up to 24/192 over headphones or analog out but true to form tapping it digitally via its combo Toslink output mutes above 24/96.

When Eryk saw my desktop photos he noted the lack of wall support for his rear-firing ports. Here Ancient Audio's downfiring ports, reflective plinths and up-angled aim for their €1.200 active Master Oslo make for far more predictable results. Eryk also suggested I try his minis freestanding in the big system. For my 5.5x12m space this made no sense. I could go upstairs though and run the Superioro in our small 2-channel AV system on a rack close to the wall. But first it was the desktop. Compared to my Strada II off the same amp this got a bit pugilistic. To soften the sting would require some politico dancing. Not my forté.


My first go'round had hinted at it already. More serious investigation merely confirmed it. Like a Boulder/Colorado cyclist training at high altitude, the Strada II was the more aspirated: quicker, more ripped, chiseled and endowed with greater dynamic reserves from a bigger heart and more capacious lungs. Its level of resolution, articulated timing reflexes, far greater radiating area and better off-axis treble response overshadowed the Pole. The latter's port clearly undermined its single-driver cohesion and also made for a lesser blend with Gallo's price-matched $999 cylindrical sealed sub. Without boundary port reinforcement and a muted sub it also didn't reward with better extension. This eliminated freestanding employ on my Track Audio stands for the big room. Without a sub the Gallos don't really make it there either. Whilst I have the $5.000 Zu Submission, it's overkill for both. Eryk S. Concept presently don't even make their own subwoofer. This suggested that this small box was best left to its own devices just as promoted by its maker.

I won't harp further on this comparison since part of the Superioro project intends to support Polish painters. The 'upgrade' fee applies to that. Eryk's boutique operation simply can't compete with Gallo's higher-volume China-sourced production. Nor does Eryk as a speaker designer compete yet with the legendary Brooklynite. So out it was with the unfairly advantaged Gallos and in with the €999/pr Finnish Amphion Ion+.

The Apple-approved Finns of similar cubic volume to the printed Ply boxes are of rather heftier construction and arrive with foam plugs for their rear ports. Teamed up with the same Gallo sub, sealed loading wins. That's how I ran them. I don't care what widebander proponents claim whilst using their chosen weapons into tweeter turf. I've not yet heard one that was as informative, linear and open as a dedicated tweeter. Whilst Amphion's wave-guided tweeter isn't as advanced as Gallo's CDTIII, its response was superior to the Poles. On tonal balance and articulation the dishy ones slid between the Strada II and artsy ones though closer to the former. Using standard hifi measures the white speakers were the better performers.

Purely on cost, finish quality and the usual hifi tick-offs (linear, highly resolved, precise, tautly defined), the Superioro came in second again to fall third in line. To not belabour this point, someone shopping foremost on coin, studio-monitor evenness and a very visual presentation that majors on soundstage precision, separation and micro jump factor will find the Eryk S. Concept boxes quite pricey for what they are. A comparison with the curvaceous Bulgarians was no longer required. I already knew at this juncture that I'd have to judge the Concepts on their own merit lest the stinging pugilist gave up his dancing shoes.