Aura

Reviewer: Simone Ragionieri
Source: Generic 5G router into Taiko Audio network switch (both powered by a ferrum Hypsos); Taiko Olympus XDMI Server; LampizatOr Horizon 360 DAC
Headphone amplifier: Riviera Audio Labs AIC-10
Headphones: Spirit Torino Valkyria, Raal 1995 Immanis
Loudspeakers: Diesis Audio Aura SE
Cables: Digital – Sablon Ethernet; Amphenol DAC cable;  KBL EXtreme XDMI; Analog – Acrolink 7N-2090 Special Anniversary
Power delivery: Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Hurricane power cords, Shunyata Alpha HC power cord, Furutech NCF AC wall plugs on a dedicated spur
Room size: 5 x 4.5 x 2.7m
Room treatments: Eight ceiling diffusers, floor-to-ceiling acoustic curtains on sidewalls, Vicoustic VicTotem Ultra VMT in front corners
Review component retail: €24'800/pr in black or white, €29'500/pr in real wood as reviewed, all prices ex VAT

Prologue. "Good morning Srajan. Yesterday Giuseppe from Diesis Audio visited, bringing with him a pair of Aura and his Evento integrated. We spent the afternoon trying to find the best positioning and gauge whether my low-power Riviera Audio Labs AIC-10 holds back his speakers given my seating distance, preferred music genres and playback volume. The audition went well and Giuseppe was happy to leave Aura with me for review. Having it here will also help me with a side-by-side A/B of the Zu Soul VI. Next Wednesday my acoustic consultant will take my room measurements in preparation for his acoustic treatment install." And so with some upfront due diligence, Simone's second speaker review for us materialized after Zu's Sean Casey had proven amenable to submit the very first speaker our man in Italy ever commented on publicly after playing for ~10 years at the bleeding edge of headfi. For our earlier review of the firm's smallest Ludos, go here. – Publisher

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Until just a few months ago, my personal audio world defined as headphone listening. I dwelled in the magical bubble of high-end headfi for several years, enjoying the intimacy of the experience with every minute musical detail. It reminds me of the 60's movie Fantastic Voyage whose team of miniaturized scientists enters a human body. It indeed has been a fantastic voyage during which I upgraded all elements of my system to current reference level. And I still use my beloved Valkyria and Immanis headphones regularly, especially late at night. As described in my Zu speaker article, I finally returned to my first hifi fascination: recreating the feel of a live performance where my whole body and mind's eye transport to the venue through a suspension of disbelief. That's attainable only with loudspeakers. Thus began a quest to find speakers for my now acoustically treated living room as the next chapter in the ongoing evolution of my hobby. Given the limited sub 20wpc power output of my Riviera Labs AIC-10 head/speaker amp, I focused on efficient easy loads. Fortunately my modest 22m² room and typical sub 85dB SPL do not impose excessive demands. While researching potential speaker candidates, I became intrigued by open baffles. True, they tend to be big so intrusive and want good distance from the front wall but in trade promise a big, fast, open sound that's typically more efficient than the average box speaker which attempts to choke off half the developed energy in an enclosure.

Diesis Audio, an Italian firm based in picturesque Spoleto at the heart of my country, employ a combination of open baffles and horn-loaded drivers across their line. Being just a few hours' drive, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to visit. Owner Giuseppe Gabbarini graciously hosted me for an audition, guiding me through the three listening rooms at their new factory. I still sigh at the memory of the Roma Triode showcased in their top room but was impressed by how all the speakers I heard shared very authentic timbre and a theatrical presentation. Considering my room size, Giuseppe recommended Aura in the middle of their range as the best option. We agreed to proceed with a long-term loan and review.

Diesis Audio emerged from the shared vision of Giuseppe Gabbarini and designer Roberto Spera who sought to combine the distinctive attributes of open baffles with horn-loaded drivers in designs easily driven by single-ended tube amplifiers. They began work on the project in the late 90s, a time when commercially available open baffles were exceedingly rare. In retrospect their endeavour was probably pioneering given the recent surge in OB popularity from Emerald Physics, Kyron, sound|kaos and Spatial. Having owned a high-end hifi shop for two decades to have experienced some of the world's top audio components, Giuseppe remains dissatisfied by modern tech "sounding increasingly hifi"—his precise words—when his preferences root in the living presence of big JBL monitors and Altec Lansing's Voice of the Theatre.

Roberto shared a similar view. When asked what with no budget constraints or commercial implications he'd design to bring back the best of these ancient designs with up-to-date 3D design tools, manufacturing methods etc., he proposed dipole loading for the mid-bass and below combined with a horn-loaded compression driver for the mid-to-high frequencies. Speed, dynamics, immediacy, efficiency and the capability to project a big open soundstage were to be the common ground for these disparate loading principles. What began as a passion project to create two pairs for Giuseppe and Roberto grew into what in 2007 launched as the Diesis Audio Caput Mundi. A significant influence on the brand's identity derives from architect Ino Piazza. Captivated by the sound of an early prototype, he hoped for a version that not only sounded exceptional but also looked it. Here is the rendering Piazza produced just one week after his first listening date.