Some close-ups.

This ¾" Hiquphon tweeter in its Krion waveguide next to the wood-sleeved port combines extension with real finesse and an ability to go loud but not spitty.

The ScanSpeak mid/woofer bestows on cello, piano and vocals a telltale opulence or minor voluptuousness which make Mimí sound heavier and far more mature than its dimensions would suggest.

Premium hardware continues with these terminals, tankwood interface and carbon fibre-textured insert.

Experimenting with 95-watt class A/B monos and our Pass Labs 30wpc class A XA-30.8, the latter's grippier control down below and harmonically richer textures had my vote.

Fronted by COS Engineering's D1 as fully balanced DAC/preamp, this was my revisit on the EnoSound event's champagne-coloured Accuphase setup.

Placing my hands on each cheek of one speaker whilst playing bass-heavy ambient fare from Govinda's Trancendence at rather stout levels, I noticed the same fine continuous resonance shedding I'd observed with the soundkaos Wave 40 built from solid tone wood. Rather than uneven pulses which would sync to musical peaks and bass beats, this action was low key and steady. It suggested very effective conversion of internal pressurization effects. This box wasn't holding on to things but let them go constantly.

My first upstairs session was all about rich autumn colours and an unexpectedly weighty rich sound with all the panoramic soundstage expanse small speakers are known for. Where compact boxes can sound amazingly detailed and fast but also lightweight and shy on stirring up air into bigger waves, Mimí didn't follow that mold. It showed astonishing mass and density without turning bloated or bloomy from too ambitious a bass alignment. That's why piano sounded so impressively believable as the grand resonant instrument it is. While the lowest frequencies expressed natural roll-off, they had sufficient amplitude to show the complete picture without becoming unnaturally bassy like Mark & Daniel's Maximus monitor would risk in this size room unless controlled by iron-fisted but dry class D.

Due to the front ports, I suffered none of Julietta's dual rear-port fussiness. Two years back in a wildly bigger room with double-high ceiling, Mimí's bigger sister had made listening outside the apex of a very carefully set-up speaker/chair triangle an exercise in entering various boom pockets. On that score, Mimí now behaved far less critical or diva-esque. In real-world rooms which hardly ever are acoustically optimized, that translates into practical. Why risk fussy when easy does it? "Any chance you'll ask Mimí to take your 15wpc Bakoon for a waltz? With 92dB sensitivity, Mimí might consider that amp to be a charming cavalier."

Soundaware A280 SD card transport ⇒ COS as coaxial DAC/pre with remote analog volume  ⇒  AMP-12R as amp with variable gain at max.

That was reader Christer Lagvik inspiring the above oddity. Our diminutive Bakoon AMP-12 atop the COS D1 atop the hulking XA-30.8 looked like a bonsai excuse for a rainy day. With about four teeth left in the D1's white LED smile when SPL were already higher than desired, I had sufficient reserves for my type music. Of course anyone miniaturizing a 70-head symphony orchestra into a 4m wide room and cranking things up to 11 with Mahler to call it 'realistic' is really high on glue. But reviewers never know what people sniff. I couldn't guarantee that this Bakoon/Mimí wedding would never have you short on party power; only if you listen like I do in this space. Now you'd call it a match made in paradise. Sonics sat at the top of a mountain whose base camp is the Job 225. That route to the ascent then advances to the Kinki integrated or monos, then the Audiozen Lysios. Below the peak huddle the Goldmund, Crayon and LinnenberG options I'm familiar with. Finally at the very summit of this type sound sits Akira Nagai's current-mode Satri circuit. Perhaps a current Soulution amps belongs there as well?

Suffice to say that 0.5Mz bandwidth, DC coupling and just four lateral Exicon Mosfets for a minimalist circuit maximized Mimí's resolution, then shifted the Spaniard's inherent weightiness into what I'll call fruitiness. This word suggests a juicy intense sound the opposite of dry, monochromatic and lean. Just so, natural fruit acids remain vibrantly incisive and energetic. This glistened and tingled stronger than the more settled warmer sweeter Pass. Incidentally, this included the low registers which tightened up further for quicker reflexes without sacrificing any extension over the mighty Pass. Sometimes odd—and on this count I'd be first to admit to odd as in, very unexpected—can be the golden ticket. Thanks to Christer whose question found out.