It looks like Cessaro roll out tier Beta system to show. I still wait the Gamma but it is not Alfa anymore. I have no idea how it sounded in Munich. Setup-wise the installation looks like was made very uninformed but I am sure it made good pictures that is pretty much the objectives at the shows:

http://www.cessaro-horn-acoustics.com/index.php?id=38

http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/munich09/1.html

http://marcs-hifi-blog.audiodoo.de/high-end-2009-hifi-anlage-cessaro-horn-tw-acustic-tla/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9dozdOTeG0&feature=related

Interesting that Cessaro used some kind of TruLife Audio 833-based 150 watts SET amps. I did not read a lot about them (I less and less care about the amps of other people) but configuration-wise I look as the TruLife amp was the only one amps that was used – sound ridicules to me. The Cessaro Beta is begged to be DSETed.

Oliver,

It is hard to understand or describe what might be with Cessaro in Munich. Sometimes even if you are there it is hard to guess what is wrong. To debug Sound you need to go action and to observe how this particular installation reacts to the actions. This is a whole another subject. My nomination of Cessaro as the “best commercial horn loudspeaker” is not an empty marketing label by rather my recognition of the topological configuration that allow to achieve maximum possible results if the all “other little things” were done right. How all “other little things” were done in Cessaro I have no idea, the opportunity are there however.

Anyhow, judging from the images HOW the Cessaro were installed I do not feel that they invested any efforts into that installation and even if the rest the thing were done “right” (that seldom happen) then I would not expect from the Cessaro room in Munich any offensive results. The fact that they dragged the Beta on the show however does make me happier.

The Lansche top model? I really do not know it. Lansche were a company that playing with plasma Coronal tweeters and if I am not mistake then did mostly direct radiators with plasma. I do not think they did any horns, at least I never heard about it.

The dome and Tractrix horn do not work? I do not know. Again, it is about the little things. Avantgarde MF driver is non-compression dome in Tractrix. Does it work? It is hard to judge based upon just one Avantgarde implementation; particularly knowing the Avantgarde implementation is much compromised. I would not closed the book on dome and horn based on the failures of Avantgarde and few others, not to mention that I do not consider the Avantgarde’s MF cha is a complete failure - they did accomplish what they need in context of their limited definition of success.

coops wrote:

Magico sounded as if the sound was being pushed into the speakers,

coops wrote:

the Hiraga room went up in flames!

coops wrote:

Stitch I spent the week in Munich and was fortunate enough to spend quite a biy of time in rooms that interested me, did your friends compare hi-fi to other hi-fi  or do they compare  hi-fi to real music? Romy are you familiar withthe 833 tube?

Stitch wrote:

I don't think they are deaf, but honestly, you are the first who writes that this Cessaro Horn room was one of the best at show.I guess, you are the Deaf one, I know another one in Germany who writes very important messages =) and he is deaf in one ear... Even Woschnik said, it was nothing special.

Stitch,

I would not take too seriously Coop’s comments about Cessaro.  As I understand he is some kind of Cessaro dealers or one of those “near dealers spinning type of people” who patronize Cessaro but not because some kind of actual results or well-developed coordinate system of judgments but rather because his desire to pump up some hi-fi internet chatter. Joe Roberts did it recently around here with his Silbatone speakers… I find it annoying, not because I’m bothered the people who trying make money or by the people who satisfy own philological disorder and the needs to make “friends” on internet.  However, I am bothered by the fact the those people always oversimplify the subject, pumping up the conversion with idiotic excitements, phony enthusiasm and something that I call "generals audio idiocy”. Why they do it I have no idea.

coops wrote:

Romy Hi, Ralph Krebs ( Cessaro's designer ) has been staying with me this week, ...Keith.

This is kind of shit that I hate.  I went to AA and read a person said:

“Don't miss the CAR room... That would be Classic Audio Reproduction. But that's only if they are showing the same basic design as last year, which uses modified JBL drivers. They are using field coils and beryllium diaphragms on the horns and a JBL cone driver of some kind for the reflex bass with field coil added as well. The older versions of their speakers used awful sounding TAD drivers for both the compression drivers and the reflex bass. Not any more!”

The very same person the very few years parsed the Classic Audio Reproduction and one of the reasons according to him was the used of the “magnificent TAD drivers”.

I do not make any positive or negative comments about the nether the CAR speakers, nor about the TAD drivers, nor about JBLs, not about the berylliumed field-coils.  But I do make negative comments about the easiness with wish audio people dive into idiotic judgments.  Again, the 34083863rd time on this site:

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=432

, if so, then why the same person,  for years worshiping the Classic Audio Reproduction WITH TAD drivers, never pointed out the specific sonic problems that he supposedly recognizes in TAD… before he learned about other drivers? I do hate this level of “audio intelligence”

Im not sure it qualifys as new best but, http://www.aesthesis.se/?page_id=365

It looks like Cessaro have introduced a new model - Omega

http://www.cessaro-horn-acoustics.com/index.php?id=59

I do not know a lot about it but from what I can judge from picture it is the same as the Gamma loudspeaker with the following changes:

1)      New LF channels

2)      Addition l HF channels in composite vertical array

3)      Change the frame allowing the channels to sit on the parabolic curve

4)      Introductions an ability for channels to be fine positioned for alignment on the curve

Good changes as far as I concern, now Cessaro feels almost like Macondo, good for them. I do not know if the Cessaro folks read my site and if they come up with those ides them and were inspired by what I do. It does not really important – what is important that Cessaro Omega confirm what I have been pitching for years – there is ONLY one “proper” topology for multi-ways horns.  Macondo, Cessaro Omega define it, all the rest are still learning.

A few things that I consider as Cessaro Omega problems:

1)      Too large throat diameter of upperbass horn

2)      Channels on parabolic curve are angled but I feel that they need to be paralleled.

Sure the LF and UHF channels are unknown topology and the presents of the former Gamma tweeter and new Omega looks a bit dubious.  Of course the same TAD drivers, that is a major turn off. Still, if to retrofit Omega with properly selected vintage driver that I feel it might be a very offensive loudspeaker design.

I hope that Cessaro will sell Omega without the bass section. If Gamma cost 150K Euros then most likely Omega would be near 200K Euros. People most likely will pay for it a half price bypassing dealers, still it is lot of money to pay for acoustic system. I am sure that people who would lay down $150K for speakers would have other, better options to do bass charnels then what Omega offers out of box.

After introduction of Omega last year Cessaro looks like come up with a new model Beethoven that they promise demo at the Munich show in May of this year.

Leaving aside the idiotic tendency to call audio products after the name of composers I would like to say that I find the new Cessaro (sorry, I do not want to say “new Beethoven”) to be remarkable. Sure, it still has the typical Cessaro underdeveloped upperbass horn – a major liability of all Cessaro line. However, take a look at the brilliance of compactness and functional elegance of the design! The midbass horn is exactly where it has to be and for the people who use long-wall positioning the new Cessaro configuration I find to be very lucrative and very slick.

Sure, we all know that it is not “true” midbass horn, very much the same as it is not “true” upperbass horn. Still, I do like the inventiveness and novelty of the given configuration.