I get the impression that Raidho Acoustics is one of those high-end companies that does things in what it believes is the “right” way, no matter the cost.
Raidho essentially confirms this on its website. “At Raidho, we are committed to develop and produce the best loudspeakers ever built,” reads the introductory paragraph. To pursue this lofty goal, Raidho uses extremely high-quality parts and materials – many developed within the company itself – and assembles its speakers by hand in its own factory in Denmark. As a result, Raidho’s products aren’t inexpensive. But I don’t think I’ve ever come away from an audition where I wasn’t both impressed with the sound being made and seriously envious of those who can afford the brand.
That was the case again at the 2017 Los Angeles Audio Show. LA dealer High End by Oz was showing the Raidho D1.1 with adjustable stands ($37,000/pair USD).
The speakers definitely attracted attention – both physically and aurally. The D1.1 is a very compact loudspeaker, measuring just 7.8×14.1×16.1 inches (without stands). It is a two-way ported design, and uses a 4.5-inch mid/bass cone driver and a sealed ribbon tweeter. Frequency response is 50Hz-50Khz.
The contemporary-styled D1.1s in LA were finished in Ferrarri Fiorano Red, which boosted the jump factor even more.
Raidho is obsessive about what goes into its products. The mid/bass driver in the D1.1, for example, has a diamond layer to reduce distortion. The ribbon tweeter, meanwhile, has extremely powerful neodymium magnets and a membrane that weighs just 0.02 grams.
High End by Oz paired the Raidho speakers with a system that featured an Aavik Acoustics C300 preamp amplifier with two DACs and two phono stages ($42,000 USD), an Aavik Acoustics P300 stereo amplifier ($48,000 USD) and a Vitus Audio Master Reference MP-T 201 Mk. II CD transport ($21,600 USD).
Wire was by Ansuz Acoustics, and included its D.TC power cables ($20,000 USD each), D.TC interconnect ($20,000/pair USD), D.TC speaker cable ($32,000 USD), D.TC digital cable ($12,600 USD) and D.TC power box ($3,600 USD).
When I visited, retail host Ozan Turan was playing a fascinating variety of world-music tracks, including several by Spanish singer Bebe. The well-recorded keyboards, percussion and Bebe’s own perky vocals demonstrated how blindingly fast and uncolored the Raidho D1.1s are.
The soundstage had the excellent width and depth often displayed by mini-monitors, but drums had unusually strong impact for a small speaker. The midrange, meanwhile, exhibited an electrostatic-type clarity. All in all, the Raidho D1.1 offered a master-class on the level of resolution and musicality that’s possible when distortion and resonances are taken down to the vanishing point.
It’s not cheap to get there, but you have to hand it to Raidho for sticking to its convictions. The scary thing is that the company makes quite a few other speakers, and the $37,000-a-pair 1.1s are the entry-level point for the “D” series.
I’m not sure I even want to know what Raidho’s floor-standers sell for, but I feel confident that if I suddenly won the jackpot at the casino, the D1.1s could keep me plenty happy.
I totally agree. I heard Raidho floorstanders at the RMAF a couple of years ago and was super impressed by their engineering and sound. Their chief engineer was there and made extremely compelling case for their choice of materials and technology.