This is the fifth version of the Audience 1+1 speakers that I have reviewed. The last ones I reviewed were the V3s in 2020. If there was a V4 I never reviewed it. I own a pair of the 1+1 V3s. I have used them in nearly every room in my house. Still, I am always surprised by how big and beautiful they sound when I put them back into my main system.
Description
All of the Audience 1+1 speakers have used the same 6” by 8” by 9.5” cabinets which are works of art. The build quality is impressive. They are little jewel boxes that bring unbelievably good sound into your room.
Audience designs these speakers around their proprietary full-range 3-inch driver. It delivers an extremely flat frequency response from 50Hz to 22kHz. It also has the huge advantage of not needing a crossover network. This eliminates the inherent difficulties of integrating multiple sonically dissimilar drivers. It also eliminates the accompanying phase distortions and degradation inherent in a crossover network.
Over the years, I have owned speakers that do not have a crossover and loved their sound. I only wish that speakers without crossovers had more bass. Even my beloved six-foot tall Teresonic Ingeniums didn’t move enough air to provide the natural warmth that I like in the upper and mid-bass.
John McDonald of Audience was nice enough to send me the description below that shows the progress through the next five versions from the original 1+1 to the current version.
Specifications
From the original 1+1, V2 included a greatly improved driver called the A3S2-16 from the original A3S2-8 dual 8-ohm voice coil. The dual 8-ohm VC is very flexible as it can be configured as 4, 8 or 16 ohms by patch wire configuration. The A3S2-16 eliminated 8 solder points within the dual VC driver. Further, the voice coil wire in the A3S2-16 is OCC vs. OFC in the previous model. Lastly, the magnet and frame were refined. The end result produced a wealth of sonic improvement in terms of greater clarity and dynamics.
Version 2+ was the offering of improved internal wiring from Audience OHNO 21 AWG OCC hook up wire to Audience OCC Au24 SX loudspeaker wire. There was also a change in the damping weight of one of the passive radiators. The original gold-plated brass binding posts were changed to Tellurium. Lastly, the enclosure interior divider panel was removed along with amended damping.
Version 3 included a voicing circuit was added to correct for a baffle step response FR dip around 450 HZ and the Audience proprietary EHVP (extreme high voltage process) was applied to the entire loudspeaker circuit.
Version 4 included retuned passive radiators for improved bass response, ultra-low mass pure copper binding posts.
Version 5 included second generation voicing circuit that balanced out a FR rise in the 1 – 5 K.
Version 5 also includes a high pass filter to eliminate frequency below 40 HZ allowing the speaker to be played louder without driver damage during low bass passages. The result was actually an improved bass response. It also improved distortion levels for greater clarity.
Even though these changes occurred over a number of years, it’s probably more changes than you’d normally expect. The original driver and 1+1 loudspeaker version were designed by Audience engineer Roger Sheker. After the passing of Roger, John McDonald, President (not engineer) made some common-sense changes by trial and error with the assistance from the supplier of drivers. Later Audience developed the EHVP system during the tenure of a new engineer. Lastly, Audience hired a new engineer, Phil Ducote, a master acoustic engineer.
John McDonald, Audience
Review System and Speaker Placement
For this review, I used the LTA ZOTL40 Reference+ Power Amplifier. The rest of the system consisted of the Innuos Statement Music Server, the PS Audio DirectStream DAC, and the LTA Reference Preamp Level 2. All of the cables were Audience FrontRow. These were plugged into my HB Cables Marble Power Slave.
In my room, the V5s sounded best when placed on 30-inch lead filled stands. They were about seven feet apart and about 30 inches off the back wall.
Listening
These little jewels are simply a joy to listen to and to look at. Without a doubt, the V5 is a bigger leap forward than any of the other updated versions. In my opinion, it is bigger than all of the changes made in previous versions put together. The V5s produced a sound that is as big as any bookshelf speaker I have ever heard.
I know you are asking, “What about the bass?” With the changes that were made to the V5, they can develop big, tight, powerful bass. I think many of you will be extremely pleased with them even without a sub. They are easy, however, to mate with a sub it you so desire.
The V5 with its filter at 40Hz not only produced better bass, it also has a smooth and more extended top-end. The V5s also have a very natural sense of timbre that makes the music sound more life-like. With these changes, you end up with one incredible little speaker.
All of the versions of the Audience ClairAudient 1+1 are worthy of the best gear or cables you can afford to pair with them. The ability of the ClairAudient 1+1 to produce a reach-out-and-touch-someone soundstage, to my astonishment, is even better with the V5, and the previous version was already the best I’d heard in my house for under $17,000. I would say that these speakers are the reigning king of this much-desired attribute of high-end speakers.
Conclusion
The V5 is a game-changer for the ClairAudient 1+1. The V5s are capable of producing enough volume and bass to satisfy most listeners who choose stand-mounted speakers. Mentioning stands, Audience or somebody needs to make a stand that is as beautiful and small as this little gem of a speaker. The only stand-mounted speakers that I have had in my room that could give these little speakers a run for their money are the little Teresonics which cost twice as much and are no longer available, and the little Raidho D Series speakers that cost nearly $20,000. This makes the V5 an outstanding value, and I highly recommend them.