With the Mandala, I could become completely engrossed in seemingly endless dynamic shadings. Most speakers and amplifiers obscure these microdynamic twists and turns. One record that demonstrated this as well as any was Miles Davis' Miles in the Sky [Columbia CS 9628]. Every minute variation in embouchure on his Martin Committee mouthpiece could easily be heard on "Stuff". I played this for my girlfriend Michele and her comment was "wow, you can hear everything!" Quite. Meanwhile, the Ultimate woofers plumbed the depths of Ron Carter's sophisticated bass lines clearly and allowed me to enjoy his playing more than ever. Each instrument came across with a verve that kept me captivated in a way that listening to any hifi should always aspire to but rarely matches. With small Jazz ensembles or large orchestral, one can clearly see into the performance space and focus on whichever musician one finds most interesting at that moment. Each separates from the others with outlines that are distinct and do not blur or overlap. I found this latter quality to be more related to the performance of the Tron since other amplifiers I had on the Mandala were not able to exhibit quite this level of imaging.

The Mandala could easily reproduce the scale of a full orchestra such as the wonderful London blue-back recording of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A Major [London CS 6178]. The tonal balance of this recording is remarkable. String tone is perfectly natural, with neither edge nor false sweetness. The solo clarinet enters exquisitely with a lilting quality that contrasts beautifully with the orcherstra's exuberance. As with the Jazz solos I praised before, the most subtle changes in the soloist's expressions were laid bare. I was drawn into the performance in a way that I can only compare to my regular attendance at the Yale Philharmonia concerts in nearby Woolsey Hall, New Haven/CT. The pursuit of highly revealing high-efficiency speakers often involves tradeoffs. For example, Lowther fans have to deal with the notorious shout, a forward harshness and raggedness in the upper midrange on certain music. With Bastanis speakers, some complain that the Gemini tweeter can be too hot or prominent at times. In my system, they sounded just fine. Here again, careful component and cable matching are a must. One relatively new Bastanis Matterhorn owner used his Wyetech Sapphire 300B amp and found the tweeters too bright. Switching to a Tube Guru 6C33C solved the problem immediately. This owner also reports that the Sophia Prodigy 6V6GT is a great match, albeit without the prodigious bass.

Ten years ago, the Prometheus MkII garnered a Blue Moon award. At the time, the retail cost for a dealer-assembled pair with upgraded Gemini tweeters and older Classic widebanders was $6'200. Today the tag on a dealer-assembled pair of Mandala with Gemini tweeters, four much improved Chrystal widebanders and superior 18-inch open-baffle woofers is $16'500. This puts the speakers into a very competitive sector of the marketplace. On sound quality alone, they definitely belong there. In fact, I can't think of another ultra-efficiency speaker I'd prefer at this price. The aesthetics however might be more of a challenge. Open baffles, by definition, require that their owner accepts driver magnets and possibly all connecting wires in plain view. Other OB manufacturers like Hawthorne Audio (now merged with Core Audio Technology) have done a respectable job of making the backs of their speakers somewhat more pleasing. Another approach is to place a framed grill cloth across the back as soundkaos do for their new Libération. The current importers might be well advised to make this an option.

Personally, I have my Mandala in a dedicated music room. What their backs look like is of minor concern. When you hear what open baffles can do for the sensation of live music coming from the added energy of the rear wave and a complete absence of distracting box colorations, you might be hard pressed to say no. After spending hundreds of hours with the Bastanis Mandala, I can honestly say that they do many things better than any speakers I have ever heard. Foremost among these qualities is that they are highly expressive and produce a very involving nuanced sound. They project a large soundstage with great depth and bloom at even moderate levels. When called upon, they will startle you with dynamic impact. They will do justice to all kinds of music as one would expect from a truly full-range speaker - and do all of it with a mere 10 watts of pure triode power per channel admittedly (not counting the separate woofer amps!). It all adds up to another award.

The passion for music and continuous research for sound perfection make the dream of the Bastani MATTERHORN speaker come to life. We use new methods to create a speaker cone that behaves and is extremely efficient. All treatments are handmade to get the best possible sound quality = pushing the limits to a higher level.

The Bastani MATTERHORN speakers display the beauty of sound - both clear and musical. They can be powered by a single ended flea-powered tube amp with as little as 1.5 W but they also shake the room using a high-wattage, solid state amp. The fine dynamics and the ability to deliver full musical structure, at even lowest listening levels, is unmatched and compete with the most powerful and dynamic speakers of all time. The floor-firing bass horns allow the placement of MATTERHORN speakers in both small and large rooms because the bass is self-adjusting to the size of the room and the size of the free floor space.

MATTERHORN lets you feel the essence of the music and takes you to new levels of sonic delight.

It has never been possible before, to delve so deeply into the world of music, pure and simple. The Bastani WILDHORN sets a new quality standard in the world of passive loudspeakers using efficient minimalism and an uncompromising quest for sonic perfection.

Bastanis WILDHORNS are so compact, that they are easy to integrate in most listening rooms. They fulfill even the most sophisticated audiophile demands while appearing simple and beautiful wherever they are placed. Years of experience, the courage to innovate and the incorporation of traditional handcrafting methods result in the perfection that is the Bastani WILDHORN. 

The 12 inch, full-range drivers, due to their large sound-emitting surface, create superior dynamics and transients. The unique process of the membrane treatment allow this full-range speaker to be coupled directly to the power amps – without any components interrupting the signal path. This allows the Bastani WILDHORN to offer superb detailing and maximum amplifier control.

The WILDHORN concept features a floor radiating horn resonator, making this speaker suitable for both large and smaller listening rooms. The area of the virtual horn mouth chamber varies and adjusts the bass response independently of the room dimensions.. Bass performance is extremely clean and dynamic, even if it does not quite reach the extreme depth of the Bastanis MATTERHORN speakers. The enormous efficiency of 100 dB / 1 W / 1 m, the uncritical impedance curve and the low demand for amplifier-sided electrical damping provide optimal conditions for operation with Single-Ended tube amplifiers.

Are you looking for:

• Elegant looking audio equipment?
• Speakers that match any interior design and offer an individual look?
• Speakers that don't dominate your listening-room due to their huge appearance?
• Speakers which are able to make the finest details audible?
• Speakers that offer natural sound and spacious imaging?
• A dynamic and powerful sound that brings music to life?
• Speakers that do not lull you with the tired presentation and dynamic limitations of the typical bookshelf speakers?
• Speakers that do not demand special amps to reach their full potential
• Speakers that don't require a large investment to get better than status-quo sound?

   

YOur quest ends with the bastani rothorn

THE BASTANI ROTHORN COMBINE THE 10″ CROSSOVERLESS WIDEBAND DRIVERS WITH SPECIAL CABINETS. THE FLOOR- LOADED BASSHORN- CABINETS OFFER COMPACT SIZE WITH FUNDAMENTAL BASS AND SUPERIOR DYNAMICS.

Bastani ROTHORN speakers offer full High End sound quality from the bottom to the top. They are able to transport the spirit of the music, no matter if it's Classical, Rock, or Classic Rock from low to “lifelike” levels, in small or large rooms.

• The floor-firing horn offers more dynamics and fundamental bass than you can imagine from its compact size.
• The absence of crossover parts in the signal path of the wideband drivers reveal all the fineer details which make music come alive.
• The musical structures stay in place, even at the lowest listening-levels.
• The high efficiency and easy load make it possible to connect any power-amp, from SE tubed amps to high wattage solid state amps.
• The STANDARD tweeters. or the GEMINI tweeters, are coupled to the wideband- drivers by a single cap for extended, airy highs.
• The tweeter’s capacitors are specially designed by Bastani, offering superior sound qualities.

Bastanis ROTHORN speakers offer a combination of slim, beautiful look with sound quality and dynamics that are only reached by the very best, and most expensive speakers.. 

The Bastanis Panettone Power Amp is a beautiful Single Ended EL84 stereo tube amplifier. With 3 watts per channel this amplifier ideal for high efficiency speakers. 

It owes its name to the size and shape of a panettone, an Italian luxury bread or cake with fruit.  Although small in stature, this amplifier is surprisingly powerful in combination with a properly matched loudspeaker.

With Bastanis speakers, the Panettone amplifier shows all its splendor and beauty; a wealth of sparkling tones in the middle, and the high, magnificent controlled low, a nice soundstage, and lots of detail. This single ended amplifier is a giant killer and all listeners will be amazed.

features:

Power (RMS): 2 x 3 Watt

Tubes Occupancy: 2 x EL84, 1 x RCA 5751

Speaker connections: 4 ohms, 6 and 8-ohm

Voltage: 230V AC / 50Hz

Dimensions (W x D x H): 180mm x 180mm x 190mm

Weight: 10kg

Finish: vineer choice