Pure Audio Project Duet 15 Speaker Experience!

Pure Audio Project Duet 15 Speaker Experience!

By Steve Huff

My Video Review of the Pure Audio Project Duet 15!

For the last 2-3 months or so I have been enjoying a set of speakers from Pure Audio Project (will refer to them as PAP from here on out) that are as unique as I have seen in design, looks and the way one takes delivery. They are also as unique as I have heard as they sound like no other speaker that I have had through my doors. These Duet 15’s are 100% open baffle, and yes, open baffle speakers do present music in a different way from box speakers.

Is that good or bad? I will explain all I have experienced from these open baffle speakers in this written review, as well as the video review which is below.

The Duet 15 with a new baffle material and color. These are made of Valchromat and are in the new Khaki Green color. What do we see in the background? An Eversolo DMP A10 as Streamer into a Nagra Tube DAC/Preamp that goes into a pair of Singxer Class A/B monoblock amps. You can see a Weiss 501 MKII DAC on top of the A10 ; ) I tested these out with a slew of electronics from affordable to the top of the peak.

When I first saw the PAP Duet 15’s it was on Steve Guttenburgs YouTube channel. Steve’s is one audio related channel that I have watched more than a few times over the years as I enjoy the way Steve does video reviews. Easy going, tells it like he feels it and he seems like a great easy going guy t0 boot. Steve had been using Klipsch Cornwall IV speakers as his reference for a while and when the PAP Duet 15’s entered his life he announced he was making them his new reference. When I saw his videos on these speakers I knew one day I would have to try them.

You can see the Borresen X2’s in the room as well which are mighty fine “box” speakers from Denmark

When researching the Duet 15’s on the PAP website I instantly loved the style, the open baffle design and the simplicity of assembly. They may look a little bit like a DIY set of speakers but the style is one of the things that drew me to these lovely boxless designs but there was also something about them that spoke to me. I had a feeling these would be “soul stirrers” and they stayed in my mind for a long while. I almost ordered a set but money was tight and eventually I forgot about them because I was so busy reviewing other speakers that were sent in for that purpose.

When busy, as life is, time seems to fly by but the Duet 15’s stayed within my thoughts and I still wanted to hear these speakers even a year after I first discovered them. I finally decided to just contact PAP and ask if I could review a set of Duet 15’s! I heard back and after a phone call we both decided that a set of Duet 15’s would be sent to me to review.

Pure Audio Project agreed to send me a white set as they had a set of used white baffles ready to go. Usually when you order from the website it states that baffles can take anywhere from 3-5 weeks to build and complete. Instead of waiting weeks they sent the white and I told them if I ended up loving and buying this set I would just order a new color baffle from them. The baffles ship from Spain.

I was told the baffles would be sent by one party, the speaker drivers by another, the crossover from Germany and the frame from somewhere else. I did not realize it at the time but all the parts ship separate and when they all arrive you are ready to assemble. Yes, assemble. Do not worry though, assembly is very easy and straightforward. The set comes with all you need, even the Allen key to tighten everything up.

The speakers shipped to me with white baffles. The white is striking and could work in almost any room. See the Galion TS34 Tube amp with my ECI 6DXII and ECI Streamer and DAC. Also, I can spy the Advance Parts A12 as well, which also sounded great with the Duet 15.

Also do not worry if you buy a set and do not get all of the parts on the same day. When they all arrive, that is when you can start the assembly. Some patience may be needed but when you are ready to put it all together, do not worry about that either. It’s quite easy.

Basically you insert the drivers (I received the Voxactiv 1.6 along with the 15″ woofer) and screw them in after attaching the baffle to the frame. All that is left is attaching the crossover to the base, connecting the wires and adding the feet. It took me almost 2 hours to assemble but I was going slow, taking my time and making sure all was done carefully and right. When I replaced the baffles with the Khaki color and re-assembled it took me about 30 minutes, still taking my time.

I placed the speakers about 4 feet from the main front wall (the wall I face when sitting and listening) and about 1 1/2 feet from the side walls. Speakers were placed about 8ft apart and I sat about 8ft from them. This is where they settled after experimenting with placement. My room is 13X18. I toed the speakers in direct to my ears. I found this toe into work best as when I toed them out the sound became more diffused. When toed in everything snapped into place and it was just right.

Open Baffle speakers are quite different from box speakers. First of all, the bass doesn’t load the room like a box speaker. It’s more natural, organic and well, realistic. They can be placed close to side walls and even the main wall if need be. There is no boom yet there is very deep bass down to 29Hz from the big 15″ woofer. I will talk more about the performance in a bit but I will say that if you have had issues with box speakers and bass in your room, open baffle speakers may be your cure.

Burning In?

So PAP told me that the drivers needed at least 200 hours of burn in. I am one who has experienced gear for 35+ years and have experimented with burn in, even buying the same set of speakers three years later to see if it was real. I wrote about it HERE but in my audio lifetime I have never once heard any substantial change from burn in. Maybe a small change, sure, but never anything that would change the character or sound of a speaker, amp, DAC, etc.

Would these be different? Well, no. The Character of the sound did not change but there were some changes and they did need some run in, for sure. 

During the first few hours of play the bass was a little soft and plump…and loose. They sounded a bit tubby to me at first, a bit foggy in the mids and very big bass even at lower volumes.

After just a few hours they tightened up in all areas and for the next day they seemed brighter and leaner, which I did not like! By day 3 they sounded fleshed out, were imaging beautifully and projecting a huge full scale sound into the room. After 250 hours they haven’t really changed much, nothing that I have noticed. They sound absolutely beautiful, refined and as good as they look. Maybe a touch cleaner and the bass may have tightened up a little bit more but the same character of sound is here and very present. They are champions in my space for low volume and I listen deep into the night at times. These portray a big full scale image with richness and body, even at lower volumes.

With the hours logged on to the drivers I was ready to get critical of these close to $7,000 speakers. I had many other extraordinary speakers here for comparison. Speakers like the Qualio IQ Ultra, The Closer Acoustics OGY and BOB, the Triangle 40th Anniversary Duettos, Borresen X2’s and others like the Audio Craftsmen Victoria. The Qualio IQ and Closer Acoustics with BOB have been two of my fave speakers ever and both are partially open baffle. I consider any of the speakers I just mentioned to be “End Game”.

I also had several amps and DACs on hand. The Electrocompaniet ECI 6DXII, the T+A HV3100 Integrated, a set of Singxer $1400 A/b mono block amps, a Galion TS34 Tube Amp and an Advance Paris A10 and A12. As for DACs I had the Nagra Tube DAC, the Weiss 501 MKII, Holo Audio May KTE, Electrcocompaniet DAC, LAIV Harmony and Denafrips Pontus 15th. Streamers on hand were the Eversolo A10, HiFi Rose RS130 and Nagra Streamer.

OK Let’s get to it!

The Qualio IQ (above) is all about detail revival and a super holographic style of imaging. They can be slightly lean in the mids (depending on amp) but they are clear as a bell, and bring the “WOW” to those who listen. I did find over time I was missing some mid punch with the IQ’s and as amazing as they are with the treble and even bass, the IQ’s are for those who want that detail, even the hidden microscopic variety, as well as all out transparency and clarity. Thet are stunning in this regard and yes, can give you an “eargasm”! I had goosebumps on more than one occasion while listening to the IQ Ultras but do know they are not warm or soulful really but more about the details and soundstage.

The Closer Acoustics BOB/OGY (above) have more mid punch and warmth and are quite close to the IQ Ultra but these are a touch sweeter in the treble and bigger in the bass and mid bass. A more “human” and “soulful” type of sound but still close to the IQ’s. Both of these speakers are partly open baffle designs. The IQ Ultra have the treble and mids in a dipole wide open configuration. The OGY and BOB? The bass units are open baffle and the main speakers, the OGY, are a transmission line design,

The rest of the speakers I had on hand, all are box speakers. Triangle Duetto 40th Magellan, Borresen X2 and the beautifully made and built Audio Craftsmen Victoria.  

My First Real Sit Down with the Duet 15

When I first started to listen I wanted to find out how these did with low, mid and high volume in my 13X18 space. At low volumes they were still pretty much full bodied yet remained detailed with a smooth warm glow in the mids. I started with my Electrocompaniet ECI 6DXII Integrated amp that brings some punch, warmth and a full bodied yet quite stunning detailed sound. I would soon move onto some $1400 mono blocks from Singxer (SA-90) which are warmer still and even a pass labs XA25 which brought some sparkle. I also tried these with tubes via the Galion TS34 Integrated tube amp for a little more glow to the mids. The T+A HV3100 Integrated was a special treat with the Duet 15.

The magic here, and there was magic, was partly due to the midrange as this Voxactiv 1.6 is so beautifully voiced, it is one of the most beautiful drivers I have heard in a speaker. It’s not of the crystalline windex variety but more of a slightly smokey and velvet like full bodied variety. Wether I was listening at low volume at 2AM or going louder mid day, these speakers presented the sound in an organic, wholesome and beautiful way yet they sound different from mostly all of the speakers I have ever had in here.

Let me say that every amp I tried with the Duet 15’s sounded fantastic. Some better than others, yes, but these speakers are easy to drive at 96DB and even a 4 watt tube amp could deliver magic with them. I found they loved lower power or even mega power. The finest I heard them? This was with the T+A HV 3100, a Nagra Tube DAC and Nagra Streamer but holy heck, this is $80k worth of electronics and well, these should make the Duet’s sound heavenly, and yes they did. But who has $80k to throw at electronics for $7k speakers? Lol.

The great news is that the Duet 15’s sounded almost as good with the Galion TS34 ($2700) and Eversolo DMP A10 ($3600) as Streamer and DAC. Even better was the ECI 6DXII with Rose 130. They sounded fuller and warmer with the $1400 mono amps from Singxer, the SA-90 but lost out on some detail and spatial qualities.

When sitting for hours mid day, listening to a variety of music from all genres, I noticed a special trick these Duet 15’s perform. No matter what I played, wether it was audiophile recordings or even all out crappy recordings from the 80’s, the Duet 15 did a masterful job of making all sound musical and pretty damn good. Very pleasing to the ear and the mind. Great recordings had a magic about them, a room filling concert in my own space. A live feel with the Nagra Tube DAC that brought a projection of voices into the room as if the artist was front and center with the band behind them on all sides. As if the music was set free from the boundaries of a box (because it was).

A sound demo in my room using the Electrcompaniet Streamer/DAC and Amp

I was at times reminded slightly of the big Klipsch Cornwall IV but the Duet’s sounded much more refined in the treble/midrange as well as more fluid, controlled and tuneful in the bass. This is due to the better quality of parts in the Duet. There is no “shout” here at all but these are not horn speakers, though at times, they have the live feel and projection 0f a great horn design.

The Voxactiv 1.6 sounds almost like a horn (projection) without the compromises of a horn (flat shouty sound). While not sounding exactly like a horn design what these do so well is the projection part. The Duet 15 bring the performers into the room in such a way, a way that is new to these experienced ears and this is very very good.

Switching it up.

With the Weiss 501 MKII doing DAC duties the sound was now much beefier, more studio master tape vibe but with amazing spatial renderings, dynamics and punch. With the Holo May KTE there was a more analog vinyl vibe going on with a big warm richness that was borderline almost too warm as some details were obscured vs the Weiss. Using the internal DAC of the Eversolo A10 brought forth a wider stage, more transparency and a brighter treble that brought forth a slight digital type of sound which most mid tier DACs do bring. Using the Denafrips Pontus 15th brought forth some refinement and forwardness, with instruments jetting into the room with an energy and excitement that was infectious. The Nagra Tube DAC, which is my personal choice for a “Dream DAC”, the sound is natural without much WOW factor but it’s so dang good, so infectious, so real and addicting. Soulful is the word and it can take some time to really appreciate what the Tube DAC brings to the table.  The EC DAC brought forth a big energy that was harder hitting and more alive all while keeping the digital nasties away.

My fave DACs here with the Duet 15 were the Nagra, Weiss and Denafrips 15th.

More specific, the Nagra Tube DAC with T+A 3100 HV ($75k)  was stunning. The ECi 6DX II with Weiss DAC was almost as good ($22k). The Advance Paris A12 with Denafrips 15th was beautiful ($6k). The Galion TS34 with the Eversolo A10 was also a treat ($7k).

Here I had the Singxer Mono amps running with the Nagra DAC as the preamp. The sound was warm, fluid and rich. Not as detailed as when using the other amps and this showed me the budget monos were not doing what the pricer amps were doing. Even so, they sounded fantastic and at the cost they are a fantastic buy. 

No matter the DAC used here, the soundstage was immense and this is important. To me, a truly great speaker can perform magic in the way it presents the music.

Into the Twilight Zone

Imagine if you will that you are at a concert and you are in the 3rd row. You see the stage with maybe the singer in the center, a guitarist to the left, a bassist to the right and the drummer in the back. A great speaker, good amp, great source and good recording can reproduce this in your home but not many speakers under $10k can do what the Duet 15 does in this area. I am not hearing this kind of imaging with the more pricey $8k+ Borresen X2 or the more affordable but so sweet $3995 Audio Craftsmen Victoria. It is like I entered the Twilight Zone of Audio, lol.

The Duet 15 soundstage is wide and can bring amazing depth as well (if your amp and source are up to it). It is not the tallest stage I have heard but what it does with this width and depth is stunning and if my room was larger I feel the stage would expand wider. Yes, I hear it just as if I was at a live show and these are fully capable of producing a world class holographic soundstage but with body, depth and beauty. Life size images here when all is right in the system.

As for detail, the Voxactiv 1.6 driver is said to have warmth and detail all in one and this is very true. There is detail but not Qualio IQ levels of detail. Instead of leaning analytical, these lean more to the large scale very musical side of things, and this is good. Some audiophiles may brush off a speaker that sounds good with most music as they claim this means the speakers are adding color. Well, so what? If this color makes all music sound pleasing and supremely amazing, what is the harm in that? Some will enjoy this while others will still look for more of that crystalline clarity. I personally enjoy some soul in my music, which adds life and brings those goosebumps. Also, I am in no way saying the Duet 15’s are not a clear sounding speaker.

The Duet 15’s are clear but not like “glass clear”. Who is to say anyway what is “right”? Some feel biting treble detail and ultra transparent is right, others feel the opposite. I find musical, emotionally engaging and soul stirring reproduction “right for me” and the Duet 15’s deliver this in a big big way. They are also quite dynamic and fast yet offer up a human type of presentation that brings the goosebumps.

I have heard speakers and amps that tell the truth and at times, the brutal truth. For me these kind of speakers and/or gear can be fatiguing over time. They wow at first and after weeks or months I find myself craving some soul to the music, which some may even call “color”. Now I am not saying that the Duet 15’s add tons of color as they are reproducing what is being fed to them in a way that does tell the truth but in a way that also warms the soul. They are very special in this area but this can be read in the tons of owner reviews on the PAP website.

Bottom line is that the Duet 15’s sound big, soulful, musical and bring a live very human vibe. I attribute some of this to the big 15″ bass driver which really helps to bring that life like sound but without boom or bass issues. I have become a huge fan of open baffle 15″ bass drivers. Just like with the Closer Acoustics BOB (Bass Open Baffle) the Duet’s bring that life size feel with their own proprietary specially made for OB 15″ Bass drivers. These drivers help to bring that glow and warmth to the mid 1.6 driver as well. They blend so well.

When listening to “SWAY” from Diana Krall her smoky seductive voice is uber realistic, letting all of the smokiness of her voice come through in a life size way. She is right here, dead center in the middle of my room about 1 foot in front of the speakers. I hear the brush on the drums slightly behind the left speaker while the bass line is behind Diana to her slight left. The right has some other subdued sounds and instruments appearing. The star here is the voice, her voice, as it is presented in a life size scale and it sounds as if she is hear, singing to me. I was using the Holo May KTE DAC here and it brought forth its tricks like warmth and body along with gorgoeus details.

These Duet 15’s are soul stirrers for sure and in the area of stirring the soul, they are near the Holy Grail territory for me and my ears. I love a realistic but beautifully rich midrange and the Duet 15’s do this (though there is an ever so slight dryness in the upper mids vs some juicier sounding box speakers) while keeping the treble from biting or hurting my brain.

Listening to Faithful Heart from Cello Cloud was a surreal soulful experience. I had the Volume turned up and the experience was so immersive and life like. Best I have ever heard the Cello in a recording and the Duet brought it to life right here in my space.

Switching to an all tube integrated like the Galion TS34 brings a lighter footed more airy presentation, but with more “glow” from the tubes, just oh so slightly. The TS34 doesn’t have the all out punch of the EC or T+A but it brings instead, a delicate sweet and refined sound itself. This is a fantastic tube integrated and with very good parts and design for $2700. See my review HERE.

The Holo May KTE DAC is known for its analog vibe and it doesn’t disappoint with the Duet 15’s. Even with the warmth and body, the treble was so so sweet and yes, there was some spatial effects going on. These image wonderfully and it goes very well with the TS34 and Duet.

Moving over to some trash metal with the T+A which brings huge current and power, just for fun, I was blown from my seat with this all out power, energy, slam and big bass that stayed tight but with a big presence. This shocked me a bit as I assumed for some reason these would not be good with heavy music. Duets are not just for fancy audiophile music. They can also ROCK.

I swapped out the big money integrated amps and swapped the DAC back to the Weiss 501 MKII, which served as a preamp to a set of $1400 Chinese made mono blocks from Singxer called the AS-90. These came from Kitsune Audio and these two boxes have made a believer out of me. They are remarkable, class A/B and are very sweet, smooth and punchy at the same time. Quiet as all get out and they just perform in a stunning way, without having to spend a fortune. They do lean a little dark and warm so these are not detail retrieval masters, and did dull the details a bit (flatter) but for the money they are remarkable and MONO AMPS!

This setup softened things up a little bit in the treble but added a beautiful detailed midrange, big bass and a full analog style of sound from any digital file. That Weiss 501 MKII is quite the performer but these little amps are as well.

The Nagra Streamer is as simple and High Quality as streaming gets. It’s small, has no flash or pizazz, has only a coax and Nagra Link fiber out and no app. Even so, this streamer sounds remarkable and has been 100% glitch and freeze free. Sounds amazing with any source, even Spotify. When using a Nagra DAC with N link, using the fiber connection brings the finest quality. Also, this can be powered with the Classic PSU, of which I have on hand here now as well. This ups the sound quality even more. 

Moving to a Pass Labs XA25 with the Weiss as the preamp brought a lot more sparkle up top, but in a good way. The little Pass that could also brought some more realism to the mids vs the lower cost mono amps but each have a place really. I love these SA90’s and may keep this set because they are so good yet so affordable. Really, they sound like a $3500 stereo amp I just recently had in here but cost $1400 and are dual mono boxes.

Using the Nagra Tube DAC with the T+A 3100 HV blew me away and showed me that these Duet’s can keep getting better and better as you upgrade your electronics. This is awesome as they sound amazing with mid tier electronics and as time goes by you can improve upon them by upgrading your amp, DAC or even phono stage. These speakers can grow right along with you and your HiFi Hobby.

Those 15’s and the Bass

The Duet 15’s are not going to blow you from your seat with a vibrating room shaking wall rattling bass but rather these speakers present the bass in a very natural and very well blended way. The bass is big and deep when in the recording but stays semi tight yet not so tight that it makes the presentation lean. The way the bass is done here is remarkable and I love open baffle 15″ woofer designs. These also should not present a problem in smaller rooms, meaning you should not experience bass issues due to the open baffle design.

So the bass is pretty awesome, the midrange is alive, in the room and very present. The treble is about perfect for anyone who is not looking for that hyper crispy detail, as it is not hyper here. So no “ice pick” sounds, just a smooth but very 3D and holographic stage. Of course if more upper end detail is desired you can order these with a different driver, namely the Voxativ AC-PiFe, which will set you back an extra $2k. How cool is this? We can customize these and even buy 2-3 drivers to swap them out when we get bored or want a different sound.

It’s tough to find a box speaker that can pull off what the Duet 15 does. I have yet to find one but I feel it’s not possible.

Going back to the Boreresen X2… well they sound great and amazing as always but they now sound more closed in as well as a shade darker. Going to the gorgeous Triangle 40th Magellan Duettos brings more excitement in the treble (these have a sweet treble) but I then start to miss the organic and human way the Duet 15’s spoke the language of music in the mids and bass. Moving to the very handsome and well made Audio Craftsmen Victoria I am swooned by their smooth midrange and sweetness but they still do not sound anything like the Duet 15’s in their scale and wide open presentation.

I can not stress enough just how big these sound and this holds true at low, mid and high volume.

Compared to my all time faves?

Yes indeed. There are many speakers I have enjoyed, talked and raved about and put in a bucket of “anyone would love these”.

There are tons of amazing speakers out there in the audio world, and to me there is no “best”,  just different. We all have different tastes in how we want our music to sound. One persons “best” could be another persons “worst”. Some love uber detail and transparency while others love body and musicality above all else. There are many variants of these sounds in hundreds of speakers made today.

My tastes are easy. I like some body, some warmth, some clarity, holographic stage, immersion, spatial, beautiful midrange, and with some punch and balls as well. They must produce piano well, do vocals with magic and acoustic instruments need to sound real. They can not sound thin but can never sound dull or bloated either.

The PAP Duet 15’s deliver just about just about all of my “likes”. I am not sure any other speaker I have loved has done this. It’s rare. The Fleetwood Deville’s that I still miss on some days didn’t get the bass/punch quite to where I would have preferred it. They were open, holographic, sweet in the mids with a big projection but looking back now as we near the end of 2024 they lacked in the lower bass which made some music sound leaner than it should. They also had more sizzle in the treble vs the Duet.

Looking back to the Daniel Hertz Ambers, they had punch, drive, clarity and big bass but had a leaner midrange and were of the crystaline clear variety. Also, they only sounded really great with the Hertz Maria amp, which was set up and tuned for the speakers. When I used other amps with the Ambers they sounded more sterile to me.

Going back to the Qualio IQ Ultras, which I adore, the Duet 15’s have a way of never ever getting fatiguing. The IQ’s have a more tipped up treble and a leaner mid bass which adds to their holographic nature but with some music and some amps they can sound a little lean in the mids as they didn’t have huge punch, not like the Duet’s. Some would prefer the Qualio, others the Duet. Amp choice does make a difference as well as some amps are leaner and some are warmer. The IQ’s can sound beefier with the right amp but they still will sound more lit up in the treble than the Duet with the 1.6 Diver.

The Duet’s play everything well yet keep the qualities I love intact, which is so rare. Compared to the OGY and BOB the Duets are easier to set up, look more like a finished speaker and sound quite different. Yes, I hear more tonal colors in the Duet’s as well. More warmth and an even bigger scale. The OGY’s have a more lifted up treble so they sound brighter than the Duet’s which are a darker vibe vs the OGY. There is no wrong choice, just the one that fits your preferences in looks and sound.

At the end of the Day

It comes down to what you like and want in a speaker.

  1. Do you love a musical speaker but one that also brings artists to the room with you?
  2. Do you like a big scale of sound, big voice and projection?
  3. Do you look for superb but natural imaging with a big stage?
  4. Do you want a smooth yet extended treble?
  5. Are you OK doing the assembly yourself?
  6. Do you want a speaker that sounds great with just about all music?
  7. Do you love details but want them presented in a smoother more subdued way, less sizzle?
  8. Do you prefer a natural bass vs a ported speakers bigger more impactful bass?
  9. Do you want a speaker for life?
  10. Do you want a speaker that is easy to drive but does well with tubes or SS?

If so, the Duet 15’s may be a perfect fit for you. I tested them with solid state and tubes and I have to say that they did equally as well. The tubes didn’t shine any more than the SS did with the Duet and they seemed to love the extra power with the solid state amps even though they are very easy to drive. Using the amps, streamers and any DAC I had on hand brought forth an incredible immersive experience that had me listening at all hours, when I had the time to do so.

These speakers did show me the differences in source, amp, and even cables quite easily as well, which I also loved. 

Putting in my desert island DAC with the T+A amp, the insanely expensive Nagra Tube DAC, I shed some tears at around 1:25 in the morning. Goosebumps. I also loved them with the Weiss 501 MKII which brought more “beef” and upper end extension. More punch and more studio atmosphere. Even the Denafrips Pontus 15th and Laiv Harmony sounded wonderful with the Duet speakers. 

The crossover of the Duet 15

Are these perfect? Almost. 

In the first week when burning them in I heard some vibrations going on when loud and with bass heavy music. I noticed when I touched the crossover the vibration stopped. PAP swapped it out quickly, as in lightning speed quick, and all was good again, almost. I still heard small vibrations and found it was the small metal feet sent with them. I removed the feet and all vibrations stopped.

After I bought and paid for them (yes, I can not send them back) PAP sent me the upgraded ISO Acoustics feet and some Khaki green baffles in the new Valchromat material. There was no way I was able to send these back after I heard them over the last few weeks. No way. For me, these are almost perfect for what I love in music reproduction and I also love how they show me what each component is doing (or not doing) within the system.

The Duet 15 stir the soul. They are supremely musical, they bring a large scale sound and sound like they are 20 feet tall. They do well with all genres of music while still bringing the magic I love within audio. I love immersion and these immerse me like a champ : )

A New Way

Pure Audio Project is bringing speakers to us in a new way.

A way that allows us to choose our drivers (pick from 2-3, the Voxactiv 1.6 is the most affordable and warmest of the choices) our baffles, the crossovers and configurations. They sell models that I feel look even cooler than these, are larger than these and offer up something for every room. You can see all they offer at their website HERE.

I love the way we can choose what we want in our speakers down to the color choice. I also love the fact that we must assemble them as it seems to add something to the experience. While easy as pie to do, it’s fun to do as well and when done you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your (small) labor.

While these come in at around $7k for the model I have here they seem priced very very fairly for what they are doing here as the looks are unique, the experience is unique and the sound is out of this world. I’ve heard speakers that cost much more that brought less enjoyment. Heck, I once heard $80k speakers that I did not like nearly as much as these. The Duet 15’s also respond very well to gear changes, even cable changes. You will hear these differences as I sure have.

Is this the END? Of the search that is.

Many say that once you hear a very good open baffle design you can never go back to a boxed speaker. I am not sure this is the case for me as I know I will still listen to my box speakers when I feel the need for a change but “home” for me, will now always be with open baffle speakers.

With that said, the Pure Audio Project Duet 15’s have cemented a space here in my room because once I heard these open baffle beauties, even before any burn in, I knew they were staying for quite a while. While I have a few speakers here it is the Duet 15’s that I have had a very hard time taking out, even to listen to new arrivals here that I have to review. There is nothing quite like them that I have heard. I know there are a few great brands of OB speakers but there is a simplicity, uniqueness and honesty about the Pure Audio Project offerings. I love what they are doing and what they are offering.

With a beefy sounding amp like the ECI 6DXII or T+A HV 3100 the drums are big and have impact with the 15’s. Piano has depth, and sounds very realistic, to scale. Vocals are big and bold, and sound real. Saxophones jet out with big body and heft, as they should, in a mild 3D kind of way (Check out Melody Gardot Live Bad News). Music swells from the speakers as the dynamic range is superb with the Duet’s as well. Soft to loud is very good. The dynamics can startle yet they do all of this with beauty, some warmth with the Voxactive 1.6 driver and a human touch that is so beautiful to experience.

They really excel with a neutral linear amp that has some power, as they love power even though they can be powered with low wattage tube amps and are easy to drive. One doesn’t have to spend a fortune to power these as it can be done for around the same cost as the speakers (amp, DAC, etc).

Amazing Speakers. 

See more or order at the Pure Audio Project Website HERE. 

PS – No, I was not paid one cent for this review nor did I get free product here. I bought these (I do get an industry discount) and there is a reason why you never see these up for sale on the used market. Well, two reasons. They are not the easiest to rebox up (they ship in many boxes) but mainly these have a high pride of ownership going on, and no one wants to sell them once they see and hear them in their space. They are that good.

As for me, I can’t NOT have these in my life so I sold off two other speakers to attain these  which I hated to do but I am so deep into this crazy hobby and loving it. After these last few months with them I have been absolutely smitten by the open baffle experience and one day hope to hear the other drivers or even the Trio 15, maybe with the Horn.

 

4 Comments

  1. Bonjour ! Je m’ autorise cette remarque que je souhaite constructive. Pour répondre à vos remarques concernant les QUALIO, je recommanderais de les tester avec les condensateurs de couleur verte ( moins 1 dB pour les aigües ) et en bi-câblage pas super analytique … De quoi, modifier – me semble-t-il – vos remarques au sujet de ces enceintes que j’ ai découvertes notamment par votre article …
    Bonne continuation à vous !
    ALAIN

    • I’ve tried all of them, and prefer by far the one Qualio does. In comparison to say the Duet 15, the mids are recessed and leaner on the IQ due to the drivers and tweeter used. They are more about detail/holograhic to a high level where Duet 15’s are more subdued in this area, fuller in sound and with bigger/richer vocals. Both are stunning speakers, comes down to what one wants in their sound ; )

  2. Great review, as always. I wish there were a review of the PAP Trio10 Heil AMT. Somehow, I’m more attracted to the Heil dipole. I’m also interested in how Heil, because of his speed, is matched with two midbass. Are they able to follow him?

    • I’d venture to guess the Trio 10 sounds closer to something like the Qualio IQ Ultra with more sizzle up top and more punch vs Duet, which just sound large, open and well, beautiful.

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