OPHIDIAN INCANTO LOUDSPEAKER REVIEW

Ian Ringstead takes a listen to the £6000 Ophidian Incanto Floorstanding loudspeakers.

It’s been a while since I last reviewed a pair of Gareth’s Ophidian speakers, but I have seen and heard them at all the UK shows where he has exhibited. The Incanto are a recent addition, fitting in below the top-of-the-range Voodoo. The Voodoo I heard at Gareth’s home a couple of years ago just before he launched them are his flagship model at £16000. They are great but to be honest too big for my listening room. The Incanto are ideal because they are a smaller size and do work well in smaller spaces – I would even say perfect due to their dimensions and performance. In my current setup, priced at £6000, they match my system well.

BUILD QUALITY OF OPHIDIAN INCANTO LOUDSPEAKERS

The pair od Incanto I received came in a very smart walnut finish (oak is the other option) with black magnetic grilles. Fit and finish were excellent as you would expect at this price. The front baffle sports three 175mm black anodised aluminium woofers that have copper shorting rings. The soft dome midrange unit is 50mm and is self-contained. The 22mm soft dome tweeter is a Sonomex high-frequency unit with a wide roll surround and a large magnet. As with all Ophidian speakers their Aeroflex port system is fitted to give a precise and controlled bass performance. The cabinet is braced and made in the UK by a specialist cabinet company out of MDF. The crossover uses Mundorf metal oxide resistors and air-cored coils for top-quality performance. The bottom of the cabinets has a moulded base to allow four spikes to be added for isolation if required.

The Incanto is the successor to the P3 Evolution which was an award-winning loudspeaker. Trickle-down technology from the Voodoo loudspeakers is used here in the Incanto. The three bass drivers in combination with the Aeroflex system certainly allow the Incanto to produce very wide-scale sound and dynamics from a relatively compact cabinet design. The claimed bass response is down to an impressive 36Hz. The sealed midrange unit gives a smooth character to its output which is highly detailed and accurate. The tweeter is the same as the one used in the Voodoo, so it is very clear and smooth, but not soft in character. The name Incanto means spell, charm, or enchantment… an apt name.

SOUND QUALITY

I used CD and vinyl as per usual to assess the Incanto’s and I started out with some Lee Ritenour to test their abilities. Ritenour is an American jazz guitarist who has played with many fabled jazz musicians including Bob James and he is a superb master of the guitar with a mixture of styles from pure jazz through to music with South American influences. The tonality of his guitar style is immediately obvious if you are a fan and the Incantos relished his music in all its forms. A wide and deep sound stage was projected into my listening room and as my amp and CD player warmed up things really got going. The detail was superb and pin sharp and I’d say as good as I have heard it in my room. Mid-range was sublime, and the top end sparkled with incision and dexterity. Bass was the biggest surprise with the Ophidian Incantos – my smaller Boenicke W5’s are excellent for their compact size, but cannot compare with the Incanto’s low-end reach. Heft is the word I would use. When you haven’t listened to a pair of larger floor standers for a while in your room you forget the differences the extra volume can bring to the party. I can live without the last octave, preferring accurate sound to a bloated bass, but when it is produced as cleanly as possible it’s a delight. 

Jazz music can be very complex but doesn’t have to be discordant and my jazz listening must be (what I would call musical) in nature. Bob James is another jazz musician whose keyboard skills are legendary. I heard Bob James a few years ago at Union Chapel in London with his band Fourplay and listening now using the Incantos brought back fond memories. Live music is vital for music lovers to keep them grounded and have a reference, but as readers probably know different venues can differ dramatically. It’s the same with live recordings and small venues will always beat large stadiums for realism and intimacy in the finished recording and the Incantos got this feeling across very well with the Bob James record.

Live rock was supplied by Stevie Nicks on her album Live in Concert: The 24 Karat Gold tour. Her gruff voice is very distinctive, and I love it. On Rhiannon, for instance, the delivery oozes out of the Incanto’s mid-range unit and some speakers would make her sound as if she was shouting… but she isn’t. Bass was deep and powerful with a grip making long session listening a pleasure. Gold Dust Woman is a classic track and has some poignant moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. However, I soon tire if the sound doesn’t gel or grab my attention and switch off. I didn’t with the Incanto’s. 

Other artists I tried were Syml and Haevn. I discovered these through my wife, and You Tube which is an invaluable source of new music. Syml is an American artist (Brian Fennell) and features clever vocals and lyrics often telling a story from his own life. He had Welsh parents, but he was adopted and his songs capture both his Welsh heritage and his adoption. The rhythmic nature of his songs comes through very well and I have a mix of CD and vinyl that are a real delight to hear. Syml is Welsh for “simple” and reflects his style of music. Many of the songs are quite sad and the Incantos portray that emotion easily, drawing out the raw feeling and emotion on the recording. 

 Haevn is a Dutch group playing indie-pop-ambient music who have used orchestral musicians in a studio for a lot of their tracks and which are superbly recorded leading to a thrilling listening experience. The power and majesty of a string section never fails to move me and add a real boost to the music. Dynamically the swing in volume is very large and can surprise if you aren’t expecting it. Music should touch and move you emotionally and physically and the Incanto’s certainly achieve that goal. Vocals were again beautifully clear showcasing the studio recording quality.

Every form of music I played shone through on these speakers and unlike some makes that are recommended for certain types of music the Incantos master all with few weaknesses.

CONCLUSION

I loved these speakers and would highly recommend them to anyone in the market for a compact pair of floor-standers for around £6000. They are not perfect but cleverly cover their tracks to achieve a great result.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality: 

Very well put together and single wired terminals for a no-nonsense design

Sound Quality: 

Excellent performance from a popular price range for serious music lovers after an upgrade

Value For Money: 

£6000 is not pocket money but for anyone who can afford them well worth the outlay

We Loved:

Clarity

Excellent top-to-bottom range

Transparency especially the mid-range

Engaging sound

We Didn’t Love So Much:

Plain vanilla in looks like most speakers

Elevator Pitch Review:  For the money superb. Ideal for smaller listening rooms where space is at a premium.

Price: £6000

Ian Ringstead

SUPPLIED BY OPHIDIAN

SUPPLIED SPECIFICATIONS

Specifications

• Frequency response – 36hz to 25khz (-3dB)

• Sensitivity – 89dB (2.83v)

• Recommended power – 50 to 250 watts

• Impedance – 4 ohms

• Cabinet dimensions – 1032mm H x 210mm W x 300mm D (inc. grilles)

• Plinth footprint – 270mm W x 342mm D

• Weight – 24kg