Verdict
There might be a good system in here trying to get out – but it will have to get past its own subwoofer first .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
“ modest ” , as has long been established , “ is beautiful ” . In the case of the Cabasse Pearl Keshi , a high - resolution all - in - one 2.1 sound recording organisation , “ small ” does n’t prevent “ expensive ” , either .
The world is n’t short of ambitious all - in - one setups from auspicious and long - plant brands , of course , but ambitioussphericalall - in - one setup ? They ’re in short supply .
Of naturally , it conduct a bit more than some oddball ( no wordplay mean ) looks and a lengthy spec sheet to produce a worthwhile system . So does the Cabasse have it where it really counts ?
The Cabasse Pearl Keshi is on sales agreement now , and in the UK it ’s yours for £ 2299 . In the Eurozone it costs € 2499 , and in Australia it ’s priced at AU$4399 . presently , there ’s no confirmation the product will arrive at the US ; if it does ( and if exchange rates are anything to go by ) , expect to pay $ 2899 or thereabouts .
That ’s quite a lot for a 2.1 speaker system of rules , even one from a stigma with the cache of Cabasse . But then the Pearl Keshi is n’t just a utterer organization – it ’s a self - moderate , hi - Re audiosystem . So perhaps that price is n’t as optimistic as it might at first appear .
Design
you could rely on Cabasse for a few things . A exchange premium cost , for good example ; gleeful over - applied science ; and spheres – the company has always been very large on field .
So your £ 2299 buys you three spheres , two small 1 ( 10 x 8 x 8 cm , 550 guanine ) that tie to a larger one ( 24 x 22 x 27 cm , 6 kilo ) . Each has its own chromed , merged basketball hoop rack . In the case of the two lilliputian satellite speakers , they can click through eight unlike military position to ensure they ’re sack at your listening position no matter where they ’re pose .
The satellites connect to the big subwoofer / amplifier / locomotive engine of the organization using banana plugs . They ’re each hard - wired to a 3 megabyte distance of relatively dumpy speaker unit overseas telegram , which is helpful – unless you need to put the planet particularly close to the sub , in which suit you ’ll have quite a lot of cable to conceal .
The Pearl Keshi is available in black or white . Both finish are matte , and both look pretty good in a form of sophisticatedly understated way . The calibre of build and finish is impressive , too – except for the bright “ Cabasse ” logo on the subwoofer , which looks and feels a minute low - rent by comparison .
Features
As is Cabasse ’s wo nt , the planet speakers are a coaxal design . Inside the ball-shaped metallic element locker , behind the interlocking grille , there ’s a mid - range driver with a tweeter in its substance . This arrangement is intended to deliver high - quality focus and time alignment – the fact that it allows Cabasse to engineer a spherical talker is almost sure a happy co-occurrence .
As well as have a downward - burn down 17 centimeter bass driver so as to do its bassy thing , this system ’s subwoofer is the brains of the full kit . It turns out 300 watts of Class D power for each artificial satellite speaker and keeps an as significant 450 watts for itself .
It ’s adequate to of trade with every worthwhile digital audio file cabinet type and is fit to handle files up to a vertiginous 32bit/768kHz and DSD128 resolution . There are physical input ( Ethernet , micro - USB , digital optical and 3.5 millimeter analogue ) for connecting external sources , and wireless connectivity via Wi - Fi , Apple AirPlayandBluetooth .
Wireless cyclosis from connection - attached storage happens via UPnP , but it ’s also possible to integrate your favourite medicine - stream table service into the splendid StreamControl app . Cabasse has make for a blinder here : the mastery app is stable , blanket ( it includes way standardization , for example , and the ability to integrate the Pearl Keshi into your Amazon Alexa or Google Home ecosystem ) and logical . There are any number of alternatives from any number of likewise resourced producer that do n’t get anywhere near this kind of usability .
The distant - mastery French telephone , by way of contrast , is mostly style and only a little substance . A chunky orbitual puck ( direct your bets on how long it involve Cabasse to realise a sphere would be impractical ) with a rotating dial around the edge dealing with volume , it rescue limited functionality . And it operates via Bluetooth , which is secure tidings for battery life but very bad news indeed for whoever has to fumble under the subwoofer to re - pair it when it inevitably loses its connection .
Sound Quality
Newton ’s third law , as we all know , suggests that for every action there is an equal and diametrical chemical reaction . He almost certainly did n’t have premium all - in - one audio recording systems in judgment , on-key , but for every audio endowment the Pearl Keshi demonstrates , there ’s another sonic discipline at which it fall savourless on its face – which is sort of the same thing , is n’t it ?
On the positive side , the Cabasse – as the spec - sheet powerfully suggests – offers ample audio presence and can develop a exceeding amount of bass . It ’s dynamical in the most forthright sense , is more than well-chosen to play at tyrannous volume , and creates a coherent soundstage as it does so . If the “ shock and awe ” aspects of music - piddle appeal to you , the Pearl Keshi may well sex you . And its power to sound so very large while being so very little is n’t to be whiff at , either .
A listen to Waitin ’ for a Supermanby The Flaming Lips viaTidalallows the Cabasse to show what it ’s made of , for good and bad . There are some extremely deep bass notes in this recording ; some of them are so rich that they ’re dismiss by the consuming absolute majority of systems , no matter the asking Mary Leontyne Price .
They do n’t elude the Pearl Keshi , though – the subwoofer identifies and drive home them with the required clunk . stereophonic direction is good , which means the song sits convincingly in the middle / front of the stage and every other element of the transcription enjoy a little air hole of space in which to do its thing .
The same recording strongly demonstrates just how pear - mould , or bottom - operose , the Pearl Keshi ’s presentation is . The competition between two small satellite speakers and a sizeable subwoofer looks like a land mile - match on paper , and that ’s how it proves in exercise .
The app allows for way calibration and have an “ audio spectrum ” five - stage EQ adjuster ; but in reality , it ’s all in vain : the subwoofer rule legal proceeding , and always draws aid to itself . It does n’t avail that the volume control in the app seems a little lop - sided , too ; reducing bulk from , say , 50 % to 25 % does n’t come along to reduce the sub ’s output as much as it does that of the speaker unit .
Mind you , you ’re unbelievable to be listening at big volumes for long anyway . Even at modest levels , the artificial satellite speakers glint rather threateningly . The higher frequencies are quite sharp and edgy , and this posture becomes more overt the louder you listen . “ Hard ” is rarely a positive verbal description of an audio presentation , and that ’s true here .
The overconfidence of the subwoofer make for rather lumpy formula of calendar method , too . Plodding is fine when you ’re hear to The Flaming Lips , but switching to Marvin Gaye ’s Inner City Blues ( Make Me Wanna Holler ) quite cruelly expose the Cabasse ’s leaning to stomp when it ought to glide .
Ultimately , considerable dynamical headroom and dreaded low - frequency mien do n’t make up for a lack of finesse and a essentially skewed tonal reaction .
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Should you buy it?
‘ Big ’ is to downplay the Cabasse ’s potency somewhat .
The Pearl Keshi understand music on its own terms .
Final Thoughts
If you want a discreet - yet - liberal all - in - one organization , or a wildly over - specified background audio setup , you might think the Cabasse Pearl Keshi high - resolution 2.1 system is just the ticket . As far as “ just add a smartphone and some briny power ” chaw - and - sport convenience goes , it ’s as beneficial as these thing ever get , sure enough – and where visual impact is concerned , it ’s a conversation - starter at the very least . But its strait is affected and unconvincing .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every verbalizer system we review good over an extended period of time . We use manufacture standard tests to equate features properly . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to reexamine a product .
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FAQs
The Pearl Keshi stand MP3 , AAC , WMA , WAV , AIFF , FLAC , ALAC up to 24bit/192kHz , and DSD 64/128 , WMA lossless .
Qobuz , Deezer , Napster , Spotify Tidal and Vtuner .
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