It was at the 2024 StereoNET Hi-Fi and AV
Show that I met Steve and had the privilege to
listen to his SpectraFlora Celata 88 speakers,
which were enjoyed by myself and many other
discerning punters at the show. As a result, I
was particularly pleased when I learned that
he accepted my invitation to present these
speakers to our club in the Willis Room!
At $35,000 a pair without optional extras such
as stands or special timber, I recognised that
their appeal to the club could be somewhat
limited due to their asking price, but what
makes our General Meetings so great is the
chance to hear some very special equipment
that is potentially far beyond the price range of
our members (myself included), and these
speakers were definitely no exception.
One of the features that Steve was particularly
proud of was the Celata 88's Dynamic
Waveguides, which were specially-optimised
horns designed to combine the benefits of
traditional horn tweeters with those of a
waveguide. I won't go into detail about the
exact technology that went into their
creation. Steve explains it far better than I can
on his newly-revamped website which I'll link
at the bottom of this article.
For the presentation, the Celata 88s were
paired with a Gustard R26 DAC, an Audio
Research Reference 1 preamp and a Parasound
A21 power amp, the same setup with which
Steve normally
showcases his
speakers (including
the StereoNET show).
The results in the
Willis Room, which is
notoriously difficult
for good acoustics,
were nothing short of
spectacular, and many
club members that I
spoke to were also
very impressed with
Steve's presentation.
The carefully-curated
musical playlist for the
evening was also notable, combining classical
pieces from composers such as Bach, Dvooak
and Chopin with a variety of other selections
from artists including Elton John, Ella
Fitzgerald, David Bowie, Pearl Jam and Keith
Jarrett, to name but a few.
Many thanks to Steve and his partner for being
kind enough to travel all the way from
Inverleigh to present to us.
Website: www.spectraflora.com.au
Bailey White
MAC Editor