The new Peal Akoya is the Cabasse Pearl's smaller and less credit card-threatening sibling.
Coming in at £1100 less than its larger stablemate at £1499, the new spherical wireless speaker also loses 10cm in diameter to the Pearl and measures 22cm.
Small yet Potent
Don't let its smaller stature fool you though. Apparently, the Akoya is capable of matching a live classical orchestra in volume with 115dB at its disposal.
The Pearl Akoya boasts six layers of lacquer finish underneath which is a triaxial speaker arrangement. Moreover, Cabasse states their latest technological marvel gives them the bragging rights to producing the most compact triaxial speaker. In the world.
Firstly there is a rear-firing 17cm subwoofer with 20mm of linear excursion bringing the lows. Also, a front-facing neodymium tweeter and mid-range driver are sat in a coaxial arrangement. Cabasse states a healthy frequency response of 30Hz to 27000Hz.
Further assisting with performance is Cabasse's patented automatic calibration system (CRCS) that enables optimisation no matter where the speaker is located.
Ins and Outs
Naturally, wireless music streaming over Bluetooth and wi-fi is a given. You also get Cabasse's own voice control Assistant. The speaker will play nice with a variety of audio files including MP3, AIFF, FLAC and ALAC.
If wired is your thing the Akoya also sports an Ethernet socket, a 3.5mm line-in, optical audio and a micro USB socket around the rear.
Of course, there is an app. In this case, it's Cabasse StreamCONTROL. From here you can access your locally stored music as well as Qobuz, Deezer, Spotify, Napster, Tidal and internet radio. Additionally, you can create and control a multi-room environment which can bring in other Cabasse multi-room products to the mix.
Finally, the casing is double-reinforced with injected resin and fibre and finished in either a Metallic Black or Pearl White with silver or chromium highlights.
Price and availability
The Cabasse Pearl Akoya is set to land in November with an RRP of £1499. You do get a custom carrier case, a cloth-covered power cable and a 3.5mm jack and micro-USB adapters with that, though.
Additionally, a dedicated stand is available for £299 and a wall bracket for £99.
For more information, go to Cabasse.
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