Eight Audio, a brand that is engineered in Denmark but assembled in India is a new kid on the block but with two What Hi-Fi Shows already under its belt, it’s already amassed a fan following, us included!
The Satori Rinjani is a floor standing, 2.5-way design that is available with either a ring dome tweeter or a Beryllium variant for a substantial mark up in its price tag. It uses drive units from SB Acoustics, one of the most respected manufacturers of OEM drivers from Scandinavia. Its inclined front baffle, chamfered corners and purposeful drivers clearly hint at its intentions.
The slim profile doesn’t compromise on LF extension though. The twin 6.5in mid-woofers operate till 3kHz above which the ring dome tweeter takes over. Overall, the sound is full-bodied, lush and detailed without being bright or overbearing. Sonically, it tends to fuse the power of some of the best American brands with the delicacy and refinement of the British designs.
That’s what makes this speaker so exciting and refined at the same time and well suited to both music and home-theatre L/R channel duties. The bass is controlled, deep and quick, the kind that the best REL subwoofers are known to deliver and honestly shocking from a cabinet this compact. While there is no dedicated midrange driver, the upper mid bass driver is mechanically crossed over to handle some of the mids as well. The only real and minor deficit we heard was the lack of the utter transparency and a hint of congestion in the upper mid-bass. The tonal balance leans towards being a tad bit forward but put on some well recorded jazz like Tin Tin Deo by Oscar Peterson and it really shines with the piano and trumpet sections. There is immediacy to the sound that is completely unlike a pair of ₨1.5lac towers and it clearly is gunning for more accomplished loudspeakers costing twice or more.
Even in the non- Beryllium guise, there is zero graininess or fatigue associated with the HF driver. You could happily listen to music all day long without feeling the need to take a break to control ear bleed.
In the crowded market of floor standing speakers, the Satori Rinjani stands out
like the volcano it’s named after. It’s explosive and beautiful at the same time and will really shine when partnered with good quality electronics. It may be assembled in India but there is no doubt it can compete on a global level when it comes to fit, finish or sonic prowess.
This is one of the finest examples of great engineering at real-world prices and the rest of the Eight Audio range sounds equally promising. For 2019 though, these speakers are our pick!.
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