Gauder Akustik Capello 40 Review
Gauder has packed almost all of his recent technical innovations into the 2-way compact speaker Capello 40. This test reveals how it sounds.
Not many manufacturers come to mind who have brought forth such a wealth of innovations in recent years as Dr. Roland Gauder’s medium-sized family business. Similar to an exceptionally fine wine, the physicist has recently accelerated his efforts at an age when most people are thinking about retirement. He has had speaker chassis developed according to his specifications, optimized enclosures, and revolutionized his crossover technology. Using purely analog methods, he has developed an adaptability to room acoustics that is likely unique worldwide.
Chassis are important, but …
…the crossover technology, though hidden and unnoticed, can ruin everything – or elevate it to a new sound level. Gauder has been using steep filters in his speakers for years. Recently, however, he has gone a step further by equipping his speakers with a Time Delay Control (TDC) crossover, which is said to set new standards in impulse accuracy and spatial imaging. The steep filters ensure that the chassis only work within the range for which they were designed. But with the TDC circuit, as Gauder explains, he has succeeded in delaying the fast high-frequency range by about 2 milliseconds.
He explains its importance as follows: “With TDC, we solve the problem of phase distortion, resulting in the sound detaching from the speakers and offering a more natural spatial representation in width and depth.” Attempting to achieve this time delay mechanically, such as with staggered or angled baffles, would require pushing the tweeter almost 70 cm back, which isn’t practical due to sound reflections and colorations.
The Matter of Bass Extension
Those who follow fashion trends may have heard the term “Hair Extensions” at their trusted hair salon. It refers to the extension of natural hair with additional strands.
Bass extension refers to extending the frequency range of speakers, in our case, the Capello 40, designed as a closed 2-way system, by more than an octave downward to adapt to room size and positioning.
It’s important to note that extending the frequency range of speakers typically results in lower maximum volume and higher power requirements. Gauder circumvents this issue by sharply cutting frequencies below the usable range of his 17 cm mid/bass driver. This enables the coated aluminum membrane driver with its strong motor to achieve impressive low-end extension, maintaining dynamic performance and low distortion even at higher volumes.
The icing on the cake is that this frequency extension can be finely adjusted in multiple steps with a plug-in module, allowing for perfect sound in typical living rooms. If that still doesn’t quite fit your listening space, the developer even offers a targeted anti-resonance filter for an additional cost.
The Capello 40 also offers a three-level treble adjustment to ensure stress-free and pleasant listening in bright or modern, echo-prone rooms. Our test model featured a standard 26 mm dome tweeter with an aluminum membrane. Notably, it has a low moving mass of only 1.2 grams.
If you want more, you can opt for a beryllium membrane version at any later time, although it comes with a substantial additional cost of $5,300.
Build Quality and Extras
Even without beryllium, the choice of materials is impressive: from the high-quality components from Mundorf and IT in the two separate crossovers with isolated grounding, to the bi-wiring terminal with WBT Nextgen connectors, and the solid screw bridges with spring contacts, all housed in sturdy, acoustically optimized enclosures. Notably, there are no visible screws on the front panel.
You can tell that no cost-cutting measures were forced here, as even the base model offers a remarkable speaker. However, there are additional upgrade options on the price list. These include magnetically mounted covers at $210 and a “Double Vision” version with upgraded crossover components and better internal wiring for an extra $1,060.
What we would strongly recommend, though, are the solid and aesthetically matched stands available for $2,120 per pair. They raise the speaker to the perfect height, securely bolt to it, and feature height-adjustable spikes from above for perfect horizontal alignment and coupling to the floor. The first demo units were presented by Roland Gauder in a 40-square-meter listening room, demonstrating how big, mature, and powerful these compact speakers could perform even in this heavily damped, unusually large space.
WE LISTENED TO THIS
Albums:
BILLY JOEL: 52ND STREET
“An album for the island with Billy Joel at his best.”
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE: FOR JIMMY
“A tribute to the Kings of Swing, masterfully and passionately performed.”
TEST EQUIPMENT
Devices:
Amplifiers: T+A R2500 R, Exposure 2510
Streamer/DACs: Bluesound Node, Eversolo DMP-A8
Speakers: MoFi Source Point 8, Martin Logan Motion F10
Cables: In-Akustik, Supra Cable, Silent Wire, Audioquest
Small Room – Large Room
Admittedly, with AC/DC, there was a bit of punch missing “down below,” but the timing that made the Australian rockers famous was absolutely convincing. The fun factor was undeniable and almost palpable. Especially impressive was how the Capello 40 filled the room with sound, even during classical music or jazz trios. With closed eyes, you’d have thought the sound was coming from a much larger speaker. For further listening, we moved to our smaller listening room.
What we heard there had little to do with work in the traditional sense. It was more like a “pleasure walk” through different music styles at various volumes, which couldn’t have been more pronounced. The Capello 40 filled the 20-square-meter room with ease.
However, one limitation: feed this speaker with sufficient amplifier power if you want to experience the ease with which it navigates the most complex musical structures. We went all out and were amazed by the performance of a full orchestra, starting with the overture to “The Magic Flute” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Sound Quality
It was truly amazing how precisely the Capello 40 reproduced the orchestra, tonally neutral and relaxed, taking care of every instrument group from strings to brass. Even the rumbling basses were mastered impressively for its size. We continued with a big band – the Christian McBride Big Band, and here too, there was no room for disappointment. The swing was so infectious that you almost had to tie your feet down to avoid tapping along. This was top-class performance, unexpected for a speaker of this size and price.
However, we were determined to find the limits of this speaker. While we had some success in the larger room, it now felt more like splitting hairs.
But soon we had to admit that the Capello 40, with its ability to untangle complex passages without breaking them into individual parts, mastered the art of precision better than we could.
Time for some favorite music – Billy Joel’s “Zanzibar” from the fantastic “52nd Street” album, masterfully supported by jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. Both men were at the peak of their powers, complementing each other perfectly. It was a great pleasure to follow the spirit of the piece through the Capello 40, and the volume knob was turned up higher than usual. To finish off, there was another round of AC/DC, and this time, it hit even harder than before.
Conclusion: If you want to enjoy top-notch music in a normal-sized room without the speakers visually dominating the space, you should definitely listen to these carefully crafted, wonderfully sounding, and upgradeable speakers beforehand.
GAUDER AKUSTIK CAPELLO 40 Tech Specs
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Product / Price Class | Compact loudspeaker (passive) / $4,240 to $7,960 |
| Website | www.gauderakustik.com |
| Price in Euro | €5,998 |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) in cm | 24 x 40.5 x 37.5 |
| Weight in kg | 10 |
| Distributor (Germany) / Contact Number | Gauder Akustik / +49 7159 920161 |
| Principle | Dynamic, 2-way, Bass reflex etc. |
| Terminal | Bi-Wire |
| Info on recommended placement | Approx. 30 cm from the rear wall, base width from 2 meters, angled slightly inward |
Verdict
Performance Evaluation
- Sound (60% weight) – Rating: 9/10 (Very good)
- Sound quality: Suitable for all types of music, and with bass and treble adjustment, ideal for rooms up to 30 square meters; requires a powerful amplifier.
- Measurement Data (15% weight) – Rating: 6/10 (Satisfactory)
- Frequency response: Slightly uneven with a dip at 1 kHz.
- Sound pressure level (in decibels): Power-hungry (79 dB).
- Step response: Excellent.
- Minimum impedance: Unproblematic.
- Distortion in percentage at 63 Hz / 3 kHz / 10 kHz: Sufficient (1.77 / 0.33 / 0.22).
- Compatibility: Requires power, otherwise uncritical.
- Equipment & Handling (20% weight) – Rating: 8/10 (Good)
- Placement: Very easy.
- Manual quality: Satisfactory.
- First setup: Very easy.
- Sound correction possible: Yes.
- Cabinet finishes: Black, white, various woods.
- Delivery scope: Grille available at extra cost, spikes when combined with stands.
- Haptics / processing: Excellent.
- Service & Environment (5% weight) – Rating: 9/10 (Very good)
- Warranty: 10 years.
- Packaging: Cardboard and Styrofoam.
- Upgradable: Yes.
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