[Rick Craig]

Here's the Cali4 which made its' debut at the California Audio Show this past weekend in Oakland. The link for specifications is here http://www.selahaudio.com/cali4

[poseidonsvoice]

Rick,

Nice effort! And thanks for posting the measurements on your website!

Best,
Anand.

[SJ David]

I was able to see and hear them. The veneer took on a whole different look in the low light in the room (for the better). I think the flash intensity alters the actual look of the finish.

The speaker would blend in with most decors based on size, it does not overwhelm. The sound is room filling in contrast. Lovely mid range and solid foundation. The upper bass/lower mids had a nice fullness, perhaps due to some diminished floor bounce effect with low woofer location. We were sitting a little high in the chairs provided. A typical couch seating position, I think, would line up the upper drivers to ear level.

I heard other favorable comments "in the hallways" over the two days I attended.

-David

[Rick Craig]

I was able to see and hear them. The veneer took on a whole different look in the low light in the room (for the better). I think the flash intensity alters the actual look of the finish.

The speaker would blend in with most decors based on size, it does not overwhelm. The sound is room filling in contrast. Lovely mid range and solid foundation. The upper bass/lower mids had a nice fullness, perhaps due to some diminished floor bounce effect with low woofer location. We were sitting a little high in the chairs provided. A typical couch seating position, I think, would line up the upper drivers to ear level.

I heard other favorable comments "in the hallways" over the two days I attended.

-David

You're absolutely right - the camera flash doesn't do the wood any justice and my lens is distorting the shape on the close up shots. Thanks for your feedback on the sound. I will note the front baffle is angled back slightly which allows for the cabinet height to be a little shorter than normal.

[musicapristina]

The color might be a little more accurate in this shot:



More important than the fact that they looked great (and they did) is that they sounded amazing. Rick and I teamed up on the show having never had the pleasure of hearing each other's gear. We unpacked on Thursday, set the room up, then fought with the hotel WiFi network -- for just long enough that Rick had almost lost all faith in me. Eventually, we abandoned WiFi and opted to pick up a second 50' cat-6 cable from Amazon Prime. We wanted the option of streaming from Tidal / Qobuz. We went to eat while we waited for the delivery.

When we got back we completed our setup and fired up the gear... ahh, such beautiful sounding speakers. Made it all worth it.

I have a delightfully neutral pair of Quad ESLs at home. With the exception of the lack of low bass, they are the loves of my audio life.

The realism, punch, clarity, and uncolored response of the Cali 4s have made me seriously consider a change.

Anyhow, I was just going to post this shot of the monkey pod veneer, but I got lost in reminiscence.

[mresseguie]

Rick,

I've been gawking at these speakers since you first posted their pics. I may even have salivated a couple times.

These speakers are very much like what I imagined a few years ago, but I know I didn't know how to explain it. I've read about how getting the crossovers right in 4-way speakers can be tricky, but it sounds as though you've got it.

I sure would like to hear these someday. There's a really good chance I'll be in the Atlanta area for a month next May, so I might be able to finagle an extra little trip. Will these be in your showroom for a while?

Michael

[Rick Craig]

Rick,

I've been gawking at these speakers since you first posted their pics. I may even have salivated a couple times.

These speakers are very much like what I imagined a few years ago, but I know I didn't know how to explain it. I've read about how getting the crossovers right in 4-way speakers can be tricky, but it sounds as though you've got it.

I sure would like to hear these someday. There's a really good chance I'll be in the Atlanta area for a month next May, so I might be able to finagle an extra little trip. Will these be in your showroom for a while?

Michael

Yes, I'll have a pair on hand as I built the design for my own system. If this pair is ever sold I'll build another set to replace them.

[AvFan]

Yes, I'll have a pair on hand as I built the design for my own system. If this pair is ever sold I'll build another set to replace them.

High praise given all your other designs!  How have you set these up for your use?  DSP and bi-amped?  Or?

[Rick Craig]

High praise given all your other designs!  How have you set these up for your use?  DSP and bi-amped?  Or?

Right now they are set up the same as the show - a single pair of inputs and no bi-amping or DSP. I can easily re-wire for that at a later time since there's two sets of posts on the rear.

[cstory]

Found a nice write up of the room in The Audio Beatnik from Drew Gagliano. He called it his favorite room.

https://theaudiobeatnik.com/california-audio-show-drews-picks-for-the-5-best-rooms/

Congratulations.   

[Rick Craig]

Found a nice write up of the room in The Audio Beatnik from Drew Gagliano. He called it his favorite room.

https://theaudiobeatnik.com/california-audio-show-drews-picks-for-the-5-best-rooms/

Congratulations.   

Thanks - it's great to see that, especially since the Cali4 speakers are the least expensive of all five rooms!

[vanderstephen]

Rick,
Congrats on the great review. Beautiful speakers.

[uncola]

Wow love the side firing woofer.  Is this your flagship above the illuminismo?  Looks like the morel em1308 dome midrange.  Cool

[Rick Craig]

Wow love the side firing woofer.  Is this your flagship above the illuminismo?  Looks like the morel em1308 dome midrange.  Cool

It's much smaller than the Illuminismo and less expensive. With a high WAF (wife acceptance factor) many CAS attendees were surprised at the scale of the imaging and dynamic capability. That's right, an excellent Morel midrange.

[Rick Craig]

Thanks to Musica Pristina and Benchmark for making this happen!

https://theaudiobeatnik.com/california-audio-show-drews-picks-for-the-5-best-rooms/