Since I first became involved with audio, I have purchased new speakers about every 12 years. After listening to a number of high quality speakers at audio shows and in the home of friends over the past several years, I decided that it was time to upgrade.

The criteria upon which the decision was made were based on three interdependent factors: suitability for my home environment; value; and sound quality.

First, since I don’t have a dedicated listening room, speaker size and visual appeal had to be taken into consideration. Second, a system budget in the 10 to 15 thousand dollar range eliminated a number of speakers. Third, I was looking for a speaker that had outstanding clarity, accuracy, and balance. I also wanted to do without a subwoofer, if possible. The Janszen Valentina active hybrid electrostatic speakers fit all of these criteria, and surpassed my expectations.

After I listened to a variety of familiar recordings from both my own ripped FLAC collection and Qobuz streamed through a Squeezebox Touch, the character of these speakers emerged. The clarity and imaging of the Janszens is outstanding. The images had excellent depth, and the presentation was effortless, with no sign of strain.  Like all electrostatic transducers, the Janszens have a relatively narrow ideal listening spot. In this position, the image is almost holographic. However, the speaker sounds wonderful no matter where you sit. In my room, the bass is solid to the high 20’s, and there is absolutely no discontinuity between the midrange and bass. This seamless integration holds even at a volume high enough to be uncomfortable. In short, the speakers felt as if they had limitless dynamics coupled with very low distortion.

One major advantage of the Valentinas is that the electronics integrated with the speaker include an amplifier, preamplifier, and DAC. While an external preamp or DAC can be used, they are not required. The only additional expense is for a connector to a digital source.

In terms of my criteria for purchase, I am more than pleased with the quality of the sound. With respect to value, the Valentinas required no additional major expenses to provide a complete system. Finally, the speakers are only 39” high and 10” wide, are beautifully finished, and are visually suitable for my room.

The Janszen Valentinas fit my needs perfectly.

This is the complete Valentina system from my listening spot.

Hi!
Nice that you have found a speaker that makes you happy!
I tried to find additional information on the Janszen website but it seems at the moments they have very few information available. Your post has more details and information in general about these speakers. My question is when playing records do the speakers change the analogue signal into the digital domain?
Thanks,
Dan

. . . it seems at the moments they have very few information available. Your post has more details and information in general about these speakers. My question is when playing records do the speakers change the analogue signal into the digital domain?
Thanks,
Dan

Hi Dan,

Sorry about the web site. We recently launched a new one, and migrating the content from the old one has a long way to go. At least it looks nicer than the old one. Please stay tuned.

In answer to your question, the electronics in the speakers are essentially power DACs, so yes, they must digitize what comes in on the analog inputs. The ADC's use high grade AKM chips, so the result is very analog-like.

There are two analog inputs (one RCA and one balanced XLR that can be run single ended with an RCA adapter) and three digital inputs, all independent, and the speaker will scan and automatically select whichever is getting a signal. Between the self-selection, the high input sensitivity, and the remote volume control, no preamp is needed. That cuts down on the amount of circuitry in the signal chain, which is good obviously for signal integrity, but also for the budget.

If you PM me with your email address, I can send you the owner's manual. That goes for anyone else who wants to see it, too.

- David

I also really like the simplicity of your setup.  For those whose music source is mostly/only digital, these are a great choice.

I recently also upgraded my older Valentina passive speakers to the latest improvements and I can't say enough about how worthwhile that was.  I'm 95% analog in my listening so I've remained with the passive model.  Regardless of which type you think works best, these are keepers.

rfertel, what was your system before this? The first question I have about the A8 is if it would be at least a lateral move sonically for me. My current system is a heavily modified Oppo 203 (digital only, spdif), Lampi Atlantic TRP dac, Supratek Chardonnay preamp and ATC SCM19A (active 2.5 way floorstanders), with a PS Audio P15 regenerator in front (and a cable box/HDTV). There'd be no point in getting an A8 unless I were sell most of that, save at least the Oppo.

Thanks for the information. In my PM alerting you to my post, I asked another question, about tonality: on the cool - “neutral” - warm continuum, where do the A8’s fall? For me, experience has taught that getting a sense from others, reviewers and users, about how a component — in this case three combined — matches up with my tastes tonally is an essential part of deciding whether or not an audition is worth it, all the more with something the size (and cost to ship) of the Valentinas. So far I’ve not been able to find any information about their tonal quality.

Since the speaker is a 3-in-1 and you say that cables don't matter with the A8, there's not a lot of room for tone control. Every component has a tonal characteristic, as the designer prefers. It's particularly unusual, though, that both the PTA review and the OP here have nothing to say about tone, even to say "neutral," as if the subject is not important to them. I've never come across that before, and certainly didn't with the ATC actives, which I bought blind from overseas except for a thorough TAS review and a few user posts and YouTube videos. In any case, I don't find what's called neutral appealing, to say the least, and if I'm listening to transparency, I'm not listening to the music but the hardware. Oh well...

Unfortunately, we can't readily be in the same room to compare notes, and I wouldn't want to mention names here. The thing is that everyone claims to offer a natural sound, and aims to deliver exactly what's on the recording, so I don't find that gets me far. Rather, my simple test is that if I find myself repeatedly listening to the "sonic effects," or consciously trying to block them out -- render them background -- so I can be immersed in the music, that's not good (for me). In my experience, that's consistently translated as not warm and not enjoyable (and sometimes angering, as in wanting to throw system out the window). Some people get their primary pleasure with transparency, sound stage, detail, PRAT and such, while others start looking for emotional involvement with the music and performance. It's not a matter of judging one or the other, but picking gear to match one's preferences.

So I ask developers and users for their thinking and perceptions, and decipher the sometimes coded language as best I can. I can usually get a feel for the direction of tonality from a few or several responses -- unless I'm lucky enough to be told directly. But not here so far, however, and not with the 2016 PTA review of the earlier Valentina active version. In that review, John Grandberg wrote, "Tone? Definition? Brilliant transient response? Check, yep, and absolutely." That doesn't tell the reader anything. So it seems that I'll just have to be patient for what others have to say. Thanks,

But here is the thing - different people look for different things in a speaker!

This point can't be emphasized enough.  People like what they like, like flavors of ice cream.