Here is a report from the 2006 Montreal Show from Audio Federation:
"The new Kharma* Ceramique CE 3.1c speakers are the baby brothers of Kharma's world famous Ceramique 3.2 speakers. They appear to be only slightly smaller, but come it at just a little over half the price. How do they compare? Are they an acceptable substitute for those that cannot lay out the $22K or so for the 3.2 speakers?
We also heard this exact same system, or something very, very close to it, at CES 2006, and in a similarly sized room, but with the Kharma Mini Exquisites - their top of the line 2-way speakers. So we have some slight familiarity with how the other components in this system sound.
The little 3.1 sounds a lot like its bigger brother, the 3.2. Same great sound-staging, imaging and dynamics. Same tonal purity, although perhaps a little leaner - I often wanted a tube in the system somewhere to flesh out the harmonics and bloom a little (let's see, I also thought this would help in the Brinkmann room, the Sonus Faber room, ...no I am not going tube happy, I promise
.
The 3.1 also seemed more.... personal... and intimate.
This intimacy provides a greater sense of presence and... touchability. Not so much solidity as palpability. Hard to describe, it is like the music is speaking to me, and only to me, personally. This is opposed to the more common (well not that common, but what the best larger speakers offer) 'you are there' effect where the listener is a member of the audience and must make contact with the musicians in the metaverse somewhere, as opposed to right here.
Told you it was hard to describe.
Overall, this was one of the best sounding rooms at the show.
At least, that is how it sounded to these ears."
