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MarkAudio-Sota Cesti B Loudspeaker

MarkAudio-Sota Cesti B Loudspeaker

My first encounter with MarkAudio-Sota loudspeakers occurred at the LA Audio Show last June. I liked what I heard, even under the less-than-optimal show conditions, and I left with two observations. First, the models on exhibition were identically configured—dual transducer two-ways in reflex-type enclosures. The line shared alloy cone drivers with a unique 50mm cone tweeter. Second, I was darn curious to know more about the company with the mysterious name that had seemingly appeared out of left field.

As it turns out, MarkAudio-Sota (MAS) is a collective formed in 2014—a formidable team of freelance designers with the manufacturing capacity to get the job done. The “MarkAudio” portion is owed to mechanical design engineer Mark Fenlon, who leads the team on product development and technical application. Specialists such as industry pro Dr. Scott Lindgren contribute filter networks, and the custom voice coils are handled by 35-year transducer veteran Matsubara San. The slick, attractive cabinets are attributed to renowned designer Andrea Ponti. On the manufacturing side of the equation is founder Steve Cheng of Sota Acoustics Ltd, who as Executive Director and Chairman of Telefield—a Hong Kong manufacturing group—presides over the production of the MAS line.

The Cesti B is two-way compact in a bass-reflex configuration. Visually, Cesti B is a clean minimalist design, with a superb lacquer finish that’s available in three colors (black, red, and white). Construction quality appears excellent. The cabinets are stout, essentially seamless with no visible screws marring a sleek gloss finish. The enclosures are constructed from high-density fiberboard. The rigidity and mass of the panels have been tailored to eliminate audible resonances.

MarkAudio-Sota Cesti B Loudspeaker

The drivers include a custom-designed 4.4″ wide-range, acoustically isolated mid/bass (Sota 11), and a 2″ tweeter (Sota 5). The tweeter is isolated in its own sealed sub-chamber, while the mid/bass operates in the main ported enclosure. Both drivers use a low-mass mixed-alloy cone. The unconventional tweeter combines a central dome, bonded to the end of the voice coil, inset within the main cone, which produces output to higher frequencies than would normally be expected with a stand-alone dome tweeter. The main cone profile is as shallow as possible to avoid waveguide-induced colorations.

The crossover uses shallow second-order electrical and acoustic slopes with a hinge point of 2.4kHz. Most intriguing is the asymmetric “billow” waveguide baffle that the Cesti B deploys. The speakers are designated left/right accordingly. These shallow waveguides are CNC-machined into the front panel and have been designed specifically to maximize positioning flexibility and to permit optimum dispersion.

In my experience, every loudspeaker creates an initial impression, one that generally holds true throughout the listening period. In the case of the Cesti B, what riveted my attention was its clarity and image specificity. The mantra for a two-way compact is that it’s “all about the midrange” and this is never more true than with the Cesti B. Although MAS admits to lightly tamping down upper-midrange energy, it does so with a deft touch that is far more scalpel than machete. Dean Martin’s vocal of “Blue Moon” from Dream with Dean was positively “dreamy” with velvety bloom and intimacy. Yes, it could have used a little more chest resonance and weight, but given the Cesti B’s modest specifications, no apologies were needed. It was obvious that this was one nicely balanced compact with a well-defined midrange, and a full but not overbearing presence region. Cabinet colorations or port noise were kept at a minimum and contributed to the sense of immediacy and speed. The Cesti B’s top end was smooth, reasonably extended, and just a smidge rolled off. The sense of air lifting the notes of a brass ensemble or stirring the energy of a string section didn’t have quite the ease and soaring extension of reference monitors like my ATC, but given that it costs a fraction of that British speaker’s price, the Cesti B needn’t hang its head, either.

If vocals are a staple of your listening diet, take note. This was the Cesti B comfort zone. For example, during Jennifer Warnes’ “If It Be Your Will,” the speaker conveyed highly resolved inner detail and a sense of immediacy that conjured up the live event. Similarly, the relaxed harmonic vocal interplay between Lyle Lovett and Rickie Lee Jones during “North Dakota” struck a note of intimacy between the singers that I’ve rarely observed before. The speaker has an ability to frame central images in such a focused way that they almost seem walled off from the other elements in the mix. Thus solo instrumentalists, male or female singers, a violin or cello have a prominence in the soundspace that may not be strictly accurate but that many listeners will find appealing. The downside is that in some instances the Cesti B can reduce the broader ambient environment around that image. It’s akin to feeling a little less air pressure and weight in the immediate orbit of the musician.

 

The Cesti B cast a wide soundstage in my room—to the outside edges of the speaker. Stage depth and dimensionality were also very good. The Cesti B scaled images in a very respectable fashion, rather than miniaturizing them, as is so often the case with small compacts. Its wide dispersion tended to broaden the stage and magnify the central image. This attribute played well with Rutter’s Requiem on the track “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” The choral sections were not only nicely arrayed and individuated, but the sheer number of voices also became apparent.

Dynamically, the Cesti B was evenhanded, nicely balancing micro and macro aspects, although at higher outputs the dynamic window closed perceivably when the speaker was called upon to execute “Billie Jean” pop grooves or “Fanfare” timpani rolls. Notes’ actual pitches  remained stable but their impact was slightly curtailed. As a result, the Cesti B couldn’t quite maintain its grip on the decaying ambience and resonances excited by bass drum and rolling timpani.

Bass response was nicely focused. During Daft Punk’s mega-hit “Get Lucky,” low-end response was reasonably smooth and well behaved with little in the way of port artifacts or overhang. During the Requiem, the pipe organ, an instrument anathema to the majority of compact designs, maintained a naturalistic sense of weight and density and air movement that helped to conjure up the immense acoustic space of the Meyerson concert hall. Although the Cesti B is rated to forty cycles, I think this extension is a bit optimistic under real-world conditions. Nonetheless, during Appalachian Spring, when bassist Edgar Meyer drags the bow along the bottom string, you could feel the vibrational and resonant tug of the notes and sense the volume of the instrument’s huge body.

My first encounter with a MarkAudio-Sota loudspeaker has to be counted as a very rewarding one. Although as a company it is a relative newbie, the depth of its engineering bench allowed it to step up to the plate and perform like a veteran. This speaker is aggressively priced, and beautifully executed, to boot. Yes, the neighborhood for compact loudspeakers is a crowded one, but the Cesti B is a welcome addition. I’m looking forward to hearing a lot more from MarkAudio-Sota.

Specs & Pricing

Type: Two-way, bass-reflex, stand-mounted compact
Drivers: 2″ tweeter, 4.4″ mid/bass
Frequency response: 40Hz–25kHz ±3dB anechoic
Sensitivity: 87dB
Nominal impedance: 6 ohms
Dimensions: 9.2″ x 16.1″ x 9.24″
Weight: 20 lbs.
Price: $1895/pr.

TADASHI SALES & MARKETING
4915 SW Griffith Dr., Suite 302
Beaverton, OR 97005
Markaudio-sota.com
(844) 202-4278

Neil Gader

By Neil Gader

My love of music largely predates my enthusiasm for audio. I grew up Los Angeles in a house where music was constantly playing on the stereo (Altecs, if you’re interested). It ranged from my mom listening to hit Broadway musicals to my sister’s early Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Beatles, and Stones LPs, and dad’s constant companions, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. With the British Invasion, I immediately picked up a guitar and took piano lessons and have been playing ever since. Following graduation from UCLA I became a writing member of the Lehman Engel’s BMI Musical Theater Workshops in New York–working in advertising to pay the bills. I’ve co-written bunches of songs, some published, some recorded. In 1995 I co-produced an award-winning short fiction movie that did well on the international film-festival circuit. I was introduced to Harry Pearson in the early 70s by a mutual friend. At that time Harry was still working full-time for Long Island’s Newsday even as he was writing Issue 1 of TAS during his off hours. We struck up a decades-long friendship that ultimately turned into a writing gig that has proved both stimulating and rewarding. In terms of music reproduction, I find myself listening more than ever for the “little” things. Low-level resolving power, dynamic gradients, shadings, timbral color and contrasts. Listening to a lot of vocals and solo piano has always helped me recalibrate and nail down what I’m hearing. Tonal neutrality and presence are important to me but small deviations are not disqualifying. But I am quite sensitive to treble over-reach, and find dry, hyper-detailed systems intriguing but inauthentic compared with the concert-going experience. For me, true musicality conveys the cozy warmth of a room with a fireplace not the icy cold of an igloo. Currently I split my time between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Studio City, California with my wife Judi Dickerson, an acting, voice, and dialect coach, along with border collies Ivy and Alfie.

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