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Gingko Audio Clarissa LE Speaker
Built on our proprietary Tubulous technology and our experience with the ClaraVus, the Clarissa LE is a two-way monitor design with a 1-inch soft dome tweeter and a 6.5″ paper-cone woofer. With 87 dB sensitivity and an impedance that never falls below 8 ohms, it is an easy load for any amplifier. At AXPONA, we drove it with three different amps with great success: A 100-watt Class D amp from Cyrus Audio in the UK, an 8-watt 300B single-ended tube amp from Triode Corp in Japan, and a 150-watt solid-state design from Wells Audio in California.
The Clarissa LE speaker enclosure is available in two beautiful finishes, cherry and gloss piano black. The listed price is per pair.
- Tweeters: 1″ silk dome using patented technology
- Woofers: Custom drivers, 6.5″ paper cones
- Frequency response: 45Hz-20KHz +/- 3dB
- Impedance: 10 ohms nominal, 8 ohms minimum
- Sensitivity: 87 dB
- Recommended power: 30 watts
- Dimensions: 17″h x 10″w x 15″d
- Weight: 30 Lbs. each
- Shipping weight: 40 Lbs. each carton
- Shipping dimensions: 2 double-layer cartons – 28″h x 15″d x 21″w
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The Clarissa LE surprises with a gorgeous midrange and excellent soundstaging, delivering warm, textured vocals and expansive imaging when paired with the right electronics. Its constrained-tube woofer offers satisfying low-frequency weight for a 6.5" driver, while its revealing treble exposes system strengths and mismatches — noted by Howard Kneller.
Pros
- Gorgeous, textured midrange with warm, natural vocal presentation.
- Impressive soundstaging and imaging—deep, large presentation when electronics permit.
- Transparent, revealing character that accurately conveys component and recording differences.
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Cons
- Treble can sound cold or brittle with less-suitable electronics or sources.
- Limited very-low bass extension on some amp pairings—won't replace a subwoofer for deep bass.
Sound Quality
87/100
Bass
84/100
Equipped with a 6.5" woofer (paperboard tube within the cabinet), reviewers noted the Clarissa LE can deliver satisfying low-frequency weight when electronics and recordings allow, but the demo rig with tube amplification failed to produce very low bass. Evidence points to solid bass for a 6.5" driver but not subwoofer extension; performance is amplifier- and source-dependent.
Mid
91/100
Multiple attendees and the reviewer praised a 'gorgeous midrange' with warm, lush voices and harmonic texture (e.g., Ray Charles/Natalie Cole), indicating strong timbral presence and excellent vocal reproduction when paired well.
Treble
82/100
The treble is very revealing — reviewers reported it could sound 'cold' or 'brittle' with some pairings, but that character also underpins detail retrieval and transparency when the electronics and source are complementary.
Soundstage Imaging
91/100
Attendees heard 'excellent soundstaging' with deep, large presentation and focused imaging when electronics allowed; the speaker appears capable of impressive width and depth under favorable system matches.
Dynamics
85/100
When the chain and recording permitted, the Clarissa LE showed expansive dynamics and good instrument decay; however, some electronics caused dulled transients and blurring, so dynamics are strong but amplifier-sensitive.
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Build Quality
86/100
A conventionally shaped MDF cabinet with cherry/piano-black finishes and a constrained internal tube for the woofer suggests competent construction and attention to finish for a limited-edition model; no build faults were reported at the demo.
Features Connectivity
80/100
Passive two-way speaker (single-post binding posts) — passive baseline applied. No bi-wire/room EQ or active features were mentioned.
Value for Money
78/100
At $3000/pair (stands an additional $500), reviewers called the Clarissa LE 'promising' with notably strong midrange and soundstaging, but also flagged treble brightness and bass limitations on some electronics; value is fair for buyers with matching components but not a clear-cut bargain versus peers.
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