The sound
Contents
We have been playing with the Driade Flow 405 speaker cable for over two years now. A fine, relaxed sounding cable that at the time reminded us very much of the Grimm signature; they are practically inaudible. And that’s exactly what we’re looking for. A cable should leave out as little as possible.
More energy
Funnily enough, colleague Yung described the Driade speaker cable as captivating and quiet in the blind test of speaker cables. Pretty spot on if you ask us.
The new Reference Flow 808 is a little less “calm”. It really plays with more (treble) energy and bass kick. All this while maintaining the same flow that the 405 has. So the label ‘Flow’ is still applicable.
Because of the extra air and treble energy the stereo image is also somewhat larger and airier… backed by a deep and powerful bass that our TADs really like. Boy… that one almost shows an extra octave in the deep bass. Without any loss of control. Just try “Versions of the Truth” by The Pineapple Thief. The first track has some almost subsonic bass in the intro. That bass energy comes rolling into the room without a hitch. Delicious!
Now Arnold reports that the Driade Flow Reference 808 requires no break-in time. In our experience, it’s already at 85% when plugged in. However, that last 15% does put a dot on the ‘i’. After a few days of playing, we hear that the detail in the treble gets a better place and that the overall staging gets larger. Overall it becomes just a bit smoother and better controlled. As if it all clicks together…. So keep that in mind.
Live
What we notice as we go back and forth a bit between the Reference 808 and the Flow 405, is that the Reference 808 gives a slightly more live feel. That has everything to do with the extra air the 808 lets through. That has a positive effect on the projection of ambience. The extra foundation in the bass will also help.
However, know that the Reference 808 puts down a little more energy overall and projects a little more forward. That must be your “thing”, so to say. We can appreciate it because the depth is maintained. It’s not like a conventional horn speaker that just plays forward and loses depth.
Hoi Alpha Audio, de review is alweer een tijdje geleden maar als jullie zouden moeten kiezen (jullie mogen nog maar 1 set kabels houden voor alle systemen) tussen de Driade 808 en de AQ Robin Hood (Zero), welke zouden jullie dan kiezen?
Do you have a Canadian distributor for your cables or do you sell direct to dealers in North America? Please check out our web site-audiofi.ca
We might be interested in selling your cables. Scot
Dear Scot,
We don’t sell anything. You have to contact Driade in order to check if he is interested.
Do you have a Canadian distributor for your cables or do you sell direct to dealers in North America? Please check out our web site-audiofi.ca
We might be interested in selling your cables. Scot
Dear Scot,
We don’t sell anything. You have to contact Driade in order to check if he is interested.