1+1 Loudspeaker Reviews

“…the ClairAudient 1+1 V5 is one of the most interesting speaker sets in the world”
George Dobrescu. Editor – October ’24
Read Full Review

“When I listened to the 1+1 V5s during the audition, it felt like I was a student attending a master class in sound reproduction.”
Ken Redmond – Sep ’24
Read Full Review

“I’ll be the first to admit that I initially found myself staring at these little marvels as much as I did listening to them. However, they quickly proved themselves to be far more than a curiosity, as they are moreover a lifestyle solution, offering exceptional, highly resolved music through a transducer so small, yet revealing life-like music ten times their size.”
Michael Bump – Aug ’24
Read Full Review
Link to Best of 2024 Award Page

(Click to Enlarge)

“…they are one of the best loudspeakers money can buy”
Alan Sircom – July ’24
Read Full Review (PDF)

“… they are remarkable–I don’t remember any LS3/5as I’ve heard manage to sound this unflappable while moving between near listening and a more conventional placement.“
Marc Phillips – June ’24
Read Full Review

“They serve up everything in a delicately layered remarkably liquid eerily resolute clearly defined and musically compelling manner.”
The Audio Analyst by Greg Weaver – Dec ’23

Watch Video Review

“Without a doubt, the V5 is a bigger leap forward than any of the other updated versions. In my opinion, it is bigger than all of the changes made in previous versions put together.”
Jack Roberts, editor – Sep ’23
Read Full Review

Steven Stone talks about the changes in the ClairAudient 1+1
September ’22
Watch Video

“I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to listening to multi-way speakers with passive crossovers, even systems as nice as my Fritz Carrera 7 BE. At least not without feeling that I’m missing much of what I know is present in good recordings. I have several friends who feel the same way. Until now, I’ve brushed off their comments that passive crossovers were holding back the performance of my system. They now have my attention, thanks to Audience and my time with the ClairAudient 1+1.”
David Snyder – Aug ’22
Read Full Review

Audience 1+1 V3
$2960
Don’t let the 1+1 V3’s nearly identical appearance to the 1+1 V2+ fool you; this newly upgraded version is a huge leap over its already superlative predecessor. The V3 employs a significantly redesigned version of Audience’s full-range  driver, top-level Au24SX internal wiring, re-tuned passive radiators, and custom tellurium solderless binding posts. The result is far more resolution and detail (particularly in the treble), superior transparency, wider dynamic expression, and even greater midrange purity. The 1+1 V3’s midrange clarity, just one of the virtues of a crossover-less single-driver speaker, is on a par with that of many speakers costing ten times the V2+’s price. The state of the art for desktop listening, and a terrific choice as a main speaker in smaller rooms. Robert Harley, 273
Mar ’21

“The V3s improvements are not subtle.“
Jack – Aug ’20
Read Full Review

1+1 V3

$2960
Don’t let the 1+1 V3’s nearly identical appearance to the 1+1 V2+ ($1800) fool you; this newly upgraded version is a huge leap over its already superlative predecessor. The V3 employs a significantly redesigned version of Audience’s full-range driver, top-level Au24SX internal wiring, retuned passive radiators, and custom tellurium solderless binding posts. The result is far more resolution and detail (particularly in the treble), superior transparency, wider dynamic expression, and even greater midrange purity. The 1+1 V3’s midrange clarity, just one of the virtues of a crossover-less single-driver speaker, is on a par with that of many speakers costing twenty times the V2+’s price. The state of the art for desktop listening, and a terrific choice as a main speaker in smaller rooms.

The ONE V3

$1695
The One, as you might infer from its name, is a single full-range driver shoehorned into a small box. The driver itself is the same unit, the A3A, that Audience uses in its flagship $72,000 16+16 speaker. According to Audience, the A3A has exceptionally flat response, claimed to be +/-3dB from 40Hz to 22kHz. Be that as it may, properly set-up The One is the second-best desktop speaker reviewer Steven Stone has heard (after the Audience 1+1).

Read Full Review
June ’19

“blow my mind”
AudioShark audio forum
Darrin Podeschi
Oct. 21, 2018
Read Full Review

The 1+1 V2+
Tokusengai Magazine 2018 
Japanese Version
English Version

The 1+1 V2+
Senka 21 Magazine
Vol. 70, No. 7 July ’18
Japanese Version 
English Version

“In common with the both loudspeakers, the space expression power is high, the sound image is sharply defined, and the resolution is excellent at any rate.”
Yukata Suzuki
Read Full Review (English)
Read Full Review (Japanese)

“The precision miniature garden feeling sound at desktop and near field reproduction provides a pleasant sensation to the extent of thrilling experience.”
Mr. Masanori Hayashi
Read Full Review (English)
Read Full Review (Japanese)

Mr. Yutaka Suzuki – June ’18
Read Full Review
John McDonald Interview

Mr. Hayashi- June ’18
Japanese Version
English Version

“Don’t let the 1+1 V2+’s nearly identical appearance to the 1+1 fool you; this newly upgraded version is a huge leap over its already superlative predecessor.”
Robert Harley – February ’16
All 2018 Editors’ Choice Award Products

“It truly sounds like someone has thrown open a window from our listening room to the recorded performance.”
Jan ’18 Read Full Review

“The 1+1 V2+’s midrange clarity, just one of the virtues of a crossover-less single-driver speaker, is on par with that of many speakers costing twenty times the V2+’s price.”
High end- Audio Buyer’s Guide 2018
Full Buyer’s Guide

Audience 1+1 V2+
“There is no speaker that I know of that’s designed like the 1+1 V2+-or that sounds like it.”
Robert Harley – April ’17 Read Full Review

Audience 1+1 V2+
“The 1+1 V2+’s midrange clarity, just one of the virtues of a crossover-less single-driver speaker, is on par with that of many speakers costing twenty times the V2+’s price.”
High end- Audio Buyer’s Guide 2017 Full Buyer’s Guide

Audience 1+1
When SS reviewed the single-full-range-driver Audience “The ONE” speakers, he was convinced that they were the best nearfield monitors he’d ever heard. His time with the larger Audience 1+1 speakers has led him to place the 1+1 above the “The ONE” at the top of his own personal “best” nearfield loudspeaker list. Just like “The ONE” speakers, the Audience 1+1 creates a three-dimensional soundstage that allows you to listen deeply into the nuances of a mix or a live performance. SS,246

” All the versions of the Audience ClairAudient 1+1 are worthy of whatever associated gear or cables; you can afford to pair with them. The ability of the ClairAudient 1+1 to produce a reach – out – and – touch – someone soundstage, to my astonishment, is even better with V2 and V2+. It was already the best I’d heard in my house for under $17,000. I would say that the V2+ speakers are the reigning king of this much-desired attribute of high-end speakers. ”
Jack Roberts, Dagogo – October ’15
Read Full Review

“It is very hard to believe that a pair of mini-monitors selling for under $1,800 a pair, weighing less than eight pounds, would be able to compete with and best in many areas with speakers that cost over five figures”.
Jack Roberts – June ’15
Read Full Review

“Vocals were sensational for any loudspeaker, never mind one that costs less than $2k.” -Robert Harley, sidebar comment
Steven Stone, Reviewer- October ’14
Read Full Review (PDF)

The ONE, in particular, is amazingly good as a nearfield monitor for use with computers or gaming systems, while the 1+1 can work well in medium- sized theatre rooms. Both models are highly recommended”.
Doug Blackburn – August ’14
Read Full Review (PDF)

If you think that miniature speakers in desktop setup only create a miniature soundstage, you really need to hear a pair of Audience 1+1s”.
Steven Stone – Issue #245, September ’14
View award and full text

“As I look back over my time in and around this industry, beginning back when brands like Phase Linear and Advent were setting previously unrealized standards, the Audience ClairAudient project represents one of the most significant and exciting advances to our hobby that I can recall. Welcome to the uprising!”
Greg Weaver – July ’14
Read Full Review

“If you are ready to take your listening experience to a new level, seek out the 1+1 and taste what chefs prepare for themselves”.
Victor Chavira – July ’14
Read Full Review

Following is the complete list of show reports on the Audience room from THE Show Las Vegas 2013.

For those of you who have long been waiting for the ONE loudspeakers – shipping will begin in about ten days. We also expect to start shipping the 1+1 mid May.

Positive Feedback – Greg Weaver

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue66/ces2013.htm
By far the most interesting new speaker I heard at this year’s event was the Audience ClairAudient 1+1 ($1800 per pair) standing on Target stands ($150/pr). Sourced by the Bryston BDP-1 player ($2195) and BDA-1 DAC ($1995), the rest of the electronics included the prototypical Audience Wavepower amplifier and Wavemaster preamp, neither with an announced price as yet. The hotel wall current was tamed by use of two (one on the front end components, another on the power amps) Audience Adept Response aR6-TSS power conditioner ($6000), and all cables were from Audience, the Au24 powerChords ($2200/6 ft.), the new Au24 SE RCA interconnects ($1290/meter) and the Au24 SE speaker cables ($1995/2meter). I have one of the new Au24-SEs in house, and the initial results are WONDERFUL. Watch this space for a review this spring.

The Audience ClairAudient 1+1—and they sounded EVERY BIT as good as they look

When I asked to give them a listen, the first thing Richard fired up for me was a Redbook FLAC file, “From the Beginning” from Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s 1972 release, Trilogy, on the Bryston BDP-1. I have to say that while I’ve heard this cut hundreds of times, this time it was revelatory! This system served up everything in a delicately layered, remarkably liquid, and compellingly involving manner. It’s amazing how much music you hear when you eschew the “evils” of crossovers! Well done, gents! Well done!

Stereophile/John Atkinson

The Audience ClairAudient 1+1
By John Atkinson • Posted: Jan 16, 2013

Over at T.H.E. Show, Audience were demoing the ClairAudient 1+1 bipolar speaker ($1800/pair), which uses two of the small full-range A3S drive-units developed by Roger Sheker, one on the front, one on the back, loaded with two passive radiators on the speaker’s sides. The sound was dynamic, with surprisingly extended low frequencies.

The less-expensive The ONE ($995/pair), which uses just one A3S driver, was being demmed very effectively as part of a desk-top system (above), driven by a $550 Teac amplifier and a $695 QLA media player. AC conditioning was, of course provided by Audience AdeptResponse units.

The Absolute Sound/Neil Gader
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-2013-consumer-electronics-show-neil-gader-on-loudspeakers-under-20k/ 

Audience ClairAudient 1+1 has no minuses

Audience, (pictured above) the full-range driver specialists, has further refined its unique technology in the mini ClairAudient 1+1 ($1800) Boasting a newly sculpted angular front baffle to minimize diffraction effects its equipped with twin A3S full range drivers  and dual passive radiators. Designed for intimate environs, it projected terrific mid range transparency, speed.

Part-Time Audiophile
http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2013/02/04/las-vegas-2013-audience-av/ 

Audience AV has branched out — have you heard? The company, already very well known for their superb Au24 line of cables and capacitor-based power conditioners, have been not-so-quietly rolling out a line of loudspeakers.
With prices starting at $995/pair for the new The One single-driver loudspeakers (shown in blue, below) all the way up to the $72k/pair ClairAudient 16+16, Audience is entirely serious — and seriously kicking ass.
The basic design rotates around s small, but full-range driver. The One uses … one. The 1+1 uses … two. The 16+16 uses … 32. You get the picture. As you move up the line, sensitivity, total output and impedance all climb.
The new, final, look for the ClairAudient 1+1 is a front+rear setup, that is, there are two full-range drivers, setup as a bi-pole, and two passive radiators on the flanks, also setup as a bi-pole. The result? 360° sound. Which is precisely what I heard — a bewilderingly wide, deep sounds stage that had me convinced, for the first 10 seconds, that not only was I being punked but that, perhaps, everything was wired out of phase. It wasn’t, but man, that was freakin’ huge.

Posted by: Robert Harley at 9:09 am, June 11th, 2012

Best Sound (highest value)
Audience Wavepower amplifier and Wavemaster preamp driving Audience’s ClairAudient 1+1 loudspeaker (see below).
Greatest Bargain
Audience’s new ClairAudient 1+1 loudspeaker. This tiny cube, priced at $1800 per pair, combined the transparency of a one-way crossover less design with the dynamics and extension at the frequency extremes you’d expect from a larger conventional system.

Posted by: Neil Gader at 9:09 am, June 8th, 2012

Audience presented one of the smallest and one of the largest new speaker systems geared to promote the scalability of its full-range-driver philosophy. Driven by all Audience power was the new Mk II version of the ClairAudient 16+16 flagship ($72k). It continues as a bi-polar, one-way line source with thirty-two A3-S2 three-inch full-range drivers but has been upgraded with the addition of eight 6” x 9” custom passive radiators. To my ears the difference was quite startling with solid low-end response that didn’t inhibit the speed and crystalline focus that makes this design so listenable. In comparison and obviously bass-restricted, the tiny ClairAudient 1+1 was captivating in how well it retains the flagship’s remarkable voice and timbre ($1800).