New Penaudio Cenya
Penaudio has renewed its product selection. The least expensive model Rebel3 cost now only 995 euro per pair, the Charisma is 2495 euro, the completely new stand mounted speaker Cenya is 2995 euro, the 2010 released Sara floorstander 3995 euro, and the flagship Serenade 7995 euro.
According to Penaudio, Cenya (163x280x315mm) extends the dynamic range of Charisma while retaining the purity and liquidity of Rebel 3. Cenya borrows from the new speaker design concept first presented in the 2.5-way Sara. Cenya is a 2-way, 4-ohm reflex-loaded monitor with Finnish heritage and characteristics of craftsmanship, elegance and simplicity. The cabinet is 19mm Finnish MDF, both sides veneered with 1,5mm Penaudio Birch Plywood veneer.
The drivers are ¾”(20mm) ferrofluid cooled textile dome tweeter (Seas), and 6”(145mm) magnesium coned midrange/bass (Seas Excel) with heavy copper rings above and below pole piece, and radial reinforced surround. The cross-over frequency is 4000Hz; the frequency (anechoic) response +-3dB 45-28000Hz, in room: 40-25000Hz; sensitivity is 86dB/1m/2.83V. WBT binding posts, Jorma Design internal wiring.
The official premiere of the Cenya will take place at CES in January, but I had a chance to audition Cenya briefly in a dealer's shop, electronics was provided by Ayre. The top was as elegant and pleasant as what I've accustomed to hear from Penaudio loudspeakers. The transition from the midrange to treble was almost invisible, while the bass/lower midrange suffered from the long distance between the speaker and the wall behind it, and from the odd way the room behaves acoustically in the midbass. Yet, Cenya's bass was better - more legible - in that room than the bass of two much bigger and expensive speakers pointing to the fact that small stand mount quality monitors are often more suitable for avoiding problems in the bass and lower midrange than bigger ones. A very likable and musical sound, and a living proof that good sound does not always reduce down to mechanically manipulated directivity measures.