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After some contemplation I realized that this presentation was similar somehow to what the Combak Reimyo+Bravo!+Harmonix system had delivered exactly two years ago. Although these really are two totally different approaches with very different ideas on how to build loudspeakers (plus different cables and electronics) there was something in the sound to suggest a certain familiarity. I didn't want to admit this at the beginning as it would imply that I concurred with Lavardin's philosophy that their devices are as close as possible to the best valve machines and that eliminating memory distortion from transistors leads to exactly that.


But that's what I heard. It was a very soft sound, very similar to what we hear ‘live’. It wasn’t perfectly identical as for example the midbass of the Lecontoures could have been stiffer to better convey the bass drum attacks on the Kings of Leon recording. But that's what we expect from a system at home. If you listen to percussion during a live concert from a distance it sounds more or less how this particular system presented it.


The most important part of the frequency range here was the midrange but not because it was somehow emphasized. We perceive it this way because the treble was slightly depressed without upsetting the general timbre. The lower midrange and bass were strong and rich so I could not call the midrange emphasized relative to them. Nonetheless our attention will be attracted mostly to vocals and midband instruments. I think that’s because resolution here was very high. The low end again was powerful and very well extended as shown by both Garbarek's pressing and Laurie Anderson’s Homeland. The bass integrated well with the midrange perhaps because part of the bass range is delivered by a mid/woofer on the front of the speaker. Its large diameter is responsible for other things too which I’ll come back to in a moment. What's important is that even though the actual rear-firing woofer is close to the floor, there’s no boom. LF resolution is not as good as above 100Hz range or in certain classic designs. The role of bass and treble are simply complimentary to the midband.


When I mentioned 'some other things' I mainly referred to a problem with the mid driver's directionality. In theory the larger the diaphragm, the quicker its roll-off in the higher reaches. With the 210mm unit and tweeter here you need to be very careful about room placement. For a flat response you need to aim the speakers directly at you or the upper midrange will depress slightly (unless other factors change the equation such as your room, system or personal preferences).

In conclusion, the Lavardin system with the matching Lecontoure speakers created a different world of soft reverberations, pastel colors and depth - safe domestic depth. All recordings seemed to get domesticated, from the technically very good to those less well produced. Regardless, timbre differentiation remained high to not have different recordings sound all the same. Dynamics and consistency of the midbass could be improved but this should be impossible without changing the bigger picture which was so very artfully thought through and carefully tuned. If you go for this French system you shall be invited into its very special world. You could certainly come away not liking it but ultimately you should feel some regret. Certain memories of it will linger to always have you compare other systems to this. Are there better systems? Probably. Are there different ones? Absolutely. Even so this one is very special and could easily become an ultimate destination one lives with until the end.

Descriptions: Lecontoure Loudspeakers Stabile 210 – This is the biggest model in Lecontoure’s portfolio. It’s a sealed 3-way with a rear-firing 240mm woofer. Single binding posts are placed mid height and accompanied by two contour switches for treble (+3dB, linear, +2dB) and bass (low-cut/linear). Firing forward is the ‘monitor’ head array of 25mm soft-dome ring radiator and 210mm multi-layer polymer midrange. Given the latter’s diameter one might assume that this is in fact a fullrange two-way with auxiliary woofer. Lecontoure doesn’t state crossover points. The only thing known is that the bass and midrange drivers operate in a common sealed chamber. The tweeter is placed off-axis. All drivers are glued to the cabinet so one can’t disassemble them without damage to the enclosure. The grill for the monitor section uses a cloth-covered MDF frame.


The enclosure runs 22mill Plywood and 40mill MDF panels covered in natural veneer except for certain sections lacquered black. From the front the Stabile 210 looks like a mid-size floorstander supported in the back by a thick black panel. Wider than the rest of the enclosure, this panel in fact supports the entire construction. The front of the cabinet receives a single spike while two holes in the back are receivers for metal ball bearings that couple to the plinth. Just as with Lavardin equipment, a printed foil glued to the back panel carries the model description. It neither looks good nor is it likely very durable. It's simply one of those things which make these French products - uh, different.

Lavardin Model C62 – This is a single rack-space device in an aluminium chassis. Lavardin’s workshop prides itself on Vitronics-Soltec CNC routers that guarantee 1/100th mm precision and can execute 18.000 passes per hour so it’s no surprise that the simple chassis makes a good impression. The 10mm thick front panel sports two nicely finished knobs for volume and input selection. There's no remote however. A central red LED indicates power. Changing inputs momentarily mutes the outputs while the red LED blinks. The back offers six line-level inputs and fixed and variable outputs in two rows of RCAs exclusively. A MM phono module is optional. The IEC power inlet with mechanical mains switch has its live pin marked red to insure proper power polarity just as YBA, Luxman, Ayon and Trigon do it.