Note: measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada’s National Research Council can be found through this link.
In the realm of vocal performance, good things often do come in small packages. Think Lady Gaga (5′1″), Emilia Clarke (5′2″), Reese Witherspoon (5′3″)—huge talents, diminutive statures. Surprisingly often, this maxim holds in the realm of loudspeakers, too, where the sound performance of some standmount designs—like the vocal performance of some singers—is so alluring that one’s listening pleasure can quickly develop into full-fledged infatuation.
Knowing this, I am always looking for promising new standmount designs. The recently introduced Clarity 6.2 loudspeaker, the debut offering from Radiant Acoustics, a brand of Denmark’s Nordic Hi-Fi, is one such design. Founded by entrepreneur Peter Lyngdorf, Nordic Hi-Fi’s stated mission is “to deliver premium products without breaking the bank.” Lyngdorf’s other ventures include DALI, Lyngdorf Audio, and Steinway Lyngdorf, as well as HiFi Klubben, a chain of audio-video stores in northern and western Europe. Lyngdorf is also a founding partner of Purifi Audio, which makes amplifier modules and loudspeaker drivers.
Incorporating driver technology developed by Purifi and DALI, the Clarity 6.2 is a two-way standmount that employs a single 6.5″ forward-facing midrange-woofer along with two 6.5″ passive radiators in a force-cancelling configuration on opposite sides of the enclosure. The midrange-woofer crosses over at 2400Hz to an air motion transformer (AMT) tweeter mounted in a deep waveguide.
The Clarity 6.2 is available worldwide directly from the manufacturer for $4498 a pair (all prices USD except where noted), which includes shipping and covers all duties and taxes. A pair of matching stands is available for $898 but did not accompany my review speakers. Radiant has a 30-day return policy from the delivery date. Returns are subject to a fee of €49 to offset shipping costs (when a return request is approved, Radiant provides the buyer with a shipping label).
Build and appearance
The Clarity 6.2 is assembled in Nørager, Denmark. It measures 8.7″W × 14.3″H × 10.5″D and weighs 27.5 pounds, and it is unusually robust for a compact standmount. Designed for rigidity, its cabinet is constructed of 21mm MDF, to which a 15mm-thick machined-aluminum baffle is bonded.
Inside the cabinet is a horizontal brace member with a support pad to optimize woofer performance. A brace plug supports the woofer magnet and directs energy to the center of the cabinet. This reduces baffle flex and minimizes distortion. Basotect, a flexible open-cell foam made from melamine resin, is used inside the cabinet to dampen the enclosure walls and the rearward output of the AMT tweeter.
The Clarity 6.2’s cabinet has a traditional box form. All edges are square except for the baffle edges, which are chamfered to reduce diffraction and improve clarity. Three finish options are offered: a walnut veneer and a six-layer lacquer coating in black or white. I found the low-sheen finish of my black sample pair to perfectly match the dark shade of the anodized aluminum baffle, which gave the speakers a rather stealthy look. The 6.2’s woofer and its tweeter driver and waveguide also match the baffle in shade and blend well with it. The same dark baffle accompanies the walnut model too. A white baffle comes with the white model, which nicely contrasts the drivers and waveguide.
I thought the build quality was terrific: clean, tight joints and solid walls, from which knuckle knocking elicited only a muted, dull response. Unusually, the Clarity 6.2 does not have binding posts at the back, only sockets, for use with banana plugs.
Design and technology
A primary aim in the design of the Clarity 6.2, according to Radiant Acoustics, was to enable it to perform as a larger three-way loudspeaker. This called for low distortion and high dynamic range. To attain these properties, Radiant incorporated in the 6.2 top-tier midrange-woofer and passive radiators from the Purifi Ushindi line and a high-efficiency AMT tweeter from DALI, as mentioned.
The Ushindi driver’s compact, long-excursion design is said to maximize efficiency, optimize bandwidth and dispersion, and minimize distortion to a degree not possible with a larger driver. According to Purifi, IM distortion is one-tenth that of typical high-end drivers. This stellar performance stems directly from several unique design elements. The sculpted NeutralSurround suspension of the midrange-woofer and passive radiators keeps the radiating area constant even during large fluctuations and thereby minimizes distortion. Motor force and inductance remain consistent in Ushindi drivers as the voice coil moves through the magnet gap, preserving midrange clarity even at high SPLs.
The AMT tweeter’s folded diaphragm has a radiating area several times that of a conventional dome tweeter and is therefore more efficient and capable of higher output. The symmetrical dual-magnet configuration of the Clarity 6.2’s AMT improves its efficiency and power handling further compared to single-magnet AMT tweeters. This combines to reduce distortion and dynamic compression, Radiant says. The tweeter is situated inside a Purifi-designed five-finned waveguide that narrows its directivity in the crossover region and optimizes its integration with the midrange-woofer, according to Radiant.
To eliminate the potential of iron-induced distortion, Radiant eschews the use of iron parts in the Clarity 6.2’s crossover and terminals. The crossover employs air-core inductors with thick coil wires to minimize DC resistance and optimize sensitivity, capacitors with high self-resonance frequency and low internal resistance, and iron-free resistors with low self-induction and high power capability.
Thanks to this thoughtful design and the use of top-quality parts, the Clarity 6.2 achieves outstanding performance for its class: an impressive specified frequency response of 35Hz–20kHz (−3dB), for instance. It will be interesting to see how it measures in the anechoic chamber at Canada’s National Research Council. In this article, though, I assess its performance subjectively. Does the Clarity 6.2 meet the lofty goal set for it to perform like a larger three-way speaker? Is it one of those rare cases where high-end sound can be had without the high-end price? Let’s find out.
Setup
I placed the Clarity 6.2 pair on sand-filled stands (Target MR 24) in my acoustically treated room, which measures 13′W × 18.5′L × 7.75′H, and connected them to a pair of Bryston 7B3 mono amplifiers using QED Genesis Silver Spiral speaker cables with banana terminations. A Bryston BR-20 streaming preamplifier (reviewed by Evan McCosham in 2023) was feeding the Bryston monoblocks. My digital music sources were Tidal HiFi and Qobuz via Roon (using a Roon Nucleus Core), with the BR-20 as an endpoint. My analog source was a Rega Planar 10 turntable, equipped with a Rega Apheta 3 MC cartridge, playing through a Gold Note PH-10 phono stage powered by a PSU-10 linear power supply.
I spent a good deal of time tweaking the speakers’ positions and toe-in. The improvement in sound was well worth the effort. In their final position, the speakers were 10′ apart and 10′ from my ears, just over 3′ from the front wall, and about a foot away each from the near side wall. I settled on a slight toe-in, with the tweeters directed just outside my shoulders.
Listening
From the moment I began listening to the Clarity 6.2s, I could sense the ease of expression in their presentation. They did not assail me with sound; they delivered it generously, inviting me to lean forward and probe the rich, clear detail. And with no part of the audioband calling undue attention to itself, I could easily hear and focus on the subtle details.
On “Tulipani” from Fausto Mesolella’s 2015 album Canto Stefano (16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC, Suoni DallItalia Srl / Tidal), the opening guitar notes were full and warm and rich with natural detail. Mesolella’s guitar strings sounded as tight as classical-guitar strings do and had smooth attack transients. The Clarity 6.2s delivered fine sonic detail non-aggressively, which was comforting. They revealed the guitar-body resonance and the ring of the strings across the fretboard, even the finger action, and rendered Mesolella’s gentle phrasing and the soft vocals in the background most engagingly. There was a smoothness, a humanness, to the midrange that I found endearing. Sibilants were well controlled, never harsh.
Clearly separated images with well-defined outlines and believable scale lent authenticity to the Clarity 6.2s’ presentation. I heard no artificial razor-edged sharpness. Reverb and echo within the recording space were not called out; rather, the images themselves laid out the stage boundaries, reaching deep beyond the front wall and wide across beyond the speakers. Dynamics, however, were not as dramatic as I’m accustomed to hearing on this track.
Another track I found revelatory was “Get Lucky” from Daft Punk’s seminal Random Access Memories (24/88.2 FLAC, Columbia Records / Tidal). The opening guitar, bass, and drums were impactful and full but not overly forceful, even at loud volume. It was evident that the Clarity 6.2 loves power, and given its relatively low 85dB sensitivity, it does take some juice to get a pair dancing. When the power is there, these speakers perform their best at higher volumes, over 85dB, where they remain well composed, never sounding obtrusively forward. They still performed well, though, at moderate volumes, with peaks in the 70dB–80dB range. Vocal reproduction was superb: warm, natural, very much human. Again, the soundstage was expansive, extending to the speaker boundaries and just beyond the front wall, and was populated with sharp images. The speakers effectively disappeared.
Listening to “Hushabye Mountain” from Diana Panton’s 2017 Juno Award–winning album I Believe in Little Things (16/44.1 FLAC, SoNo Recording Group / Tidal), I was immediately wowed by the Clarity 6.2s’ beautiful rendering of the cello. They reproduced its warm, melancholic tone to perfection and imbued it with the immediacy of a live presence. With every draw of the sinew of the bow across the strings, I felt drawn into the music more and more. The harp appeared just left of center well into the soundstage, with every subtle string detail, which added to the sense of realism. The double bass had lifelike body and scale, and measured authority.
What I found most impressive was the Clarity 6.2s’ midrange, particularly with vocals. Diana Panton’s gorgeously feminine voice sounded saturated, rich with fine detail. The 6.2s articulated each syllable, each breath, with delicious creamy consistency.
One other track I used was “Slightly Hung Over” by Bob Walsh, from his 2007 album Inside I Am All Blue (16/44.1 FLAC, Disques Bros Records / Tidal). The opening piano sounded immaculate, with a clear, full tone, and a shine that never dazzled, expressing every nuance of the playing dynamics. The cymbals sounded well-balanced in the mix, sparkling crisply to then dissolve in a clean decay. Walsh’s voice projected corporeally against a quiet background in all its emotional content.
Comparison
I compared the Clarity 6.2s with my Focal Electra 1008 Be 2 bookshelf loudspeakers (discontinued, $5499/pair when available), which were reviewed by Philip Beaudette on SoundStage! Hi-Fi in February 2013. The Focal Electras, I felt, had a more energetic, forward presentation than the Clarity 6.2s did. Set to the same volume level, the Danish speakers sounded warmer and slightly more full-bodied; the French standmounts, more dynamic and impactful in the bass. Whereas the Clarity 6.2s’ articulation was quite smooth, though still revealing, that of the Electras was more sharply contoured, exposing finer detail. Again, there was a certain air of ease to the Clarity 6.2s’ presentation, particularly in their smooth, liquid midrange, but this also made them sound more sedate, somehow less expressive, than the Focals.
Conclusion
Radiant Acoustics’ inaugural product, the Clarity 6.2, is a delightful, thoughtfully designed, well-built loudspeaker. It delivers fine detail smoothly and provides full, natural, warm sound. Competition abounds in this market segment, but the 6.2 is priced competitively. It is indeed a high-end speaker without a high-end price, one capable of creating wonderful musical experiences, proving once again that great things really can come in small packages. Anyone searching for a high-performing, European-made standmount loudspeaker should include the Radiant Acoustics Clarity 6.2 on their shortlist.
. . . George de Sa
george@soundstage.com
Associated Equipment
- Loudspeakers: Dynaudio C2 Signature, Focal Electra 1008 Be 2
- Loudspeaker stands: Target MR-24 mass-loaded with kiln-dried sand
- Rack: Quadraspire SV3T
- Turntable: Rega Planar 10 with Apheta 3 MC cartridge
- Phono stage: Gold Note PH-10 and PSU-10
- Streaming preamplifier: Bryston BR-20
- Power amplifier: Bryston 7B3 monoblocks
- Music server: Roon Nucleus
- Music services: Tidal HiFi and Qobuz
- Network: Netgear wireless modem
- Cables: QED Genesis Silver Spiral speaker cables, Audio Sensibility Statement interconnects, and power cables; Pangea AC-9 Mk 2 power cables
Radiant Acoustics Clarity 6.2 loudspeaker
Price: $4498/pair, including worldwide shipping, duties and taxes
Warranty: Ten years, parts and labor
Radiant Acoustics
Nordic Hi-Fi A/S
Dali Alle 1, DK-9610 Nørager
Denmark
Website: radiantacoustics.com
Email: support@radiantacoustics.com
