The French Davis Acoustics has a very important advantage over its competitors: it develops and creates dynamic heads for specific tasks, rather than selecting ready-made ones from commercially available ones. This allows you to build original systems without overpaying for components, but their share in the total cost of the project when purchased externally can reach 30%. Well, a full production cycle in our own factory in France with the most modern equipment means constant control over all processes and, as a result, guarantees the quality of the final product.
Davis Acoustics Courbet No. 7, the eldest in the Courbet series, was originally designed to work in large rooms, and all the efforts of the developers were aimed at achieving high dynamic characteristics, which determined some design features.
First of all, it is a rigid body made of thick MDF sheets, reinforced with internal ties. At the base there is a massive plate with threaded bushings for tenons. Due to the slight tilt, two important problems are solved: the likelihood of standing waves occurring is reduced and the time coordination of all three bands is ensured. With this arrangement, the slowest bass diffuser is closer to the listener, and the light tweeter dome is further away, so the fronts of the signal reproduced by them arrive simultaneously.
All speakers are, of course, designed by Davis Acoustics. The bass line is delivered by a 6.5-inch (17 cm) driver with a carbon fiber cone. This material has high rigidity with low weight, and the woven structure has good damping properties. This means that the speaker is able to sound with minimal distortion without coloring the sound. It operates in a bass reflex design and has a linear response in the range of 40 – 400 Hz. The port of an impressive diameter is brought forward, so the speakers can be placed closer to the wall. By changing the distance to it, you can adjust the character of the bass.
The five-inch (13 cm) midrange driver has a Kevlar cone. Michel Visan, the company’s founder, was one of the first in the industry to use this material and learned to realize its benefits to the maximum. Kevlar is also a fabric, only much stronger than carbon fiber (we all know about body armor) and lightweight. At medium frequencies, large amplitudes are not needed, the main thing here is response speed, so the low mass of the moving system is of paramount importance. The same heads are used as mid-bass in the Olympia One Master bookshelf monitors, which received the prestigious “Golden Tuning Fork” award two years ago. In Courbet No. 7, their range is limited to 400 – 4000 Hz, due to which increased linearity and reliable connection with other bands are achieved.
The tweeter in the Davis Acoustics Courbet No. 7 is even cooler – it is borrowed from the top-end concept model Karla 2.0. The one-inch synthetic fiber dome is loaded with a double compression chamber that dampens local resonances. The 19 mm diameter voice coil is effectively cooled to combat thermal compression.
The isolation filters are mounted mounted with the shortest possible signal path. Perhaps this is why the creators of Courbet No. 7 considered it inappropriate to connect the strips separately – there are two input terminals on the back wall.
What has always surprised me about Davis acoustics is the similarity of the sound signature of different models with the difference, of course, in dynamic potential. Almost complete deja vu – Davis Acoustics Courbet No. 5 sounded very similar , and in a completely different room and in conjunction with other components. What is not surprising is that these models have a common concept and diffusers made of the same materials, although of different calibers.
But the absolute dynamics and energy potential of Davis Acoustics Courbet No. 7 are, of course, higher. And the bass, accordingly, is lower, and it is so rapid-fire that the acoustics are capable of clearly reproducing a quick series of bass drum hits. And what’s surprising is that the structure of the bass is not blurred by the “exhaust” from the bass reflex port – its diameter is such that turbulence does not occur. The impact is impressive – biting, full, with a long-fading trail of reverberations. You can feel the freedom inherent in high-sensitivity systems – it seems that the amplifier has no difficulty in controlling the load even at peak volumes. Hence the speed, a good sense of rhythm, and colossal sound pressure. Drum-n-base fans will certainly appreciate this.
But music lovers who prefer more meaningful genres will not be left at a loss. The dynamics and bass of the Davis Acoustics Courbet No. 7 are combined with a delicate and richly detailed midrange. This is especially felt when playing acoustic instruments – they sound beautiful, with rich and natural timbres. The attack of the string is conveyed correctly, you can feel real brass on the wind instruments, a “spark” on the cymbals. Symphonic tutti are also impressive: there is scope, dynamic contrasts, and the delicate work of tweeters, drawing out the finest nuances in the “atmospheric” part of the spectrum. There is no coloration in the upper and middle bands, the systems sound linear, with the correct tonal balance, but also with some enthusiasm – if there is drive and emotion in the music, you will feel it.
The scale of the picture is determined by the radiation pattern, and here it is sufficient so that you can space the speakers four meters apart and not feel the emptiness in the center. And if you turn up the volume, the far edge of the stage will move to the back wall, and with a slight turn towards the listener it can go beyond it, but the foreground will narrow. This is a useful quality that allows you to build a musical space depending on the proportions of the room.
In an ideal case, these systems will easily pump a room of 30 – 35 meters, and this will not require a very powerful amplifier. But on the quality of components, incl. and cables, it’s better not to skimp – Davis Acoustics Courbet No. 7 are distinguished by increased dynamics, but their resolution is also fine. Therefore, for the troubles of selecting the remaining parts of the system, they will definitely be rewarded a hundredfold.
Review prepared by the SalonAV portal
Characteristics Davis Acoustics Courbet No. 7
Configuration: 3 drivers, 3 bands
Acoustic design: bass reflex
Frequency range: 40 – 25000 Hz
Sensitivity: 92 dB (2.83 V/1 m)
Nominal/minimum impedance: 8/4 Ohm
Crossover frequencies: 400, 4000 Hz
Input power (nominal/max): 130/200 W
Finish: black varnish, matte white
Dimensions: 185 x 1100 x 285 mm
Weight 1 pc.: 24 kg
