But the Reference isn’t only more expensive. It’s also significantly larger and at 76kg each, three times heavier than the biggest of the existing speaker models. It’s a physical expansion that has finally forced Diptyque to search for more extensive premises and in October the company will be moving to an ex-SNCF (French railways) workshop near the main station in Montauban. The new digs offer 600 square metres (around 6000 square feet) of storage, workshop and office space, along with space for a large listening room, able to do the Reference speakers justice. With so much space you wonder if the three-man team might rattle about wondering quite what to do, but given the growing reputation of (and demand for) the Diptyque products, I strongly suspect that there will soon be more than three team members – possibly far more.
In a world where series obsolescence, overseas manufacturing and super high-tech materials seem part and parcel of high-end audio products, it’s somehow reassuring to discover a product that is genuinely hand-built, with artisanal sensibilities and ecological sensitivity, a product that gives nothing away to the competition in performance terms. It’s refreshing to come across and enjoy such easy breathing and expressive sound, from speakers that are both affordable and carefully hand-built from everyday materials by a company that doesn’t ignore modern tools and technology but doesn’t use them to justify stratospheric pricing either. There’s not a 3D-printed part in sight and there’s a blessed absence of fancy audiophile parts too. It might be the Reference that is receiving all the attention right now – a speaker that at €44K is hardly bargain basement – but don’t overlook the entry-level dp77 (€4K/pr) and dp107 (€6K/pr). With their integral stand and adjustable rake angle, they may offer low-ish sensitivity, but with a benign load characteristic they’ll also maximise the input from the driving amplifier. The dp107s are due shortly for review. Based on my listening so far, it’s a date I’m rather looking forward to…
