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REVIEW
As with the previous Cenya iteration, the
new Cenya exhibits a transparency much
like an ESL. The Hammond organ at the
beginning of “Kitty’s Back” remains in the
air, slightly above the speakers, lingering in
the room as though through my Quad 57s,
but with more punch and dynamics.
The Cenyas excel at keeping the musical
pace intact. The rapid-fire drum beats
in Blamstrain’s “Dog Song” stay solidly
anchored in the middle of some dreamy
synth riffs, while the deep bass line fills the
listening room without blurring the spacey
presentation, until the volume is turned up
well beyond a reasonable level. This is the
only limitation of these petite Finns: They
can only move so much air, and when
pushed past their limit, they compress
rapidly. However, I think anyone demoing a
pair of Cenyas for the first time will be surprised
at just how loud this level is.
Of course, the vocal performance of
these speakers is beyond reproach. Those
preferring more audiophile faire will be highly
satisfied at the deftness with which the
Cenyas project both male and female vocals.
Whether you love Tom Waits or Shelby
Lynne, the speakers deliver the goods.
Compatibility
With a sensitivity rating of 86 dB, the Cenyas
work better with more power, though
in my small room, even the 25-watt-perchannel
845 SET amplifiers at my disposal
prove adequate, albeit not able to push the
speakers as far as the 120-wpc Devialet
can.
Regardless, the Cenyas are very tube
friendly in a way that my Serenedes never
were. The McIntosh MC275, PrimaLuna
DiaLogue Monoblocks and the new C-J
LP120sa vacuum-tube amplifiers all work
well with the Cenyas, delivering great dynamics,
extended HF response and good
damping of the woofer cones without issue.
(continued)
194 TONE AUDIO NO.64
July 2014 195