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Bookshelf Speakers

T.H.E. Show 2022: Common Wave Hi-Fi & OJAS Shelf Horn Mod Kit

The OJAS Shelf Horn Mod Kit package is not inexpensive at $5,500 plus stands but driven by the Audio Hungary A50i Integrated Amplifier was quite the performance.

Ojas Shelf Horn Mod Kit Loudspeaker Stereo System

I have been following Devon Turnbull, the owner of OJAS speakers on Instagram for years; his speakers are truly works of art in their simple elegance, build, color, and his integration of horns. They have also always been out of reach for me financially — until now. The OJAS Shelf Horn Mod Kit offers a degree of hope for listeners like myself who are focused on affordable vintage amplifiers and want to use loudspeakers like the OJAS at home.

A number of years ago, OJAS started offering a bookshelf model. One that could be produced in non “one off” numbers. It was also offered as a kit; I have a lot of experience building amplifier kits and fixing vintage loudspeakers but building my own speaker from parts would be something new.

Ojas Loudspeaker

The original OJAS featured a 16″ x 14” x 12.5” loudspeaker cabinet and a JBL 328C single full range driver. What further impressed me was the 96 dB speaker sensitivity which allows you to run these speakers with as little as 3 watts of power; which also made them ideal for vintage receivers and tube amplifiers.

The kits and models that are already assembled have been offered for sale on Devon’s OJAS website; demand for the products has often resulted in long waits and there have been gaps in the availability.

Ojas Shelf Horn Mod Kit Loudspeaker

The most recent offering is the OJAS Shelf Horn Mod Kit; the kit allows users to redirect the top end of the range to the horns and can be installed with some basic soldering and drilling.

Common Wave Hi-Fi is a Los Angeles-based dealer with 3 rooms at T.H.E. Show 2022 including an excellent setup with the new DeVore Fidelity O/baby loudspeakers. Their OJAS setup wasn’t fully ready when I stopped by but I’m glad that I took the time to return on Saturday.

Common Wave had the OJAS loudspeakers on display ($5,500 USD) on CW Custom stands ($1,100 USD).

Ojas Shelf Horn Mod Kit Top

They may be small in size but Devon recommends a minimum of 8 feet between the listener and loudspeakers.

Powering the loudspeakers was an Audio Hungary Qualiton A50i Tube Integrated Amplifier ; a 50 watts/channel class A design that uses 4 KT120 output tubes to deliver all of that power. The A50i is manufactured in Hungary and retails for $9,250 USD.

Digital sources included Innuos digital music servers and the the Merason Frerot DAC which retails for $1,475 USD and can also be ordered with an external power supply for an additional $950 USD. The Frerot is a 24-bit/192kHz PCM DAC and offers five digital inputs; 2 S/PDIF, 2 Toslink Optical, and 1 USB. It also offers single ended and balanced outputs.

Ojas Loudspeaker Model 328c Badge

Common Wave also had two Technics 1210 MK2 turntables in use connected to a Varia Instruments RDM40 Rotary Mixer ($3,800 USD).

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I was very impressed with the openness and immediacy of the sound; the room was definitely too small for the scale that loudspeaker is capable of reproducing. The loudspeaker clearly doesn’t need the 50 watts of power that were driving them; one could certainly use a low powered tube amplifier with these loudspeakers.

I’m super tempted.

For more information: OJAS NYC

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Thomas Rainer Schäfer

    April 11, 2023 at 1:14 pm

    Totally overprized 320$ unit. And not a m2 plywood. Every morning a fool wakes up. Find him.😜😜😜

    • Ian White

      April 11, 2023 at 1:45 pm

      Thomas,

      I’m not sure why anyone would buy this over the DeVore o/baby.

      Ian White

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