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KRAKOW SONIC SOCIETY № 157 SPHINX ELEMENT 3
loudspeakers • floor-standing |
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KSS
witnessed and transcribed by WOJCIECH PACUŁA |
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No 270 November 1, 2026 |
EDWIN VAN DER KLEY is someone you know - and know well. Chief engineer, head of the Siltech Group (known as International Audio Holding B.V. until 2025), and a long-time member of the Krakow Sonic Society, he has visited Krakow many times, each time bringing something unique - but always cables. From those meetings, I remember his knowledge, his in-depth understanding of the subject, and his extraordinary love for music. Among his many other talents, Edwin is also a composer. Trained as an electrical engineer, he has played the bass guitar since his youth and has been interested in the acoustics of musical instruments. On one occasion, he spoke about a special project involving the study of the properties of a Stradivarius violin and how that experience shaped his thinking about the electrical signal. As part of unique projects combining sound engineering with live performance, his own compositions have been recorded in collaboration with prestigious ensembles, such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, and his favorite sound engineer is Tony Faulkner. 
In all of these projects he used Siltech cables, which many sound engineers found hard to accept. While Bert van der Wolf, head of the prestigious Northstar Recording Services studio and The Spirit of Turtle label - who has been using his cables for many, many years - understands this, the vast majority of the pro world considers it an oddity. They are wrong. It is common knowledge that the Siltech Group manufactures cables under the Siltech and Crystal Cable brands and also owns the German brand HMS Elektronik. However, very few people are aware that the company has also been offering the SAGA amplifier for years. An even smaller group associates the Siltech brand with speakers, yet for his own use - and later for a select few customers - Edwin also manufactures speakers, both under the Crystal Cable brand and the powerful Siltech Symphony models, which cost over $500,000. Per pair, but I guess that doesn’t really matter… These are designs in which Siltech’s CEO implemented one of his most important innovations, and I saw the prototype version in 2022 when I had the opportunity to tour the factory and speak with both Gabi van der Kley and Edwin; more → HERE. This is part of the crossover circuit, an amplifier that isolates it from the drivers. It has a gain of exactly “1” and acts as a current buffer, allowing the crossover to “see” a constant, clean load regardless of frequency or signal level. It was precisely this idea that became the basis for Edwin’s new project, the Sphinx speakers. 
These are designs in which Siltech’s CEO implemented one of his most important innovations, and I saw the prototype version in 2022 when I had the opportunity to tour the factory and speak with both Gabi van der Kley and Edwin; more → HERE. This is part of the crossover circuit, an amplifier that isolates it from the drivers. It has a gain of exactly “1” and acts as a current buffer, allowing the crossover to “see” a constant, clean load regardless of frequency or signal level. It was precisely this idea that became the basis for Edwin’s new project, the Sphinx speakers. In 2025, the Siltech Group officially revived the Sphinx brand, presenting it as Sphinx Audio Engineering at the Munich High End Show 2025. The Element 5 floor-standing speakers were showcased at that time - uniquely designed, engineering marvels resulting from several years of research. Edwin is, after all, an engineer through and through, and until he or his team develops something truly new, he won’t release it to the world. His latest product is the Element 3 - smaller than the “fives” but still floor-standing - which was unveiled for the first time at the Vienna High End Show 2026. And it was these very speakers that Edwin brought with him to Krakow. ▲ A few simple words… EDVIN van der KLEY WE’VE MET TODAY to take a look at my company’s latest product. The Sphinx brand was founded in 1985, so many years ago. In 1995, we sold it to our Dutch distributor. Unfortunately, the company quickly went out of business. A few years ago, we repurchased the rights to the brand and began preparing for its return to the market. 
Our first step was to design the speakers, though electronics will likely come into play over time. Few people know this, but Sphinx actually started with speakers, in which we used solutions that were innovative for their time - for example, drivers with Kapton components, custom tweeters, and so on. Returning to the idea of speakers under this brand, we started all over again. And the biggest problem with speakers is that they have a cabinet. The cabinet resonates, which introduces distortion. It can be thoroughly damped, but one must be careful with damping. Excessive damping can lead to the attenuation of certain frequencies, but in a nonlinear and irregular manner - much like room damping. We want to dampen resonances, not the music. Eliminating resonance frequencies usually kills both. The sound then becomes “dead.” You can try to find a balance between damping and the lack thereof. For example, by using very heavy enclosures. A large mass helps control resonances. However, the problem of waves inside the enclosure - which cause standing waves - remains. And that was our primary goal: to prevent the enclosure from vibrating and to ensure that the sound waves inside it do not interfere with one another. A few years ago, we hired an engineer with a degree in acoustics, who was working on his Ph. D. at the time. We asked him to analyze as many speakers as possible and identify a pattern showing how different designs affect sound. Above all, we were interested in how the enclosure affects bass reproduction. It quickly became apparent that sealed enclosures seemed to offer the most advantages. They have a well-controlled, even low-frequency response and high dynamics. The problem is a rapid roll-off in the frequency response. To remedy this issue, large enclosures must be used, which leads to impractical, enormous designs. 
If we use a bass-reflex design, we get a system with a resonant chamber that fills out the lower range very nicely, allowing the enclosure to be proportionally smaller. The problem is the non-linearity of such systems and the artificially generated resonances. With a transmission line, on the other hand - which is simply a long channel inside the enclosure - we delay (delete) the moment the sound wave generated by the rear surface of the diaphragm leaves the enclosure. When it reaches the outlet, it combines with the sound from the front surface of the diaphragm, and this, too, fills out the bass nicely. However, the transmission line has its own problems, and the most significant turned out to be the comb filter - the tunnel’s design causes the sound to be canceled out and amplified at specific frequencies. The sound wave at its outlet is therefore not uniformly spread out, but undulating. We also have many resonances at higher frequencies. Our analyses showed that this design produces very good, deep bass, but in the mid-bass and lower midrange ranges, we get significant distortion. And then there are horn-loaded speakers, which sound really good, but they have to be very large and always color the sound. Finally, I’ll mention open-back or bipolar enclosures. The Symphony speakers feature this design. It’s a massive design, weighing 250 kilograms, with three sections and four 50-centimeter drivers per channel, but the costs are enormous. Additionally, open-back systems require a very large room; in smaller spaces, they have significant issues. My task for Marco, the engineer I mentioned, was to develop a system that would provide low distortion and fast signal response. After building and measuring many systems, he developed a program that would allow him to predict their behavior. He reanalyzed all the designs. The solution he came up with was… a transmission line. It produced the deepest bass - it’s a linear system. However, as I mentioned, it had a problem with resonances. 
So we developed a computer model that would help us eliminate these problems. This work took us a full two years, during which Marco worked full-time on this issue alone. The research showed that many theories regarding speakers are completely wrong. Although they use the same calculations, they omit several important steps. And if an element is missing from the equation, the entire equation is flawed, which leads to significant errors - even, I repeat, when the calculations are followed correctly. Our solution turned out to be the use of a transmission line with multiple channels of varying lengths. The Element 5 and 3 models feature many other design features, such as delaying certain frequencies. According to our measurements, this is the world’s first transmission line that does not suffer from the problems inherent in this type of design - which is why we called this solution the “transmission line 2.0.” After that, it was smooth sailing, and the speakers were developed very quickly. With the transmission line, we didn’t need large drivers. The advantage of small drivers is their fast impulse response and very good dispersion in all directions. That is why the tweeter has a small diameter - as the frequency decreases, it does not become directional. After all, the soundstage is created by the uniform dispersion of sound waves. It’s easy to build a speaker with a flat frequency response along the axis, but what happens off-axis is difficult to control. The drivers interfere with each other due to phase shifts. The solution is to use small drivers. I was familiar with this effect from audio shows. When you walk down a hallway and can hear something clearly coming from an open door, the speakers are probably really good. Their sound is radiated in all directions, across the full frequency range, all at the same time. Few speakers can do that. 
Another advantage of small drivers is their low mass. This results in a rapid signal rise time. The drivers start and stop almost instantly. Large drivers take longer to stop, meaning they continue to play even after the signal has ceased. And there’s one more advantage - less dependence on room resonances. Every room has its issues, but in reality, they aren’t as severe as people think - our brains are evolutionarily adapted to filter out resonances. The real problem is the range between 20 and 50 Hz. When room and speaker resonances overlap, we reach a point where the diaphragm moves without a signal, and this movement is forced by the pressure in the room caused by sound emitted a moment earlier. The larger the driver, the greater the likelihood of this effect occurring. The problem is insufficient damping in the woofer drivers. The solution is to use small drivers. So our speakers feature a completely flat frequency response across nearly all planes, very fast signal rise times, and resistance to resonance. Added to this is our proprietary system that decouples the drivers from the crossover. On the back of the speakers you see here is a power cable. This is not a cable for an amplifier driving the bass; Sphinx speakers are not active speakers - they require an amplifier for the entire frequency range. 
The crossover is almost a classic, passive design. It’s different from the usual because it’s balanced - the positive and negative branches use the same circuitry. This helps reduce noise slightly, and the sound is a bit better. Is it a waste of money? – I don’t know, but since I can do it this way, I will. Some of its advantages will also be evident when using an amplifier with a fully balanced output. Why do we need these buffer amplifiers? First, they provide very high driver attenuation. A normal filter works by increasing impedance - and that’s not what we want. Increasing impedance is undesirable because the driver is then not controlled by the amplifier. We used classic filters with high-end components and wiring, followed by a buffer amplifier, which is a current amplifier. There is a separate one for each driver (these are Class D amplifiers - ed.). The amplifiers control the behavior of the drivers. Additionally, the crossover is separated from them. Typically, the problem is that filters are signal-level-dependent - at high levels, their resonances differ from those at low levels, and this alters the signal and the sound. That’s why most manufacturers select a volume level at which their speakers sound correct. The amplifiers in our speakers work a bit like power steering in a car and make the filters independent of the volume level. We end up with speakers that have a high, very consistent impedance. So the amplifier has a very easy job to do driving them. I’ll just add that buffers with a gain of “1” essentially have no sound of their own. Here, in fact, the tweeter amplifier has slightly higher gain because we had to balance the speaker efficiency. This way, we achieved perfectly linear phase across the entire frequency range. ‖ EvdK • ▓ SOUND THE MEETING WITH the Sphinx speakers consisted of two parts. In the first part, we listened to recordings selected by the participants and sent in advance to Tomek, our host, so he could set up the appropriate playback system. This part involved listening to files streamed from the internet. Each of us was able to listen to a track from the best listening spot and then discuss it afterward. The second part was a bit more relaxed, as it involved listening to vinyl records that I had prepared in advance. Among them were Wes Montgomery’s albums in a Japanese edition on 200-gram vinyl and Cassandra Wilson in a Pure Pleasure version on a two-LP set. Most of the music, however, came from Audionautes Recordings and included Arne Domnérus’s Jazz at The Pawnshop, Charles Mingus’s Mingus Ah Um, and Miles Davis’s Sketches of Spain. All were 1-step 45 rpm test pressings. ˻ I ˺ DIGITAL » ITZHAK PERLMAN, JON BATISTE, Summertime, Tidal, FLAC Max • WOJCIECH PACUŁA • WOJCIECH PACUŁA ‖ KSS, „High Fidelity” • I’ll speak up first, even though I usually try not to - this is, perhaps, the best sound I’ve heard at Tomek’s so far. I don’t know if you’ll agree with me. What shocked me the most was how the vocals sounded. They were incredibly deep and full. You could clearly hear that the sound wasn’t perfectly clean, but it was a truly unique experience. It’s an incredibly selective sound, and yet everything sounded “as one.” And I think this was actually the first time I didn’t really hear the room at all. 
TOMEK FOLTA ‖ KSS, TF Audio Consulting • I feel the same way - in fact, I could say the same thing. I’ve been listening to these speakers for forty hours since they arrived, and in many ways, this is the best sound I’ve ever heard at home. ANDRZEJ ‖ KSS • Absolutely. I’m already looking forward to the next tracks so I can hear something with deep bass. The speakers are small, but based on what I’ve heard so far, I’m guessing it’s going to be something… But right here and now, the midrange and treble were absolutely flawless, the best - and I must repeat this - that I’ve heard here. It was a complete surprise. There wasn’t a hint of harshness; the frequencies and tonal balance were very coherent. |
» CASSANDRA WILSON, Love is Blindness, Qobuz, FLAC Hi-Res • RYSIEK B. RYSIEK B. ‖ KSS • I need more tie with this system. TOMEK F. • OK, but did you like it? RYSIEK B. • One thing I can say is that this recording sounds completely different from what I’m used to. It’s a master made for streaming, and I don’t really like it. It’s not that the music is bad, but it sounds different than on the CD. Greg Calbi handed the project over to another engineer, who processed it his own way. And that’s not “my” sound… It sounds different than it does in my system. TOMEK L. ‖ KSS • So - it’s not good… RYSIEK B. • No, it’s definitely not bad - it’s just different. For example, the trumpets are much better than at my place, but there’s too much bass - it’s very bass-heavy. The vocals were a bit narrow in the midrange; at my place they’re sensual and full-bodied, but here they sounded a bit cold. 
TOMEK L. • Not what I heard – for me there was less bass than on the CD. WICIU ‖ KSS • I also need some more time with this setup, so I’ll wait for more tracks. » BRASS AGAINST No More Tears, Qobuz, FLAC Hi-Res TOMEK HATYLAK ‖ KSS, Radio 357 EDWIN ‖ SILTECH • Have you noticed that these speakers don't favor either loud or quiet playback? When switching from piano to forte, they sound exactly the same. TOMEK F. • What’s most surprising is that, in such a less-than-ideal acoustic environment, music played at such a high volume sounded so good. It was a complex performance that could have sounded distorted, almost aggressive, yet the speakers magically controlled those aspects that are usually problematic in such situations. EDWIN • That’s because there isn’t much air pressure in the room, so the bass system in these speakers operates in phase - meaning that when the speaker cones move forward, an equal amount of air is drawn into the enclosure. This extremely effectively eliminates the “pushing” sensation of the sound, which is what causes irritation and fatigue. There’s a sound wave, but without any compression. And we were playing very loudly - I measured it, and it was 103 dB. » ANGELIKA NIESCIER, Poranek, Qobuz, FLAC • WICIU • WICIU • This is a recording in the style of the late John Coltrane, whom I adore. It’s a very modern sound. The sound was very delicate and refined, with a really good balance between the various aspects of the sound. This track sounded incredibly spacious; the soundstage was larger than what I’m used to, but at the same time, this recording sounded a bit colder than what I’m used to - I have Sonus Faber Guarnieri speakers and a Jadis tube amplifier. » LEONARD COHEN, Happens to the Heart, Qobuz, FLAC Hi-Res • ARTUR ‖ KSS, Audio Video Summit ANDRZEJ • I really liked the vocals, it was very vivid, yet deep. 
EDWIN • Yes, for me it sounded very „raw”. Microphone was placed very closely. JANUSZ TUCHOWSKI ‖ KSS, audiopasja.pl • This is the first time I’ve listened to speakers other than Dynaudio at Tomek’s place, so everything is new to me. It’s a shock to me that it sounds so different. During the “Dynaudio era,” it sounded completely different. Now it sounds very balanced, very velvety, and therefore very pleasant. But I missed some emotion in it, some bite. Just like in Tomek Hatylak’s song, I missed some guts. » YAO SI TING, Speak Softly Love, Qobuz, FLAC Hi-Res • TOMEK L. JANUSZ This time, as far as I’m concerned, there was way too much bass. There are very few systems that can reproduce it correctly. As for the rest of the frequency range - just like with the Cohen - it’s very balanced, very nice, and very pleasant. But, as far as I’m concerned, it lacks emotion. TOMEK L. • I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, they’re very selective and responsive. It’s also surprising that such a small driver can produce such a big, deep bass sound. But I expected that, regardless of whether we listened loudly or quietly, the bass would be equally clear. And what happened was that when we listened to a track by Tomek Hatylak at a low volume, the bass was nice, but a little thin. It wasn’t until we turned up the volume that it suddenly hit hard, pumping just the way I like it. On the other hand, the speakers blended very nicely into this room. With them, there would be no need to do anything about the acoustics. The speakers are surprising - very spacious and dynamic. But I’d have to spend more time with them. » BATSHIT, Sofi Tukker, Qobuz, FLAC • ANDRZEJ ANDRZEJ • I think we've reached the volume level limit of these speakers; there was a moment when started to distort slightly. EDWIN • In fact, we set up an electronic protection system to prevent them from damage - around 105 dB at 1 m. And I think that’s exactly how loud we played… After such a spike, the amplifiers reduce their gain by 3 dB for a brief moment and then return to normal operation. The speakers continued to sound powerful and dynamic. To be honest, I liked the Dynaudio speakers in this room, but they often had issues with the bass. The Element 3 doesn’t have those issues, even when played at such high volumes. ANDRZEJ • That’s also my wife’s limit - what a coincidence :) In any case, you can really hear with this track that room acoustics do make a big difference, and you made the right decision to change them. But it sounded really, really good. TOMEK L. • I'll just add that on that particular track, when the bass kicked in, there was a lot of it. But nothing distorted; it sounded clean and beautiful - it was a blast. RYSIEK B. • It seems to me that it all just depends on the recording - some sounded phenomenal here, while others sounded poor. In my opinion, the problem here is with the streaming. TOMEK F. • But we played everything from streaming, and all we can do is say whether we liked it or not. We’re all familiar with Cassandra from many releases, so we can say a little more about her. But we know the others mainly from streaming, and we’re often hearing them for the first time in our lives. So the playing field is level for all the recordings. 
» YELLO, Around the Sun, Tidal, FLAC Max • TOMEK F. TOMEK F. • Yello sounded beautiful. Although the track resonated with some room mode in my place at around forty-something hertz, it still sounded very clear. We listened to electronic music of a very high caliber, and these speakers - I’ll say it again - control the bass in a magical way that I can’t quite understand, as if they weren’t affected by the room’s acoustics at all. » ARNETT COBB, Willow Weep For Me, Qobuz, FLAC Hi-ResROBERT SZKLARZ ROBERT SZKLARZ ‖ KSS, Nautilus • First of all, thank you for the invitation and for giving me the chance to listen to the track from start to finish for the first time :) You were all right, but everyone has their own perspective. So it’s no surprise that there are as many opinions as there are people. Partly because we deal with the room’s acoustic imperfections differently and interpret them differently. Surely, when the acoustics are perfect, opinions will be more consistent. But for Wojtek that’s probably worse - he won’t have anything to write about… Overall, though - this was the most balanced sound of all the ones we’ve dealt with here so far. It’s a very versatile sound. The bass was sometimes a bit boosted, but that’s a room issue, not a speaker issue. There’s a nice depth to the soundstage and the tonal quality - I liked everything about it. Considering that we integrated the speakers into a system designed for other models, this is a really great result. ˻ II ˺ ANALOG JULIAN SOJA ‖ KSS, Soyaton • It’s a tricky situation because Tomek has a different system set up every time now. But, generally speaking, when it comes to the midrange and high frequencies - they sound really great. I’m very impressed. I really liked it, honestly. Compared to the Dynaudios, it’s a world of difference. To me, the Dynaudios sounded shallow, and the soundstage with them was only half a meter deep. But with the Sphinxes, the dispersion and the way the sound fills the room are insane - absolutely fantastic. On the other hand, I don’t like the bass at all. In my opinion, it’s a bit artificial and unnatural. 
WICIU • I'd say we wasted a lot of time listening to music via streaming. What we played from the LP was brilliant. Given this comparison, I wouldn’t want a streaming service even if it were free. The vinyl sounded fantastic. Let Tomek buy a hundred good records - he’ll get more enjoyment out of them than he would from a hundred million tracks on streaming services. RYSIEK B. • I agree with Wiciu that this is a waste of time. I think such a comparison insults listeners and music consumers - the vinyl sounded perfect. I loved Cassandra and Mingus; it was a fantastic performance. Maybe a little late, but here’s my honest opinion: I want to praise this system with these speakers, but playing from vinyl. It distinguishes between records perfectly. When a recording is poor, you can hear it. With a good one - it captures your heart. That’s the advantage of this system - it doesn’t smooth things over. The only weakness is the bass - it needs some work. Wind instruments and vocals - very good. JULIAN • Yes, this part of the range - fantastic. TOMEK L. • I agree with the previous speakers. This time, listening to music via streaming versus listening to it on LPs is like listening to two different systems. But the fact is that Wojtek brought only top-tier records, in top-tier editions. And streaming sounds different from time to time. And that’s not entirely the digital source’s fault. Well, but - the tonal quality was excellent. Fabio Camorani’s records - extraordinary. As for the bass, it was significantly better than before. And you can’t expect these speakers to sound like huge cabinets. They’re doing surprisingly well anyway - they’re tiny, after all. In a smaller room, they’ll really shine. But even here, they kept the resonance in check. ROBERT • The Dynaudio speakers were set up in the same spot. I think the Sphinxes could be tuned even better by moving them to a different spot. Considering they were set up in the same spot where the other speakers had been, they sounded truly excellent. 
WOJTEK • But the soundstage was great, even with current placement of the speakers. RYSIEK B. • I'll add that on well-recorded albums, we didn't have any problems with the acoustics. JANUSZ • To sum up - the first few seconds of Cassandra’s LP confirmed, as far as I’m concerned, just how much of a piece of crap streaming is. The power of vinyl is absolute. It was as if we were listening to something else entirely. I take back what I said earlier - now it sounded outstanding. Vinyl showcased the power of these speakers. The Sphinx speakers, as I hear it, have extraordinary potential, despite their limitations. You simply can’t get the same performance out of such small speakers as you can from huge cabinets. But such a powerful, perfect sound from such small speakers? Chapeau bas, I’m deeply impressed. Sitting in the corner, for the first time I was happy that nothing was distracting me, nothing was bothering me. And Fabio’s albums - it’s just insane; they sound so good. Awesome! JULEK • Tell me, Tomek, why are you going to throw the Aurender in the electronics recycling bin? TOMEK F. • Hahaha! That made me laugh, really :) I think you’re really overdoing it with your criticism of streaming. Everyone chose their own music - sometimes mediocre recordings, sometimes better ones - and then suddenly Wojtek drops a test pressing of a top-tier album in a top-tier edition onto the turntable. How can you even compare the two? Let’s be serious… ROBERT • We can’t stop Wojtek from bringing the best releases with him :) TOMEK F. • Of course, I’m not stopping anyone - it was an incredible experience and a showcase of the speakers’ capabilities, as they responded to this music in a phenomenal way. The analog playback sounded much better than the digital one - that’s for sure. But that’s a problem with the recordings, not with the speakers or streaming itself. 
▒ Summary I DON'T KNOW IF THIS CAME ACROSS loud enough: the Sphinx Element 3 speakers are exceptional. Outstanding in many ways. Compact, yet with an incredible soundstage and very deep bass. Not all participants liked its control, but perhaps that’s because what was happening above - in the midrange and treble - was unlike almost anything we’d ever heard before. These speakers incredibly accurately highlight the differences between recordings, which is why the digital system was so heavily criticized. And in my opinion, it wasn’t bad at all. My track sounded very, very pleasant. Listening to it, I was truly enchanted. I was won over by the absolute unity of all the events on the soundstage - in the sense that it wasn’t just sounds playing, but actual events unfolding. It’s also true that for years I’ve been talking about the advantages of physical media over digital files, and for a very long time I was seen as a dimwit, even an idiot, in this regard. I myself prefer the term “Luddite”, because these were people who didn’t oppose progress, but saw its pitfalls and fought for technology to be introduced in a way that wouldn’t harm people. It’s similar with digital files. But not only when it comes to wreaking havoc on the music market, but also in terms of sound. The listening session clearly demonstrated - though that wasn’t its purpose - that a good file can sound truly excellent. But it also showed that physical media beats it in every respect. Returning to the sound of the Sphinx speakers. What might have raised some doubts was the very low bass, which wasn’t as well-articulated as the frequencies above it, as well as a slight smoothing of the attack. These are speakers with a silky sound, and what Janusz was talking about - the lack of “guts” - may be true, though not always. Highly compressed recordings, which have already been stripped of that punch, can be problematic. With recordings like those from Audionautes Recordings and other top-tier releases, everything was incredible in terms of its “presence.” Because these are fantastic speakers. ‖ WP ‖ SETUP • Aurender N20 – audio file transport (+ Stage III Concepts Triton power cable and Stage III Concepts Pulsec USB cable) 
• Transrotor Alto TMD – turntable (+ Stage III Concepts Triton power cable for the power supply and Siltech Classic Legend Phono 680i interconnect for the tonearm) |
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