Since the Clarus components have done so well so far, I figured I’d give them a real workout with some of the hardest material to reproduce smoothly without harshness. It’s an old-fashioned solo piano ragtime piece played by Joe Sample that has some tones in it that can make you scream for mercy if the speakers you’re listening to have any tendency toward harshness. Should I get out my earplugs?

As I listen, I am surprised at what I don’t hear. I don’t detect the harshness I was afraid of, other than a pair of notes a couple of octaves above middle C, where human hearing is most acute, that just verges on harshness but never quite crosses the line. I’d call those notes very bright, but not harsh and unpleasant. Instead, I hear only a realistic-sounding acoustic piano that seems to be right in front of me, with me front row center in the audience. I can almost visualize the keyboard as it stretches across my soundstage. Other than the fact that the very bottom notes being played don’t have quite the weight they should, everything else sounds very natural. I think we all know the cure for this.

Classical
The fugue between the flute, violin, and harpsichord that follows has a delicate, detailed sound, and when the entire orchestra makes its entrance after the solo and fugue, it’s a great demonstration of the dynamics these speakers are capable of. The ability of these components to render the minutest details in the music is nothing short of amazing.
Another thing is that when I listen to these speakers off-axis they don’t sound unbalanced. It just sounds as though I shifted my position in the audience. These speakers did much better than I expected on this very difficult selection, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them in my own system.
Conclusion
The Hybrid Audio Technologies Clarus C51-2 component set very much held its own indeed! After listening to these speakers for literally hours on end, I didn’t experience any appreciable listening fatigue. From the extremely complete user’s manual to the construction and sound of these diminutive drivers, they’re a class act by any standard, and they’re probably one of the best bargains out there for a retail price of $469.99. It’s obvious that the folks at Hybrid Audio did their homework and a lot of research, testing, and listening to perfect this product. If you’re in the market for a component set for your car audio system, you’ll be doing yourself a great disservice if you don’t audition these speakers for your application.