Chario Aviator Amelia (pack of 2)

Aviator Amelia is the most compact floorstanding speaker in Chario’s Aviator range, standing out for its clean lines, sculptural design, and its ability to reproduce music with remarkable transparency. Founded in Milan in 1975, Chario designed the Amelia as a speaker capable of conveying musical emotion with naturalness and finesse, prioritizing musicality over technical gimmicks.

An Italian Heritage of Excellence

Chario is not a brand that follows trends. For nearly half a century, this Milanese manufacturer has upheld a tradition of excellence, building all its speakers entirely in Italy. Each Aviator Amelia is handcrafted in the company’s workshops, using solid Italian walnut aged for at least 20 years. This meticulous attention to materials and craftsmanship is evident down to the smallest details—even the screws holding the drivers in place are made by Chario.

Chario’s philosophy is based on a musical rather than a technical approach. As the brand puts it, their goal has “always been to put music at the center, offering sound quality as close as possible to a live performance, without interpretation, leaving room only for what truly matters: the music and the emotions.”

Unconventional Acoustic Architecture

The Aviator Amelia stands out with its bold technical configuration. This 3-way floorstanding speaker adopts an atypical driver layout that defies conventional norms. The 38 mm soft dome tweeter is placed below the 130 mm midrange driver—contrary to the classic arrangement—to bring it closer to the listener’s ear height. This setup enhances sound imaging, clarity, and listening precision.

Even more surprising, the Amelia features two 130 mm woofers positioned strategically: one at the rear of the cabinet and the other facing downward, on the underside of the speaker. These two drivers work in phase for the low frequencies, acting as coherent sources. This architecture distributes the workload and significantly improves articulation and detail, while reducing listening fatigue.

The crossover frequencies have been carefully chosen at 200 Hz and 1345 Hz, with a 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley crossover. The unusual choice to let the tweeter go down to 1345 Hz is based on a psychoacoustic consideration: the human ear is less sensitive to phase distortion between 800 Hz and 1500 Hz.

NRS Technology: An Innovative Approach to Bass

At the heart of Amelia’s acoustic innovation lies its NRS (Near Reflective Surface) technology. This principle leverages the proximity between the support surface and the speaker’s structure to amplify the performance of the lower woofer. The result is spectacular: double the sound pressure (a 3 dB gain) for the same distortion.

This technology directly contributes to Amelia’s main goal: to reproduce a musical event in a coherent, credible, and captivating way. “Coherent” means the speaker should never interpret the input signal, but reproduce the original event as faithfully as possible. “Credible” means that all elements contributing to the recording—image depth, soundstage width, instrument placement—must be properly balanced, respecting the character of the original event.

To optimize this technology, Chario offers dedicated bases, considered an essential part of the system rather than a mere accessory.

A Distinctive Sound Signature

The Amelia delivers a musical presentation that clearly sets it apart in its price category. It is not designed to impress at first listen, but to build a lasting relationship with the listener. Its soundstage is wide and precise, with resolution that allows you to hear deep into the recording without highlighting the flaws of lower-quality tracks.

The midrange is particularly natural, open, and articulate, while the treble is slightly softer than average, which smooths out the harshness of more aggressive recordings and contributes to a relaxed, fatigue-free listening experience. The reproduction of voices and acoustic instruments is remarkably natural and realistic.

The bass is perfectly articulated, with deep extension for a speaker of this size. While the lowest frequencies (below 48 Hz) are slightly attenuated, as specified, the Amelia more than makes up for it with precise rhythmic reproduction and exemplary tonal coherence.

Technical Specifications

General Overview

• 3-way floorstanding speaker
• Handcrafted: each speaker is handmade in Chario’s workshops, with meticulous attention to every detail

Drivers

• Tweeter: 1 × 38 mm
  • Soft dome with waveguide support
  • For precise and natural highs
• Midrange: 1 × 130 mm
  • Rohacell diaphragm with NeFeB motor
  • For clear and detailed midrange reproduction
• Woofers: 2 × 130 mm
  • Rohacell diaphragm with NeFeB motor
  • One rear-facing woofer to enhance bass and overall dynamics

Acoustic Technologies

• NRS principle (downward radiation)
  • The woofer at the bottom of the speaker benefits from proximity to the supporting surface
  • Improved sound pressure and increased subwoofer performance
  • 3 dB gain at the same distortion level, ensuring deeper and more controlled bass
• Inverted vertical alignment of drivers
  • The rear woofer helps reduce listening fatigue
  • Improved sound articulation by minimizing the load on the front drivers
  • Reduced distortion and greater sonic accuracy
• Optimized crossover
  • Smooth transition between drivers
  • Preserves the integrity of sound reproduction
  • Maintains tonal cohesion

Sound Performance

• Open and transparent sound: one of the most transparent speakers in the Aviator line
• Natural and realistic reproduction: vocals and acoustic instruments rendered with great accuracy
• Deep and controlled bass: rich, deep, and well-articulated bass without compromising the clarity of other frequencies
• High dynamic capacity: reproduces complex musical events with exceptional fidelity

Technical Specifications

• Low-frequency loading: NRS vented system
• Configuration: 3-way, inverted vertical alignment, freestanding
• Sensitivity: 90 dB SPL normalized at 1 m / 2.83 Vrms, uncorrelated pink noise L/R, ITU-R BS 1116-1 compliant room
• Low-frequency cutoff: 48 Hz at -3 dB referenced to C4 WETS
• Crossover frequency: 200 Hz - 1345 Hz (4th order)
• Nominal impedance
  • Module: 4 Ω (minimum 2.8 Ω)
  • Argument: +/- 36°

Construction and Dimensions

• Materials: solid Italian walnut and high-density fiberboard (HDF)
• Finish: modern design with simple, elegant lines
• Dimensions (H × W × D): 1610 × 400 × 580 mm
• Weight: 100 kg

Installation Recommendations

• Speaker orientation: angled inward toward the listener
• Listening height: preferably aligned with the midrange driver axis
• Listening distance: optimal speaker/listener distance > 3 m
• Listening setup: a carpeted floor in front of the speakers is recommended
• Side and rear walls: should be at least 1 m from the front of the speaker
• Suggested amplifier: maximum average power of 150 W / 4 Ω