Here’s another highly interesting product that instantly captivated my attention and imagination when introduced: the XAVIAN Medea.
I’ve heard and tested numerous XAVIAN products over the years, and I’ve always appreciated Roberto Barletta’s direction. However, I was especially excited by the implementation of Scan-Speak Ellipticor drivers in the Medea speakers.
Medea – Un’amore Estremo
The Medea speakers, depicted as the ultimate two-way stand-mounted loudspeakers, embody all of XAVIAN’s knowledge, experience, and desire to create the best possible audio solution using today’s available technologies—an end-game speaker engineered for exceptional performance and clarity.
The mid-bass driver features a 222 mm Scan-Speak Ellipticor with an elliptical voice coil and a special paper membrane, delivering very low distortion, a wide bandwidth, and a vented magnetic system.
Complementing it, the 120 mm Scan-Speak Ellipticor tweeter utilizes a hand-impregnated silk dome, an elliptical voice coil, low moving mass, and high sensitivity—all designed to produce pristine high frequencies with a vented magnetic system.
The Medea speakers employ a damped two-way bass-reflex design with a front elliptical wooden reflex, paired with a streamlined FaseZero crossover built from just three components.
The hand-veneered or painted cabinet, constructed from MDF, is reinforced by a complex internal brace system that minimizes parasitic resonances and is further damped by three complementary materials for enhanced sonic purity.
With a frequency response ranging from 39 to 20,000 Hz (-3 dB), the Medea speakers feature a 4-ohm impedance and a crossover frequency of 1750 Hz. Their sensitivity of 87 dB (2.83V/1m) makes them an ideal match for amplifiers rated between 20 and 200 W.
Exclusive Solutions
- One of the first mass-produced, fully equipped Scan-Speak Ellipticor loudspeakers.
- The ultimate Danish Ellipticor transducers.
- Completely separate working chamber for the tweeter.
- Technologically innovative and original design: the crossover does not use capacitors.
- First-order Fase Zero series connection.
- Precision Danish ribbon inductors and “ultra-resistors” with a copper body and heat sink—the transducers are equalized with only three components.
- Phase timing of the drivers using XN front panel geometry.
- Extraordinary organic musical expression.
- Extraordinary naturalness.
- Suitable for use with tube amplifiers.
- Rigid cabinet with internal bracing and composite bitumen damping.
- Cover the grille with a hidden magnet attachment (extra charge).
- Driver matching within ±0.5 dB.
- High-efficiency, low-distortion wooden elliptical bass-reflex front panel for easy placement in the room.
- Easy installation of spikes or feet with an M8 thread as required (optional stand).
- Integrated Soundcare adjustable anti-vibration system (removable; available on the optional stand).
- Stand filled with 10 kg of sand.
- Four screws for attaching the speakers to the stands.
Ellipticor
Through the Ellipticor family, Scan-Speak has departed from traditional circular motor designs and overcome their inherent breakup tendencies.
True to its name, Ellipticor’s standout features include an elliptical-shaped voice coil and magnet gap. Coupled with the Scan-Speak robust SD AirCirc principle, these transducers deliver high sensitivity, extremely low distortion, and remarkably fast transient response. In particular, the midrange and treble performance is exceptional—the sound is clean, transparent, and exhibits outstanding transient behavior. These drivers are anything but introverted.
Above all, their true-to-life sound quality places the Ellipticors among the best loudspeaker transducers available.
Currently, Ellipticor’s product portfolio might seem modest, but Scan-Speak is actively expanding the range with additional models and sizes to meet customers’ demand for outstanding high-end transducers.
The Music
As always, here are a few reference tracks and albums that showcase XAVIAN Medea’s beguiling and enticing way of presenting music as an effortless grandeur narrative—never missing a beat while delivering a listener-centric, immersive aural experience.
Stokowski/Wagner – Orchestral Masterpieces From The Ring Of The Niebelung
Reproducing the emotionality and real-life drama that unfolds in a venue where chamber or classical orchestra music is performed is never an easy task—especially for smaller speakers like Medea.
Surprisingly, the XAVIAN monitor speakers performed this task exceptionally well despite their modest appearance. At first glance, the Medea might appear to be a smallish two-way speaker, but its side profile reveals a substantial loudspeaker chassis that allows its two drivers to produce far more magnitude and energy than one might expect.
This is especially crucial when reproducing the energy of masterpieces from The Ring of the Nibelung, which requires careful handling of aural anchor points, distinct acoustic details, and the density of focal elements necessary to capture the ambiance and core exuberance of an orchestra conducted by Stokowski.
This is where Medea excels—in conveying the vibrancy and nature of multiple acoustic instruments into the listening space without impeding the raw acoustic waves that emanate toward the listener.
Medea combines the sheer immediacy of top-tier studio reference-level monitors with the refinement of an audiophile sensibility, enabling it to fetch the realistic scope of pure raw effusive energy and dynamism as experienced in the real world. That alone makes Medea stand out and justifies its elevated place in the XAVIAN portfolio.
It was both interesting and refreshing to observe the contrast between soft and loud passages with the Medea, and I found myself deeply immersed in the music. The XAVIAN two-way stand mounts emphasize tactility, revealing every nuance, while Wagner’s enduring compositions allow Medea to capture the focus of the musical narrative instantly.
Observing the dynamic interplay between quiet and loud passages on the Medea was engaging and invigorating, and I became completely absorbed in the performance. The XAVIAN two-way stand mounts enhance tactile feedback, unveiling every subtle detail, allowing Medea to seize the musical narrative’s focus on Wagner’s timeless compositions immediately.
David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
XAVIAN Medea’s sonic mastery and fluidity were further cemented by the ethereal and timeless The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
When every audio component in the system chain is at the proper level—starting with an appropriate source, properlytuned and voiced speakers backed by capable amplifiers—the noise of everyday life fades away, locking the listener with the music of this remarkable album, and drawing into a fatigue-free, intergalactic space voyage.
I was captivated by the initial impact and increased resolution, perhaps even more so by the seamless musical movement and Medea’s ability to homogenize everything, articulating the narrative as it should be without interrupting the atmosphere.
If speakers are voiced off balance, David Bowie’s fifth studio album can too quickly start sounding frisky and sprightly, with quieter sections and the top end stepping into brittle realms.
In contrast, the Medea cuts through the fabric of the music openly, maintaining its inherent vehemence even during the more densely packed sections.
I play The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars louder than usual to observe how any speaker under evaluation behaves when pushed to overload as the album holds many interesting aural demands.
Medea is not genre-picky; it adapts to the music as it is presented, never tilting the sound in any direction nor oversaturating timbre, tone, or color. On top of it, despite their relatively modest size, the XAVIAN stand mounts delivered distinct and precise low end.
This is where XAVIAN’s myriad experiences and techniques of speaker manufacturing come into play, and Medea proudly and boldly shows it with every note played.
Phantoms – 0
“Low Roar” by Phantoms from the album 0 is quite a challenge for any loudspeaker. It’s an utterly tricky task to follow the submarine depth and all of the dynamic shifts of this track.
XAVIAN Medea speakers managed to unlock the full potential of this unique Icelandic composition, staying in sync throughout all of the song’s changes, remaining on the same wavelength, and instantly fading to silence and black when quiet, subtle passages emerge.
Medea’s potent nature allows decays and delays to ring out naturally, enabling “Low Roar” to sound harmonious—fully immersed in the musical narrative at all times while remaining eclectic and organic.
I was genuinely surprised at how the Medea speakers pulled it off, delivering the performance without a hint of excessive sweetness or harshness. This allowed me to sit back and savor the sound and music in all its dense, dynamic nature, with a congruent horizontal and vertical alignment of the instruments and tones, while maintaining balance throughout the complete harmonic spectrum—especially in the mid-band and lower treble, where even far bigger and more expensive floor-standing speakers can fail to deliver.
Floating Points – Ratio
When played with demanding electronic music such as Ratio the Medea speakers instantly reveal their capabilities, making it clear that they are not only seductive music machines but also highly precise mirroring acoustical lenses when needed.
The opening track, “Ratio (Full Mix),” is multi-layered with complexity, with analog vibrancy and depth woven into an intricate sonic narrative where textures demand a loudspeaker that balances immense power with subtle nuances.
Electronic music exposes flaws, and while most speakers (especially stand mounts) falter under its demands, the Medea speakers thrive and deliver.
“Ratio (Full Mix)” leaves no room for shortcomings. Although the XAVIAN stand-mounts are not inexpensive, they justify their value and exceed expectations, playing a few levels above their given price.
The seamless integration of refined engineering—featuring Scan‑Speak Ellipticor drivers, crossovers, and chassis—allows for barrier-free, immersive, and unflinching sonic delivery, pulling the listener into the very crux of this electronic composition.
Given the dynamic nature of Floating Points arrangements, transient response is critical. The Medea speakers govern rapid rhythmic shifts effortlessly, delivering at-forte, snappingly sharp synthesized percussive strikes at every dynamic turn with crisp authority while allowing harmonically dense artificial reverbs to decay into silence without premature echoing out or unwanted blurring that smitten both tonal and time-domain exactness.
Ratio mandates precision at every turn—a challenge the Medea speakers meet in spades. Paired with capable amplifiers, these XAVIAN speakers not only maintain the track’s dynamic contrasts—from thunderous lows and whispered, subtle electronic repetitions to evolving chord progressions and microtonal shifts—but also uphold clarity and precision throughout.
XAVIAN Medea might appear to be a compact loudspeaker, but on the contrary, it is commanding in every sense of the word—rendering every texture with unreserved momentum and proving that size is irrelevant when the engineering is this deliberate. It doesn’t compromise; it simply performs.
Conclusion
There’s little doubt that Medea was inspired by the classics yet built for today. It’s a fitting tribute, and judging by its exposition, I would wager that it will last a lifetime.
I can imagine, that the biggest challenge for this loudspeaker project was finding the perfect balance between honoring the technical mastery of Scan‑Speak Ellipticor speaker drivers and infusing them with Roberto Barletta’s artistic vision—a balance that required a great deal of careful consideration.
However, as with the first few notes played, the reward is instant and immense, with the music taking on its original shape, delivering delicious textures, and rendering believable performances—undoubtedly a result of the careful thought embedded in its design.
The XAVIAN latest stand mount is a finely crafted, functional object that instantly captivates the listener. Medea traverses a vast musical spectrum, does not dilute the musical narrative, and offers a nesting habitat where music is celebrated—all made possible by robust yet refined construction.
Medea represents a bridge between the compelling XAVIAN legacy and a step above expectations with its seamless and unobtrusive music delivery. It harmoniously blends the brand’s rich history with cutting‑edge modernity, inviting music lovers to engage immediately and deeply with the vibrancy of the music, diverse aural atmospheres, and an enticing experience that can be felt in the moment. I was genuinely struck by Medea’s immersiveness and immediacy, with every detail presented vividly without altering the musical narrative.
The familiar and renowned speaker voicing has always been one of the secrets behind XAVIAN’s longevity, and in continuation of the legacy, the Medea helps fuel the necessary novelty for any music genre by connecting with the crux of the music at lightning speed, inviting the listener to dip deeper into the scores and compositions without ever compromising the complexity of the source material—deciphering sounds from the core and emitting sound waves with both precision and rich harmonic density.
Within a few notes, the music hints at the thought and passion behind this product, which achieves a delicate technical balance while naturally presenting the music, spatial layout, and aural complexity with a playful edge that makes one lose track of time. Every musical moment feels effortless, and the listener is fully absorbed in the experience, engaged in a higher‑level flow, and immersed in the performance.
Medea renders rich tones, eclectic textures, and newfound details exemplarily. Vibrant musical elements are not merely curated but rendered authentically, catering to a level of precision and aural fluency that will satisfy even the most discerning audio aficionados.
No matter the genre, every note invites closer attention without prompting analytical scrutiny, and Medea unleashes layers of exciting sonic possibilities. Time seems to slow down, creating space for precious musical moments of pure indulgence.
Medea also unveils palpable vistas and establishes an effortless connection between the listener and the performer, creating a deeper sense of continuity that embodies the spirit of the music. It offers an elemental, meaningful aural journey with its chameleon nature that goes beyond the Kolora color palette, reaching a Technicolor level of rendering through a seamless portrayal of dazzling tones and timbres, allowing the listener to be thoroughly absorbed in the process with an intangible, fatigue‑free experience.
Medea keeps the XAVIAN ethos of excellence intact while also pushing the boundaries further with the new state‑of‑the‑art Ellipticor technology, ensuring that music reproduction is both precise and seamless.
The allure of the Scan‑Speak Ellipticor speaker drivers is not widely acknowledged, and I have often wondered why more manufacturers do not implement these high‑tech, high‑performing 21st‑century drivers.
The combination of the XAVIAN crossover and speaker enclosures with this Danish drivers forms a highly holistic presentation, operating in close harmony with the music and using just the right musical vocabulary to create a unique, immersive experience that engages not only the ears but all the senses—alleviating musical tension while offering a highly refreshing, natural resolution.
Barletta’s heartfelt desire to communicate music through his proud creation is inspiring. These speakers were designed for music lovers by a music lover—unapologetically. Music hits you at the core of your being, elevating you the the plane where you simply know when it is right. Barletta made a deliberate decision to scale back the unnecessary, allowing Medea to stand out by communicating the music in a confident, understated way.
Medea sets the tone for XAVIAN and others by establishing a distinct value proposition. With economies of scale resulting in a future‑retro design that reflects the brand’s evolution while respecting its heritage—all presented in a concise yet powerful package—this restraint should not be mistaken for timidity.
The XAVIAN stand mounts marry elegant classic proportions with a modern aesthetic, and their true audacity lies in their sonic authority—a boldness unmatched by any stand‑mount monitors I’ve encountered so far.
Taken to its zenith, the design embodies a state of focused equilibrium—one in which the listener is fully and highly interactively engaged in the music.
The Medea loudspeakers deliver a rigor that balances technical prowess with a clear artistic intent: music first.
While the speaker drivers are crucial, pared down to the essentials, Medea was not designed not for ornamentation but to harmoniously work in sync with these remarkable transducers, serving the actuality of the music.
The stylish yet refined exterior depicts a juxtaposition of timeless and contemporary elements, striking a perfect balance. The XAVIAN stand‑mount enclosure, rooted in timeless acoustic principles, rejects compromise. Sonically and visually, they are built to last—not to simply follow trends.
Medea’s ethos mirrors Barletta’s creed: fidelity to the source. The cabinets, free of superfluous design, prioritize acoustic integrity and are paired with one of the most interesting 21st‑century drivers—wielded without restraint to ensure that everything serves the whole, with no frequency clamoring for attention.
These speakers do not “enhance”—they reveal. In their presence, you hear not a product, but the culmination of Barletta’s obsession: a relentless pursuit of musicality, transparency, and the perfect union of the golden trinity of timbre, tone, and color. The Medea speaks music fluently, and the fatigue-free joyous impact lingers long after the listening has concluded.
Like a score stripped of interpretive ego, Medea strikes with a perfect musical balance, demanding the listener to engage with the music itself. These speakers are unflinching, uncompromising, and utterly vital in their presentation, with no artificial coloration and no need for coloration from amplifiers.
XAVIAN Medea is, as they say in French, “J’adore cette machine!” Mischievously musical, with a vibrancy akin to a living painting, these speakers represent potent building blocks for a top‑tier high‑end audio system for audio aficionados and music lovers.
All these easily grant the 2025 Upper Echelon Class Product Award. ❖
Price
- Medea 11.990 EUR/pair including VAT tax.
- The Medea stands 3.200 EUR/pair including VAT tax.
- Medea removable magnetic protection grills 400 EUR/pair.
Technical specifications
- Impedance 4 ohm
- Crossover Frequency 1750 Hz
- Sensitivity ( 2,83V / 1m ) 87 dB
- Recommended Amplifier Power 20-200 W
- Dimensions (H X W X D) 540 x 260 x 525 mm
- Weight (1 Piece) 27,7 kg
- Stand Dimensions (H X W X D) 570 x 340 x 510 mm
- Stand Weight (1 Piece) 25,6 kg
Contact
XAVIAN ELECTRONICS s.r.o.
Za Mlýnem 114
253 01 Hostivice – Prague
Czech republic
Tele: +420 734 528 189
E-mail: info@xavian.cz
Web: www.xavian.cz