HECO CELAN GT302 bookshelf speakers
Rating: 
AS much as I enjoy full-size floorstanding speakers, there’s lot to be said for a well sorted pair of bookshelf speakers. Truth be told, save for outright seismic feel-it-in-your-toenails bass reproduction, bookshelf units can just as competently deliver the goods and at the same time offer a lot more living space placement flexibility.
Which brings us to this pair of beauties, the Heco Celan GT302. Sculpted. Curvaceous. Gleaming. Splendid. But this beauty isn’t just skin deep. The GT302 actually features well thought out design features and highly specified materials.
BITS AND PARTS: The gently contoured enclosure is comprised of MDF with internal reinforcement and meets the knuckle rap test with keen confidence. At 11kgs and 230 x 380 x 330 mm (w/d/h), the GT302s can’t be termed as small speakers and in the available options of white, black and espresso gloss finishes, the GT302 have a dimensional and aesthetical rightness to them.
The driver configuration is a 170mm bass-midrange driver, coned in Kraft paper – a hybrid of Nordic pine and wool fibres for strength and self-damping properties – sitting below a 30mm Polyfibre Compound Dome (PFC-Dome) tweeter newly developed by Heco.
The rear panel of the speaker prominently features a beefy die-cast aluminium port and WBT-style connectors allowing for bi-wiring and bi-amping, as well as options for a standard or gently-boosted +2dB setting.
IN CONCERT: Pairing the GT302 initially with the NAD 302 turn out to be a truly fun experience. Playing Hurt (American IV: The Man Comes Around) on the Thorens TD124mkII, Johnny Cash’s gravelly voice came across with fine gravitas. The GT302 clearly articulated the strained vocal against the strident piano accompaniment, maintaining composure whilst being solidly planted.
For more juice, the N.E.W. P3 preamp and Bel Canto S300 were swapped in. The GT302 handled Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nevermind, 24-96 HDtracks) with deft control. At borderline neighbour-unfriendly levels, the GT302 never let go of the plot. In fact, I felt the GT302 could have handled even more stick if I were so inclined. In comparison, the ATC SCM11, which is roughly the same size as the GT302, showed a little edginess and the initial signs of congestion in the same scenario.
With Take Five (The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Time Out, 24-176 HDtracks), the GT302 presented a clear and wide soundstage with rock-solid three-dimensional imaging and deep bass extension. If just a touch hot on the top end, the GT302 was able to keep all the instrumentation distinctly separated and finely nuanced at the same time.
APPLAUSE: Clear, open presentation anchored by a robust bottom end. The GT302 remains unflustered and would do well with matching with higher powered amplification.
BUT…: At this price point, the options are plentiful.
FINALE: The GT in GT302 stands for Generation Three. If so, Heco has a winner here. The GT302 brings a big, detailed and nuanced performance in a svelte and elegant package.
Gear
Source: Dell XPSL502X, SMSL M8, Emotiva XDA-1 / Amplification: Cary CAD-300SEI, BelCanto S300, Musical Fidelity X-Can V3, NAD 302, Odyssey Stratos Plus, N.E.W. P3 pre / Speakers: Sonus Faber Minima Amator, Apogee Centaur Minor, ATC SCM11 / Headphones: Sennheiser HD650, HD580, HD595, Grado SR325i, SR125i, Allesandro MS1i, Audio Technica ATH-W1000, Hifiman HE-500, Stax SR207 / assorted cables
Price: €998 per pair
Malaysian price: RM7,413 per pair
Malaysian distributor: Audio Art (+605-243 2339) / Find your distributor.
Leave a Reply