Palmer ORBIT 11 Cardioid Coaxial 3-way studio monitor (MSRP 799€/899$)

[Paul7777x]

Many thanks to @Liftro…

This finish is leagues ahead of the orange version.

Seeing these makes the orange ring look so cheap and tatty.

 

[dickiefunk]

Many thanks to @Liftro…

This finish is leagues ahead of the orange version.

Seeing these makes the orange ring look so cheap and tatty.

View attachment 510851

Nice! I prefer this a lot more!

 

[pat355]

how can I buy these? there's no dealer 100km around...is there no online buying option? (I'm based in EU)

 

[G|force]

Gotta love that logo- Palmer... With Palm trees!

 

[sidechain]

I’m constantly surprised by design choices in hifi. In this instance, and others, why do designers seem to have to put a stamp on things?

Especially one that is so incongruously out of place (ugly). And then they seem to double down on the thing… ‍

They have the orange border thing on their monitor controllers and they probably think it's part of their design language, but to throw that on a flagship speaker marketed for neutral and professional environments is such a bad move in my opinion. It's like if they decided to go for brand recognition instead of sales because let's be honest and stop acting like looks are not important, we look at the speakers all day long (and our clients too).

The decision to put the light on the right side is also weird and will probably trigger anyone with left/right symmetry ocd, but it's not as bad as the orange circle.

To end on a positive note, I think the logo with the palm trees is amazing and has a classic look! They still look better than anything Kali has ever put out.

 

[Liftro]

Each to their own naturally, but the photo’s too small to be a realistic example of distance in a real room.

I think it looks less absurd on the white, but only by a tiny fraction.

The more I see it the more the orange puts me off giving away my cash.

View attachment 510848

I like it in white. Orange has never been a color I like, but as I said before, if the speaker lives up to its promises, I can pay the price and live with it.

 

[Liftro]

Of course design matters. We're going to be looking at these monitors for a long time, and they can't be a distraction in the long run, or so ugly you can't even look at them... the LED light actually seems interesting to me, I don't mind it. I've had the Neumann 120a before, and the sound is very good, yes... but the design is boring. The Orbit 11 isn't bad at all, except for the orange circle but the speaker I really find aesthetically pleasing is the white Ascilab with the Purifi woofer. I don't know, but it appeals to me. I guess it's all a matter of taste...

 

[amper42]

To end on a positive note, I think the logo with the palm trees is amazing and has a classic look! They still look better than anything Kali has ever put out.

The Palmer Logo reminds me of the "Pink Palm Puff" hoodie logo that my grand daughters requested:

Pink Palm Puff

A Wave of Love, Just for You. We are the only authorized seller of Pink Palm Puff apparel. Shop now.

pinkpalmpuff.com

 

[Ciobi69]

I honestly like it in white with the orange ring it’s not a big of a deal a tiny circle , the speakers are really well engineered and the price is very competitive, hoping to see it on a klippel some day

 

[Salt]

how can I buy these? there's no dealer 100km around...is there no online buying option? (I'm based in EU)

There are at least 2 distributors in Germany .. ask goggle.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

Rant On

Here we have a speaker that seems to check all the marks , or almost all.. Waiting for measurements to confirm, still ...

Directivity? Check
Frequency Response? Check
Cardioid? Some seems to like it a lot .. Check
Low THD? Check
Main driver is coaxial ? Check

Price? Yeah! Price... Extremely decent IMHO for so much declared (Not yet tested or measured) performance ...

Yet, all that seems to bother some, is that little orange ring around the main driver?



Rant off.. Carry on...

 

[Paul7777x]

They have the orange border thing on their monitor controllers and they probably think it's part of their design language, but to throw that on a flaship speaker marketed for neutral and professional environments is such a bad move in my opinion. It's like if they decided to go for brand recognition instead of sales because let's be honest and stop acting like looks are not important, we look at the speakers all day long (and our clients too).

The decision to put the light on the right side is also weird and will probably trigger anyone with left/right symmetry ocd, but it's not as bad as the orange circle.

To end on a positive note, I think the logo with the palm trees is amazing and has a classic look! They still look better than anything Kali has ever put out.

I’d agree that the orange circle is likely to be some better aborted ‘brand’ thing.

Is the big double Palm tree Palmer logo not enough I wonder.

I do hope they remove the orange. Though I doubt it.

So they are now off my list of potential new speakers. Not a bad thing. It’s a big list.

 

[pat355]

Hi

Rant On

Here we have a speaker that seems to check all the marks , or almost all.. Waiting for measurements to confirm, still
Directivity?Check
Frequency Response? Check
Cardioid? Some seems to like it a lot .. Check
Low THD? Check
Main driver is coaxial ? Check

Price? Yeah! Price... Extremely decent IMHO for so much declared (Not yet tested or measured) performance ...

Yet, all that seems to bother some, is that little orange ring around the main driver?



Rant off.. Carry on...

So true

 

[Paul7777x]

Hi

Rant On

Here we have a speaker that seems to check all the marks , or almost all.. Waiting for measurements to confirm, still
Directivity?Check
Frequency Response? Check
Cardioid? Some seems to like it a lot .. Check
Low THD? Check
Main driver is coaxial ? Check

Price? Yeah! Price... Extremely decent IMHO for so much declared (Not yet tested or measured) performance ...

Yet, all that seems to bother some, is that little orange ring around the main driver?



Rant off.. Carry on...

Regardless of anything else, they will be looked at an awfully large number of times with any owner.

Looking at them is rather hard not to do.

Not putting a daft looking childrens toy orange ring smack in the middle would have been easy choice.

The all black above looks like a professionally designed speaker.

The orange version looks like something you might find on the ‘bargain’ shelf of a tacky supermarket… a £50 special crafted in one of the less impressive Chinese sweatshops.

Their choice naturally. But I’d bet it’ll cost them sales.

 

[voodooless]

Yet, all that seems to bother some, is that little orange ring around the main driver?

I’d say: take it as a compliment

 

[Paul7777x]

I wonder if this was their inspiration…

 

[Salt]

We're on page 10 and post #194; the last reaction of Palmer was on page 5 at post #83.
That's a well known effect on every forum, but the focus on a colour (outside art forums) is a new aspect.

For me I would give Palmer the chance to reply ...

 

[denork]

On paper they look really impressive, I'll wait to see reviews and opinions, but I'm really looking forward to trying a pair.

 

[kemmler3D]

Since we're talking about it, I agree that the orange circle is a mistake in 2026, it's design language that belongs in 2009 and whether it's part of the brand or not, should have been done in a more subtle way. I've done a little industrial design on the side and I think this orange ring is the kind of thing that makes a design or rendering interesting to look at in isolation, but offends the eye of people who will actually be putting them in their living rooms.

I think if they wanted to keep the orange highlight as a branding thing, you could use it as the background color for the connection plate on the back, for the rubber feet on the bottom, or maybe part of the logo badge.

While we're critiquing aesthetics, I think the logo looks out of place on a pro monitor, it's more like what I'd expect to see on a boogie board or budget sunscreen purchased at Wal-Mart. The vintage-style rounded serif font and desultory palm tree illustration just don't scream "high end performance audio" to me. Sorry guys, it sounds harsh but I know you see it too.

 

[Liftro]

Hi

Rant On

Here we have a speaker that seems to check all the marks , or almost all.. Waiting for measurements to confirm, still
Directivity?Check
Frequency Response? Check
Cardioid? Some seems to like it a lot .. Check
Low THD? Check
Main driver is coaxial ? Check

Price? Yeah! Price... Extremely decent IMHO for so much declared (Not yet tested or measured) performance ...

Yet, all that seems to bother some, is that little orange ring around the main driver?



Rant off.. Carry on...

Without having verified the measurements and without having used them, the only thing I can comment on are some design aspects that, in my personal opinion and no one else's, could have been better. Above all, this is constructive criticism, and if this speaker lives up to expectations, it's a guaranteed purchase for me, as I'm currently looking for new equipment. There are more positive aspects than negative ones; for me, it's a winner... probably.