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

[Pearljam5000]

Well, I finally got a pair of Orbit 11 in. Very impressed by the fit and finish , and I gotta wonder about the report above of a bad paint job -- on mine it's as perfect as I can imagine paint to be, looks almost anodized. That one should be returned if it looked bad!). First impression on unpacking: damn, these suckers are HEAVY. I read about them being 30 pounds, but hadn't really anticipated how that felt in so small a package. Not in the least put off by the look of exposed drivers, I can't remember many audiophile listening rooms that had the grills on the speakers! Other than ESLs. Guess I'm used to that.

Have not had a chance to hear them yet, I need to wait till I have time to work with them and deal with the cable mess inside my credenza. My girlfriend just had surgery last week so I may be occupied for a month or so. I got the speakers now because I worried that the price might soon increase substantially due to the messed up US (and rest of world) economic situation.

How did you like the sound?

 

[illusonic]

Thomann says 6-8 weeks though!

They had new stock but it sold out again after just a few days. These sales lifted the sales rank from 120 to 39 (now dropped again to 44). Don't know how many monitors they'd have to sell for this. But it seems they only got a small batch as the innitial sales resulted in single digit sales rank, if I recall right. There are some other online stores in Gemany that have Orbits in stock, if that helps. But it seems Palmer is having trouble meeting global demand.

 

[Mort]

it's just a too good design

Is it though? So many compromises...

 

[jeo12]

Every speaker is a set of compromises. The Orbit 11s represent a set of compromises that apparently a number of people (myself included) find very appealing and unmet elsewhere.

 

[Audionaut]

So many compromises...

Every loudspeaker is a compromise and, at best, the ideal choice for its intended purpose.

 

[sidechain]

Is it though? So many compromises...

It's a good sign that the Genelec lobby is still very much active in this thread

 

[Mort]

It's a good sign that the Genelec lobby is still very much active in this thread

2/10. Doesn't even make sense. Wanna try again?

 

[dickiefunk]

Does anyone know if Palmer has or is planning to revise/update the Orbit 11 and reduce the hiss and thd?

 

[DWOJr]

I reckon they will sooner or later. It has only been out for a few months now. IMHO the hiss and THD problem is not as bad as some make it out to be.

 

[Bwaslo]

They might have already? I hear no hiss at all on mine unless I have the sensitivity on max and my ear right up to the coaxial. And I use them with sensitivity at min, which is plenty to get loud with a Wiim Ultra from 10ft listening distance. My high frequency hearing isn't great (age related) tho, so maybe that 's it?

 

[Salt]

Does anyone know if Palmer has or is planning to revise/update the Orbit 11 and reduce the hiss and thd?

You may ask @UffdiePalme .

 

[amper42]

Does it provide less hiss than the new NASA X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft?

 

[AtomicaSounds]

They might have already? I hear no hiss at all on mine unless I have the sensitivity on max and my ear right up to the coaxial. And I use them with sensitivity at min, which is plenty to get loud with a Wiim Ultra from 10ft listening distance. My high frequency hearing isn't great (age related) tho, so maybe that 's it?

Well I received mine at the weekend from Scan.co.uk. (I'm based in the UK) I have the PAD at -15dB and I can only hear hiss if I put my ear right next to the coaxial speaker. I'm running them from an SSL18 Audio Interface via the Analogue connection. If I up the sensitivity to 0dB it is more prominent but certainly no worse than other monitor speakers I've owned. I currently also have Dynaudio LYD48's and I've previously had Kali IN5, Focal Evo 65's, Yamaha HS7's. The worst speaker for exhibiting hiss, that I've owned, were the Kali LP6's, and that was far more noticeable.

 

[Torinoscale]

Well I received mine at the weekend from Scan.co.uk. (I'm based in the UK) I have the PAD at -15dB and I can only hear hiss if I put my ear right next to the coaxial speaker. I'm running them from an SSL18 Audio Interface via the Analogue connection. If I up the sensitivity to 0dB it is more prominent but certainly no worse than other monitor speakers I've owned. I currently also have Dynaudio LYD48's and I've previously had Kali IN5, Focal Evo 65's, Yamaha HS7's. The worse speaker for exhibiting hiss, that I've owned, were the Kali LP6's, and that was far more noticeable.

How do you like em overall / soundwise?

 

[AtomicaSounds]

How do you like em overall / soundwise?

So I've been listening to a range of music over the weekend and also I managed to fit in a production session yesterday (working on progressive style electronic music). Compared to my Dynaudio LYD 48's they certainly have more presence in the sub bass levels (Even though on paper the LYD's go down to 32Hz) which was one of the main reasons I bought them. They are also comfortably louder that the LYD's (Which to be fair don't have the same wattage) and I'm yet to see the RED LED on the Orbit's.

For reference sake I'm using them as nearfields in a room 4x3 metres, which is partially treated, bass traps in the front corners and panels at reflection points.

As mentioned I keep the PAD at -15dB as it reduces the tiny amount of hiss, but that still means that my SSL18 Monitor volume is still only halfway leaving more than enough of volume in reserve. (This means I can produce and mix at 75dB.) Tested via an SPL app on my phone, which might not be 100% accurate, but gives you a rough idea.

I must admit that I didn't hear any noticeable hiss, it was only after reading this forum that I was placing my ears against the speakers and adjusting the PAD to see if I could hear anything. It was only around -6dB and upwards that it became more noticeable. But again at my listening position of 1.5 metres away I still didn't hear anything too obvious, especially above the sounds of my PC fan.

They also feel like they offer more detail, especially on the transients and I've noticed sounds appear in music that I've known well for years, that I hadn't noticed previously. I feel the LYD's had clearer low-mids and the overall sound of the Dynaudio's seemed smoother, but not as detailed as the Orbit11's. The same goes for the high-end also.

I've not found them fatiguing either, as my production session was for about 5 hours yesterday, which was something I pride the LYD's for.

So overall I'm impressed so far. I felt that it was always going to be a bit of a gamble with a purchase from a lesser known manufacturer.

I had actually been looking to upgrade to the Fluid Image 2's, although I had some concerns over the AMT tweeter and the narrow sweet spot, but I'm also about to move house so I was going to have to wait until budget allowed.

So when I saw the Orbit's I thought it could be worth a shot, as if they didn't work out I could return them. Especially as they are literally half the price. The Fluid Audio Image 2's were £1399 each and I managed to get a pair of Orbit's for £1378. Plus I already have an ARC Studio for room correction and I wasn't too bothered about the Mixcube mode on the Image 2's as again I can utilise the ARC Studio for that.

I hope that helps somebody!

 

[UffdiePalme]

You may ask @UffdiePalme[/USER
[/QUOTE]

Hey everyone,

thanks for raising this — we do read these threads and take the feedback seriously.

To address both points directly:

Noise floor:
This is something we're aware of and have seen come up a few times. That said, the experience seems to vary quite significantly between users — some report it as genuinely distracting, others don't notice it at all, and there's a wide range in between. We don't dismiss that, but it does suggest there may be setup or signal chain factors at play.

One thing worth highlighting here: the gain structure labeling on the Orbit 11 can be a source of confusion. The PAD scale reads 0 to -20, but the actual 0 dB reference point sits at the -6 position. Anything above that is already boosting the signal — which means you're also boosting the noise floor along with your program material. If you're running into noise issues, it's worth double-checking where your PAD is set. Running it above -6 when you don't need the extra gain is the most common culprit we've seen.

THD:
Apart from Amir's measurement, we haven't received other reports pointing to THD as a concern, and our own testing doesn't show any deviation from the speaker's design intent. We're confident the Orbit 11 performs as specified here.


Regarding a new version:
There is currently no updated version of the Orbit 11 in the pipeline. We stand behind the current design.
That said — if anyone is experiencing consistent issues that proper gain staging doesn't resolve, please reach out to us directly. We're always happy to dig into individual cases.

Best,
Flo

 

[90sNintendoKid]

Hey everyone,

thanks for raising this — we do read these threads and take the feedback seriously.

To address both points directly:

Noise floor:
This is something we're aware of and have seen come up a few times. That said, the experience seems to vary quite significantly between users — some report it as genuinely distracting, others don't notice it at all, and there's a wide range in between. We don't dismiss that, but it does suggest there may be setup or signal chain factors at play.

One thing worth highlighting here: the gain structure labeling on the Orbit 11 can be a source of confusion. The PAD scale reads 0 to -20, but the actual 0 dB reference point sits at the -6 position. Anything above that is already boosting the signal — which means you're also boosting the noise floor along with your program material. If you're running into noise issues, it's worth double-checking where your PAD is set. Running it above -6 when you don't need the extra gain is the most common culprit we've seen.

THD:
Apart from Amir's measurement, we haven't received other reports pointing to THD as a concern, and our own testing doesn't show any deviation from the speaker's design intent. We're confident the Orbit 11 performs as specified here.


Regarding a new version:
There is currently no updated version of the Orbit 11 in the pipeline. We stand behind the current design.
That said — if anyone is experiencing consistent issues that proper gain staging doesn't resolve, please reach out to us directly. We're always happy to dig into individual cases.

Best,
Flo

Thanks, this is good to know, I am going to try this out and my chain will be TV via HDMI into Minidsp Flex Htx into Orbits.

I am going to try -6 pad and see what happens.

 

[Torinoscale]

So I've been listening to a range of music over the weekend and also I managed to fit in a production session yesterday (working on progressive style electronic music). Compared to my Dynaudio LYD 48's they certainly have more presence in the sub bass levels (Even though on paper the LYD's go down to 32Hz) which was one of the main reasons I bought them. They are also comfortably louder that the LYD's (Which to be fair don't have the same wattage) and I'm yet to see the RED LED on the Orbit's.

For reference sake I'm using them as nearfields in a room 4x3 metres, which is partially treated, bass traps in the front corners and panels at reflection points.

As mentioned I keep the PAD at -15dB as it reduces the tiny amount of hiss, but that still means that my SSL18 Monitor volume is still only halfway leaving more than enough of volume in reserve. (This means I can produce and mix at 75dB.) Tested via an SPL app on my phone, which might not be 100% accurate, but gives you a rough idea.

I must admit that I didn't hear any noticeable hiss, it was only after reading this forum that I was placing my ears against the speakers and adjusting the PAD to see if I could hear anything. It was only around -6dB and upwards that it became more noticeable. But again at my listening position of 1.5 metres away I still didn't hear anything too obvious, especially above the sounds of my PC fan.

They also feel like they offer more detail, especially on the transients and I've noticed sounds appear in music that I've known well for years, that I hadn't noticed previously. I feel the LYD's had clearer low-mids and the overall sound of the Dynaudio's seemed smoother, but not as detailed as the Orbit11's. The same goes for the high-end also.

I've not found them fatiguing either, as my production session was for about 5 hours yesterday, which was something I pride the LYD's for.

So overall I'm impressed so far. I felt that it was always going to be a bit of a gamble with a purchase from a lesser known manufacturer.

I had actually been looking to upgrade to the Fluid Image 2's, although I had some concerns over the AMT tweeter and the narrow sweet spot, but I'm also about to move house so I was going to have to wait until budget allowed.

So when I saw the Orbit's I thought it could be worth a shot, as if they didn't work out I could return them. Especially as they are literally half the price. The Fluid Audio Image 2's were £1399 each and I managed to get a pair of Orbit's for £1378. Plus I already have an ARC Studio for room correction and I wasn't too bothered about the Mixcube mode on the Image 2's as again I can utilise the ARC Studio for that.

I hope that helps somebody!

Thank you for the detailed review! Did you already calibrate them with Arc studio when you compared them to the LYDs?

 

[dickiefunk]

Hey everyone,

thanks for raising this — we do read these threads and take the feedback seriously.

To address both points directly:

Noise floor:
This is something we're aware of and have seen come up a few times. That said, the experience seems to vary quite significantly between users — some report it as genuinely distracting, others don't notice it at all, and there's a wide range in between. We don't dismiss that, but it does suggest there may be setup or signal chain factors at play.

One thing worth highlighting here: the gain structure labeling on the Orbit 11 can be a source of confusion. The PAD scale reads 0 to -20, but the actual 0 dB reference point sits at the -6 position. Anything above that is already boosting the signal — which means you're also boosting the noise floor along with your program material. If you're running into noise issues, it's worth double-checking where your PAD is set. Running it above -6 when you don't need the extra gain is the most common culprit we've seen.

THD:
Apart from Amir's measurement, we haven't received other reports pointing to THD as a concern, and our own testing doesn't show any deviation from the speaker's design intent. We're confident the Orbit 11 performs as specified here.


Regarding a new version:
There is currently no updated version of the Orbit 11 in the pipeline. We stand behind the current design.
That said — if anyone is experiencing consistent issues that proper gain staging doesn't resolve, please reach out to us directly. We're always happy to dig into individual cases.

Best,
Flo

Thankyou for being so open about this. That’s good to know!

 

[AtomicaSounds]

Thank you for the detailed review! Did you already calibrate them with Arc studio when you compared them to the LYDs?

You're welcome. I'm looking to do a review for my YouTube channel, so it helped me prepare anyway. Yes I did calibrate them on the ARC Studio as it made such a dramatic difference to both the LYD's and the Orbits. But I did listen to the Orbit's before calibration also, there was an instant difference in sub bass and highs present on the Orbits. But I have some really large peaks due to standing waves, so the low end calmed down after calibration but there was still more weight in the sub bass compared to the LYD's.