Cabasse The Pearl Keshi 2.1 System, Black (Set)

The Cabasse The Pearl Keshi is an active 2.1 streaming system made up of a spherical subwoofer with built-in electronics and two ultra-compact satellites.

The subwoofer is the brain: Class-D amplifiers, network section, converter and room calibration sit inside the large sphere, while the two 8 cm spheres handle mids and highs. You don't need more of a system than that – no rack, no separate amplifier, no cable mess.

Why the Cabasse The Pearl Keshi?

Because Pearl technology is packed into the smallest enclosure in the family. The satellites run the coaxial Dom55 mid/tweeter, the subwoofer has a 17 cm HELD woofer that reaches down to 30 Hz. Cabasse specifies 1050 W RMS for the system – 450 W of that for the bass, 300 W each for the two satellites. For a system that fits on half a metre of sideboard, that's not nothing. CRCS room correction measures via a built-in microphone and irons out whatever your living room does acoustically.

What you hear

A surprisingly grown-up stereo image: vocals sit cleanly in the centre, instruments can be located, and the bass seems to come from nowhere – because nobody expects that much from such a small sphere. The wide dispersion of the coaxial satellites takes away the sweet-spot fussiness of the sound.

Streaming is an option, not a requirement: Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer, Spotify, Napster and internet radio run over Wi-Fi or Ethernet, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth are on board, and if you maintain a Roon library, you can add the Keshi as a Roon Ready zone. Via the optical input or the jack you play music without any account at all.

Who is the Keshi for?

For small to medium rooms, city apartments, bedrooms, or as a second system that shouldn't stand out visually. Bottom line: if you want to fill an open gallery or run home-cinema levels, go for The Pearl or The Pearl Akoya instead. And if you listen to vinyl, you need a phono preamp and go in via the jack input – there's no line-level RCA input.

Our verdict

The most compact Pearl system, and still a fully-fledged setup. If you want to keep the tech invisible in your living space without giving up on sound, this is one of the most elegant answers around.

What the trade press says: "The Cabasse Pearl Keshi combo sounds like a couple of large floorstanders fed by proper electronic components." – STEREO GUIDE, test from 16/05/2022 (overall score 92%, "Runde Sache")

Technical data

• System power: 1050 W RMS / 1500 W max.
• Subwoofer power: 450 W RMS (900 W max.)
• Satellite power: 300 W RMS each (600 W max.)
• Amplification: Class-D, active bi-amping
• Max. sound pressure: 115 dB
• Frequency response: 30 – 23,000 Hz
• Satellite driver: coaxial mid/tweeter Dom55 (55 mm)
• Subwoofer driver: 17 cm HELD
• DAC: up to 768 kHz / 32 bit
• Audio formats: MP3, AAC, WMA, WMA Lossless, AIFF, WAV, FLAC, ALAC (up to 24 bit / 192 kHz), Ogg Vorbis, DSD64/128 (via USB or NAS)
• Network: dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Ethernet (RJ45), UPnP/DLNA
• Bluetooth: 4.2, codecs SBC and AAC (no aptX)
• AirPlay 2: yes
• Roon: Roon Ready
• MQA: not supported
• Services: Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer, Spotify, Napster, internet radio (vTuner)
• Inputs: optical S/PDIF, 3.5 mm jack (analogue), Micro-USB (USB 2.0, for USB storage)
• Satellite connection: 2 speaker outputs on the subwoofer, 3 m connection cable
• Room correction: CRCS with built-in measurement microphone, DEAP and DFE signal processing
• Satellite dimensions (W × H × D): 80 × 101 × 80 mm
• Satellite weight: 0.55 kg each
• Subwoofer dimensions (W × H × D): 220 × 237 × 266 mm
• Subwoofer weight: 6 kg
• System weight: 7.1 kg
• Colour: black
• What's included: subwoofer, 2 satellites with 3 m connection cable, 2 adjustable metal brackets for stand or wall mounting, programmable remote control, power cable, USB adapter cable, RCA-to-3.5-mm-jack adapter, quick guide and warranty card

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a streaming subscription for the Cabasse The Pearl Keshi?

No. The Keshi also plays perfectly well without any subscription: internet radio via vTuner, your own music files from the network via UPnP, plus the optical input and the 3.5 mm jack for a TV or other sources. Services like Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer or Spotify are an option, not a requirement.

How big a room can the Keshi handle?

The Keshi is built for small to medium rooms. Thanks to the wide dispersion of the spherical satellites and the automatic room correction in the subwoofer, it fills such rooms evenly without you having to hunt for a sweet spot. For large, open living areas we'd recommend The Pearl or The Pearl Akoya instead.

Can I connect my TV to the Keshi?

Yes, via the optical S/PDIF input. That routes the TV sound through the subwoofer and the two satellites without needing a soundbar. The Keshi has no HDMI ARC socket – so check whether your TV has an optical output. Alternatively, use the analogue 3.5 mm jack.

Does the Keshi work with Roon?

Yes, the Keshi is listed as Roon Ready with Roon Labs and appears in your Roon setup as its own zone. That lets you control it from the same library as your other devices. Without Roon you can use the Cabasse StreamCONTROL app, AirPlay 2 or Spotify Connect instead.

Can I later expand the Keshi into a multiroom system?

Yes. Via the Cabasse StreamCONTROL app, the Keshi can be linked with additional Cabasse streaming speakers into a multi-zone system – different music in each room, or the same music everywhere. AirPlay 2 is also on board, so you can play multiple rooms at once from the Apple ecosystem too.

Why buy the Cabasse The Pearl Keshi at HD Zürisee?

Because we'll tell you whether the Keshi suits your room – and when a larger Pearl model would be the better choice. Our team in Wädenswil has known the Cabasse family for years, and Mauri handles setup and service. Call us: +41 44 680 22 00, WhatsApp 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls) or shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Goes well with

More active speakers, the full Cabasse range and matching subwoofers for larger rooms.