Thibault Labaume, Sales Manager APAC, Cabasse is an accomplished Sales Manager for the APAC region at Cabasse, bringing over nine years of international sales and marketing experience. Known for his entrepreneurial mindset and strategic business management skills, Thibault excels in driving revenue growth, expanding market share, and enhancing overall business performance. He shares his insight with Smart Home World on the region’s diverse market opportunities, his ability to integrate local insights with global strategies, and how he ensures effective and sustainable growth in a competitive landscape.
Cabasse is a renowned French company that has come a long way and achieved various milestones right from developing coaxial speakers’ technology to the latest product line tell us about the brand’s journey.
Georges Cabasse’s initial focus was on crafting high-quality, handmade speakers. By the 1960s, the company had already established itself as a significant player in the audio market. One of their early breakthroughs was the development of coaxial speakers, which positioned multiple speaker drivers on a single axis to create a more unified sound.
Cabasse’s pioneering work in coaxial speaker technology set them apart. This technology allows for the alignment of the acoustic centers of different drivers (tweeter, midrange, woofer), resulting in a coherent sound wavefront and superior audio clarity. The company’s commitment to this technology led to the creation of some of its most iconic products.
In the 1970s and 1990s, Cabasse continued to push the boundaries of speaker design. The 1980s also saw the release of the Baltic and Egea series, which were highly acclaimed for their design and performance.
They introduced the iconic “Sphère” in 2006, a world reference speaker, known for their spherical shape, which helped to minimize diffraction and provide an unparalleled listening experience.
In recent years, Cabasse has continued to innovate with the introduction of advanced digital audio technologies. Their latest product lines include wireless and smart speakers, catering to the modern consumer’s needs. Products like the Pearl and Pearl Akoya have received praise for their exceptional sound quality and sleek design.
In 2014, Cabasse was acquired by AwoX, a company specializing in connected devices, which enabled Cabasse to integrate smart technology into its audio products. This acquisition has allowed Cabasse to stay at the forefront of the audio industry by combining high-fidelity sound with the latest in smart technology.
Cabasse’s journey from a small workshop in France to a global audio brand is a testament to their dedication to innovation and quality. Their commitment to high-fidelity sound and technological advancement continues to shape their product offerings, ensuring that they remain a leader in the audio industry.
Cabasse has been in the industry since 1950, you have your presence in different countries around the world. So, what kind of opportunity do you foresee in India?
We see the Indian market as one of the most exciting and rapidly emerging markets. Indian customers are increasingly seeking superior audio quality and cutting-edge technologies, particularly from esteemed European brands with distinctive designs. We are confident in our ability to meet the expectations and demands of Indian consumers today.
You offer products and expertise in various verticals; can you elaborate on the Connected Systems?
It is important to know that the connected systems come from our expertise and acoustics innovations. We designed our reference Speaker La Sphere. And our mission was to understand how we could miniaturize the products, and make them connected and more affordable. This is how, after many years of R&D development, we came up with the first product of the range, The Pearl. The connected systems imply a lot of technologies and software development, which I will explain below.
What are the types of Acoustic Technologies you offer?
Conceived by Georges Cabasse in 1952 and continuously improved since then, our patented coaxial loudspeakers allow all sound waves to emanate from a single source point so that they propagate in a coherent and natural way, without artificial interference.
Whatever your listening position is, our patented coaxial drivers allow for optimal listening even if you’re not located exactly in the middle of the two speakers. This means high-fidelity is not only reserved for one person in a room but it can be enjoyed by a group of people scattered around the room. Our patented coaxial drivers add no coloration to your room’s natural coloration.
Deep bass boosted by HELD technology; this patented combination of Cabasse technologies lets you experience the full dynamics of your favorite music from the subtlest to the punchiest sounds without clipping or distortion.
The design of the motor is a perfectly symmetrical (double winding/double air gap) underhung type motor with perfectly linear excursion and low and symmetrical inductance variation featuring excellent power handling. The moving assembly allows the coil to pass through the motor and enables the rear suspension to be offset as far as possible from the front suspension for optimal guidance.
Cabasse Sphere design and coaxial: Cabasse is known for its spherical speakers that use coaxial drivers. This design allows for better sound dispersion and more precise stereo imaging. The principle of coaxial technology is to place multiple transducers on the same axis, reducing phase issues and improving temporal coherence.
Carbon Kevlar Domes: Used in some speakers, these materials offer increased rigidity and reduced distortion, enhancing clarity and sound precision.
Honeycomb Membranes: These membranes with a honeycomb structure allow for maximum lightness and rigidity, resulting in better transient response and reduced distortion.
Cabasse Acoustic Centering Technology: A technology that acoustically centers the drivers to optimize sound dispersion and achieve a more natural and wider soundstage.
Tell us about your software technology.
Since 1950, Cabasse has accumulated patents in acoustics, signal processing, and connected technologies. Its innovations have one single goal… to offer you a unique sound signature that’s dynamic, natural, spacious, and precise.
100% Developed by Cabasse, the StreamCONTROL Cabasse application is developed in France premises. The ergonomics, new functionalities and new services are created in-house by our teams and allow us to adapt to the rapid evolution of mobile platforms.
All your services are in a single application. The StreamCONTROL app is a platform that offers you a complete range of streaming services, compatible with voice assistants and numerous control options. Browse all your music, podcasts, radios, and audiobooks in a single application.
The Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Technology simplifies the usage of this tech. We are dividing the whole frequencies in tiny segments. In each segment, we are improving the strengths of our drivers, and reducing our weaknesses. This is a very precise work, and a hard one. In order, to have the best sound possible, on each of our active/connected systems.
CRCS Technology is the most sophisticated system such as La Sphère, THE PEARL COLLECTION has a patented automatic room correction system with integrated microphone for optimal acoustics whatever the listening environment.
An integrated measuring microphone allows you to perform very quick automatic acoustic optimization, with the use of very high precision digital parametric filters. This algorithm also identifies the “attenuated” spectral bands which are then compensated, and the bass level is adjusted according to the speaker placement.
Zero sound interference thanks to Cabasse’s coaxial speaker technology
Conceived by Georges Cabasse in 1952 and continuously improved since then, our patented coaxial loudspeakers allow all sound waves to emanate from a single source point so that they propagate in a coherent and natural way, without artificial interference.
Artificial Intelligence to control amplification
In our PEARL series, the bass dynamics are enhanced by patented multiband dynamic signal processing with feedback loops to constantly use all the available amp power.
Each speaker is overamplified in order to reproduce contrasting sounds. Notes and sound peaks are reproduced without distortion.
Increase the volume without compromise thanks to the DFE. With the Dynamic Fidelity Enhancer from our PEARL series, you’ll find the balance of the original in background music mode at home, as well as at a party at full volume.
Our signal processing algorithms maximize the power sent to each speaker in real-time, taking into account the listening level, spectral content, and dynamics of the song.
Digital Enhancement of Acoustical Performances (DEAP)
Cabasse has developed all the DSP profiles adapted to its loudspeakers in order to optimize and adapt sound according to their location in your listening room.
TV Direct Mode
The Direct mode allows you to minimize latency to be synchronized with the sound of your TV set or other sources. For a stereo optical configuration, you will need an optical switch. For mono listening, an optical switch is not necessary.
For a stereo RCA configuration, you will only need to connect the right and left channels and define each channel in the app.
Create music zones in a single motion and access all your sources
Control your devices from any room. Group your speakers to play your songs in perfect sync, save your favorite content, adjust the volume in each listening room and customize settings for a personalized and cleaner playback.
Can you tell us about your range of wireless audio systems?
We have the largest catalogs of high-end audio wireless solutions in the world.
We have developed first, The Pearl, The Pearl Akoya, The Pearl Myuki, which can be used as a unit, or in stereo with a pair. Our flagship, The Pearl Pelegrina, is a true masterpiece. Then we have the 2.1 Solutions, The Pearl Keshi, The Pearl Sub with our Baltics 5, Riga 2, iO3,
With our Rialto (a bookshelf form factor of Akoyas), but with HDMI eArc. Our new stereo, connected amplifier, has a specific DSP to magnify our Murano, Murano Alto, Minorca, and Java speakers.
Can you tell us about the latest hi-fi system/range you offer?
Our latest offering is the Cabasse PEARL MYUKI, an ultra-portable, high-resolution, battery-powered connected speaker from the renowned PEARL Collection. This compact and elegant speaker incorporates top-tier Cabasse acoustic technologies, providing powerful and high-fidelity sound. It’s designed for both home use and on-the-go listening, making it a versatile addition to any audiophile’s collection.
What range do you plan to launch in India through your partnership with Alphatec? Can you share the USP of this product line?
We are planning to launch Wireless, Home cinema, trad, lifestyle & custom install solutions. Apart from the residential segment, which other segments can your speakers use be B2B, Hotels, Restaurants, etc.
What key factors help Cabasse stand out from the rest of the Indian market? Are there any specific brands that you plan to compete with?
We compete in the wireless solutions segment against brands such as Devialet, B&O, and KEF. Our products are more compact and powerful than those of our competitors. Additionally, acoustic quality and sound are subjective, varying according to customer preferences.
Cabasse’s craftsmanship, patented technologies, acoustic innovations, and software capabilities give us a unique position in the market. These factors collectively differentiate us and contribute to our distinctiveness in the industry.
In your opinion, how will advancements in IoT, AI, and cloud computing will impact consumer audio technologies’ evolution?
AI will revolutionize our ways of life, including the way we listen to sound. In our domain, 50% of the quality of the speaker’s sound is impacted by the acoustics area on which you are listening. AI will help us understand the acoustics area where you are in better ways, and optimize our speakers, for a 100% optimal sound. AI will automatically solve a lot of problems, when it comes to sound optimization.
Lastly, tell us about your partnership with Alphatec and your plans for the Indian market.
Our partnership with Alphatec is focused on delivering our best solutions to the Indian market. We plan to offer a wide range of products, including wireless systems, home cinema setups, traditional audio solutions, lifestyle products, and custom installation options. Our goal is to provide Indian customers with top-quality audio experiences that meet their diverse needs and preferences.
