The Sampan is one of the most successful products of the famous French brand. Indeed, many so-called Heavy versions (311) or Light (310) have been turned down between 1963 and 1991. The model proposed here, was produced in the second half of the 1970s. This high end model 311-8 cost a small fortune at the time, and was very popular among professional users such as Radio France. At that time, Georges Cabasse played a leading role in the design of these wonders, at all levels: transducers, filters, cabinets, and no compromise was made on musical performances. The cabinets are made of high density real wood particleboard veneer on all sides. This volume of charge enclosed is dedicated to the 30 cm bass speaker. The front speaker made in various layers is very inert, it allows a perfect disposition on several levels of the transducers for a perfect phasing.. Also, to avoid any unwanted colouring, 3 internal stiffeners on the rear ensure a very good rigidity. The depreciation is entrusted to thick plates of rock wool. The Sampan Lourd is a 3-way speaker, using a woofer of large diameter in charge enclosed, coupled with the famous Tandem of Dome speakers Dom12/Dom4. Each speaker has been carefully designed and excecuted by Cabasse without compromises: their manufacturing quality is exemplary, as much as their sound services are exceptional. For the bass, there is a famous speaker of 30 cm on board: the 30BZ18. Its case is made of cast aluminium: 5 thin branches support a very powerful engine. The extremely light mobile set consists of a tapered membrane paper with long fibers, and a foam suspension of the type, half positive roll, allowing large deflections. In the midrange / treble, a tandem of dome transducers is used: the famous couple Dom12-Dom4. Both use rigid dome membranes working in piston, 55mm in the medium and 25 mm for the treble. Each one disposes of a really very largely oversized engine. Fabulous speakers who offer an almost total absence of directivity. The 3 way filter is made with components of high quality and especially without any resistance. It offers a perfect distribution of the frequency bands for each transducer, and is extremely neutral and transparent. As for the sound, this Sampan Lourd 311-8 is absolutely demonic. Indeed, it offers a restitution of an exceptional transparency, with an absolutely huge analysis power. The dynamic is huge, real and consistent. The sound space is wide, deep, stable, and defined. Perfectly consistent across all records, and with excellent performance: the Sampan 311 is very easy to handle, without the need for a overpower monster to express its huge musical potential. Sumptuous is the association with an amplifier of a few tens of watts. The bass is magic: light, powerful, wide, deep, readable: Finally a bass with all the nuances, with each note well distinct, with the grain... Thanks to the 30BZ18 with its light ultra paper membrane and its oversized engine. The midrange and treble are prodigious in detail and veracity. The presence and intelligibility are all first order. Everything is fine, agile, very chiselled... multicoloured! Rare, very rare, this level of transparency. A huge beam of musical qualities, for me one of the best speakers in the world, any question of cost set apart! And one of the very best Sampan as well...