Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews J. Gordon Holt

MartinLogan Monolith loudspeaker

J. Gordon Holt Sep 10, 2005 First Published: Mar 10, 1984

Most Stereophile readers are aware by now of why the full-range electrostatic should, in theory, be the ideal transducer. (If you aren't aware, see the accompanying sidebar.) Acoustat was the first manufacturer to design a full-range electrostatic that was so indestructible it came with a lifetime warranty. (MartinLogan is now offering a three-year warranty on their speakers, and is considering going to a lifetime warranty). But Acoustat was never able to solve another problem that has plagued all flat-panel speakers: treble beaming.

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews Budget Component Reviews

B&W DM603 S3 loudspeaker

Robert J. Reina Aug 21, 2005 First Published: Aug 21, 2005

It occurred to me recently that, after nearly a decade of specializing in reviewing affordable speakers, and with the exceptions of two entry-level Mission models, I'd never taken a look at recent designs from the large mainstream British speaker manufacturers. So with this review I embark on a Bob Reina "British Invasion" tour to seek out the most innovative and value-conscious designs from companies that have been household names in British stereo shoppes for decades.

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews Audacious Audio

Wilson Audio Specialties MAXX2 loudspeaker

Michael Fremer Aug 14, 2005 First Published: Aug 14, 2005

When Wilson Audio Specialties' Peter McGrath offered me a pair of MAXX2 loudspeakers to review, I reminded him of just how small (15' by 21' by 8') my room is, and how close I sit to any speakers in it.

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

Tetra 505LTD loudspeaker

Paul Bolin Aug 14, 2005 First Published: Aug 14, 2005

Tetra Speakers may not be a familiar name to many US audiophiles. Based in Ottawa, Ontario, the company has been around for a decade, but has taken a slow and steady approach to building its visibility in the insanely competitive and trend-conscious world of high-end loudspeakers.

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

ProAc Response 2.5 loudspeaker

Michael Fremer Jul 10, 2005 First Published: Jan 10, 1996

ProAc's designer Stuart Tyler sounded casual—almost bemused—when I spoke with him recently about the new 2.5, a floorstanding, two-way ported box in the middle price slot ($4500/pair) of his Response series. While answering my pressing queries about the crossover point, driver materials, cabinet construction, and other reviewer obsessions, his body language said, "Does any of that really matter with these speakers? You know what the real story is here."

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

ProAc Future One loudspeaker

Michael Fremer Jul 03, 2005 First Published: Oct 10, 2000

A company other than ProAc best describes the Future One: "And now for something completely different!" Of course, that was a company of British comedians. There's nothing funny about the talented British speaker designer Stuart Tyler's latest effort, but there is something odd: Tyler is reputed to have said of the Future One, "This is the loudspeaker I have always wanted to build."

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

PBN Montana EPS loudspeaker

Barry Willis Jul 03, 2005 First Published: Oct 03, 1999

Most speakers don't come in heavy wooden crates—they come in cardboard cartons, two per box, light enough to be tucked under one arm and carried out to the car. Not so in HighEndLand, where the smallest minimonitor can test a healthy man's strength. There are plenty of good reasons for this cult of robustness, foremost among them structural stability and the suppression of resonances.

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

Hales Design Group Transcendence Five loudspeaker

Robert Deutsch Jul 03, 2005 First Published: Jun 03, 1999

Paul">http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/117">Paul Hales has been a busy guy lately. In little over a year, he has designed and brought to production four new speakers in his Revelation series (footnote 1); his cost-no-object flagship, the Alexandra, which had been seen but not heard at a number of shows, was finally demonstrated at the 1999 CES; and he has introduced the new Transcendence series, which replaces the Concept series. (He's also produced a brand-new baby girl during this period, although I believe his wife made a significant contribution to that project.)

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

Canton Vento 809 DC loudspeaker

Wes Phillips Jun 19, 2005 First Published: Jun 19, 2005

"I have an interesting loudspeaker for you to review," said John Atkinson.

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews Budget Component Reviews

Infinity Primus 360 loudspeaker

Robert J. Reina Jun 19, 2005 First Published: Jun 19, 2005

When I reviewed Infinity's">http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/404infinity">Infinity's Primus 150 loudspeaker in the April 2004 Stereophile, I was very impressed with its overall performance. To this day, I continue to be amazed at the level of realism this $198/pair loudspeaker can reproduce, and I've kept the review pair to serve as a benchmark for an entry-level audiophile speaker. When I'd completed that review, my first thought was: Now—what can Infinity do within the affordable Primus series for more money? So I requested a review sample of the Primus series' flagship, the three-way Primus 360 floorstanding speaker. After all, how could I resist listening to a speaker that claims 38Hz bass extension for only $658/pair?