Loudspeaker Systems:
A (FULL RANGE):
Audiovector R8 Arreté: $78,800/pair includes Freedom Grounding Cables
Optional grounding cable adds $3850. (Vol.44 No.9 WWW) Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90: $211,800/pair ★
(Vol.40 No.1 WWW) Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature: $60,000/pair
(Vol.47 No.3 WWW) Dutch & Dutch 8c: $14,950/pair (stands necessary) ★
(Vol.42 No.8, Vol.43 No.4 WWW) Dynaudio Confidence 30: $24,000/pair
(Vol.44 No.8 WWW) EgglestonWorks Viginti: $46,998/pair ★
(Vol.41 No.6 WWW) Estelon Forza: $186,000—$203,000/ pair depending upon finish
(Vol.44 No.11 WWW) Estelon X Diamond Mk II: $97,900—$106,400/pair depending on finish
(Vol.48 No.1 WWW) Estelon XB Diamond Mk II: $69,300/pair—$77,800/pair depending on finish
(Vol.45 No.11 WWW) Focal Diva Utopia: $39,999/pair
(Vol.48 No.3 WWW) Focal Maestro Utopia EVO: $86,000/pair (dependent on the finish)
(Vol.46 No.11 WWW) GoldenEar Triton Reference: $9000/pair ★ $$$
(Vol.40 No.12 WWW) Grimm LS-1c: $30,300/pair in Bamboo finish plus SB1 Subwoofers $14,600/pair $$$
See Rogier van Bakel's review on p.127. (Vol.48 No.4 WWW) Göbel Divin Marquis: $99,000/pair ★
Price is for standard finish. (Vol.43 No.10 WWW) KEF Blade Two Meta: $27,999.98/pair
(Vol.45 No.9 WWW) Magico A5: $30,800/pair
(Vol.44 No.7 WWW) Magico M2: $76,500/pair ★
Price now includes nonoptional MPOD Bases. (Vol.43 No.2, Vol.44 No.3 WWW) Magico S5 2024: $74,500/pair–$83,000/pair
(Vol.48 No.8 WWW) Marten Parker Trio Diamond: $44,000/pair for all finishes
(Vol.44 No.6 WWW) MartinLogan Renaissance ESL 15A: $28,999.98/pair ★
(Vol.40 No.1 WWW) MBL Radialstrahler 101 E Mk.II: $91,000/pair ★
(Vol.35 No.4 WWW) Piega Coax Gen2 811: $34,995/pair
(Vol.47 No.9 WWW) Raidho TD3.8: $119,000/pair in Walnut Brul as reviewed; available in High Gloss Black at $99,000
(Vol.46 No.8 WWW) Rockport Technologies Avior II: $47,000/pair ★
(Vol.40 No.8 WWW) Sonus Faber Aida: $160,000/pair
(Vol.41 No.10 WWW) T+A Solitaire S 530: $47,900/pair
(Vol.47 No.5 WWW) TAD Grand Evolution 1: $76,000/pair
(Vol.47 No.5 WWW) Tidal Audio Akira: $285,000/pair
(Vol.41 No.11 WWW) Vandersteen Audio Quatro Wood CT: $20,150/pair
Rating assumes it is used with its companion M5-HPA high-pass amplifier. (Vol.42 No.11 WWW)
Vimberg Mino: $40,000–$41,000 (depending on finish) ★
Accuton diamond tweeter upgrade (not reviewed) costs $8500/pair. (Vol.43 No.4 WWW) Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirit: $105,550/pair
Optional external crossover version: $110,550 ★
(Vol.41 No.1 WWW) Von Schweikert Ultra 5: $110,000/pair, with Foundation Amplifiers, $120,000/pair ★
Price is for version reviewed, with powered woofers. (Vol.43 No.7 WWW) Wilson Audio Specialties Alexia V: $72,000/pair in standard finish
(Vol.46 No.1 WWW) Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx V: $157,000/pair
(Vol.44 No.12 WWW) Wilson Audio Specialties Chronosonic XVX: $381,000/pair in standard finish
(Vol.44 No.5 WWW) Wilson Audio Specialties Sasha V: $52,000/pair
(Vol.47 No.2 WWW) Wilson Audio Specialties The WATT/Puppy: $39,500/pair in standard finish; $45,700/pair in Premium Pearl finish
(Vol.48 No.2 WWW)
A (RESTRICTED EXTREME LF):
Acelec Model One: $6750/pair (stands necessary)
The internally damped aluminum enclosure boasted the lowest-level panel resonances JA has encountered in >30 years of measuring speakers. HR was equaly impressed by the sound of this Dutch two-way standmount, which allies a Mundorf AMT tweeter with a reflex-loaded, 5.9" slicedpaper-cone, ScanSpeak bass/mid driver. He described the Model One as "extraordinarily clear, microresolved, and uncolored," adding that "their clear, expansive soundstage was mesmerizing; it kept my focus on whatever music it was presenting." And the low frequencies? "Overall, the Acelec's bass was tighter, cleaner, went lower, and was more music musically satisfying than any of the other speakers I have piled in the hall." JA's measurements confirmed the Model One's specified sensitivity of 84dB/W/m and while he found a slight excess of energy in the low treble, he noted that the Model One's cumulative spectral-decay plot was impressively clean. (Vol.46 No.8 WWW) Alta Audio Adam: $18,000/pair–$19,000/pair in all finishes
A three-way floorstander that uses a 5.75" aluminum-ribbon tweeter, a 6" midrange driver, and an 8.75" anodized aluminum-cone woofer, the Adam features Alta’s Extended Transmission Line (XTL) loading for the midrange unit and woofer. This incorporates a short transmission line with no stuffing terminating in a port, which Alta says significantly extends the speaker's low-frequency extension. However, as with Alta’s two-way Alyssa, the XTL loading also results in high-Q resonances in the line and port. Nevertheless, RvB liked what he heard from the Adam, writing, “Pure and smooth. Nothing is boxy. ... Remarkable image cohesion; ... transients seemed to travel at the speed of light. ... With every track, there was admirable force and a corporeal quality to the instruments.” He did find that the Adam offered a little too much bass energy, though he never found the speaker to sound bloated or flabby.“Right now,” RvB concluded, “these are the speakers I’d consider most if 20 grand were burning a hole in my pocket.” In the test lab, the Adam was relatively easy to drive, but it failed to meet its specified high sensitivity of 91.5dB/2.83V/m by a significant 7.5dB. Its enclosure was respectably inert, though JA noted that the XTL-related resonances mentioned above affect not just the outputs of the twin ports but also those of the woofer and midrange unit. (Vol.46 No.3 WWW) Amphion Krypton3X: $25,000/pair
This large floorstander uses two papyrus-cone midrange units, each loaded with a side-vented internal chamber to give a cardioid radiation pattern. A 1" titanium-dome tweeter is mounted between the midrange drivers and is loaded with a spherical waveguide. Unusually, the Krypton3X’s crossover uses a series network, with a slow (second-order) rolloff. The aluminum-cone woofer is reflex-loaded with two rear-firing ports and is mounted on one side of the enclosure; the speakers are sold as matched pairs. Amphion’s CEO, Anssi Hyvönen, explained that “For most rooms, I tend to place the woofers inside, as it is easier to get precise imaging that way. In larger rooms where speakers are still clearly away from the boundaries, one can place the woofers outside if one wants a large, expansive soundstage.” TF found that having the woofers on the speakers’ inside edges, without any toe-in, worked best in his room. He noted powerful, room-filling low frequencies and a fast and clear sound quality, and while the speakers weren’t shy at the top end, they offered details and image precision galore. “Like their studio monitor cousins, these big Amphions are, in a word, honest,” he concluded. Amphion specifies the Krypton3X’s anechoic sensitivity as 89dB (no units given); JA’s estimate was lower, at 85.5dB(B)/2.83V/1m. He also noted that the speaker is a demanding amplifier load. The large enclosure is well-damped; the only aspect of the Amphion’s measured performance that concerned JA was a slight lack of energy in the upper midrange. (Vol.48 No.6 WWW)
Audio Note AN-E/SPx Ltd. Field Coil: $65,000/pair incl. power supplies (stands necessary)
This immaculately finished two-way, reflex-loaded standmount marries a 1" silk-dome tweeter to an 8" hemp-pulp mid/woofer. Unusually, the latter’s motor is powered by an electromagnetic “field coil” rather than the ubiquitous permanent magnet, this fed current by an external power supply. (Field coils reportedly offer a calmer, more relaxed and graceful sound, delivering more information and improved tonality.) In common with other loudspeakers from this UK company, the AN-E/SPx Ltd.’s are intended to be placed close to the listening room’s corners. JA’s measurements showed that this extended the low frequencies, the bass being down by 10dB around a low 25Hz. With the speakers optimally positioned in KM’s room, he loved their sound. “Despite the inherent subjectivity of ‘speed,’” he wrote, “the AN-E/SPx Ltd. delivered a consistent sense of swiftness, clarity, and transient articulation—among the best I’ve heard. Music unfolded with remarkable energy and lucidity. Familiar recordings were revitalized, eliciting visceral excitement and emotional resonance. ... The AN-E/SPx Ltd.s disappeared sonically as completely as any speaker I’ve reviewed.” KM summed up his time with this speaker thusly: “Its integration of deep bass, clean midrange, and silken treble created a unified, emotionally resonant whole. This is music playback of extraordinary beauty.” At a price, notes JA. Audio Note specifies the AN-E/SPx Field Coil’s sensitivity as a very high 97dB/W/1m. While JA’s B-weighted estimate was lower, at 91dB(B)/2.83V/1m, this is still usefully high. Although the AN-E/SPx Ltd Field Coil is a moderately demanding amplifier load, this will be ameliorated by the speaker’s high sensitivity. Audio Note notes that this speaker works best with tube amplifiers; JA recommends using such an amplifier’s 4 ohm output transformer tap. His response measurements indicate that the tweeter is balanced around 3dB too low in level compared with the woofer. Matching stands cost $2500/pair. (Vol.48 No.7 WWW) Audiovector R 3 Arreté: $13,300/pair includes Freedom Grounding Cables
This 2.5-way, reflex-loaded floorstander combines the Danish company’s “Arreté” AMT tweeter with a 6.5" midwoofer and a 6.5" woofer. JCA found that for a conventional speaker so small and light, the R 3 Arreté’s bass went surprisingly low in frequency. Listening from the sweet spot, JCA noted that stereo imaging precision was solid, if not quite up to the standard set by its bigger sibling, the R 8. He was surprised, however, that he still heard a substantial stereo effect when sitting considerably off-axis, which makes the R3 more sociablemore visitor-friendlythan any other speaker he could think of. “The strongest impression the R 3’s left was a sense of ease,” he concluded. JA noted that this speaker was a demanding load for the partnering amplifier and found that the R 3 Arreté’s voltage sensitivity was 3dB lower than the specified 90.5dB/W/m. This difference may have been due to a broad lack of energy in the low treble. This, it turned out, was probably due to the tweeter’s “S-stop” gold mesh filter, which is intended to control sibilance. Otherwise, JA concluded that the Audiovector R 3 Arreté offers even, balanced, extended low frequencies in-room, and a clean spectral decay. (Vol.47 No.6 WWW) Avantgarde Duo SD iTRON 3: $81,500/pair
An active horn-loaded three-way loudspeaker, the Duo SD iTRON looks superficially similar to Avantgarde’s original passive Duo, which was reviewed by MC for Stereophile in 1998. But the 2024 version includes amplification, novel crossovers, and DSP integrated into the subwoofer's 500W class-D amplifier. (Most DSP settings are controlled by the Control Center computer app.) T The patented iTRON concept involves a voltagecurrent converterAvantgarde feels that driving a speaker by running the desired, time-dependent current through its voice coil is an inherently better approach than imposing a voltage across the voice coil and letting the current respond. As well as the low-frequency DSP settings, the relative levels of the midrange and high frequencies can be adjusted with two sturdy three-way switches, and system gain can be set via three toggle switches, to 0dB, ±1.5dB, ±3dB, and ±6dB. BD spent many nights progressing through DSP settings before he arrived at a setup that boosted the bass level and raised the low-pass frequency to create an overlap in the upper bass/lower midrange region. He used the eight-band equalizer to lower and shape the frequency response from the midbass on down. He then sat down to listen. While the Avantgardes had no particular, familiar character. They offered remarkable dynamic performance. “They had no problem reproducing dynamic transients of any intensity, even in music being played at levels that pushed the threshold of pain,” wrote BD. No matter how hard he pushed the speakers, the music remained spectacular and uncongested. “Impressive dynamics and remarkably low distortion, subjectively, even at extreme SPLs.” And this wasn’t at the expense of reproducing low-level detail“The ability of the Duos to present transients at the pppp end of the scale was even more impressive,” commented BD, adding that he’d long had a mental picture of music, as a visible entity, surrounded by air and flowing through speakers. “With the Duos, this image persisted even with changes so small that they were all but inaudible. What came through most was how tangible the instruments seemed.” (Vol.47 No.11 WWW)
B&W 805 D4 Signature: $14,000/pair (stands necessary). Custom stands $1600/pair.
This elegant-looking standmount marries a 1" vapor-deposited diamond-dome tweeter, housed in its own rear-vented, tapered aluminum tube on top of the elliptical-plan woofer enclosure, with a 6.5" woofer that uses a cone formed from B&W’s woven-composite Continuum material. The woofer is reflex-loaded with a wide, flared port on the front baffle. Custom stands cost $1600/pair. JA found that the B&Ws Signatures reproduced solo piano and vocal recordings with no discernible coloration. While he was aware of the elevated level of the 805 D4’s tweeterthe balance had more top-octave energy, more “air” than was strictly accuratehe wasn't bothered by any brightness. The sound was clean and clear, cymbals didn't have too much sizzle. At the other end of the spectrum, low frequencies were not particularly extended, but bass guitar had enough midbass weight. Sensitivity was slightly higher than average, at 88.4dB(B)/2.83V/1m, though the 805 D4 Signature is a relatively current-hungry load for the partnering amplifier. (Vol.47 No.10 WWW) Canton Reference 5: $11,000/pair
This three-way, elegant-looking floorstander combines a 1" Black Ceramic dome tweeter with a 6.85" Black Ceramic Tungsten midrange driver and two 6.85" Black Ceramic Tungsten woofers. The woofers are reflex-loaded with a downward-firing port, and the levels of the midrange unit and tweeter can be adjusted by ±1.5dB with two sets of bridges on the back panel. SM preferred the Reference 5’s balance with these set to Neutral. The midrange unit is mounted above the tweeter; Canton says the optimal listening axis is based on an ear height of 43" at a listening distance of 10'. JA’s measurements indicated that the even frequency response on that axis doesn’t change 5° above or below that axis. Even so, SM found that when he sat in a chair that placed his ears 38" from the floor rather than his usual 42", the sonic picture clicked into better focus, and the presentation became livelier and more energetic. “These high-value speakers acquit themselves with authority matched to components that cost much more,” summed up SM, adding that at a mere 80lb, “they more than carry their weight.” JA was impressed by the large enclosure’s inert construction. While he found that the Reference 5 was a demanding amplifier load, this will be ameliorated by the high 89.4dB(B)/2.83V/1m voltage sensitivity. The speaker’s bottom-octave output is limited by a high-pass filter in the woofer feed, which Canton calls “Displacement Control.” Overall, the Canton Reference 5 offers excellent measured performance, he concluded. (Vol.48 No.5 WWW) Diptyque Reference Mk2: $60,000/pair
This large, French, 3.5-way, push-pull, planar magnetic/isodynamic loudspeaker has midrange panels that corss over at 7kHz to a proprietary ribbon tweeter. The upper-frequency drivers are mounted to the side of the two woofer panels; the speakers are supplied as a handed pair. JA’s measurements suggested that the woofers should be placed on the speakers’ outside edges so that reflections from the sidewalls will be uniform. RvB noted that to perform at their best, the Diptyques need adequate space behind and to the sides, allowing the rearward radiation to interact naturally with the room. He also found that listening height was critical: “Every time I stood up, or raised myself even a little bit, the sound turned dull. When I lowered myself back into my chair, it brightened considerably—changing character, it seemed, with every inch my ears moved up or down.” With his ears 35" from the floor, RvB tilted the speakers back by 2° with the built-in control knob then wedged a couple of layers of standard-thickness cardboard under the front of the aluminum bases to tilt the speakers back another notch, beyond what the tilt knob allowed. “Instantly, the highs were more measured,” he wrote. “The bass thickened and solidified a little,” adding that the Diptyque References weren’t perfect for quiet sessions. “They come alive with volume and a bit of amplifier muscle.” Overall, panel speakers achieve a kind of spatial and timbral realism that box speakers rarely manage, and the Diptyque References do it without bombast or exaggeration. Their sound is clear, unforced, and enveloping—not dramatic in the usual hi-fi sense, but quietly, convincingly human. Diptyque specifies the Reference’s voltage sensitivity as 89dB/W/1m, which was confirmed by JA’s measurements. JA wrote that the the Diptyque Reference was not a difficult load for amplifiers and noted that the its measured performance was typical of what he expected from a large panel speaker. He added that its response was actually smoother in the upper midrange and treble than those of similar speakers from Quad, Magnepan, and Apogee that he had measured over the years. (Vol.48 No.9 WWW)
Dynaudio Contour 30i: $9500/pair
The Contour 30i is a 2.5-way tower with an improved version of Dynaudio’s Esotar 2i 1" soft-dome tweeter and two identical 7.1" Magnesium Silicate Polymer (MSP) lower-frequency drivers. Compared with the earlier Contour 30, the new model’s crossover has been stripped of its impedance-correction circuitry, whose function is now performed by the driver itself via the physical properties of its materials. Dynaudio says that “fewer components” means “cleaner signal path, better performance.” Compared with RS’s reference Focal Aria K2 936s, the soundstage was more spacious, “almost Hoberman sphere-like,” with more depth and air between instruments. Listening to a track from Beck’s Morning Phase, RS commented that through the Contours, “notes seemed to blossom almost literallyan initial transient burst followed by a spreading out of resplendent tones. The song’s chorus, especially, sounded grand, like a rattling peacock train in full bloom, brimming with color.” He loved the Contour’s “symmetrical, one-voice cohesion; its colorful transparency; its authentic-seeming tonality; its dynamic ambience; its orderly and clean disposition.” JA’s measurements confirmed the Contour 30i’s voltage sensitivity of 87dB/2.83V/m, noting that it presents a relatively demanding load. He also noted good low-frequency extension, though the alignment favored articulation over ultimate weight, and was impressed by the impressively even frequency response, the well-controlled dispersion, and the clean waterfall plot. (Vol.47 No.9 WWW) Estelon AURA: $21,900/pair—$27,600 depending on finish
This elegant-looking Estonian floorstander combines a midrange-tweeter-midrange array with a downward-firing 10" woofer. (As the woofer operates below 77Hz, Estelon refers to the midrange units as “mid-woofers.”) KR commented that the AURAs sounded “open and detailed and, once properly placed, well-balanced.” He found that with classical piano recordings the experience was informative, enjoyable, and totally nonfatiguing. He would have liked a bit more from the lowest notes, but the rest of the spectrum was clean, open, and dynamic. KR found that the choice of amplifier was critical for the AURAs’ potential to be fully realized. He summed up his time with the AURAs by writing “They are among the most transparent speakers I’ve reviewed, and they present voices, instruments, and ensembles with refreshing immediacy and impact. Never did anything, including its bass performance, disturb that enjoyment or distract from it.” Although the AURA’s sensitivity is specified as 90dB/2.83V, JA’s B-weighted estimate was slightly lower, at 86.8dB(B)/2.83V/m. JA also noted that the Estelon is a very demanding load for the partnering amplifier. (Vol.46 No.12 WWW) Falcon Acoustics “Gold Badge” LS3/5a: $3950/pair in basic finishes (stands necessary)
This special edition of Falcon’s version of the classic, BBC-designed, two-way minimonitor uses enhanced-size BBC Specification Transformerstyle inductors, graded polypropylene-film capacitors, ultralow-inductance resistors, and a new, Falcon-designed multilayer FL6/23 printed circuit board. “Falcon’s Gold Badge LS3/5a can deliver enjoyable, well-sorted renditions of all types of music,” HR wrote, “but intimate vocal, solo piano, and chamber-instrument fare is the reason people like me are lifelong 5a devotees.” He added that “music flowed extra-easily and extra-quietly out of the Gold Badge boxes. The sound seemed more relaxed and less restrained than the classic version.” He wrote that the “Gold Badge” is “the best LS3/5a ever produced for general consumption.” JA found that the “Gold Badge” measured similarly to his 1978 Rogers LS3/5a and was overall smoother-balanced than the basic Falcon LS3/5a. He concluded that “The Falcon LS3/5a Gold Badge’s measured performance … confirms that 46 years after the introduction of the original, this is still a competitive loudspeaker.” (Vol.44 Nos.4 & 5 WWW)
Franco Serblin Accordo Goldberg: $13,475/pair (stands necessary)
This elegant-looking, curvaceously styled, reflex-loaded, two-way standmount from Italy is best used with the matching stands, which cost $2500/pair. A Scan-Speak 7" (180mm) woofer, loaded with a port on the asymmetrical rear panel, crosses over around 2kHz to a 29mm silk-dome tweeter, also by Scan-Speak. The antiparallel and strongly curved enclosure is fabricated from 24 laminated, solid walnut planks to control structural resonances. “It was with simple recordings of natural sounds that these speakers’ true excellence was revealed,” MC wrote. “Even with a large orchestra, the perception of individual-instrument focus and perspective was compelling.” He noted that with Tony Faulkner’s recording of Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, “a huge soundstage filled in with an extraordinary quantity of microdetail. Near-pinpoint imaging was heard over the whole soundscape.” The Accordo Goldberg “manages to transcend the build technology and the machinery within to build a closer relationship with your ear. It plays with a superbly natural timbre, especially violin, piano, and voice, while defining wide, deep, and well-focused sound images that almost breathe with life. … But that is as nothing compared with their supremely tactile microdynamic and seductive quality, which draws the listener into the musical performance,” he concluded. The Accordo Goldberg is a relatively demanding load, wrote JA, who also observed that its low frequencies will sound somewhat lightweight without boundary reinforcement. JA was impressed by the clean waterfall plot but noted that the frequency response lacked energy in the lower midrange and presence regions. The latter will be ameliorated if the speakers are toed in so that their axes cross in front of the listener. (Vol.47 No.8 WWW) Genelec G Three: $1790/pair in white, black or RAW (stands necessary)
A small, active, two-way speaker with a cast-aluminum enclosure, evolved from the Finnish company’s studio monitors, the G Three is supplied with an Iso-Pod isolating base, or can be used on stands or with wall-mounting hardware. An array of DIP switches allow the sound to be tailored for the speaker’s positionsin free space, nearfield, in a corner, or on a table or desktop. There are both RCA and XLR inputs and the drivers are a 5.125" polypropylene-cone woofer and a 0.75" aluminum-dome tweeter, the latter mounted at the rear of a recessed waveguide. HR noted the “pure and precise” sound, “unspoiled clarity,” and “uncompressed transparency,” coupled with a surprising amount of well-articulated bass for such a small speaker. He gave it his highest recommendation, writing that “the G Three performs like an authentic studio monitor, providing copious detail without losing any of music’s beauty or poetic content.” JA was similarly impressed by this loudspeaker’s measured performance, noting the G Three’s flat frequency response, well-controlled dispersion, and a clean cumulative spectral-decay plot. (Vol.45 No.8 WWW) Joseph Audio Perspective2: $16,999/pair
Introduced in 2013, the floorstanding Perspective started life with a SEAS 1" impregnated-fabric dome tweeter and two SEAS 5.5" magnesium-cone woofers. After its 2019 upgrade to Perspective2 status, the tweeter remains, but the woofers have been replaced with 5.5" SEAS Excel Graphene drivers, in which magnesium-alloy cones are coated with a graphene-based "nanomaterial." JA, who in 2014 reviewed the Perspectives, wrote that the Perspective2s "produced the same wide sweep of full-range sound and tangible stereo imaging" that impressed him with the originals: "The low frequencies were still rich, but perhaps the articulation was even better." He also found the Perspective2s to be more tolerant than their predecessors of overly bright recordings. Reporting from his test bench, JA confirmed that, like the original, the Perspective2 was easy to drive if somewhat less sensitive than average, and concluded by recommending the new speaker "even more highly than I did the original." (Vol.37 No.7, Vol.42 No.7 WWW)
KEF LS50 Meta: $1599.99/pair (stands necessary) $$$
This new version of KEF’s classic LS50 standmount is a little heavier than the original. It still uses a coaxial Uni-Q drive-unit, but this new one has a cone-neck decoupler, a symmetrical motor system, and an absorptive, dual-layer disc, 3" in diameter and 0.43" thick, behind the drive-unit. This disc is made from a synthetic substance incorporating Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) with 30 tubular channels, each acting as a narrow-band Helmholtz resonator. The structure is said to absorb 99% of the unwanted sound radiating from the rear of the driver at 620Hz and above. The Meta’s midrange and low frequencies sounded identical to those of the original LS50, JA decided, but the new speaker’s measured response was flatter in the presence region, and there was a little more output in the high treble. Perhaps most importantly, the Metas “painted a transparent window into the recorded soundstage,” he wrote. He was continually surprised by how recordings he thought he knew well were presented with detail that he had not fully appreciated with the earlier LS50s. JA estimated the LS50 Meta’s voltage sensitivity as 84.5dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is the same as that of the original and within experimental error of the specified 85dB. He concluded that, compared with the 2012 LS50, the Meta “presents a more transparent window into the recorded soundstage without compromising the ability to communicate the music’s message.” (Vol.44 No.1 WWW) KEF LS60 Wireless: $5999.99/pair
This DSP-controlled, three-way, powered floorstander offers an analog input, Ethernet, optical and coaxial S/PDIF digital inputs, a UPnP-compatible wireless operation with Roon, AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, and Bluetooth 4.2, and a subwoofer output. A coaxial Uni-Q drive unit that incorporates the metamaterial technology introduced with other recent KEF speakers covers the treble and midrange, while two sealed-boxloaded woofers on each sidewall handle frequencies below 340Hz. The KEF Connect app is used for setup, adjustment of sensitivity, bass extension, high-frequency balance, the subwoofer settings, and optimization of the low-frequency balance for specific room placements and behavior in the time domain. KR noted that the LS60’s tonal balance was reassuringly neutral/natural with palpable bass that belied the speakers’ small size. “The LS60s did not sound small,” he wrote, adding that they sounded much like the Class A (Full-Range) KEF Blade Two Meta. In direct comparisons with the Blade Two Metas, he found that the latter demonstrated an even more spacious soundstage and sounded firmer and fuller through the mid and upper bass, “but the speakers were surprisingly close.” KR was puzzled by his experience of the time-domaincorrecting Phase Control, as with some kinds of music he preferred the presentation with this turned off. (Latency with the control off was 10ms; with the control on it was 14.5ms, which may be an issue with video synchronization.) JA the measurer noted that the LS60 offered a superbly flat, even frequency response, well-controlled dispersion, and an inert enclosure. KR’s conclusion? “The LS60 Wireless is a nearstate-of-the-art sound system that will fit in almost any room and play any source with the addition of only a smartphone loaded with music or a streaming app.” Quite an excellent value at the lower price, says JA2. (Vol.46 No.3 WWW) MBL Radialstrahler 120: $26,500/pair (stands necessary)
This three-way standmount uses the German company’s unique, omnidirectional Radialstrahler technology for its midrange and treble drivers, coupled with two reflex-loaded woofers. JMu felt that the 120’s bass seemed to extend deeper than the specifications or JA’s measurements indicated. But what impressed her the most was how “strikingly coherent” the MBLs sounded. “They delivered seamless sound from top to bottom, which made the presentation seem more realistic. Music sounded ‘of a piece,’ seamlessly woven within the soundstage,” she wrote. Though JA’s estimate of the 120’s sensitivity was slightly higher than the specified 79dB, this was still significantly lower than average. However, as this is an omnidirectional loudspeaker, the in-room subjective sensitivity will be somewhat higher. “The MBL 120s don’t favor one genre of music over another,” JMu concluded, adding that they sounded “big and fullvoluptuous at times, especially when you turn up the volume.” Matching stands cost $1850/pair. (Vol.44 No.11 WWW)
MoFi Electronics SourcePoint 888: $5495/pair $$$
This affordable floorstander, designed by Andrew Jones, combines an 8" coaxial HF.MF drive unit, related to that used in the SourcePoint 8 standmount, with two reflex-loaded 8" woofers. Sensitivity is slightly below average but the SourcePoint 888 won’t be a difficult load for amplifiers. JA noted that the high frequencies sounded smooth and more neutrally balanced than those of the SourcePoint 10, the midrange uncolored, and the low frequencies extended and powerful. He did have to block one of each speaker’s two ports because the port tuning frequency coincided with that of a room mode, but even so, double bass was reproduced with an impressive combination of weight, tonal evenness, and definition. The soundstaging on every track he played was solidly stable, with excellent image depth where appropriate, and the imaging precision of these large speakers was on par with that of superb minimonitors. “Highly recommended” (Vol.48 No.3 WWW) Monitor Audio Gold 300 G6: $5600/pair
This British company’s sixth-generation floorstander still uses the pleated-foil tweeter, anodized-alloy-skinned-Nomex honeycomb-composite-cone midrange unit, and 6" woofers as it predecessors but the woofers offer increased power capacity, lower distortion, and the desired pure-piston behavior is extended to higher frequencies. The midrange and treble units are integrated into a strong die-cast alloy chassis and the backs of the midrange and woofers are connected to the enclosure’s rear panel with long bolts. (Monitor Audio provides instructions for how to set the bolts’ tension,) To his surprise, MC found that at the factory-recommended tension, musicality was diminished, transparency was impaired, and that special sense of equilibrium was diluted. Rhythm and timing were not optimal. When the bolts were finger-firm but not wrenched tight, the timing was significantly improved, and the musicality gain was substantial. What the tension optimized, the Gold 300s skillfully recreated vibrantly detailed soundstages with no sense of muddle or clouding. With LPs there was a sense of immediacy and an inviting clarity. The 300s play really loud when required, with low aural fatigue, noted MC and while the low bass dried out somewhat when the speakers were driven flat out, this happened gracefully. His conclusion? “The design and musical performance are beyond reproach; the build quality and finish are excellent. They easily clear the performance bar and are firmly recommended.” JA’s estimate of the Monitor Audio’s sensitivity was 1dB higher than the specified 87dB/2.83V/1m, though the effective impedance was low. (Vol.47 No.11 WWW) Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G: $17,900/pair
This three-way floorstander features a folded ribbon tweeter, a 4" midrange unit, and two reflex-loaded 8" woofers. The midrange and woofer cones are made from a three-layer diaphragm, with a skin of ceramic-coated aluminum in front of a Nomex honeycomb and two layers of carbon fiber. The Micro Pleated Diaphragm (MPD) III tweeter is said to extend to above 60kHz. There are two ports on the rear panel, one of which can be blocked if the low bass sounds excessive. JA did indeed block one of each speaker’s ports, as the port tuning frequency of 33Hz coincided with that of the lowest mode in his room. JA noted the excellent low-frequency extension and was impressed by the Monitor Audios’ imaging accuracy, which, he noted “was more like what you get from a pair of high-performance minimonitors.” In the test lab, JA’s measurements confirmed the Platinum 300 3G’s specified free-field sensitivity of 88dB/2.83V/m, though it was also revealed that this is a relatively demanding load. The speaker’s farfield response was flat in the low- and mid-treble regions but rose by a few dB in the top octave. JA didn’t find this to be an issue and summed his time with the Monitor Audios by writing “With its clean, uncolored midrange, its well-controlled, extended low frequencies, its well-defined stereo imaging, and its ability to play much louder than my usual minimonitors, Monitor Audio’s elegant-looking Platinum 300 3G is a high-performance loudspeaker. Strongly recommended.” (Vol.46 No.11 WWW)
Paradigm Founder 120H: $8999.98/pair
The floorstanding 120H, the flagship of the Canadian company’s six-model Founder series, uses three powered woofers with CarbonX cones, the behavior of which can be optimized with the ARC Genesis app. (A USB microphone for use with the app is included.) The 6" alloy-diaphragm midrange unit is mounted behind a Perforated Phase-Aligning Lens, which Paradigm claims results in a smoother frequency response, both on-axis and off-axis. The midrange and bass drivers are decoupled from the cabinet by an “Advanced Shock-Mount Isolation Mounting System.” The 1" alloy-dome tweeter is mounted at the center of a conical waveguide. The optimal listening axis is said to be between the tweeter and midrange, which is 39" from the floor. RvB found the 120H's trickier to place than most speakers, but once their positions had been optimized, he was impressed by what he heard: “It was the balance that was thrilling, and the continuity up and down the frequency range. Everything sounded ‘together,’ coherent, right.” The Paradigms offered superb low-frequency extension, though RvB found that without ARC room optimization there was a little too much bottom-octave energy. Even so, he wrote that “Bass-wise, the Founders, on spikes, acted like a velvet sledgehammer or an iron fist in a silk glove, if you like that sort of thing. I do.” JA’s estimate of the 120H’s sensitivity was 2dB lower than the specified 92dB(B)/2.83V/m, but this is still higher than average. He also noted that the large, trapezoidal cabinet was well-damped, though he found that the speaker’s quasi-anechoic response featured a slightly rising high end, which might correlate with need for careful setup. (Vol.45 No.12 WWW) Philharmonic Audio BMR Monitor: $2200/pair
The three-way BMR combines a reflex-loaded 6" ceramic-cone woofer with a RAAL ribbon tweeter and an unusual Balanced Mode Radiator midrange unit. The BMR driver uses a flat cone with rear weights that control breakup modes and shift the cone movement from pistonic to a bending motion in the lower treble. Listening to a mono Ahmad Jamal recording, RS liked what he heard: “The RAAL tweeters sounded like what you’d expect from a good ribbon tweeter—not soft, but sweeter than metal, more delicate than plastic, spookily transparent, and naturally extended. Double bass lines were easy to follow and a little rounded, which gave them an ebullient rhythmic swagger. Overall, the sound was fleet-footed and packed with well-sorted information.” Stereo recordings required some fine-tuning of the setup, but when everything was optimized, “objects sounded more fixed in space, padded, dimensional, defined, and spread out, with more distance between them.” RS wrote that the BMR Monitor had two outstanding features: first, its resolution, which was impressive by any standard; second, how well they’re able to recreate a soundstage: “The BMRs do space exceedingly well.” Philharmonic specifies the BMR Monitor’s voltage sensitivity as 86.5dB/2.83V/1m, which was confirmed by JA’s measurements; he noted that this speaker is a very demanding load for the partnering amplifier. He found that the frequency response was superbly even through the midrange and treble, though it gently shelved down above 11kHz. “Overall, the Philharmonic BMR Monitor offers superb measured performance,” he concluded. (Vol.48 No.4 WWW) PS Audio Aspen FR5: $4499/pair (stands necessary)
The smallest speaker in PS Audio’s Aspen line uses the same 2.5" planar-magnetic tweeter as its companions, mated to a 6.5" polypropylene-cone mid/woofer and a 6×9" carbon fiber passive radiator. The enclosure is heavily braced, with viscoelastic damping between the braces and the walls. Matching stands add $500/pair. KR was impressed by the FR5’s clean, no-nonsense design and its common-sense engineering“modern lines shaped by modern ideas.” Listening to a solo piano recording, KR noted that the bass was full, and the midrange seemed clear. The treble balance was optimized when he removed the magnetically attached mesh grilles. Summing up, he wrote that the Aspen FR5s were equally satisfying with a wide variety of music. “They offer excellent treble detail without brightness, fine voice delineation without emphasis, and generous bass for their size. Most impressive is the FR5s’ spacious soundstage, revealing tonally balanced voices and instruments with music intimate or massive. These speakers may be small, but they do not sound small.” JA found that the Aspen FR5’s voltage sensitivity was 1dB lower than the specified 83.5dB/2.83V/1m, which is already lower than average. Exacerbating this, the PS Audio’s impedance is also demanding. (Vol.47 No.12 WWW)
Stenheim Alumine Two.Five: $23,500/pair
This slim tower features a 1" soft-dome tweeter and two cellulose-cone woofers mounted in a ported aluminum enclosure. The lower woofer rolls off at high frequencies earlier than the upper woofer, hence the name: this is a two-and-a-half-way design. JA noted that while the Stenheim’s midrange was impressively uncolored, its low-treble balance was slightly forward, which will require careful system matching. Stereo imaging was stable and precise. “The clarity with which I could see into the soundscape was impressive,” he wrote, adding that the low frequencies sounded fast and well-controlled. The Alumine Two.Five’s specified half-space sensitivity is 93dB; JA measured 92.1dB(B)/2.83V/1m, though it is fair to note that this high sensitivity is achieved at the expense of low-frequency extension; the port is tuned to 42Hz. JA noted that the Alumine Two.Five is a current-hungry amplifier load, though this will be ameliorated by its high sensitivity. (Vol.48 No.6 WWW) TAD CE1TX: $48,000/pair in wood grain finish w/stands, $51,000/pair in piano black finish, stands included
A heavy (63.9lb) three-way standmount that features TAD's coaxial "Coherent Source Transducer" (CST) driver, which combines a 5.5" magnesium midrange cone with a concentrically mounted beryllium-dome tweeter. Frequencies below 250Hz are handled by a woofer with an aramid-composite cone; this unit is reflex-loaded with bidirectional, slit-shaped ducts with flared openings behind the speaker's sculpted-aluminum side panels. "The CE1TX loudspeakers sorted and presented the densest, most complicated and overproduced music in ways that made it more intelligible and agreeable," wrote HR. Using a variety of amplifiers, from low-powered tubed designs to high-power solid state models, HR summed up the TAD speaker as "extremely well-sorted," "exposes everything," and "flawless tone," with "an innate ability to present instruments and voices in a most agreeable, seductive manner." His overall conclusion: "This TAD is the finest example of speaker engineering I've ever encountered. Absolutely Class A." (Vol.46 No.6 WWW) Thrax Siren: $16,500/pair
This reflex-loaded, two-way standmount from Bulgaria mounts a horn-loaded 1" ring-diaphragm tweeter and an unusual 6.5" Purifi mid/woofer in a substantial enclosure with aluminum front and rear panels. When MC started his auditioning, he found that nothing about the sound drew his attention. But gradually he became aware of something special about the Sirens, first in the high-frequency range. “What I heard here did not sound like a tweeter of the usual kind,” he wrote. “Indeed, it was not aurally identifiable as a working mechanism but rather an open window into recordings. … it became clear that the treble range was delicately resolved, very detailed, and natural. While almost self-effacing, it possessed exceptional expressiveness combined with subtle dynamic nuance. When I concentrated further, I also heard beguiling immediacy with enchanting microdetail and exceptional transparency.” And the midrange? “What at first seemed a mildly recessed quality was progressively dispelled; the midrange blossomed, revealing a broadly balanced and natural richness imbued with much microdetail and growing transparency.” He summed up his experience of the Thrax speaker by writing, “With no midrange overprojection and a very low fatigue factor, the Siren enjoys very low distortion coupled with a smooth frequency response that’s largely free of delayed resonances. … The Siren joins those select few loudspeakers that are able to truly disappear into the soundstage illusion.” Thrax specifies the Siren’s sensitivity as 87dB/2.83V/m. JA’s B-weighted estimate was 85.6dB(B)/2.83V/m. While he found the Siren a demanding load for the partnering amplifier, he concluded that with its very quiet enclosure, relatively even frequency response, extended, articulate lows, well-controlled horizontal dispersion, and extraordinarily clean waterfall plot, the Thrax Siren’s measured behavior is “exemplary.” (Vol.47 No.4 WWW)
Vivid Kaya S12: $7700/pair (stands necessary)
The open-backed, aluminum-dome tweeter in the little Kaya S12 is the same one found in Vivid’s top-range Giya speakers and is coupled with a reflex-loaded, 4" aluminum-cone mid/bass driver. The cabinet is made from two layers of polyurethane, with the space between them broken up by tubular absorbers that also act as stiffening. HR noted that the S12s were above average in apparent speed, transparency, and resolution, but also a little lean in the bass and noisy through their upper octaves. However, when he bolted the speakers to their dedicated 24" stands, he found that the bass became fuller, solider, and deeper and focus and clarity increased. “The spindly stands added a measure of sheen and a richer, more polished tone that made the speakers sound less like a racecar and more like a luxury car,” he wrote. His conclusion? “Overall, the S12s are shy on bass but easy to drive; lightning fast, uber-transparent, micro-detailed, and extremely three-dimensional. Their defining trait is the beauty and intricacy of their projected soundspace.” JA was equally impressed. As well as a measured 86.3dB(B)/2.83V/m sensitivity and a relatively easy-to-drive impedance, the Kaya S12 offers an extraordinarily flat frequency response, well-controlled dispersion, and a clean waterfall plot. “The Vivid Kaya S12’s measured performance is indicative of the superb loudspeaker engineering I have come to expect from this brand,” he concluded. (Vol.45 No.4 WWW) Volti Audio Lucera: $12,900/pair
This three-way floorstander features a horn-loaded tweeter and midrange driver, along with a reflex-loaded 15" paper-cone woofer. The hand-built crossover uses metalized polypropylene capacitors, 14-gauge, hand-wound air-coil copper inductors, and metal-oxide resistors, all mounted on separate wooden boards positioned within the damped Baltic Birch plywood cabinet to minimize vibration. Lynk resistors on the rear panel allow the tweeter and midrange output levels to be fine-tuned, but after some experimentation, KM returned to the factory settings. KM started his auditioning with the speakers single-wired but found that with biwiring “the soundstage bloomed, and all the most important sonic elements improved: treble clarity, definition, visceral impact.” Playing the Beach Boys’ “’Til I Die,” KM found that the Luceras “rendered every voice and instrument uniquely, revealing the intricate layers: gently resonant vibraphone; pulsing electronic bass drum; colossal Hammond B3; towering vocal stacks. All this resulted in a veritable cathedral of sensory overload. Goosebumps.” The Lucera sits slightly on the warm side of neutral, he decided, adding that the treble and mids were clear and clean, never strident, closed in, or boxy, and that the low end was tight and tuneful. “The Luceras deliver seamless integration, sparkling highs, clear, warm mids, and abundant, pinpoint bass that refuses to go flabby,” he concluded. “They sounded good with everything I connected them to, including both tube and hybrid power amps.” The Lucera’s specified sensitivity is 99dB/2.83V/1m; JA’s B-weighted estimate was slightly lower, at 97.6dB(B)/2.83V/1m, but this is still very much higher than average. While JA noted that this speaker is a demanding load for the partnering amplifier, this will be ameliorated by the very high sensitivity. The measured response on the tweeter axis had a significant suckout in the midrange, but as this starts to fill in 5° above that axis, Lucera owners should tilt the speakers forward or sit in something like a director’s chair to get the optimal midrange balance. Another suckout in the mid-treble region can be compensated for by not toeing in the speakers. (Vol.48 No.9 WWW) Voxativ Ampeggio 2024: $15,900/pair with the AC-1.9 driver
A further development of the original horn-loaded, single-driver, floorstanding Ampeggio, which was enthusiastically reviewed by AD in 2011, the Ampeggio 2024 features an optimized cabinet, a redesigned support system, and a choice of 8" full-range drivers. The base-model Ampeggio 2024 with the paper-cone AC-1.9 driver, which KM auditioned, costs $13,900/pair. (The alternative AC-4B driver uses a wooden or paper cone and raises the price to $26,900/pair.) The phase plug is made from brass, aluminum, birch, maple, or oak. KM loved what he heard, writing that the Ampeggio 2024s “were unique in their ability to remove themselves from my listening space while filling it with physical, natural-sounding music, from delicate vibraphones and glistening guitars to punchy vibrating drum skins and vocals that were spookily real.” He marveled at how the Ampeggios transmitted sound in the upper mids through the treble with such fine layering, lucidity, tonal keenness, and textural precision that the sum bordered on holographic. JA’s measurements indicated an amplifier-friendly impedance and very high sensitivity but limited low-frequency extension. While the on-axis frequency response had boosted high frequencies, JA noted that as with the original Ampeggio, “firing the speakers in the forward directionnot toeing them all the way in to the listening seatshould give a more neutral tonal balance in the top audio octaves.” (Vol.47 No.6 WWW)
Voxativ Hagen2 Monitor: $7900/pair
The Hagen2 uses a hand-crafted, 5" wide-range driver with a cone made from Japanese calligraphy paper. The AF-1.9 drive unit features a heavy cast basket and a neodymium magnet and is back-loaded with a short horn. There is no crossover. The speaker rolls off around 50Hz at the bottom and 30kHz at the top. The specified sensitivity is 88dB/2.83V at 43Hz and 95dB/2.83V at 5kHz—“the Hagen2’s treble-to-bass balance satisfied me completely, with only 4W of single-ended 300B power,” wrote HR, who described the sound as “sparkplug fast. And completely unmuffled.” He added that “dynamic compression was minimal. Midrange textures were crisply rendered.” His conclusion? “The Hagen2 Monitor, with its unbridled vigor and shameless resolve, was the least colored, least inhibited, most exciting loudspeaker I’ve put between my mind and my music.” (Vol.48 No.4 WWW) B (FULL RANGE): Audiovector QR 7SE: $6800/pair
A large, three-way tower, the Danish QR 7 combines an AMT tweeter with a “Pure Piston Technology” midrange unit and twin “Pure Piston Technology” woofers. All three of the lower-frequency drivers use aluminum-sandwich diaphragms, and the woofers are reflex-loaded with a bottom-firing port. JA found that the speaker’s weighty, extended low frequencies made setup tricky, but other than a slight excess of energy in the upper midrange, he ended up with a smooth, even tonal balance from the low bass upward. Stereo imaging was precisely defined. JA felt that the QR 7 will work best in medium- to large-sized rooms. His estimated sensitivity was slightly lower than the specified 90.5dB/W/m, at 88.7dB(B)/2.83V/m, though this is still higher than average. (Vol.45 No.9 WWW) GoldenEar T66: $7200/pair in Santa Barbara Red, $6000/pair in Gloss Black $$$
Resembling GoldenEar’s earlier Triton One.R in that it is a slim three-way tower with a powered subwoofer section, the T66 is the first GoldenEar speaker that has had its design optimized by Garth Powell, AudioQuest’s senior director of engineering. The High-Velocity Folded Ribbon (HVFR) AMT tweeter is positioned between two 4.5" midrange/bass drivers with Multi-Vaned Phase Plugs. Frequencies below 150Hz are handled by two 5" × 9" “Quadratic” drivers, reflex-loaded with two 8" × 12" passive radiators. Internal wiring is AudioQuest’s direction-controlled, Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) cable, which employs a carbon layer said to maximize RF noise dissipation. The subwoofer amplifier’s input is taken from the midrange/woofer posts, but there is also an LFE RCA input jack, and the crossover is implemented with DSP. JA’s initial impression was that the T66 sounded like a more dynamic, clearer, cleaner-sounding cousin of GoldenEar’s BRX standmount, with considerably more powerful and extended low frequencies and more top-octave air. Recordings of solo piano were commendably free from coloration, and the T66 consistently excelled when it came to reproducing voices. JA commented that this full-range speaker neatly stepped out of the way of the music. The measurements confirmed the usefully high 91dB/2.83V/m voltage sensitivity, and while JA noted that the T66 is a demanding load, this will be ameliorated by the high sensitivity. Other than its elevated top octave, which will require care with system matching and setup, the GoldenEar T66 “offers excellent measured performance,” JA concluded. (Vol.47 No.8 WWW)
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle: $4999.98/pair $$$
This large tower features what SVS calls “Acoustically centered architecture.” A centrally mounted 1" vapor-deposition diamond-coated tweeter is in the center, flanked above and below by a pair of 5.25" composite glass-fibercone midrange units. These in turn are flanked by a pair of 8" woofers and each front-firing woofer is paired with an identical woofer on the rear, these wired in the same polarity to give a bipolar radiation pattern. The four woofers are reflex-loaded with two ports on the rear panel. SM commented that the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle can reproduce a well-recorded piano, and do that with the power and finesse he expects from speakers costing many times its price. It also did well with female vocals. When JA listened to Miles Davis’s “Someday My Prince Will Come” on the SVS speakers, he said that “Paul Chambers's bass was evenly balanced through the range, and nicely articulate,” adding that “This recording was reproduced with enough top-octave energy on the cymbals and the high-hat on Philly Joe Jones’s kit.” Listening to Robert Silverman’s Stereophile LP of Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B Minor, SM found that the Steinway D concert grand sounded superb, while JA commented, “These speakers love the piano. They get the force right. The sheer dynamics and articulation of the left handno distortion.” “With fine execution of a complex design, high-quality components, and spectacular musical performance, the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle SVS has raised the bar on what's possible at and near its price,” concluded SM. JA’s measurements confirmed the SVS’s specified sensitivity of 88dB/2.83V/m. However, its current-hungry impedance and lack of presence region energy on-axis will require care taken in system matching and setup, he warned. (Vol.47 No.10 WWW) Volti Audio Razz: $8200/pair ★
This beautifully constructed, high-sensitivity tower combines a horn-loaded 1" tweeter with a horn-loaded 2" midrange compression driver and a reflex-loaded 12" woofer. “The ability of Volti Audio’s Razz to portray music of any genre with scale, realism, and thrilling dynamics is unmatched by any loudspeaker I’ve had in my system,” wrote TG, adding that while the Razz demonstrates a lovely midrange liquidity, “there’s no sacrifice of detail.” While Volti specifies the Razz’s sensitivity as 97dB, JA’s estimate was somewhat lower at a still-high 93dB(B)/2.83V/m, though JA did note that the Volti’s highish impedance makes the speaker an easy load for amplifiers. Low and high frequencies are boosted compared to the midrange level, though the treble can be fine-tuned by experimenting with toe-in. Price is for walnut, mahogany, black cherry, or maple veneer. Premium finishes add $1000/pair. Volti allows the user to tweak the output of the tweeter and midrange driver by replacing crossover resistors, which may be accessed in a recess on the back panel. For his Follow-Up, KM tried juicing the midrange but returned the Razz to its factory setup for his auditioning. He wondered: Is the $7500/pair Razz as good as the $16,000/pair Volti Rival that he reviewed in June 2017? “Maybe,” he wrote, adding that the Razz’s demeanor seemed very much the same as that of the Rival, just on a smaller scale, with the same balanced sound, even temperament, and genre-agnostic capabilities. “I can say this much with confidence,” he concluded. The Razz “will get you close to the Rival experience for considerably less money.” (Vol.43 No.8, Vol.46 No.12 WWW) Wharfedale Dovedale: $7495/pair (including stands)
This three-way, reflex-loaded standmount from the venerable British brand is manufactured in owner IAG’s new factory in England. JA was impressed by the Wharfedale’s stereo imaging. “I was intrigued by how such large speakers could completely disappear, leaving a wide, deep soundstage,” he wrote, “but disappear they did.” He was also impressed by the weight and articulation of the Dovedale’s low frequencies. While the Dovedale’s mid-treble could sound a little too forward with some recordings, he felt that this was outweighed by the “powerful, extended low frequencies, natural-sounding midrange, and generally clean high frequencies.” In the test lab, JA noted the flat on-axis response and confirmed the high specified sensitivity of 89dB/2.83V/m, though he noted that the Dovedale was a demanding load for the partnering amplifier. “Amplifier choice [will be] critical in getting the best from this speaker,” he concluded. (Vol.47 No.4 WWW)
B (RESTRICTED LF):
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3: $3600/pair (stands necessary)
The elegant-looking, two-way standmount combines a carbon-diaphragm tweeter in B&W's familiar bullet-shaped enclosure with a reflex-loaded, Continuum-cone woofer. KR found that the matching FS-700 S3 24" stands ($799 pair) were essential for situating the tweeters at ear level and that minimal toe-in expanded the soundstage while avoiding on-axis brightness. He commented that three qualities of the 705s were evident: satisfying bass output (belied by their size); great detail and presence; and a wall-to-wall soundstage. "Their midrange and treble resolution is outstanding, and their bass is musically satisfying," KR concluded. JA's measurements indicated that the sensitivity was slightly higher than the specified 88dB/2.83V/m, but this will be due in part to the fact that the on-axis response slopes upward in the treble, peaking by almost 10dB at 10kHz. He commented that this behavior will not be heard as "brightness" as such. Instead, it will add "air," "transparency," and "openness" to the perceived balance. But it will make system matching tricky and may emphasize surface noise with vinyl playback. (Vol.46 No.7 WWW) Chario Aviator Amelia: $8400/pair; optional stablizers (bases) are recommended, $820
This three-way, Italian tower mounts one of its 5.1" woofers on the rear of the natural wooden enclosure, the other firing downward, next to the reflex port on the base. The 38mm silk-dome tweeter sits below the 5.1" midrange unit. The Chario Aviator Amelia’s delivery “seems unforced and easy,” wrote JMu, “but not ‘easy’ as in laid-back. Easy as in effortless.” She noted the Amelia’s “smooth, vivid naturalism, ... big on immediacynot shy about delivering a punch.” JMu did comment that with some albums the Chario’s high end seemed slightly exaggerated and in the test lab, JA found that the on-axis response did indeed peak in the top octave, notably so with tube amplifiers. However, as the speaker is very directional in this region the Amelia’s treble balance can be adjusted by experimenting with toe-in: “No toe-in and the top octaves will be too mellow,” he wrote, but warned that “complete toe-in to the listener position and the high treble will sound fizzy.” His estimate of the Chario’s sensitivity was inconsequentially lower than the specified 90dB, at 88.6dB(B)/2.83V/m. (Vol.45 No.6 WWW) DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93: $8820/pair $$$ ★
Made in Brooklyn, New York, the Orangutan O/93 is a two-way floorstanding loudspeaker with a SEAS 1" soft-dome tweeter—the same one used in DeVore’s upmarket O/96—and a 10" paper-cone bass/midrange driver. It has a claimed sensitivity of 93dB and a nominal impedance of 10 ohms. The beautifully finished cabinet is made from a combination of Baltic birch plywood and MDF; the front baffle has a distinctive fiddleback mahogany veneer, while the sides, back, and rear are veneered in maple and finished in a semitranslucent gloss-black lacquer. Driving the O/93s with a Unison Research Simply Italy amplifier, ST noted the DeVores’ lively, immediate sound: a sweet, extended treble; punchy bass; and a deep, wide soundstage with excellent center fill. In his Follow-Up, AD praised the O/93 for the physicality of its sound—the sense of touch in robustly played piano trills, the feel of mallet against marimba, the tactile pluck of a double bass—and for its fine overall balance that allowed excellent timbral color from acoustic instruments yet also “gave nearly full weight” to kettledrums. He regards the O/93 as among the best choices for people who appreciate the impact, drama, and thrills of vintage loudspeakers yet whose rooms and budgets require a contemporary speaker of more modest price and size—considered as which, the DeVore is “far better stuff than most everyone else is making.” With the O/93s driven by the Linear Tube Audio Z10e amplifier, HR concluded, “I've experienced countless audio components that measured well, but only a rare few that produced authentic tone, nine octaves of natural detail, and copious atmospherics. The LTA Z10e driving the DeVore Orangutan O/93s did all that.” In a measurements Follow-Up, JA estimated the O/93’s sensitivity as 90.1dB—slightly lower than the nominal 93dB, yet still, when combined with the speaker’s 10 ohm impedance, indicative of a very flea-watt–friendly loudspeaker. (Vol.37 No.1, Vol.38 No.12, Vol.39 No.6, Vol.41 No.5, Vol.42 No.1, Vol.43 No.5 WWW)
DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/baby: $5700/pair (stands necessary)
This relatively large, heavy standmount combines a 0.75" horn-loaded textile-dome tweeter from Denmark’s Vifa and a 7" paper-cone woofer from Norway’s SEAS, both drive units made to DeVore’s specifications. KM found that with the O/baby speakers, “the music flowing into my room was terrific: physical, live, enveloping, natural, with good scale. Dynamics ranged from house-mouse still to boisterous and brazen. The sweet spot was truly sweet.” He described the treble as “exacting, revealing, supersilky,” the midrange as “rich and see-through,” and the bass as “tight and well defined,” if less weighty than that of the larger Orangutan O/96. Overall, “these babies pack a mighty, two-fisted wallop.” The DeVore O/baby’s specified sensitivity is a high 90dB/W/m, which, with the speaker’s relatively high average impedance, was confirmed by JA. However, he noted that the O/baby will probably work best with a tube amplifier’s 4 ohm output transformer tap. Matching stands cost $995/pair. (Vol.46 No.12 WWW) Dragonfire Mini Dragon DFA 2.1: $9992 for the system
The DFA 2.1 system from Dragonfire Acoustics comprises the company's Mini Dragon Satellite planar-magnetic desktop speakers; MD-4 250 Wpc class-D amp, which contains a DSP module for correcting and controlling the speakers; and DFA SB-8P subwoofer, along with a version of the miniDSP SHD headphone amp/streamer (equipped with Dirac Live room-correction software), plus a suite of cables and a calibrated USB microphone. Although Dragonfire published individual prices for all of the above, they really must be used together—especially the speakers and the amp, which cannot perform optimally in isolation from each other. Although JVS found that "setup was not without its challenges" and noted, duly, that the Dragonfire system was designed for "intimate listening where its monitors are precisely aligned to ear height," he remarked that the system's "remarkably transparent, colorful, and detailed full-range sound is musical to the core." JA noted that the system "offers excellent measured performance," but confirmed the for desktops only dictum. (Vol.42 No.9 WWW) Dynaudio Focus 10: $5500/pair (stands necessary)
The Primary two-way, sealed-box, active standmount offers single-ended analog, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Toslink inputs, with connection to the second Client speaker either via wired S/PDIF or WISA-standard Wi-Fi. A Bluetooth remote control is supplied, but the Roon Ready speakers can also be controlled with Dynaudio’s Connect and Control app. DSP is used not just for the crossover, placement optimization, and tone controls, but also to reduce the 5" woofer’s low-frequency extension at high spls. JVS used Roon and Tidal Connect for his auditioning and commented that the Focus 10s sounded natural, balanced from top to bottom, and invitingly warm. “Colors, while not as saturated as on my many, many times more expensive reference rig,” he wrote, “were nicely differentiated and sufficiently compelling to pull me in.” He preferred the presentation with the wired connection between the two speakers, which operates up to a sample rate of 192kHz, noting that with the Wi-Fi connection, which downsamples hi-rez data to 96kHz, transparency was lessened, colors were less saturated, and instruments were surrounded by less air. The Focus 10 did well in JA’s lab, though he noted that the speaker has a higher latency, almost 12ms, than other digital active designs he has tested. The Focus 10 includes Dirac room correction, but even without Dirac, “the Focus 10s are easy to set up and optimize, and they deliver all they promise,” JVS concluded. JA investigated the Dynaudio speaker’s incorporation of Dirac Live in a follow-up review. He found that it was necessary to perform the Dirac measurements at the same spl that will be used for the auditioning. Once that was done, he created four filters offering different degrees of correction and auditioned each with a variety of music. “Even without Dirac Live, the Dynaudio Focus 10 combines ease of setup and use, stereo imaging precision, and a natural-sounding midrange with surprising low-frequency extension, provided the spl is kept below 85dB or so,” he concluded, “but Dirac Live takes its sound quality to another level.” (Vol.46 Nos.2 & 11 WWW)
EJ Jordan Marlow: £1960/pair
This LS3/5a-sized minimonitor uses a single full-range drive unit based on the late Ted Jordan’s work. “I had forgotten how much havoc an energy-absorbing, phase-twisting, signal-molesting loudspeaker crossover could wreak,” wrote HR, adding “I was stunned by how direct, quiet, and transparent the Jordans sounded.” He conjectured that “when we get rid of the tweeter, especially one that operates below 3kHz, we eliminate a layer of fuzzy, splashy, phasey blurring that we didn’t know was there. Sans tweeter, the sound is more direct and accurate to the source.” While the Marlow cannot deliver commodious deep bass or play loud, HR wrote that it satisfied his hunger to peer into recordings as directly and excitedly as possible, concluding that he “fell in love with its petite, truth-telling charms.” JA was less impressed. Though the Marlow offered a good 87dB(B)/2.83V/m sensitivity and its overdamped reflex alignment would benefit from the low-frequency reinforcement from close wall placement, its frequency response was decidedly unflat, with a peaky upper midrange owing to the lack of baffle-step compensation that would have been provided by a crossover. “With music, the boosted upper mids may well have contributed to the added sense of recorded detail that HR reported hearing,” JA wrote, adding “but whether the Marlow is perceived as having too much upper midrange or suppressed lower midrange and treble will depend on the recordings being played.” JA concluded that the measured performance of the Marlow suggests that this will be a loudspeaker for “special tastes or special systems.” (Vol.45 Nos.4 & 5 WWW) Fleetwood Sound Company DeVille SQ: $18,600/pair (stands optional)
The Deville’s “steam-punk-meets-modern” styling disguises a high-performance two-way design with a compression-driven, conical-hornloaded polymer-diaphragm tweeter and an 8" paper-cone woofer with a phenolic grille. KM wrote that the Fleetwood DeVille SQ’s “upper midrange and treble poured out music with microscopic detail, tactility, and complexity. ... [I]ts top end was meticulous yet never analytical. Micro- and macrodynamics were first rate and fast as hell.” He added that the low end was tight and focused with no boom or muck and concluded that “Beef and brawn are not its calling cards, but rather lucidity, spatial beauty, clarity, dynamics, and precision.” In the test lab, JA found that the Fleetwood speaker’s sensitivity was a little lower than the specified 94dB/W/m, but still usefully high at 91.7dB. The flattest response in the midrange and mid-treble regions was 5° above the axis of the horn-loaded tweeter, which will be 46" from the floor with the speaker sitting on its dedicated stand. He also noted that the tonal balance will be too mellow unless the speakers are toed in to the listening position. Natural-finish “torrefied” stands add $1550/pair; black-painted, reclaimed hickory stands add $750/pair. Optional grilles cost $350 or $450/pair depending on type. (Vol.45 No.5 WWW) GoldenEar BRX: $1500/pair (stands necessary)
The final loudspeaker to be introduced by GoldenEar while Sandy Gross was still with the company he cofounded, the immaculate-looking BRX (for Bookshelf Reference X) marries the flagship Triton Reference’s HVFR (High-Velocity Folded Ribbon) tweeter and 6" polypropylene-cone upper-bass/midrange driver to a pair of 6.5" planar passive radiators. The optimal listening axis is just below the tweeter, so JA used 30" Sanus SF30 twin-pillar stands to get the best sound. The result is superb stereo imaging accuracy and uncolored, natural-sounding midrange and treble with the grilles, but a touch too much mid-treble energy without them. Excellent low-frequency extension, to 50Hz, for such a small speaker, JA found, with fleshed-out upper bass even with the BRXes used well away from the wall behind them. Measured sensitivity was 87.5dB(B)/2.83V/m compared with the specified 90dB. “While it benefits from being powered by high-quality amplification, its sound quality features an uncolored midrange, clean high frequencies, and enough mid- and upper-bass energy to satisfy, coupled with stable, accurate stereo imaging,” he concluded. However, he warned that despite its impedance being specified as “compatible with 8 ohms,” the BRX will perform best with substantial amplifier power. HR enthusiastically echoed JA’s praise for the GoldenEar’s sound, writing “My auditions suggest that the new GoldenEar BRXs might be the best thing to happen to affordable speakers since the debut of the KEF LS50. With the right amplifier, they achieved a level of overt lucidity that is extremely rare at this price.” (Vol.43 Nos.9 & 12 WWW)
Harbeth P3esr XD: $2990–$3190/pair depending on finish (stands necessary) ★
In its standard version, the two-way, sealed-cabinet P3ESR ($2195/pair) stands just 12" tall and pairs a 0.75" tweeter with a 5" woofer, the latter using Harbeth’s proprietary, patented Radial2 polymer for clarity and low-level resolution. Restricted in loudness and bass extension, the P3ESR had a slightly warm overall balance characterized by smooth highs, an uncolored midrange, and stable and accurate stereo imaging. “The Harbeth P3ESR is the best iteration yet from any manufacturer of the BBC LS3/5A minimonitor concept,” JA concluded. The littlest Harbeth also gets the strongest recommendation from JM. While its lack of bass (both low and mid) disqualified it for most rock and large-scale orchestral performances, BD felt, the Harbeth’s incredible midrange clarity and detail made it an outstanding choice for small, intimate works. The 40th Anniversary Edition added upgraded connectors, internal cable, and crossover capacitors; aesthetically, it added an exclusive olivewood veneer and two commemorative badges. This edition found favor with HR: Used on TonTräger P3 stands ($1485/pair) and compared to the standard P3ESRs, the 40th Anniversary Edition Harbeths showed “greater separation of instruments, and a fleshier texture to [Birgit] Nilsson’s voice.” Herb regarded the 40th Anniversary Edition P3ESR as “the best-built, most natural-sounding small speaker I have ever heard” and considered the prices of both versions “chickenfeed.” Later still, HR enjoyed his time with the latest XD version of Harbeth’s classic minimonitor, both on its own and with Harbeth’s Nelson subwoofer/stand. (See Subwoofers.) Using a variety of amplifiers, he noted that the ability to peer deep into recordings was the P3ESR XD’s defining trait. Overall, “Harbeth’s P3ESR XD sounded exactly as I expected it would: more finely detailed and transparent than my memories of the 40th Anniversary edition I used for several years.” (Vol.33 Nos.8 & 10, Vol.34 No.7, Vol.41 No.12, Vol.47 No.7 WWW) Harbeth Super HL5plus XD: $7790—$7990/pair depending on finishes (stands necessary)
The same size as the BBC-inspired Spendor BC1, the three-way, reflex-loaded Harbeth features the same combination of drive units as that 1970s-era speaker: a woofer, a tweeter, and a supertweeter. These are all thoroughly modern units, however. The in-housemade woofer features Harbeth's RADIAL2 polymeric composite-cone; the tweeter and supertweeter use aluminum domes and are sourced from SEAS. KM liked what he heard: "The Super HL5plus XD succeeded at being exceptionally refined, robust, and fun, in roughly equal parts. It was ultradetailed but never surgical. Its immaculate resolution never sounded less than natural, smooth, never processed." Imaging and soundstage were similarly profound, KM wrote, producing "an enveloping 3D soundfield, at least with recordings with that potential." He concluded that the Harbeth is tailor-made for well-recorded classical with its grandeur, spaciousness, and separation. He also enjoyed jazz and female vocals with this speaker. However, when he played anything that required "major boogie factor"ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Mastodonhe found he wasn't satisfied. "They seemed to lack the drive needed to fill my small room with convincing rebel sounds." Writing from his test lab, JA confirmed the 86dB/2.83V/m, sensitivity and noted that while the Super HL5plus was a relatively easy load, tube amplifiers will work best with their 4 ohm output transformer taps. He found that the frequency response was impressively even, with small peaks balanced by small reductions in energy, though he commented that there was a very slight downward slope in the treble. (Vol.46 No.9 WWW) JansZen Audio Valentina P8: $11,250/pair
This complex floorstander uses a multi-element electrostatic diaphragm in a sealed subenclosure mounted between two 8" dynamic woofers, these also loaded with a sealed box. An auxiliary 1" ring-dome tweeter is mounted outboard on each speaker, firing sideways toward the nearest sidewall. Rear-panel controls allow the levels of the electrostatic driver and woofers to be individually adjustedwith these level controls, the tiltback of the speaker’s baffle, and the side-mounted tweeter, JA found that optimizing the Valentina P8s’ setup in his room was complicated. Fortunately, he noted, the extensive manual offered useful advice, and after experimenting with the speakers’ positions, toe-in, and level controls, JA found that the high frequencies were naturally balanced, the midrange was uncolored and clear, the reasonably extended low frequencies were articulate, and the JansZen speakers presented a clear window into the recorded soundstage. The measured sensitivity varied somewhat with the exact measurement axis. JA found that the P8’s voltage sensitivity was low, at 8384dB/2.83V/m depending on the measurement axis, but noted that this speaker is a relatively easy load for the partnering amplifier. “The JansZen Valentina P8’s measured performance indicates that, when optimally set up, it will give an even tonal balance,” he concluded. (Vol.45 No.6 WWW)
JBL 4329P: $4949/pair (stands necessary)
This hefty, powered, two-way, reflex-loaded standmount features class-D amplification, and Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, Bluetooth, and S/PDIF digital inputs as well as balanced and single-ended line-level analog inputs. A switch allows a 3dB low-frequency rolloff for when the speakers are placed against a wall. There is also a subwoofer output. The 4329P can be controlled with a local web-page—an app is promised—and it works with both Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast. TF described the sound as “subjectively full-range”—and commented that the speaker’s voicing reminded him of “some other modern speakers, seemingly tipped up a bit though not, in this case, to an annoying extent.” TF concluded that during the month it was a part of his life, the 4329P system provided many hours of enjoyable listening. “The 4329P has a retro look but sounds modern—classic big, bold, American JBL sound with better clarity than JBL speakers of yore,” he wrote. JA’s measurements indicated that the JBL speaker's farfield output was impressively even, as was the superbly well-controlled radiation pattern. “The frequency response, horizontal dispersion, and low-frequency alignment are textbook,” he concluded. Optional JS-80 stands cost $400/pair. (Vol.46 No.10 WWW) Klipsch RP-600M II: $699/pair (stands necessary) $$$
The original version of Klipsch’s two-way standmounted RP-600M used a 6.5" spun-copper-plus-ceramic-cone woofer to handle frequencies below 1.8kHz and a 1" titanium-diaphragm tweeter loaded with a Tractrix horn to reproduce everything else. The new version is an inch deeper than the old and has a larger conical-tractrix high-frequency horn and a redesigned woofer, which sports Faraday rings and a larger voice-coil. While HR preferred the old Klipsches with their speaker grilles attached, he found the new Klipsches sounded best with them removed. “The combined effect of the revised horn and bass driver is to add weight, presence, and low-signal delicacy to the presentation,” he wrote. While the original speakers did an extraordinary job of emphasizing the beat and “diagramming the melody” of classical music, the new Klipsch “is simply more refined-sounding.” HR commented on the Klipsch’s “ability to play really loud” with even an 8W amplifier, though reporting from his lab, JA estimated the original RP-600M’s sensitivity to be 89.6dB—”much lower” than Klipsch’s spec. Even so, he praised the earlier speaker’s “impressive measured performance, especially when its affordable price is taken into account.” (Vol.42 No.4, original version; Vol.46 No.8 WWW) Klipsch The Nines: $1599/pair (stands necessary) $$$
This relatively small, two-way active standmount loudspeaker system includes class-D amplification, digital and analog inputsthe latter appear to be digitized at 96kHzand on-board DSP. A horn-loaded, titanium-dome 1" tweeter is accompanied by a reflex-loaded 8" fiber-compositecone woofer. ln addition to HDMI-ARC with CEC, Bluetooth 5.0, TosLink S/PDIF, and USB2 Type B digital inputs, there are two single-ended analog inputs: one on RCA jacks for phono and the other on a 3.5mm stereo minijack for line-level signal. There is also a line-level subwoofer output. Playing digital files, TF found that the Nines excelled at the transmission of low-level details and as long as he kept the level moderate, the bass sounded clean and went deep. TF played LPs with an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge and described the Nines’ phono preamp as “easygoing.” Like the 2M Blue, “it doesn’t pull every last detail out of the groove, but it pulls out enough to enjoy the music.” TF concluded that the Nines “grab enough of the music, and push it out in the room, to get the party started and keep it going all night.” In JA’s test lab, The Nines’ woofer alignment appeared to be somewhat overdamped, the frequency balance was impressively even overall, though with a very slight rise in output above 7kHz, and the lateral dispersion was superbly well-controlled. Optional KS-24 stands cost $349/pair. (Vol.47 No.2 WWW)
McIntosh ML1 MkII: $14,000/pair (stands included)
The four-way, sealed-enclosure ML1 MkII is a redesign of a classic McIntosh speaker from the 1970s. Unabashedly old-fashioned in its appearance, with a bulky wood-framed grille, the MkII’s titanium-dome tweeter is placed above a 2" cloth-dome upper-midrange unit that has a 4" polypropylene-cone lower midrange driver on each side. Low frequencies are handled by a high-excursion, polypropylene-cone 12" woofer that SM found “got deep into the backbeat” on Little Feat’s live Waiting for Columbus album. SM preferred the presentation with the grilles removed, which gave more detail and soundstage information, more precise attacks, and more distinct instrumental timbres. He concluded that the McIntosh ML1 Mk II “offers a unique, three prong combination of effs: finesse, firepower, and fun. A pair of these speakers will recreate music in all its variety without blinking, with personality and style to spare.” JA’s measurements confirmed the 85dB/2.8V/m specified sensitivity; he noted that the ML1 is a demanding amplifier load, exacerbated by the lower-than-average sensitivity. JA also found that the level of the lower-midrange unit was a little lower than appropriate and that the overall response was more even without the grille. He recommended not toeing in the speakers to the listening position for the most neutral tonal balance. (Vol.47 No.7 WWW) Mission 770: $5000/pair including stands
Looking almost identical to the classic 770 from 1979, the 2022 770 is a completely new standmounted, two-way, reflex-loaded design from IAG’s Peter Comeau. Drive units are a 28mm soft-dome tweeter and a mineral-loadedpolypropylene-cone woofer. JA found the 770s’ low frequencies extended and articulate, with low distortion. He was also impressed by the speaker’s midrange, which he described as “warm, detailed, and musically involving,” especially with vocal recordings. He summed up his time with the 770 by saying that its “sonic character was in some ways more than the sum of its parts.” The Mission’s respectable measured behavior correlated well with its sound quality, though while the specified sensitivity is 88dB/2.83V/m, JA’s estimate was 2.5dB lower. Ameliorating that discrepancy, the Mission is a relatively easy load. (Vol.45 No.11 WWW) Mobile Fidelity Electronics SourcePoint 10: $2999/pair (stands necessary)
This hefty, reflex-loaded, two-way standmount is from the CAD app of veteran speaker engineer Andrew Jones, who, over the years, has designed well-regarded speakers from KEF, Infinity, Pioneer, TAD, and ELAC. Unusually, it uses a coaxial driver that mounts a 1.25" soft-dome tweeter at the center of a 10" woofer’s paper-pulp cone. The woofer cone acts as a waveguide, and with its corrugated surround not disturbing the tweeter’s wavefront, this results in what JA confirmed as well-controlled dispersion. Low frequencies extend to 42Hz, –6dB, and the farfield response was respectably flat in the midrange and low treble, with a slight rise in the top two audio octaves that JA heard, though he noted that the high frequencies were clean and that the speaker otherwise sounded smoothly balanced and uncolored. He found the SourcePoint 10s’ stereo imaging precise and stable, and commented favorably on the speaker’s high dynamic range capability. JA’s measurements confirmed the high specified sensitivity of 91dB/2.83V/m and indicated that the MoFi speaker won’t be a difficult load for the partnering amplifier. Overall, he concluded that with its clean, superbly well-defined low frequencies, the natural-sounding midrange, the high sensitivity, the easy-to-drive impedance, the ability to play loudly without strain, and the affordable price, the SourcePoint 10 gets a thumbs-up. In his follow-up review, KM wrote that he heard sweet, extended treble, natural, clear, and stomach-churning sub bass. “The SourcePoint 10’s versatility—its ability to delight playing all styles of music with a wide variety of amplifiers—make it, in my opinion, a contender for Loudspeaker of the Year,” he concluded. (Vol.46 Nos.2 & 6 WWW)
Mobile Fidelity Electronics SourcePoint 8: $2195/pair (stands necessary)
With similar looks to the larger SourcePoint 10, the SourcePoint 8 substitutes an 8" coaxial driver for the '10's 10" unit but this driver's active area is almost as large. KR found that the clearest and most stable center imaging was achieved with the SourcePoint 8s toed in about halfway between straight ahead and directly aimed at the listening position. He also found that the SourcePoint 8 demonstrated remarkable bass for a small box with a bass driver of modest size. "They did not reproduce much output below 50Hz," he wrote, "but above that frequency they proved capable of tight, powerful bass." KR concluded that this is a balanced, wide-range speaker, enjoyable at all practical volume levels. The SourcePoint 8 demonstrates how satisfying a small, relatively affordable loudspeaker can be, he wrote, adding that "they generate a fairly wide and deep soundstage that is notably transparent and detailed." JA noted that the MoFi SourcePoint 8 offers excellent measured performance, is an easy amplifier, and he confirmed the specified 87dB/2,83V/m sensitivity. (Vol.46 No.9 WWW) Moon by Simaudio Voice 22: $3200/pair (stands necessary)
The smallish, designed in Canada, made-in-Indonesia Voice 22 marries a waveguide-loaded, 29mm textile-dome tweeter with a reflex-loaded, long-throw, 6.1" woofer that has a cone made from mineral-filled polypropylene. Unusually, RS found that the speakers sounded best without any toe-in to the listening position: "the sound was clearer and more incisive that way, yet also bloomier and more open-air breathy." While the 22's treble couldn't reach the same airy heights of his twice-the-price reference speakers, he noted that the Voices "reproduced an introspective, well-lit environment bathed in texture and space" and were "adept at exposing reverb." RS concluded that the Moon Voice 22's most conspicuous sonic attribute "was its well-sorted, seamless midrange." The speaker incorporates a removable "hover" base, a tapered isolation platform with a rubberlike material base, which is magnetically affixed to the speaker. JA found that this did reduce the level of the enclosure's vibrational modes. JA also estimated the Voice 22's sensitivity as an inconsequential 1dB lower than the specified 89dB/2.83V/m. Frequency balance was a little forward in the upper-midrange, but the cumulative spectral-decay plot "is superbly clean," he remarked. (Vol.46 No.5 WWW) Q Acoustics 5040: $1499/pair $$$
This slim, elegant-looking tower features a vertical D’Appolito drive-unit array comprising a 0.9" fabric-dome tweeter positioned between the two 5" plastic-cone woofers, the latter reflex-loaded with a port on the rear panel. The low-frequency alignment is optimized for placement close to the wall behind the speaker, which wasn’t possible in JA’s listening room. Nevertheless, he found that the low frequencies had sufficient bass weight, though he noted that at the other end of the spectrum, cymbals had a little too much HF “swish.” This could be alleviated by reduced the toe-in angle, though this slightly blurred the superbly stable, well-defined stereo imaging. The 5040’s midrange was impressively transparent. “Even without taking its affordable price into consideration,” JA concluded that the Q Acoustics 5040 “combines sufficient low-frequency extension and articulation with excellent clarity and imaging and low coloration. As the 5040 won’t play deafeningly loudly, it will work best in smallish to medium-sized rooms.” JA confirmed the high specified voltage sensitivity of 91.5dB/2.83V/m but warned that as this loudspeaker is a difficult load, “amplifier choice will be critical in getting the best from this speaker.” (Vol.47 No.1 WWW)
Q Acoustics Concept 50: $2999/pair
This affordable, elegant-looking two-way tower combines a 0.9" fabric-dome tweeter positioned between two 5" plastic-cone woofers and incorporates a custom suspension system in its base. The reflex woofer alignment requires placement close to the wall behind the speaker, but even with the Concept 50s farther out in the room, JA noted relatively extended low frequencies, with low distortion and excellent upper-bass articulation. Stereo imaging was precise, with good soundstage depth, and while the mid-treble region sounded a little softened compared with the upper midrange, the Concept 50’s overall presentation was uncolored and clean. JA’s estimate of the speaker’s sensitivity was somewhat lower than the specified 90.5dB/W/m, at 88.1dB(B)/2.83V/m, but the Q Acoustics is relatively easy to drive. It also offered excellent measured performance. (Vol.45 No.8 WWW) Quad Revela 1: $2995/pair including stands $$$
Designed by veteran British engineer Peter Comeau, the two-way, reflex-loaded Revela 1 uses an aluminum-foil ribbon tweeter and a 6.5" mid/bass driver, these mounted in a cross-braced, sandwich-construction enclosure. The speaker’s price includes custom stands crafted from lacquered birch plywood uprights and a carbon steel baseplate. When he listened to the Quads, KM’s first thought “was of a wide arc of sun-filled, pure treble energy in which the music was illuminated from within. The next was that the ribbon tweeter blended seamlessly with its mid/bass driver, ensuring a balanced presentation.” The R1’s performance “was a masterclass in upper-octave clarity and, with the right music, hair-raising momentum,” he noted. While the soundstage was big, wide and deep, KM did find that images were somewhat diffuse. Overall, no matter what he threw at it, recordings or ancillary gear, the Revela 1s made KM forget his cares and get happy. “Sparkling, pure highs meet rich, warm bass for a very satisfying sound.” In the test lab, the Revela 1 needs to be partnered with an amplifier that doesn't have a problem delivering current into low impedances, noted JA, though he also found that the sensitivity was usefully higher than the specified 86dB/2.83V/1m. (Vol.47 No.11 WWW) Sonus faber Sonetto V G2: $7000/pair
This modestly sized, reasonably priced, three-way floorstanding loudspeaker uses a pair of 6.5" “paper pulp sandwich” woofers loaded with a tuned port that fires down onto a concrete base plate. The 6.5" “Camelia” midrange driver is mounted in a chamber made of cork, and the 1.1" tweeter features SF’s “Damped Apex Dome.” TF noticed during break-in that these speakers put out a lot of bass energy, more than he expected from 6.5" woofers. Playing tracks from his Bass Test playlist on Qobuz, he commented that the Sonetto V G2’s sounded plenty big and in the right balance. “Bottom line, the Bass Test was passed with flying colors.” At first, he thought the Sonettos sounded somewhat dull. He removed the grilles over the midrange/tweeter section and kept the woofers covered. “Problem solved!” Overall, the Sonetto V G2's performed well and brought many smiles to my face“they punched above their weight.” TF concluded that the Sonus faber Sonetto V G2 “is an enjoyable, well-sorted speaker capable of producing full-range room-filling sound and bringing forward subtle details, with all the types of music I sent them. . .They don't sound bright or glaring. Their low end is ample and satisfying. They rock, swing, and can reproduce a full orchestra.” The voltage sensitivity is specified as 89dB/2.83V/1m; JA’s estimate was within experimental error of that. But as often seems to be the case the impedance was very demanding of current from the partnering amplifier. (Vol.47 No.12 WWW)
Technics SC-CX700: $3699.99/pair in 3 color choices $$$
See Kal Rubinson's review on p.151. (Vol.48 No.4) Totem Acoustic Elements Fire V2: $8450/pair (stands necessary)
This two-way, reflex-loaded, standmount uses a 1" titanium-dome tweeter and a 7" Torrent-cone woofer. There is a first-order high-pass crossover filter on tweeter and, unusually, there is no low-pass filter on the woofer. This is said to optimize the speaker’s time-domain behavior, though JA’s measurements showed that while both drive units were connected in positive polarity, the tweeter’s output led that of the woofer. The overlap between their outputs in the crossover region resulted in a large suckout in the low treble in the on-axis response. However, this suckout fills in to the speaker’s sides, Consequently, Totem recommends not toeing in the Fire V2’s to the listening position, which will alleviate the issue. This advice was followed by HR when he auditioned the Totems. He commented that beyond its steady and correct tones, and precision soundstage mapping, “the Totem’s best trait was its glassless, grainless, eye-grabbing transparency.” He also noted that recorded bass drum sounded terse and well-formed and went low in frequency“possibly to 30Hz.” HR concluded that Totem’s crossoverless woofer “is responsible for pumping up midrange presence and soundstage volume, while adding a full octave of bass below what I get from my Falcon [Gold Badges] or my 1997 [Totem] Model 1s. These abilities combined to make recordings present larger, clearer, and more dynamically charged than they did through my Falcons or DeVores.” JA noted that the impedance averaged 15 ohms, meaning that the FireV2 is a relatively easy amplifier load. Adjusting his estimate for that 15 ohm impedance gave a sensitivity of 86.75dB/W/1m, which is close to the specified 88dB. (Vol.48 No.2 WWW) Triangle Antal 40th Anniversary Edition: $4700/pair
As its name suggests, this slim, three-way tower celebrates the French manufacturer’s 40th anniversary. A horn-loaded tweeter with a rigid anodized-magnesium dome is allied with a midrange unit that uses a paper cone that Triangle says is the most optimized they’ve ever developed, and two reflex-loaded, wood-pulp, flax, and carbon fiber-membrane woofers. RS found that the Antals offered a big sweet spot and that the speaker’s midrange had “a projector-like clarity against which images and musical lines appeared in physical, protuberant relief.” Bass drum hits were clean yet bold, he noted, with good impact and sustain, but without overhang. “Assuming the rest of your system is up to snuff,” RS concluded, “the Antal 40s will let you hear an inordinate amount of what’s on the record. I found it hard to imagine, as I listened, that I was missing anything.” JA found that the Antal’s sensitivity was 3dB lower than the specified 92dB/W/m and noted that the speaker was a relatively demanding load for the partnering amplifier. He did note that the Triangle speaker’s frequency balance was flat and even, its dispersion in the vertical and horizontal planes well-managed, and the low frequencies extended if overdamped, favoring articulation over ultimate bass weight. For her follow-up review, JMu drove the Antals with the HiFi Rose RA180 integrated amplifier. She found that they were capable of endowing images “with sufficient presence and enough highly resolved detail to be immersive in their own way … Voices sound as though they came from the bodies of real, flesh-and-blood singers.” She concluded that the Antal’s best features were “presence and purity of tone.” (Vol.45 No.10, Vol.46 No.6 WWW) C (RESTRICTED LF): SVS Prime Wireless Pro: $899/pair (stands necessary)
This two-way, active standmount offers an 1/8" stereo analog input, RCA and TosLink S/PDIF, HDMI ARC and eARC, and Ethernet digital inputs, as well as AirPlay 2 and Chromecast Wi-Fi connectivity using the DTS Play-Fi app. There is also a single subwoofer output. RvB felt that Play-Fi still needed improvement, so he streamed audio with Tidal Connect or Roon. Although the Prime Pro’s low-frequency extension is specified as 3dB at 42Hz, RvB found that the small speakers offered sufficient bass weight. “Even without a sub or two,” he wrote, “they played loudly without breaking up or sounding ragged.” Imaging lacked pinpoint precision, however, and RvB was bothered by the lively enclosure. (Measurer JA noted a strong cabinet resonance in the midrange with a frequency close to that of the musical note Middle C and another strong resonant peak just below 600Hz in the port’s output.) Nevertheless, RvB was impressed by the Prime Pro. Compared with the all-in-one Vanatoo Transparent One Encores, he found that the SVS speakers played louder, partied harder, slammed deeper, and looked nicer, as well as offering a “small smorgasbord” of convenient features. “If your budget is somewhere south of $1000, and you're looking for versatile powered speakers capable of unabashed performance, I don't think you can go wrong with the SVS Prime Pros,” he concluded. (Vol.46 No.1 WWW)
D:
Audioengine A2+: $269/pair $$$ (stands optional) ★
At the end of 2013, Audioengine replaced the A2 ($199/pair) with the A2+, the only apparent differences being that the latter costs $50/pair more and, per JA, "adds to the left, master speaker a USB 1.1 input for digital audio and a pair of output jacks, used to feed an unfiltered, unequalized signal to the subwoofer(s)." JA compared the new speaker with its predecessor, confirmed that they sounded "identical," and added, "I was impressed by how well these tiny speakers managed to fill my listening room with sound." His new measurements noted that "the A2+'s farfield response … is identical to the A2's." He concluded, "A heck of a speaker at a heck of a price!" (Vol.37 No.9, Vol.38 No.4 WWW) Deletions
Klipsch + OJAS K0-R1 limited edition sold out. Canton Reference 7K, replaced by newer model not yet reviewed. JBL 4367, MartinLogan BalancedForce 212, Tekton Moab Be, discontinued. Tannoy Stirling Prestige Gold Reference, not currently imported. B&W 804D4, Fyne Audio F500SP, Mayfly Audio Systems MF-201a, Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G, Perlisten S7t, PSB Synchrony T600, not auditioned in a long time.
Optional grounding cable adds $3850. (Vol.44 No.9 WWW) Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90: $211,800/pair ★
(Vol.40 No.1 WWW) Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature: $60,000/pair
(Vol.47 No.3 WWW) Dutch & Dutch 8c: $14,950/pair (stands necessary) ★
(Vol.42 No.8, Vol.43 No.4 WWW) Dynaudio Confidence 30: $24,000/pair
(Vol.44 No.8 WWW) EgglestonWorks Viginti: $46,998/pair ★
(Vol.41 No.6 WWW) Estelon Forza: $186,000—$203,000/ pair depending upon finish
(Vol.44 No.11 WWW) Estelon X Diamond Mk II: $97,900—$106,400/pair depending on finish
(Vol.48 No.1 WWW) Estelon XB Diamond Mk II: $69,300/pair—$77,800/pair depending on finish
(Vol.45 No.11 WWW) Focal Diva Utopia: $39,999/pair
(Vol.48 No.3 WWW) Focal Maestro Utopia EVO: $86,000/pair (dependent on the finish)
(Vol.46 No.11 WWW) GoldenEar Triton Reference: $9000/pair ★ $$$
(Vol.40 No.12 WWW) Grimm LS-1c: $30,300/pair in Bamboo finish plus SB1 Subwoofers $14,600/pair $$$
See Rogier van Bakel's review on p.127. (Vol.48 No.4 WWW) Göbel Divin Marquis: $99,000/pair ★
Price is for standard finish. (Vol.43 No.10 WWW) KEF Blade Two Meta: $27,999.98/pair
(Vol.45 No.9 WWW) Magico A5: $30,800/pair
(Vol.44 No.7 WWW) Magico M2: $76,500/pair ★
Price now includes nonoptional MPOD Bases. (Vol.43 No.2, Vol.44 No.3 WWW) Magico S5 2024: $74,500/pair–$83,000/pair
(Vol.48 No.8 WWW) Marten Parker Trio Diamond: $44,000/pair for all finishes
(Vol.44 No.6 WWW) MartinLogan Renaissance ESL 15A: $28,999.98/pair ★
(Vol.40 No.1 WWW) MBL Radialstrahler 101 E Mk.II: $91,000/pair ★
(Vol.35 No.4 WWW) Piega Coax Gen2 811: $34,995/pair
(Vol.47 No.9 WWW) Raidho TD3.8: $119,000/pair in Walnut Brul as reviewed; available in High Gloss Black at $99,000
(Vol.46 No.8 WWW) Rockport Technologies Avior II: $47,000/pair ★
(Vol.40 No.8 WWW) Sonus Faber Aida: $160,000/pair
(Vol.41 No.10 WWW) T+A Solitaire S 530: $47,900/pair
(Vol.47 No.5 WWW) TAD Grand Evolution 1: $76,000/pair
(Vol.47 No.5 WWW) Tidal Audio Akira: $285,000/pair
(Vol.41 No.11 WWW) Vandersteen Audio Quatro Wood CT: $20,150/pair
Rating assumes it is used with its companion M5-HPA high-pass amplifier. (Vol.42 No.11 WWW)
Accuton diamond tweeter upgrade (not reviewed) costs $8500/pair. (Vol.43 No.4 WWW) Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirit: $105,550/pair
Optional external crossover version: $110,550 ★
(Vol.41 No.1 WWW) Von Schweikert Ultra 5: $110,000/pair, with Foundation Amplifiers, $120,000/pair ★
Price is for version reviewed, with powered woofers. (Vol.43 No.7 WWW) Wilson Audio Specialties Alexia V: $72,000/pair in standard finish
(Vol.46 No.1 WWW) Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx V: $157,000/pair
(Vol.44 No.12 WWW) Wilson Audio Specialties Chronosonic XVX: $381,000/pair in standard finish
(Vol.44 No.5 WWW) Wilson Audio Specialties Sasha V: $52,000/pair
(Vol.47 No.2 WWW) Wilson Audio Specialties The WATT/Puppy: $39,500/pair in standard finish; $45,700/pair in Premium Pearl finish
(Vol.48 No.2 WWW)
The internally damped aluminum enclosure boasted the lowest-level panel resonances JA has encountered in >30 years of measuring speakers. HR was equaly impressed by the sound of this Dutch two-way standmount, which allies a Mundorf AMT tweeter with a reflex-loaded, 5.9" slicedpaper-cone, ScanSpeak bass/mid driver. He described the Model One as "extraordinarily clear, microresolved, and uncolored," adding that "their clear, expansive soundstage was mesmerizing; it kept my focus on whatever music it was presenting." And the low frequencies? "Overall, the Acelec's bass was tighter, cleaner, went lower, and was more music musically satisfying than any of the other speakers I have piled in the hall." JA's measurements confirmed the Model One's specified sensitivity of 84dB/W/m and while he found a slight excess of energy in the low treble, he noted that the Model One's cumulative spectral-decay plot was impressively clean. (Vol.46 No.8 WWW) Alta Audio Adam: $18,000/pair–$19,000/pair in all finishes
A three-way floorstander that uses a 5.75" aluminum-ribbon tweeter, a 6" midrange driver, and an 8.75" anodized aluminum-cone woofer, the Adam features Alta’s Extended Transmission Line (XTL) loading for the midrange unit and woofer. This incorporates a short transmission line with no stuffing terminating in a port, which Alta says significantly extends the speaker's low-frequency extension. However, as with Alta’s two-way Alyssa, the XTL loading also results in high-Q resonances in the line and port. Nevertheless, RvB liked what he heard from the Adam, writing, “Pure and smooth. Nothing is boxy. ... Remarkable image cohesion; ... transients seemed to travel at the speed of light. ... With every track, there was admirable force and a corporeal quality to the instruments.” He did find that the Adam offered a little too much bass energy, though he never found the speaker to sound bloated or flabby.“Right now,” RvB concluded, “these are the speakers I’d consider most if 20 grand were burning a hole in my pocket.” In the test lab, the Adam was relatively easy to drive, but it failed to meet its specified high sensitivity of 91.5dB/2.83V/m by a significant 7.5dB. Its enclosure was respectably inert, though JA noted that the XTL-related resonances mentioned above affect not just the outputs of the twin ports but also those of the woofer and midrange unit. (Vol.46 No.3 WWW) Amphion Krypton3X: $25,000/pair
This large floorstander uses two papyrus-cone midrange units, each loaded with a side-vented internal chamber to give a cardioid radiation pattern. A 1" titanium-dome tweeter is mounted between the midrange drivers and is loaded with a spherical waveguide. Unusually, the Krypton3X’s crossover uses a series network, with a slow (second-order) rolloff. The aluminum-cone woofer is reflex-loaded with two rear-firing ports and is mounted on one side of the enclosure; the speakers are sold as matched pairs. Amphion’s CEO, Anssi Hyvönen, explained that “For most rooms, I tend to place the woofers inside, as it is easier to get precise imaging that way. In larger rooms where speakers are still clearly away from the boundaries, one can place the woofers outside if one wants a large, expansive soundstage.” TF found that having the woofers on the speakers’ inside edges, without any toe-in, worked best in his room. He noted powerful, room-filling low frequencies and a fast and clear sound quality, and while the speakers weren’t shy at the top end, they offered details and image precision galore. “Like their studio monitor cousins, these big Amphions are, in a word, honest,” he concluded. Amphion specifies the Krypton3X’s anechoic sensitivity as 89dB (no units given); JA’s estimate was lower, at 85.5dB(B)/2.83V/1m. He also noted that the speaker is a demanding amplifier load. The large enclosure is well-damped; the only aspect of the Amphion’s measured performance that concerned JA was a slight lack of energy in the upper midrange. (Vol.48 No.6 WWW)
This immaculately finished two-way, reflex-loaded standmount marries a 1" silk-dome tweeter to an 8" hemp-pulp mid/woofer. Unusually, the latter’s motor is powered by an electromagnetic “field coil” rather than the ubiquitous permanent magnet, this fed current by an external power supply. (Field coils reportedly offer a calmer, more relaxed and graceful sound, delivering more information and improved tonality.) In common with other loudspeakers from this UK company, the AN-E/SPx Ltd.’s are intended to be placed close to the listening room’s corners. JA’s measurements showed that this extended the low frequencies, the bass being down by 10dB around a low 25Hz. With the speakers optimally positioned in KM’s room, he loved their sound. “Despite the inherent subjectivity of ‘speed,’” he wrote, “the AN-E/SPx Ltd. delivered a consistent sense of swiftness, clarity, and transient articulation—among the best I’ve heard. Music unfolded with remarkable energy and lucidity. Familiar recordings were revitalized, eliciting visceral excitement and emotional resonance. ... The AN-E/SPx Ltd.s disappeared sonically as completely as any speaker I’ve reviewed.” KM summed up his time with this speaker thusly: “Its integration of deep bass, clean midrange, and silken treble created a unified, emotionally resonant whole. This is music playback of extraordinary beauty.” At a price, notes JA. Audio Note specifies the AN-E/SPx Field Coil’s sensitivity as a very high 97dB/W/1m. While JA’s B-weighted estimate was lower, at 91dB(B)/2.83V/1m, this is still usefully high. Although the AN-E/SPx Ltd Field Coil is a moderately demanding amplifier load, this will be ameliorated by the speaker’s high sensitivity. Audio Note notes that this speaker works best with tube amplifiers; JA recommends using such an amplifier’s 4 ohm output transformer tap. His response measurements indicate that the tweeter is balanced around 3dB too low in level compared with the woofer. Matching stands cost $2500/pair. (Vol.48 No.7 WWW) Audiovector R 3 Arreté: $13,300/pair includes Freedom Grounding Cables
This 2.5-way, reflex-loaded floorstander combines the Danish company’s “Arreté” AMT tweeter with a 6.5" midwoofer and a 6.5" woofer. JCA found that for a conventional speaker so small and light, the R 3 Arreté’s bass went surprisingly low in frequency. Listening from the sweet spot, JCA noted that stereo imaging precision was solid, if not quite up to the standard set by its bigger sibling, the R 8. He was surprised, however, that he still heard a substantial stereo effect when sitting considerably off-axis, which makes the R3 more sociablemore visitor-friendlythan any other speaker he could think of. “The strongest impression the R 3’s left was a sense of ease,” he concluded. JA noted that this speaker was a demanding load for the partnering amplifier and found that the R 3 Arreté’s voltage sensitivity was 3dB lower than the specified 90.5dB/W/m. This difference may have been due to a broad lack of energy in the low treble. This, it turned out, was probably due to the tweeter’s “S-stop” gold mesh filter, which is intended to control sibilance. Otherwise, JA concluded that the Audiovector R 3 Arreté offers even, balanced, extended low frequencies in-room, and a clean spectral decay. (Vol.47 No.6 WWW) Avantgarde Duo SD iTRON 3: $81,500/pair
An active horn-loaded three-way loudspeaker, the Duo SD iTRON looks superficially similar to Avantgarde’s original passive Duo, which was reviewed by MC for Stereophile in 1998. But the 2024 version includes amplification, novel crossovers, and DSP integrated into the subwoofer's 500W class-D amplifier. (Most DSP settings are controlled by the Control Center computer app.) T The patented iTRON concept involves a voltagecurrent converterAvantgarde feels that driving a speaker by running the desired, time-dependent current through its voice coil is an inherently better approach than imposing a voltage across the voice coil and letting the current respond. As well as the low-frequency DSP settings, the relative levels of the midrange and high frequencies can be adjusted with two sturdy three-way switches, and system gain can be set via three toggle switches, to 0dB, ±1.5dB, ±3dB, and ±6dB. BD spent many nights progressing through DSP settings before he arrived at a setup that boosted the bass level and raised the low-pass frequency to create an overlap in the upper bass/lower midrange region. He used the eight-band equalizer to lower and shape the frequency response from the midbass on down. He then sat down to listen. While the Avantgardes had no particular, familiar character. They offered remarkable dynamic performance. “They had no problem reproducing dynamic transients of any intensity, even in music being played at levels that pushed the threshold of pain,” wrote BD. No matter how hard he pushed the speakers, the music remained spectacular and uncongested. “Impressive dynamics and remarkably low distortion, subjectively, even at extreme SPLs.” And this wasn’t at the expense of reproducing low-level detail“The ability of the Duos to present transients at the pppp end of the scale was even more impressive,” commented BD, adding that he’d long had a mental picture of music, as a visible entity, surrounded by air and flowing through speakers. “With the Duos, this image persisted even with changes so small that they were all but inaudible. What came through most was how tangible the instruments seemed.” (Vol.47 No.11 WWW)
This elegant-looking standmount marries a 1" vapor-deposited diamond-dome tweeter, housed in its own rear-vented, tapered aluminum tube on top of the elliptical-plan woofer enclosure, with a 6.5" woofer that uses a cone formed from B&W’s woven-composite Continuum material. The woofer is reflex-loaded with a wide, flared port on the front baffle. Custom stands cost $1600/pair. JA found that the B&Ws Signatures reproduced solo piano and vocal recordings with no discernible coloration. While he was aware of the elevated level of the 805 D4’s tweeterthe balance had more top-octave energy, more “air” than was strictly accuratehe wasn't bothered by any brightness. The sound was clean and clear, cymbals didn't have too much sizzle. At the other end of the spectrum, low frequencies were not particularly extended, but bass guitar had enough midbass weight. Sensitivity was slightly higher than average, at 88.4dB(B)/2.83V/1m, though the 805 D4 Signature is a relatively current-hungry load for the partnering amplifier. (Vol.47 No.10 WWW) Canton Reference 5: $11,000/pair
This three-way, elegant-looking floorstander combines a 1" Black Ceramic dome tweeter with a 6.85" Black Ceramic Tungsten midrange driver and two 6.85" Black Ceramic Tungsten woofers. The woofers are reflex-loaded with a downward-firing port, and the levels of the midrange unit and tweeter can be adjusted by ±1.5dB with two sets of bridges on the back panel. SM preferred the Reference 5’s balance with these set to Neutral. The midrange unit is mounted above the tweeter; Canton says the optimal listening axis is based on an ear height of 43" at a listening distance of 10'. JA’s measurements indicated that the even frequency response on that axis doesn’t change 5° above or below that axis. Even so, SM found that when he sat in a chair that placed his ears 38" from the floor rather than his usual 42", the sonic picture clicked into better focus, and the presentation became livelier and more energetic. “These high-value speakers acquit themselves with authority matched to components that cost much more,” summed up SM, adding that at a mere 80lb, “they more than carry their weight.” JA was impressed by the large enclosure’s inert construction. While he found that the Reference 5 was a demanding amplifier load, this will be ameliorated by the high 89.4dB(B)/2.83V/1m voltage sensitivity. The speaker’s bottom-octave output is limited by a high-pass filter in the woofer feed, which Canton calls “Displacement Control.” Overall, the Canton Reference 5 offers excellent measured performance, he concluded. (Vol.48 No.5 WWW) Diptyque Reference Mk2: $60,000/pair
This large, French, 3.5-way, push-pull, planar magnetic/isodynamic loudspeaker has midrange panels that corss over at 7kHz to a proprietary ribbon tweeter. The upper-frequency drivers are mounted to the side of the two woofer panels; the speakers are supplied as a handed pair. JA’s measurements suggested that the woofers should be placed on the speakers’ outside edges so that reflections from the sidewalls will be uniform. RvB noted that to perform at their best, the Diptyques need adequate space behind and to the sides, allowing the rearward radiation to interact naturally with the room. He also found that listening height was critical: “Every time I stood up, or raised myself even a little bit, the sound turned dull. When I lowered myself back into my chair, it brightened considerably—changing character, it seemed, with every inch my ears moved up or down.” With his ears 35" from the floor, RvB tilted the speakers back by 2° with the built-in control knob then wedged a couple of layers of standard-thickness cardboard under the front of the aluminum bases to tilt the speakers back another notch, beyond what the tilt knob allowed. “Instantly, the highs were more measured,” he wrote. “The bass thickened and solidified a little,” adding that the Diptyque References weren’t perfect for quiet sessions. “They come alive with volume and a bit of amplifier muscle.” Overall, panel speakers achieve a kind of spatial and timbral realism that box speakers rarely manage, and the Diptyque References do it without bombast or exaggeration. Their sound is clear, unforced, and enveloping—not dramatic in the usual hi-fi sense, but quietly, convincingly human. Diptyque specifies the Reference’s voltage sensitivity as 89dB/W/1m, which was confirmed by JA’s measurements. JA wrote that the the Diptyque Reference was not a difficult load for amplifiers and noted that the its measured performance was typical of what he expected from a large panel speaker. He added that its response was actually smoother in the upper midrange and treble than those of similar speakers from Quad, Magnepan, and Apogee that he had measured over the years. (Vol.48 No.9 WWW)
The Contour 30i is a 2.5-way tower with an improved version of Dynaudio’s Esotar 2i 1" soft-dome tweeter and two identical 7.1" Magnesium Silicate Polymer (MSP) lower-frequency drivers. Compared with the earlier Contour 30, the new model’s crossover has been stripped of its impedance-correction circuitry, whose function is now performed by the driver itself via the physical properties of its materials. Dynaudio says that “fewer components” means “cleaner signal path, better performance.” Compared with RS’s reference Focal Aria K2 936s, the soundstage was more spacious, “almost Hoberman sphere-like,” with more depth and air between instruments. Listening to a track from Beck’s Morning Phase, RS commented that through the Contours, “notes seemed to blossom almost literallyan initial transient burst followed by a spreading out of resplendent tones. The song’s chorus, especially, sounded grand, like a rattling peacock train in full bloom, brimming with color.” He loved the Contour’s “symmetrical, one-voice cohesion; its colorful transparency; its authentic-seeming tonality; its dynamic ambience; its orderly and clean disposition.” JA’s measurements confirmed the Contour 30i’s voltage sensitivity of 87dB/2.83V/m, noting that it presents a relatively demanding load. He also noted good low-frequency extension, though the alignment favored articulation over ultimate weight, and was impressed by the impressively even frequency response, the well-controlled dispersion, and the clean waterfall plot. (Vol.47 No.9 WWW) Estelon AURA: $21,900/pair—$27,600 depending on finish
This elegant-looking Estonian floorstander combines a midrange-tweeter-midrange array with a downward-firing 10" woofer. (As the woofer operates below 77Hz, Estelon refers to the midrange units as “mid-woofers.”) KR commented that the AURAs sounded “open and detailed and, once properly placed, well-balanced.” He found that with classical piano recordings the experience was informative, enjoyable, and totally nonfatiguing. He would have liked a bit more from the lowest notes, but the rest of the spectrum was clean, open, and dynamic. KR found that the choice of amplifier was critical for the AURAs’ potential to be fully realized. He summed up his time with the AURAs by writing “They are among the most transparent speakers I’ve reviewed, and they present voices, instruments, and ensembles with refreshing immediacy and impact. Never did anything, including its bass performance, disturb that enjoyment or distract from it.” Although the AURA’s sensitivity is specified as 90dB/2.83V, JA’s B-weighted estimate was slightly lower, at 86.8dB(B)/2.83V/m. JA also noted that the Estelon is a very demanding load for the partnering amplifier. (Vol.46 No.12 WWW) Falcon Acoustics “Gold Badge” LS3/5a: $3950/pair in basic finishes (stands necessary)
This special edition of Falcon’s version of the classic, BBC-designed, two-way minimonitor uses enhanced-size BBC Specification Transformerstyle inductors, graded polypropylene-film capacitors, ultralow-inductance resistors, and a new, Falcon-designed multilayer FL6/23 printed circuit board. “Falcon’s Gold Badge LS3/5a can deliver enjoyable, well-sorted renditions of all types of music,” HR wrote, “but intimate vocal, solo piano, and chamber-instrument fare is the reason people like me are lifelong 5a devotees.” He added that “music flowed extra-easily and extra-quietly out of the Gold Badge boxes. The sound seemed more relaxed and less restrained than the classic version.” He wrote that the “Gold Badge” is “the best LS3/5a ever produced for general consumption.” JA found that the “Gold Badge” measured similarly to his 1978 Rogers LS3/5a and was overall smoother-balanced than the basic Falcon LS3/5a. He concluded that “The Falcon LS3/5a Gold Badge’s measured performance … confirms that 46 years after the introduction of the original, this is still a competitive loudspeaker.” (Vol.44 Nos.4 & 5 WWW)
This elegant-looking, curvaceously styled, reflex-loaded, two-way standmount from Italy is best used with the matching stands, which cost $2500/pair. A Scan-Speak 7" (180mm) woofer, loaded with a port on the asymmetrical rear panel, crosses over around 2kHz to a 29mm silk-dome tweeter, also by Scan-Speak. The antiparallel and strongly curved enclosure is fabricated from 24 laminated, solid walnut planks to control structural resonances. “It was with simple recordings of natural sounds that these speakers’ true excellence was revealed,” MC wrote. “Even with a large orchestra, the perception of individual-instrument focus and perspective was compelling.” He noted that with Tony Faulkner’s recording of Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, “a huge soundstage filled in with an extraordinary quantity of microdetail. Near-pinpoint imaging was heard over the whole soundscape.” The Accordo Goldberg “manages to transcend the build technology and the machinery within to build a closer relationship with your ear. It plays with a superbly natural timbre, especially violin, piano, and voice, while defining wide, deep, and well-focused sound images that almost breathe with life. … But that is as nothing compared with their supremely tactile microdynamic and seductive quality, which draws the listener into the musical performance,” he concluded. The Accordo Goldberg is a relatively demanding load, wrote JA, who also observed that its low frequencies will sound somewhat lightweight without boundary reinforcement. JA was impressed by the clean waterfall plot but noted that the frequency response lacked energy in the lower midrange and presence regions. The latter will be ameliorated if the speakers are toed in so that their axes cross in front of the listener. (Vol.47 No.8 WWW) Genelec G Three: $1790/pair in white, black or RAW (stands necessary)
A small, active, two-way speaker with a cast-aluminum enclosure, evolved from the Finnish company’s studio monitors, the G Three is supplied with an Iso-Pod isolating base, or can be used on stands or with wall-mounting hardware. An array of DIP switches allow the sound to be tailored for the speaker’s positionsin free space, nearfield, in a corner, or on a table or desktop. There are both RCA and XLR inputs and the drivers are a 5.125" polypropylene-cone woofer and a 0.75" aluminum-dome tweeter, the latter mounted at the rear of a recessed waveguide. HR noted the “pure and precise” sound, “unspoiled clarity,” and “uncompressed transparency,” coupled with a surprising amount of well-articulated bass for such a small speaker. He gave it his highest recommendation, writing that “the G Three performs like an authentic studio monitor, providing copious detail without losing any of music’s beauty or poetic content.” JA was similarly impressed by this loudspeaker’s measured performance, noting the G Three’s flat frequency response, well-controlled dispersion, and a clean cumulative spectral-decay plot. (Vol.45 No.8 WWW) Joseph Audio Perspective2: $16,999/pair
Introduced in 2013, the floorstanding Perspective started life with a SEAS 1" impregnated-fabric dome tweeter and two SEAS 5.5" magnesium-cone woofers. After its 2019 upgrade to Perspective2 status, the tweeter remains, but the woofers have been replaced with 5.5" SEAS Excel Graphene drivers, in which magnesium-alloy cones are coated with a graphene-based "nanomaterial." JA, who in 2014 reviewed the Perspectives, wrote that the Perspective2s "produced the same wide sweep of full-range sound and tangible stereo imaging" that impressed him with the originals: "The low frequencies were still rich, but perhaps the articulation was even better." He also found the Perspective2s to be more tolerant than their predecessors of overly bright recordings. Reporting from his test bench, JA confirmed that, like the original, the Perspective2 was easy to drive if somewhat less sensitive than average, and concluded by recommending the new speaker "even more highly than I did the original." (Vol.37 No.7, Vol.42 No.7 WWW)
This new version of KEF’s classic LS50 standmount is a little heavier than the original. It still uses a coaxial Uni-Q drive-unit, but this new one has a cone-neck decoupler, a symmetrical motor system, and an absorptive, dual-layer disc, 3" in diameter and 0.43" thick, behind the drive-unit. This disc is made from a synthetic substance incorporating Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) with 30 tubular channels, each acting as a narrow-band Helmholtz resonator. The structure is said to absorb 99% of the unwanted sound radiating from the rear of the driver at 620Hz and above. The Meta’s midrange and low frequencies sounded identical to those of the original LS50, JA decided, but the new speaker’s measured response was flatter in the presence region, and there was a little more output in the high treble. Perhaps most importantly, the Metas “painted a transparent window into the recorded soundstage,” he wrote. He was continually surprised by how recordings he thought he knew well were presented with detail that he had not fully appreciated with the earlier LS50s. JA estimated the LS50 Meta’s voltage sensitivity as 84.5dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is the same as that of the original and within experimental error of the specified 85dB. He concluded that, compared with the 2012 LS50, the Meta “presents a more transparent window into the recorded soundstage without compromising the ability to communicate the music’s message.” (Vol.44 No.1 WWW) KEF LS60 Wireless: $5999.99/pair
This DSP-controlled, three-way, powered floorstander offers an analog input, Ethernet, optical and coaxial S/PDIF digital inputs, a UPnP-compatible wireless operation with Roon, AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, and Bluetooth 4.2, and a subwoofer output. A coaxial Uni-Q drive unit that incorporates the metamaterial technology introduced with other recent KEF speakers covers the treble and midrange, while two sealed-boxloaded woofers on each sidewall handle frequencies below 340Hz. The KEF Connect app is used for setup, adjustment of sensitivity, bass extension, high-frequency balance, the subwoofer settings, and optimization of the low-frequency balance for specific room placements and behavior in the time domain. KR noted that the LS60’s tonal balance was reassuringly neutral/natural with palpable bass that belied the speakers’ small size. “The LS60s did not sound small,” he wrote, adding that they sounded much like the Class A (Full-Range) KEF Blade Two Meta. In direct comparisons with the Blade Two Metas, he found that the latter demonstrated an even more spacious soundstage and sounded firmer and fuller through the mid and upper bass, “but the speakers were surprisingly close.” KR was puzzled by his experience of the time-domaincorrecting Phase Control, as with some kinds of music he preferred the presentation with this turned off. (Latency with the control off was 10ms; with the control on it was 14.5ms, which may be an issue with video synchronization.) JA the measurer noted that the LS60 offered a superbly flat, even frequency response, well-controlled dispersion, and an inert enclosure. KR’s conclusion? “The LS60 Wireless is a nearstate-of-the-art sound system that will fit in almost any room and play any source with the addition of only a smartphone loaded with music or a streaming app.” Quite an excellent value at the lower price, says JA2. (Vol.46 No.3 WWW) MBL Radialstrahler 120: $26,500/pair (stands necessary)
This three-way standmount uses the German company’s unique, omnidirectional Radialstrahler technology for its midrange and treble drivers, coupled with two reflex-loaded woofers. JMu felt that the 120’s bass seemed to extend deeper than the specifications or JA’s measurements indicated. But what impressed her the most was how “strikingly coherent” the MBLs sounded. “They delivered seamless sound from top to bottom, which made the presentation seem more realistic. Music sounded ‘of a piece,’ seamlessly woven within the soundstage,” she wrote. Though JA’s estimate of the 120’s sensitivity was slightly higher than the specified 79dB, this was still significantly lower than average. However, as this is an omnidirectional loudspeaker, the in-room subjective sensitivity will be somewhat higher. “The MBL 120s don’t favor one genre of music over another,” JMu concluded, adding that they sounded “big and fullvoluptuous at times, especially when you turn up the volume.” Matching stands cost $1850/pair. (Vol.44 No.11 WWW)
This affordable floorstander, designed by Andrew Jones, combines an 8" coaxial HF.MF drive unit, related to that used in the SourcePoint 8 standmount, with two reflex-loaded 8" woofers. Sensitivity is slightly below average but the SourcePoint 888 won’t be a difficult load for amplifiers. JA noted that the high frequencies sounded smooth and more neutrally balanced than those of the SourcePoint 10, the midrange uncolored, and the low frequencies extended and powerful. He did have to block one of each speaker’s two ports because the port tuning frequency coincided with that of a room mode, but even so, double bass was reproduced with an impressive combination of weight, tonal evenness, and definition. The soundstaging on every track he played was solidly stable, with excellent image depth where appropriate, and the imaging precision of these large speakers was on par with that of superb minimonitors. “Highly recommended” (Vol.48 No.3 WWW) Monitor Audio Gold 300 G6: $5600/pair
This British company’s sixth-generation floorstander still uses the pleated-foil tweeter, anodized-alloy-skinned-Nomex honeycomb-composite-cone midrange unit, and 6" woofers as it predecessors but the woofers offer increased power capacity, lower distortion, and the desired pure-piston behavior is extended to higher frequencies. The midrange and treble units are integrated into a strong die-cast alloy chassis and the backs of the midrange and woofers are connected to the enclosure’s rear panel with long bolts. (Monitor Audio provides instructions for how to set the bolts’ tension,) To his surprise, MC found that at the factory-recommended tension, musicality was diminished, transparency was impaired, and that special sense of equilibrium was diluted. Rhythm and timing were not optimal. When the bolts were finger-firm but not wrenched tight, the timing was significantly improved, and the musicality gain was substantial. What the tension optimized, the Gold 300s skillfully recreated vibrantly detailed soundstages with no sense of muddle or clouding. With LPs there was a sense of immediacy and an inviting clarity. The 300s play really loud when required, with low aural fatigue, noted MC and while the low bass dried out somewhat when the speakers were driven flat out, this happened gracefully. His conclusion? “The design and musical performance are beyond reproach; the build quality and finish are excellent. They easily clear the performance bar and are firmly recommended.” JA’s estimate of the Monitor Audio’s sensitivity was 1dB higher than the specified 87dB/2.83V/1m, though the effective impedance was low. (Vol.47 No.11 WWW) Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G: $17,900/pair
This three-way floorstander features a folded ribbon tweeter, a 4" midrange unit, and two reflex-loaded 8" woofers. The midrange and woofer cones are made from a three-layer diaphragm, with a skin of ceramic-coated aluminum in front of a Nomex honeycomb and two layers of carbon fiber. The Micro Pleated Diaphragm (MPD) III tweeter is said to extend to above 60kHz. There are two ports on the rear panel, one of which can be blocked if the low bass sounds excessive. JA did indeed block one of each speaker’s ports, as the port tuning frequency of 33Hz coincided with that of the lowest mode in his room. JA noted the excellent low-frequency extension and was impressed by the Monitor Audios’ imaging accuracy, which, he noted “was more like what you get from a pair of high-performance minimonitors.” In the test lab, JA’s measurements confirmed the Platinum 300 3G’s specified free-field sensitivity of 88dB/2.83V/m, though it was also revealed that this is a relatively demanding load. The speaker’s farfield response was flat in the low- and mid-treble regions but rose by a few dB in the top octave. JA didn’t find this to be an issue and summed his time with the Monitor Audios by writing “With its clean, uncolored midrange, its well-controlled, extended low frequencies, its well-defined stereo imaging, and its ability to play much louder than my usual minimonitors, Monitor Audio’s elegant-looking Platinum 300 3G is a high-performance loudspeaker. Strongly recommended.” (Vol.46 No.11 WWW)
The floorstanding 120H, the flagship of the Canadian company’s six-model Founder series, uses three powered woofers with CarbonX cones, the behavior of which can be optimized with the ARC Genesis app. (A USB microphone for use with the app is included.) The 6" alloy-diaphragm midrange unit is mounted behind a Perforated Phase-Aligning Lens, which Paradigm claims results in a smoother frequency response, both on-axis and off-axis. The midrange and bass drivers are decoupled from the cabinet by an “Advanced Shock-Mount Isolation Mounting System.” The 1" alloy-dome tweeter is mounted at the center of a conical waveguide. The optimal listening axis is said to be between the tweeter and midrange, which is 39" from the floor. RvB found the 120H's trickier to place than most speakers, but once their positions had been optimized, he was impressed by what he heard: “It was the balance that was thrilling, and the continuity up and down the frequency range. Everything sounded ‘together,’ coherent, right.” The Paradigms offered superb low-frequency extension, though RvB found that without ARC room optimization there was a little too much bottom-octave energy. Even so, he wrote that “Bass-wise, the Founders, on spikes, acted like a velvet sledgehammer or an iron fist in a silk glove, if you like that sort of thing. I do.” JA’s estimate of the 120H’s sensitivity was 2dB lower than the specified 92dB(B)/2.83V/m, but this is still higher than average. He also noted that the large, trapezoidal cabinet was well-damped, though he found that the speaker’s quasi-anechoic response featured a slightly rising high end, which might correlate with need for careful setup. (Vol.45 No.12 WWW) Philharmonic Audio BMR Monitor: $2200/pair
The three-way BMR combines a reflex-loaded 6" ceramic-cone woofer with a RAAL ribbon tweeter and an unusual Balanced Mode Radiator midrange unit. The BMR driver uses a flat cone with rear weights that control breakup modes and shift the cone movement from pistonic to a bending motion in the lower treble. Listening to a mono Ahmad Jamal recording, RS liked what he heard: “The RAAL tweeters sounded like what you’d expect from a good ribbon tweeter—not soft, but sweeter than metal, more delicate than plastic, spookily transparent, and naturally extended. Double bass lines were easy to follow and a little rounded, which gave them an ebullient rhythmic swagger. Overall, the sound was fleet-footed and packed with well-sorted information.” Stereo recordings required some fine-tuning of the setup, but when everything was optimized, “objects sounded more fixed in space, padded, dimensional, defined, and spread out, with more distance between them.” RS wrote that the BMR Monitor had two outstanding features: first, its resolution, which was impressive by any standard; second, how well they’re able to recreate a soundstage: “The BMRs do space exceedingly well.” Philharmonic specifies the BMR Monitor’s voltage sensitivity as 86.5dB/2.83V/1m, which was confirmed by JA’s measurements; he noted that this speaker is a very demanding load for the partnering amplifier. He found that the frequency response was superbly even through the midrange and treble, though it gently shelved down above 11kHz. “Overall, the Philharmonic BMR Monitor offers superb measured performance,” he concluded. (Vol.48 No.4 WWW) PS Audio Aspen FR5: $4499/pair (stands necessary)
The smallest speaker in PS Audio’s Aspen line uses the same 2.5" planar-magnetic tweeter as its companions, mated to a 6.5" polypropylene-cone mid/woofer and a 6×9" carbon fiber passive radiator. The enclosure is heavily braced, with viscoelastic damping between the braces and the walls. Matching stands add $500/pair. KR was impressed by the FR5’s clean, no-nonsense design and its common-sense engineering“modern lines shaped by modern ideas.” Listening to a solo piano recording, KR noted that the bass was full, and the midrange seemed clear. The treble balance was optimized when he removed the magnetically attached mesh grilles. Summing up, he wrote that the Aspen FR5s were equally satisfying with a wide variety of music. “They offer excellent treble detail without brightness, fine voice delineation without emphasis, and generous bass for their size. Most impressive is the FR5s’ spacious soundstage, revealing tonally balanced voices and instruments with music intimate or massive. These speakers may be small, but they do not sound small.” JA found that the Aspen FR5’s voltage sensitivity was 1dB lower than the specified 83.5dB/2.83V/1m, which is already lower than average. Exacerbating this, the PS Audio’s impedance is also demanding. (Vol.47 No.12 WWW)
This slim tower features a 1" soft-dome tweeter and two cellulose-cone woofers mounted in a ported aluminum enclosure. The lower woofer rolls off at high frequencies earlier than the upper woofer, hence the name: this is a two-and-a-half-way design. JA noted that while the Stenheim’s midrange was impressively uncolored, its low-treble balance was slightly forward, which will require careful system matching. Stereo imaging was stable and precise. “The clarity with which I could see into the soundscape was impressive,” he wrote, adding that the low frequencies sounded fast and well-controlled. The Alumine Two.Five’s specified half-space sensitivity is 93dB; JA measured 92.1dB(B)/2.83V/1m, though it is fair to note that this high sensitivity is achieved at the expense of low-frequency extension; the port is tuned to 42Hz. JA noted that the Alumine Two.Five is a current-hungry amplifier load, though this will be ameliorated by its high sensitivity. (Vol.48 No.6 WWW) TAD CE1TX: $48,000/pair in wood grain finish w/stands, $51,000/pair in piano black finish, stands included
A heavy (63.9lb) three-way standmount that features TAD's coaxial "Coherent Source Transducer" (CST) driver, which combines a 5.5" magnesium midrange cone with a concentrically mounted beryllium-dome tweeter. Frequencies below 250Hz are handled by a woofer with an aramid-composite cone; this unit is reflex-loaded with bidirectional, slit-shaped ducts with flared openings behind the speaker's sculpted-aluminum side panels. "The CE1TX loudspeakers sorted and presented the densest, most complicated and overproduced music in ways that made it more intelligible and agreeable," wrote HR. Using a variety of amplifiers, from low-powered tubed designs to high-power solid state models, HR summed up the TAD speaker as "extremely well-sorted," "exposes everything," and "flawless tone," with "an innate ability to present instruments and voices in a most agreeable, seductive manner." His overall conclusion: "This TAD is the finest example of speaker engineering I've ever encountered. Absolutely Class A." (Vol.46 No.6 WWW) Thrax Siren: $16,500/pair
This reflex-loaded, two-way standmount from Bulgaria mounts a horn-loaded 1" ring-diaphragm tweeter and an unusual 6.5" Purifi mid/woofer in a substantial enclosure with aluminum front and rear panels. When MC started his auditioning, he found that nothing about the sound drew his attention. But gradually he became aware of something special about the Sirens, first in the high-frequency range. “What I heard here did not sound like a tweeter of the usual kind,” he wrote. “Indeed, it was not aurally identifiable as a working mechanism but rather an open window into recordings. … it became clear that the treble range was delicately resolved, very detailed, and natural. While almost self-effacing, it possessed exceptional expressiveness combined with subtle dynamic nuance. When I concentrated further, I also heard beguiling immediacy with enchanting microdetail and exceptional transparency.” And the midrange? “What at first seemed a mildly recessed quality was progressively dispelled; the midrange blossomed, revealing a broadly balanced and natural richness imbued with much microdetail and growing transparency.” He summed up his experience of the Thrax speaker by writing, “With no midrange overprojection and a very low fatigue factor, the Siren enjoys very low distortion coupled with a smooth frequency response that’s largely free of delayed resonances. … The Siren joins those select few loudspeakers that are able to truly disappear into the soundstage illusion.” Thrax specifies the Siren’s sensitivity as 87dB/2.83V/m. JA’s B-weighted estimate was 85.6dB(B)/2.83V/m. While he found the Siren a demanding load for the partnering amplifier, he concluded that with its very quiet enclosure, relatively even frequency response, extended, articulate lows, well-controlled horizontal dispersion, and extraordinarily clean waterfall plot, the Thrax Siren’s measured behavior is “exemplary.” (Vol.47 No.4 WWW)
The open-backed, aluminum-dome tweeter in the little Kaya S12 is the same one found in Vivid’s top-range Giya speakers and is coupled with a reflex-loaded, 4" aluminum-cone mid/bass driver. The cabinet is made from two layers of polyurethane, with the space between them broken up by tubular absorbers that also act as stiffening. HR noted that the S12s were above average in apparent speed, transparency, and resolution, but also a little lean in the bass and noisy through their upper octaves. However, when he bolted the speakers to their dedicated 24" stands, he found that the bass became fuller, solider, and deeper and focus and clarity increased. “The spindly stands added a measure of sheen and a richer, more polished tone that made the speakers sound less like a racecar and more like a luxury car,” he wrote. His conclusion? “Overall, the S12s are shy on bass but easy to drive; lightning fast, uber-transparent, micro-detailed, and extremely three-dimensional. Their defining trait is the beauty and intricacy of their projected soundspace.” JA was equally impressed. As well as a measured 86.3dB(B)/2.83V/m sensitivity and a relatively easy-to-drive impedance, the Kaya S12 offers an extraordinarily flat frequency response, well-controlled dispersion, and a clean waterfall plot. “The Vivid Kaya S12’s measured performance is indicative of the superb loudspeaker engineering I have come to expect from this brand,” he concluded. (Vol.45 No.4 WWW) Volti Audio Lucera: $12,900/pair
This three-way floorstander features a horn-loaded tweeter and midrange driver, along with a reflex-loaded 15" paper-cone woofer. The hand-built crossover uses metalized polypropylene capacitors, 14-gauge, hand-wound air-coil copper inductors, and metal-oxide resistors, all mounted on separate wooden boards positioned within the damped Baltic Birch plywood cabinet to minimize vibration. Lynk resistors on the rear panel allow the tweeter and midrange output levels to be fine-tuned, but after some experimentation, KM returned to the factory settings. KM started his auditioning with the speakers single-wired but found that with biwiring “the soundstage bloomed, and all the most important sonic elements improved: treble clarity, definition, visceral impact.” Playing the Beach Boys’ “’Til I Die,” KM found that the Luceras “rendered every voice and instrument uniquely, revealing the intricate layers: gently resonant vibraphone; pulsing electronic bass drum; colossal Hammond B3; towering vocal stacks. All this resulted in a veritable cathedral of sensory overload. Goosebumps.” The Lucera sits slightly on the warm side of neutral, he decided, adding that the treble and mids were clear and clean, never strident, closed in, or boxy, and that the low end was tight and tuneful. “The Luceras deliver seamless integration, sparkling highs, clear, warm mids, and abundant, pinpoint bass that refuses to go flabby,” he concluded. “They sounded good with everything I connected them to, including both tube and hybrid power amps.” The Lucera’s specified sensitivity is 99dB/2.83V/1m; JA’s B-weighted estimate was slightly lower, at 97.6dB(B)/2.83V/1m, but this is still very much higher than average. While JA noted that this speaker is a demanding load for the partnering amplifier, this will be ameliorated by the very high sensitivity. The measured response on the tweeter axis had a significant suckout in the midrange, but as this starts to fill in 5° above that axis, Lucera owners should tilt the speakers forward or sit in something like a director’s chair to get the optimal midrange balance. Another suckout in the mid-treble region can be compensated for by not toeing in the speakers. (Vol.48 No.9 WWW) Voxativ Ampeggio 2024: $15,900/pair with the AC-1.9 driver
A further development of the original horn-loaded, single-driver, floorstanding Ampeggio, which was enthusiastically reviewed by AD in 2011, the Ampeggio 2024 features an optimized cabinet, a redesigned support system, and a choice of 8" full-range drivers. The base-model Ampeggio 2024 with the paper-cone AC-1.9 driver, which KM auditioned, costs $13,900/pair. (The alternative AC-4B driver uses a wooden or paper cone and raises the price to $26,900/pair.) The phase plug is made from brass, aluminum, birch, maple, or oak. KM loved what he heard, writing that the Ampeggio 2024s “were unique in their ability to remove themselves from my listening space while filling it with physical, natural-sounding music, from delicate vibraphones and glistening guitars to punchy vibrating drum skins and vocals that were spookily real.” He marveled at how the Ampeggios transmitted sound in the upper mids through the treble with such fine layering, lucidity, tonal keenness, and textural precision that the sum bordered on holographic. JA’s measurements indicated an amplifier-friendly impedance and very high sensitivity but limited low-frequency extension. While the on-axis frequency response had boosted high frequencies, JA noted that as with the original Ampeggio, “firing the speakers in the forward directionnot toeing them all the way in to the listening seatshould give a more neutral tonal balance in the top audio octaves.” (Vol.47 No.6 WWW)
The Hagen2 uses a hand-crafted, 5" wide-range driver with a cone made from Japanese calligraphy paper. The AF-1.9 drive unit features a heavy cast basket and a neodymium magnet and is back-loaded with a short horn. There is no crossover. The speaker rolls off around 50Hz at the bottom and 30kHz at the top. The specified sensitivity is 88dB/2.83V at 43Hz and 95dB/2.83V at 5kHz—“the Hagen2’s treble-to-bass balance satisfied me completely, with only 4W of single-ended 300B power,” wrote HR, who described the sound as “sparkplug fast. And completely unmuffled.” He added that “dynamic compression was minimal. Midrange textures were crisply rendered.” His conclusion? “The Hagen2 Monitor, with its unbridled vigor and shameless resolve, was the least colored, least inhibited, most exciting loudspeaker I’ve put between my mind and my music.” (Vol.48 No.4 WWW) B (FULL RANGE): Audiovector QR 7SE: $6800/pair
A large, three-way tower, the Danish QR 7 combines an AMT tweeter with a “Pure Piston Technology” midrange unit and twin “Pure Piston Technology” woofers. All three of the lower-frequency drivers use aluminum-sandwich diaphragms, and the woofers are reflex-loaded with a bottom-firing port. JA found that the speaker’s weighty, extended low frequencies made setup tricky, but other than a slight excess of energy in the upper midrange, he ended up with a smooth, even tonal balance from the low bass upward. Stereo imaging was precisely defined. JA felt that the QR 7 will work best in medium- to large-sized rooms. His estimated sensitivity was slightly lower than the specified 90.5dB/W/m, at 88.7dB(B)/2.83V/m, though this is still higher than average. (Vol.45 No.9 WWW) GoldenEar T66: $7200/pair in Santa Barbara Red, $6000/pair in Gloss Black $$$
Resembling GoldenEar’s earlier Triton One.R in that it is a slim three-way tower with a powered subwoofer section, the T66 is the first GoldenEar speaker that has had its design optimized by Garth Powell, AudioQuest’s senior director of engineering. The High-Velocity Folded Ribbon (HVFR) AMT tweeter is positioned between two 4.5" midrange/bass drivers with Multi-Vaned Phase Plugs. Frequencies below 150Hz are handled by two 5" × 9" “Quadratic” drivers, reflex-loaded with two 8" × 12" passive radiators. Internal wiring is AudioQuest’s direction-controlled, Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) cable, which employs a carbon layer said to maximize RF noise dissipation. The subwoofer amplifier’s input is taken from the midrange/woofer posts, but there is also an LFE RCA input jack, and the crossover is implemented with DSP. JA’s initial impression was that the T66 sounded like a more dynamic, clearer, cleaner-sounding cousin of GoldenEar’s BRX standmount, with considerably more powerful and extended low frequencies and more top-octave air. Recordings of solo piano were commendably free from coloration, and the T66 consistently excelled when it came to reproducing voices. JA commented that this full-range speaker neatly stepped out of the way of the music. The measurements confirmed the usefully high 91dB/2.83V/m voltage sensitivity, and while JA noted that the T66 is a demanding load, this will be ameliorated by the high sensitivity. Other than its elevated top octave, which will require care with system matching and setup, the GoldenEar T66 “offers excellent measured performance,” JA concluded. (Vol.47 No.8 WWW)
This large tower features what SVS calls “Acoustically centered architecture.” A centrally mounted 1" vapor-deposition diamond-coated tweeter is in the center, flanked above and below by a pair of 5.25" composite glass-fibercone midrange units. These in turn are flanked by a pair of 8" woofers and each front-firing woofer is paired with an identical woofer on the rear, these wired in the same polarity to give a bipolar radiation pattern. The four woofers are reflex-loaded with two ports on the rear panel. SM commented that the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle can reproduce a well-recorded piano, and do that with the power and finesse he expects from speakers costing many times its price. It also did well with female vocals. When JA listened to Miles Davis’s “Someday My Prince Will Come” on the SVS speakers, he said that “Paul Chambers's bass was evenly balanced through the range, and nicely articulate,” adding that “This recording was reproduced with enough top-octave energy on the cymbals and the high-hat on Philly Joe Jones’s kit.” Listening to Robert Silverman’s Stereophile LP of Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B Minor, SM found that the Steinway D concert grand sounded superb, while JA commented, “These speakers love the piano. They get the force right. The sheer dynamics and articulation of the left handno distortion.” “With fine execution of a complex design, high-quality components, and spectacular musical performance, the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle SVS has raised the bar on what's possible at and near its price,” concluded SM. JA’s measurements confirmed the SVS’s specified sensitivity of 88dB/2.83V/m. However, its current-hungry impedance and lack of presence region energy on-axis will require care taken in system matching and setup, he warned. (Vol.47 No.10 WWW) Volti Audio Razz: $8200/pair ★
This beautifully constructed, high-sensitivity tower combines a horn-loaded 1" tweeter with a horn-loaded 2" midrange compression driver and a reflex-loaded 12" woofer. “The ability of Volti Audio’s Razz to portray music of any genre with scale, realism, and thrilling dynamics is unmatched by any loudspeaker I’ve had in my system,” wrote TG, adding that while the Razz demonstrates a lovely midrange liquidity, “there’s no sacrifice of detail.” While Volti specifies the Razz’s sensitivity as 97dB, JA’s estimate was somewhat lower at a still-high 93dB(B)/2.83V/m, though JA did note that the Volti’s highish impedance makes the speaker an easy load for amplifiers. Low and high frequencies are boosted compared to the midrange level, though the treble can be fine-tuned by experimenting with toe-in. Price is for walnut, mahogany, black cherry, or maple veneer. Premium finishes add $1000/pair. Volti allows the user to tweak the output of the tweeter and midrange driver by replacing crossover resistors, which may be accessed in a recess on the back panel. For his Follow-Up, KM tried juicing the midrange but returned the Razz to its factory setup for his auditioning. He wondered: Is the $7500/pair Razz as good as the $16,000/pair Volti Rival that he reviewed in June 2017? “Maybe,” he wrote, adding that the Razz’s demeanor seemed very much the same as that of the Rival, just on a smaller scale, with the same balanced sound, even temperament, and genre-agnostic capabilities. “I can say this much with confidence,” he concluded. The Razz “will get you close to the Rival experience for considerably less money.” (Vol.43 No.8, Vol.46 No.12 WWW) Wharfedale Dovedale: $7495/pair (including stands)
This three-way, reflex-loaded standmount from the venerable British brand is manufactured in owner IAG’s new factory in England. JA was impressed by the Wharfedale’s stereo imaging. “I was intrigued by how such large speakers could completely disappear, leaving a wide, deep soundstage,” he wrote, “but disappear they did.” He was also impressed by the weight and articulation of the Dovedale’s low frequencies. While the Dovedale’s mid-treble could sound a little too forward with some recordings, he felt that this was outweighed by the “powerful, extended low frequencies, natural-sounding midrange, and generally clean high frequencies.” In the test lab, JA noted the flat on-axis response and confirmed the high specified sensitivity of 89dB/2.83V/m, though he noted that the Dovedale was a demanding load for the partnering amplifier. “Amplifier choice [will be] critical in getting the best from this speaker,” he concluded. (Vol.47 No.4 WWW)
The elegant-looking, two-way standmount combines a carbon-diaphragm tweeter in B&W's familiar bullet-shaped enclosure with a reflex-loaded, Continuum-cone woofer. KR found that the matching FS-700 S3 24" stands ($799 pair) were essential for situating the tweeters at ear level and that minimal toe-in expanded the soundstage while avoiding on-axis brightness. He commented that three qualities of the 705s were evident: satisfying bass output (belied by their size); great detail and presence; and a wall-to-wall soundstage. "Their midrange and treble resolution is outstanding, and their bass is musically satisfying," KR concluded. JA's measurements indicated that the sensitivity was slightly higher than the specified 88dB/2.83V/m, but this will be due in part to the fact that the on-axis response slopes upward in the treble, peaking by almost 10dB at 10kHz. He commented that this behavior will not be heard as "brightness" as such. Instead, it will add "air," "transparency," and "openness" to the perceived balance. But it will make system matching tricky and may emphasize surface noise with vinyl playback. (Vol.46 No.7 WWW) Chario Aviator Amelia: $8400/pair; optional stablizers (bases) are recommended, $820
This three-way, Italian tower mounts one of its 5.1" woofers on the rear of the natural wooden enclosure, the other firing downward, next to the reflex port on the base. The 38mm silk-dome tweeter sits below the 5.1" midrange unit. The Chario Aviator Amelia’s delivery “seems unforced and easy,” wrote JMu, “but not ‘easy’ as in laid-back. Easy as in effortless.” She noted the Amelia’s “smooth, vivid naturalism, ... big on immediacynot shy about delivering a punch.” JMu did comment that with some albums the Chario’s high end seemed slightly exaggerated and in the test lab, JA found that the on-axis response did indeed peak in the top octave, notably so with tube amplifiers. However, as the speaker is very directional in this region the Amelia’s treble balance can be adjusted by experimenting with toe-in: “No toe-in and the top octaves will be too mellow,” he wrote, but warned that “complete toe-in to the listener position and the high treble will sound fizzy.” His estimate of the Chario’s sensitivity was inconsequentially lower than the specified 90dB, at 88.6dB(B)/2.83V/m. (Vol.45 No.6 WWW) DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93: $8820/pair $$$ ★
Made in Brooklyn, New York, the Orangutan O/93 is a two-way floorstanding loudspeaker with a SEAS 1" soft-dome tweeter—the same one used in DeVore’s upmarket O/96—and a 10" paper-cone bass/midrange driver. It has a claimed sensitivity of 93dB and a nominal impedance of 10 ohms. The beautifully finished cabinet is made from a combination of Baltic birch plywood and MDF; the front baffle has a distinctive fiddleback mahogany veneer, while the sides, back, and rear are veneered in maple and finished in a semitranslucent gloss-black lacquer. Driving the O/93s with a Unison Research Simply Italy amplifier, ST noted the DeVores’ lively, immediate sound: a sweet, extended treble; punchy bass; and a deep, wide soundstage with excellent center fill. In his Follow-Up, AD praised the O/93 for the physicality of its sound—the sense of touch in robustly played piano trills, the feel of mallet against marimba, the tactile pluck of a double bass—and for its fine overall balance that allowed excellent timbral color from acoustic instruments yet also “gave nearly full weight” to kettledrums. He regards the O/93 as among the best choices for people who appreciate the impact, drama, and thrills of vintage loudspeakers yet whose rooms and budgets require a contemporary speaker of more modest price and size—considered as which, the DeVore is “far better stuff than most everyone else is making.” With the O/93s driven by the Linear Tube Audio Z10e amplifier, HR concluded, “I've experienced countless audio components that measured well, but only a rare few that produced authentic tone, nine octaves of natural detail, and copious atmospherics. The LTA Z10e driving the DeVore Orangutan O/93s did all that.” In a measurements Follow-Up, JA estimated the O/93’s sensitivity as 90.1dB—slightly lower than the nominal 93dB, yet still, when combined with the speaker’s 10 ohm impedance, indicative of a very flea-watt–friendly loudspeaker. (Vol.37 No.1, Vol.38 No.12, Vol.39 No.6, Vol.41 No.5, Vol.42 No.1, Vol.43 No.5 WWW)
This relatively large, heavy standmount combines a 0.75" horn-loaded textile-dome tweeter from Denmark’s Vifa and a 7" paper-cone woofer from Norway’s SEAS, both drive units made to DeVore’s specifications. KM found that with the O/baby speakers, “the music flowing into my room was terrific: physical, live, enveloping, natural, with good scale. Dynamics ranged from house-mouse still to boisterous and brazen. The sweet spot was truly sweet.” He described the treble as “exacting, revealing, supersilky,” the midrange as “rich and see-through,” and the bass as “tight and well defined,” if less weighty than that of the larger Orangutan O/96. Overall, “these babies pack a mighty, two-fisted wallop.” The DeVore O/baby’s specified sensitivity is a high 90dB/W/m, which, with the speaker’s relatively high average impedance, was confirmed by JA. However, he noted that the O/baby will probably work best with a tube amplifier’s 4 ohm output transformer tap. Matching stands cost $995/pair. (Vol.46 No.12 WWW) Dragonfire Mini Dragon DFA 2.1: $9992 for the system
The DFA 2.1 system from Dragonfire Acoustics comprises the company's Mini Dragon Satellite planar-magnetic desktop speakers; MD-4 250 Wpc class-D amp, which contains a DSP module for correcting and controlling the speakers; and DFA SB-8P subwoofer, along with a version of the miniDSP SHD headphone amp/streamer (equipped with Dirac Live room-correction software), plus a suite of cables and a calibrated USB microphone. Although Dragonfire published individual prices for all of the above, they really must be used together—especially the speakers and the amp, which cannot perform optimally in isolation from each other. Although JVS found that "setup was not without its challenges" and noted, duly, that the Dragonfire system was designed for "intimate listening where its monitors are precisely aligned to ear height," he remarked that the system's "remarkably transparent, colorful, and detailed full-range sound is musical to the core." JA noted that the system "offers excellent measured performance," but confirmed the for desktops only dictum. (Vol.42 No.9 WWW) Dynaudio Focus 10: $5500/pair (stands necessary)
The Primary two-way, sealed-box, active standmount offers single-ended analog, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Toslink inputs, with connection to the second Client speaker either via wired S/PDIF or WISA-standard Wi-Fi. A Bluetooth remote control is supplied, but the Roon Ready speakers can also be controlled with Dynaudio’s Connect and Control app. DSP is used not just for the crossover, placement optimization, and tone controls, but also to reduce the 5" woofer’s low-frequency extension at high spls. JVS used Roon and Tidal Connect for his auditioning and commented that the Focus 10s sounded natural, balanced from top to bottom, and invitingly warm. “Colors, while not as saturated as on my many, many times more expensive reference rig,” he wrote, “were nicely differentiated and sufficiently compelling to pull me in.” He preferred the presentation with the wired connection between the two speakers, which operates up to a sample rate of 192kHz, noting that with the Wi-Fi connection, which downsamples hi-rez data to 96kHz, transparency was lessened, colors were less saturated, and instruments were surrounded by less air. The Focus 10 did well in JA’s lab, though he noted that the speaker has a higher latency, almost 12ms, than other digital active designs he has tested. The Focus 10 includes Dirac room correction, but even without Dirac, “the Focus 10s are easy to set up and optimize, and they deliver all they promise,” JVS concluded. JA investigated the Dynaudio speaker’s incorporation of Dirac Live in a follow-up review. He found that it was necessary to perform the Dirac measurements at the same spl that will be used for the auditioning. Once that was done, he created four filters offering different degrees of correction and auditioned each with a variety of music. “Even without Dirac Live, the Dynaudio Focus 10 combines ease of setup and use, stereo imaging precision, and a natural-sounding midrange with surprising low-frequency extension, provided the spl is kept below 85dB or so,” he concluded, “but Dirac Live takes its sound quality to another level.” (Vol.46 Nos.2 & 11 WWW)
This LS3/5a-sized minimonitor uses a single full-range drive unit based on the late Ted Jordan’s work. “I had forgotten how much havoc an energy-absorbing, phase-twisting, signal-molesting loudspeaker crossover could wreak,” wrote HR, adding “I was stunned by how direct, quiet, and transparent the Jordans sounded.” He conjectured that “when we get rid of the tweeter, especially one that operates below 3kHz, we eliminate a layer of fuzzy, splashy, phasey blurring that we didn’t know was there. Sans tweeter, the sound is more direct and accurate to the source.” While the Marlow cannot deliver commodious deep bass or play loud, HR wrote that it satisfied his hunger to peer into recordings as directly and excitedly as possible, concluding that he “fell in love with its petite, truth-telling charms.” JA was less impressed. Though the Marlow offered a good 87dB(B)/2.83V/m sensitivity and its overdamped reflex alignment would benefit from the low-frequency reinforcement from close wall placement, its frequency response was decidedly unflat, with a peaky upper midrange owing to the lack of baffle-step compensation that would have been provided by a crossover. “With music, the boosted upper mids may well have contributed to the added sense of recorded detail that HR reported hearing,” JA wrote, adding “but whether the Marlow is perceived as having too much upper midrange or suppressed lower midrange and treble will depend on the recordings being played.” JA concluded that the measured performance of the Marlow suggests that this will be a loudspeaker for “special tastes or special systems.” (Vol.45 Nos.4 & 5 WWW) Fleetwood Sound Company DeVille SQ: $18,600/pair (stands optional)
The Deville’s “steam-punk-meets-modern” styling disguises a high-performance two-way design with a compression-driven, conical-hornloaded polymer-diaphragm tweeter and an 8" paper-cone woofer with a phenolic grille. KM wrote that the Fleetwood DeVille SQ’s “upper midrange and treble poured out music with microscopic detail, tactility, and complexity. ... [I]ts top end was meticulous yet never analytical. Micro- and macrodynamics were first rate and fast as hell.” He added that the low end was tight and focused with no boom or muck and concluded that “Beef and brawn are not its calling cards, but rather lucidity, spatial beauty, clarity, dynamics, and precision.” In the test lab, JA found that the Fleetwood speaker’s sensitivity was a little lower than the specified 94dB/W/m, but still usefully high at 91.7dB. The flattest response in the midrange and mid-treble regions was 5° above the axis of the horn-loaded tweeter, which will be 46" from the floor with the speaker sitting on its dedicated stand. He also noted that the tonal balance will be too mellow unless the speakers are toed in to the listening position. Natural-finish “torrefied” stands add $1550/pair; black-painted, reclaimed hickory stands add $750/pair. Optional grilles cost $350 or $450/pair depending on type. (Vol.45 No.5 WWW) GoldenEar BRX: $1500/pair (stands necessary)
The final loudspeaker to be introduced by GoldenEar while Sandy Gross was still with the company he cofounded, the immaculate-looking BRX (for Bookshelf Reference X) marries the flagship Triton Reference’s HVFR (High-Velocity Folded Ribbon) tweeter and 6" polypropylene-cone upper-bass/midrange driver to a pair of 6.5" planar passive radiators. The optimal listening axis is just below the tweeter, so JA used 30" Sanus SF30 twin-pillar stands to get the best sound. The result is superb stereo imaging accuracy and uncolored, natural-sounding midrange and treble with the grilles, but a touch too much mid-treble energy without them. Excellent low-frequency extension, to 50Hz, for such a small speaker, JA found, with fleshed-out upper bass even with the BRXes used well away from the wall behind them. Measured sensitivity was 87.5dB(B)/2.83V/m compared with the specified 90dB. “While it benefits from being powered by high-quality amplification, its sound quality features an uncolored midrange, clean high frequencies, and enough mid- and upper-bass energy to satisfy, coupled with stable, accurate stereo imaging,” he concluded. However, he warned that despite its impedance being specified as “compatible with 8 ohms,” the BRX will perform best with substantial amplifier power. HR enthusiastically echoed JA’s praise for the GoldenEar’s sound, writing “My auditions suggest that the new GoldenEar BRXs might be the best thing to happen to affordable speakers since the debut of the KEF LS50. With the right amplifier, they achieved a level of overt lucidity that is extremely rare at this price.” (Vol.43 Nos.9 & 12 WWW)
In its standard version, the two-way, sealed-cabinet P3ESR ($2195/pair) stands just 12" tall and pairs a 0.75" tweeter with a 5" woofer, the latter using Harbeth’s proprietary, patented Radial2 polymer for clarity and low-level resolution. Restricted in loudness and bass extension, the P3ESR had a slightly warm overall balance characterized by smooth highs, an uncolored midrange, and stable and accurate stereo imaging. “The Harbeth P3ESR is the best iteration yet from any manufacturer of the BBC LS3/5A minimonitor concept,” JA concluded. The littlest Harbeth also gets the strongest recommendation from JM. While its lack of bass (both low and mid) disqualified it for most rock and large-scale orchestral performances, BD felt, the Harbeth’s incredible midrange clarity and detail made it an outstanding choice for small, intimate works. The 40th Anniversary Edition added upgraded connectors, internal cable, and crossover capacitors; aesthetically, it added an exclusive olivewood veneer and two commemorative badges. This edition found favor with HR: Used on TonTräger P3 stands ($1485/pair) and compared to the standard P3ESRs, the 40th Anniversary Edition Harbeths showed “greater separation of instruments, and a fleshier texture to [Birgit] Nilsson’s voice.” Herb regarded the 40th Anniversary Edition P3ESR as “the best-built, most natural-sounding small speaker I have ever heard” and considered the prices of both versions “chickenfeed.” Later still, HR enjoyed his time with the latest XD version of Harbeth’s classic minimonitor, both on its own and with Harbeth’s Nelson subwoofer/stand. (See Subwoofers.) Using a variety of amplifiers, he noted that the ability to peer deep into recordings was the P3ESR XD’s defining trait. Overall, “Harbeth’s P3ESR XD sounded exactly as I expected it would: more finely detailed and transparent than my memories of the 40th Anniversary edition I used for several years.” (Vol.33 Nos.8 & 10, Vol.34 No.7, Vol.41 No.12, Vol.47 No.7 WWW) Harbeth Super HL5plus XD: $7790—$7990/pair depending on finishes (stands necessary)
The same size as the BBC-inspired Spendor BC1, the three-way, reflex-loaded Harbeth features the same combination of drive units as that 1970s-era speaker: a woofer, a tweeter, and a supertweeter. These are all thoroughly modern units, however. The in-housemade woofer features Harbeth's RADIAL2 polymeric composite-cone; the tweeter and supertweeter use aluminum domes and are sourced from SEAS. KM liked what he heard: "The Super HL5plus XD succeeded at being exceptionally refined, robust, and fun, in roughly equal parts. It was ultradetailed but never surgical. Its immaculate resolution never sounded less than natural, smooth, never processed." Imaging and soundstage were similarly profound, KM wrote, producing "an enveloping 3D soundfield, at least with recordings with that potential." He concluded that the Harbeth is tailor-made for well-recorded classical with its grandeur, spaciousness, and separation. He also enjoyed jazz and female vocals with this speaker. However, when he played anything that required "major boogie factor"ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Mastodonhe found he wasn't satisfied. "They seemed to lack the drive needed to fill my small room with convincing rebel sounds." Writing from his test lab, JA confirmed the 86dB/2.83V/m, sensitivity and noted that while the Super HL5plus was a relatively easy load, tube amplifiers will work best with their 4 ohm output transformer taps. He found that the frequency response was impressively even, with small peaks balanced by small reductions in energy, though he commented that there was a very slight downward slope in the treble. (Vol.46 No.9 WWW) JansZen Audio Valentina P8: $11,250/pair
This complex floorstander uses a multi-element electrostatic diaphragm in a sealed subenclosure mounted between two 8" dynamic woofers, these also loaded with a sealed box. An auxiliary 1" ring-dome tweeter is mounted outboard on each speaker, firing sideways toward the nearest sidewall. Rear-panel controls allow the levels of the electrostatic driver and woofers to be individually adjustedwith these level controls, the tiltback of the speaker’s baffle, and the side-mounted tweeter, JA found that optimizing the Valentina P8s’ setup in his room was complicated. Fortunately, he noted, the extensive manual offered useful advice, and after experimenting with the speakers’ positions, toe-in, and level controls, JA found that the high frequencies were naturally balanced, the midrange was uncolored and clear, the reasonably extended low frequencies were articulate, and the JansZen speakers presented a clear window into the recorded soundstage. The measured sensitivity varied somewhat with the exact measurement axis. JA found that the P8’s voltage sensitivity was low, at 8384dB/2.83V/m depending on the measurement axis, but noted that this speaker is a relatively easy load for the partnering amplifier. “The JansZen Valentina P8’s measured performance indicates that, when optimally set up, it will give an even tonal balance,” he concluded. (Vol.45 No.6 WWW)
This hefty, powered, two-way, reflex-loaded standmount features class-D amplification, and Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, Bluetooth, and S/PDIF digital inputs as well as balanced and single-ended line-level analog inputs. A switch allows a 3dB low-frequency rolloff for when the speakers are placed against a wall. There is also a subwoofer output. The 4329P can be controlled with a local web-page—an app is promised—and it works with both Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast. TF described the sound as “subjectively full-range”—and commented that the speaker’s voicing reminded him of “some other modern speakers, seemingly tipped up a bit though not, in this case, to an annoying extent.” TF concluded that during the month it was a part of his life, the 4329P system provided many hours of enjoyable listening. “The 4329P has a retro look but sounds modern—classic big, bold, American JBL sound with better clarity than JBL speakers of yore,” he wrote. JA’s measurements indicated that the JBL speaker's farfield output was impressively even, as was the superbly well-controlled radiation pattern. “The frequency response, horizontal dispersion, and low-frequency alignment are textbook,” he concluded. Optional JS-80 stands cost $400/pair. (Vol.46 No.10 WWW) Klipsch RP-600M II: $699/pair (stands necessary) $$$
The original version of Klipsch’s two-way standmounted RP-600M used a 6.5" spun-copper-plus-ceramic-cone woofer to handle frequencies below 1.8kHz and a 1" titanium-diaphragm tweeter loaded with a Tractrix horn to reproduce everything else. The new version is an inch deeper than the old and has a larger conical-tractrix high-frequency horn and a redesigned woofer, which sports Faraday rings and a larger voice-coil. While HR preferred the old Klipsches with their speaker grilles attached, he found the new Klipsches sounded best with them removed. “The combined effect of the revised horn and bass driver is to add weight, presence, and low-signal delicacy to the presentation,” he wrote. While the original speakers did an extraordinary job of emphasizing the beat and “diagramming the melody” of classical music, the new Klipsch “is simply more refined-sounding.” HR commented on the Klipsch’s “ability to play really loud” with even an 8W amplifier, though reporting from his lab, JA estimated the original RP-600M’s sensitivity to be 89.6dB—”much lower” than Klipsch’s spec. Even so, he praised the earlier speaker’s “impressive measured performance, especially when its affordable price is taken into account.” (Vol.42 No.4, original version; Vol.46 No.8 WWW) Klipsch The Nines: $1599/pair (stands necessary) $$$
This relatively small, two-way active standmount loudspeaker system includes class-D amplification, digital and analog inputsthe latter appear to be digitized at 96kHzand on-board DSP. A horn-loaded, titanium-dome 1" tweeter is accompanied by a reflex-loaded 8" fiber-compositecone woofer. ln addition to HDMI-ARC with CEC, Bluetooth 5.0, TosLink S/PDIF, and USB2 Type B digital inputs, there are two single-ended analog inputs: one on RCA jacks for phono and the other on a 3.5mm stereo minijack for line-level signal. There is also a line-level subwoofer output. Playing digital files, TF found that the Nines excelled at the transmission of low-level details and as long as he kept the level moderate, the bass sounded clean and went deep. TF played LPs with an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge and described the Nines’ phono preamp as “easygoing.” Like the 2M Blue, “it doesn’t pull every last detail out of the groove, but it pulls out enough to enjoy the music.” TF concluded that the Nines “grab enough of the music, and push it out in the room, to get the party started and keep it going all night.” In JA’s test lab, The Nines’ woofer alignment appeared to be somewhat overdamped, the frequency balance was impressively even overall, though with a very slight rise in output above 7kHz, and the lateral dispersion was superbly well-controlled. Optional KS-24 stands cost $349/pair. (Vol.47 No.2 WWW)
The four-way, sealed-enclosure ML1 MkII is a redesign of a classic McIntosh speaker from the 1970s. Unabashedly old-fashioned in its appearance, with a bulky wood-framed grille, the MkII’s titanium-dome tweeter is placed above a 2" cloth-dome upper-midrange unit that has a 4" polypropylene-cone lower midrange driver on each side. Low frequencies are handled by a high-excursion, polypropylene-cone 12" woofer that SM found “got deep into the backbeat” on Little Feat’s live Waiting for Columbus album. SM preferred the presentation with the grilles removed, which gave more detail and soundstage information, more precise attacks, and more distinct instrumental timbres. He concluded that the McIntosh ML1 Mk II “offers a unique, three prong combination of effs: finesse, firepower, and fun. A pair of these speakers will recreate music in all its variety without blinking, with personality and style to spare.” JA’s measurements confirmed the 85dB/2.8V/m specified sensitivity; he noted that the ML1 is a demanding amplifier load, exacerbated by the lower-than-average sensitivity. JA also found that the level of the lower-midrange unit was a little lower than appropriate and that the overall response was more even without the grille. He recommended not toeing in the speakers to the listening position for the most neutral tonal balance. (Vol.47 No.7 WWW) Mission 770: $5000/pair including stands
Looking almost identical to the classic 770 from 1979, the 2022 770 is a completely new standmounted, two-way, reflex-loaded design from IAG’s Peter Comeau. Drive units are a 28mm soft-dome tweeter and a mineral-loadedpolypropylene-cone woofer. JA found the 770s’ low frequencies extended and articulate, with low distortion. He was also impressed by the speaker’s midrange, which he described as “warm, detailed, and musically involving,” especially with vocal recordings. He summed up his time with the 770 by saying that its “sonic character was in some ways more than the sum of its parts.” The Mission’s respectable measured behavior correlated well with its sound quality, though while the specified sensitivity is 88dB/2.83V/m, JA’s estimate was 2.5dB lower. Ameliorating that discrepancy, the Mission is a relatively easy load. (Vol.45 No.11 WWW) Mobile Fidelity Electronics SourcePoint 10: $2999/pair (stands necessary)
This hefty, reflex-loaded, two-way standmount is from the CAD app of veteran speaker engineer Andrew Jones, who, over the years, has designed well-regarded speakers from KEF, Infinity, Pioneer, TAD, and ELAC. Unusually, it uses a coaxial driver that mounts a 1.25" soft-dome tweeter at the center of a 10" woofer’s paper-pulp cone. The woofer cone acts as a waveguide, and with its corrugated surround not disturbing the tweeter’s wavefront, this results in what JA confirmed as well-controlled dispersion. Low frequencies extend to 42Hz, –6dB, and the farfield response was respectably flat in the midrange and low treble, with a slight rise in the top two audio octaves that JA heard, though he noted that the high frequencies were clean and that the speaker otherwise sounded smoothly balanced and uncolored. He found the SourcePoint 10s’ stereo imaging precise and stable, and commented favorably on the speaker’s high dynamic range capability. JA’s measurements confirmed the high specified sensitivity of 91dB/2.83V/m and indicated that the MoFi speaker won’t be a difficult load for the partnering amplifier. Overall, he concluded that with its clean, superbly well-defined low frequencies, the natural-sounding midrange, the high sensitivity, the easy-to-drive impedance, the ability to play loudly without strain, and the affordable price, the SourcePoint 10 gets a thumbs-up. In his follow-up review, KM wrote that he heard sweet, extended treble, natural, clear, and stomach-churning sub bass. “The SourcePoint 10’s versatility—its ability to delight playing all styles of music with a wide variety of amplifiers—make it, in my opinion, a contender for Loudspeaker of the Year,” he concluded. (Vol.46 Nos.2 & 6 WWW)
With similar looks to the larger SourcePoint 10, the SourcePoint 8 substitutes an 8" coaxial driver for the '10's 10" unit but this driver's active area is almost as large. KR found that the clearest and most stable center imaging was achieved with the SourcePoint 8s toed in about halfway between straight ahead and directly aimed at the listening position. He also found that the SourcePoint 8 demonstrated remarkable bass for a small box with a bass driver of modest size. "They did not reproduce much output below 50Hz," he wrote, "but above that frequency they proved capable of tight, powerful bass." KR concluded that this is a balanced, wide-range speaker, enjoyable at all practical volume levels. The SourcePoint 8 demonstrates how satisfying a small, relatively affordable loudspeaker can be, he wrote, adding that "they generate a fairly wide and deep soundstage that is notably transparent and detailed." JA noted that the MoFi SourcePoint 8 offers excellent measured performance, is an easy amplifier, and he confirmed the specified 87dB/2,83V/m sensitivity. (Vol.46 No.9 WWW) Moon by Simaudio Voice 22: $3200/pair (stands necessary)
The smallish, designed in Canada, made-in-Indonesia Voice 22 marries a waveguide-loaded, 29mm textile-dome tweeter with a reflex-loaded, long-throw, 6.1" woofer that has a cone made from mineral-filled polypropylene. Unusually, RS found that the speakers sounded best without any toe-in to the listening position: "the sound was clearer and more incisive that way, yet also bloomier and more open-air breathy." While the 22's treble couldn't reach the same airy heights of his twice-the-price reference speakers, he noted that the Voices "reproduced an introspective, well-lit environment bathed in texture and space" and were "adept at exposing reverb." RS concluded that the Moon Voice 22's most conspicuous sonic attribute "was its well-sorted, seamless midrange." The speaker incorporates a removable "hover" base, a tapered isolation platform with a rubberlike material base, which is magnetically affixed to the speaker. JA found that this did reduce the level of the enclosure's vibrational modes. JA also estimated the Voice 22's sensitivity as an inconsequential 1dB lower than the specified 89dB/2.83V/m. Frequency balance was a little forward in the upper-midrange, but the cumulative spectral-decay plot "is superbly clean," he remarked. (Vol.46 No.5 WWW) Q Acoustics 5040: $1499/pair $$$
This slim, elegant-looking tower features a vertical D’Appolito drive-unit array comprising a 0.9" fabric-dome tweeter positioned between the two 5" plastic-cone woofers, the latter reflex-loaded with a port on the rear panel. The low-frequency alignment is optimized for placement close to the wall behind the speaker, which wasn’t possible in JA’s listening room. Nevertheless, he found that the low frequencies had sufficient bass weight, though he noted that at the other end of the spectrum, cymbals had a little too much HF “swish.” This could be alleviated by reduced the toe-in angle, though this slightly blurred the superbly stable, well-defined stereo imaging. The 5040’s midrange was impressively transparent. “Even without taking its affordable price into consideration,” JA concluded that the Q Acoustics 5040 “combines sufficient low-frequency extension and articulation with excellent clarity and imaging and low coloration. As the 5040 won’t play deafeningly loudly, it will work best in smallish to medium-sized rooms.” JA confirmed the high specified voltage sensitivity of 91.5dB/2.83V/m but warned that as this loudspeaker is a difficult load, “amplifier choice will be critical in getting the best from this speaker.” (Vol.47 No.1 WWW)
This affordable, elegant-looking two-way tower combines a 0.9" fabric-dome tweeter positioned between two 5" plastic-cone woofers and incorporates a custom suspension system in its base. The reflex woofer alignment requires placement close to the wall behind the speaker, but even with the Concept 50s farther out in the room, JA noted relatively extended low frequencies, with low distortion and excellent upper-bass articulation. Stereo imaging was precise, with good soundstage depth, and while the mid-treble region sounded a little softened compared with the upper midrange, the Concept 50’s overall presentation was uncolored and clean. JA’s estimate of the speaker’s sensitivity was somewhat lower than the specified 90.5dB/W/m, at 88.1dB(B)/2.83V/m, but the Q Acoustics is relatively easy to drive. It also offered excellent measured performance. (Vol.45 No.8 WWW) Quad Revela 1: $2995/pair including stands $$$
Designed by veteran British engineer Peter Comeau, the two-way, reflex-loaded Revela 1 uses an aluminum-foil ribbon tweeter and a 6.5" mid/bass driver, these mounted in a cross-braced, sandwich-construction enclosure. The speaker’s price includes custom stands crafted from lacquered birch plywood uprights and a carbon steel baseplate. When he listened to the Quads, KM’s first thought “was of a wide arc of sun-filled, pure treble energy in which the music was illuminated from within. The next was that the ribbon tweeter blended seamlessly with its mid/bass driver, ensuring a balanced presentation.” The R1’s performance “was a masterclass in upper-octave clarity and, with the right music, hair-raising momentum,” he noted. While the soundstage was big, wide and deep, KM did find that images were somewhat diffuse. Overall, no matter what he threw at it, recordings or ancillary gear, the Revela 1s made KM forget his cares and get happy. “Sparkling, pure highs meet rich, warm bass for a very satisfying sound.” In the test lab, the Revela 1 needs to be partnered with an amplifier that doesn't have a problem delivering current into low impedances, noted JA, though he also found that the sensitivity was usefully higher than the specified 86dB/2.83V/1m. (Vol.47 No.11 WWW) Sonus faber Sonetto V G2: $7000/pair
This modestly sized, reasonably priced, three-way floorstanding loudspeaker uses a pair of 6.5" “paper pulp sandwich” woofers loaded with a tuned port that fires down onto a concrete base plate. The 6.5" “Camelia” midrange driver is mounted in a chamber made of cork, and the 1.1" tweeter features SF’s “Damped Apex Dome.” TF noticed during break-in that these speakers put out a lot of bass energy, more than he expected from 6.5" woofers. Playing tracks from his Bass Test playlist on Qobuz, he commented that the Sonetto V G2’s sounded plenty big and in the right balance. “Bottom line, the Bass Test was passed with flying colors.” At first, he thought the Sonettos sounded somewhat dull. He removed the grilles over the midrange/tweeter section and kept the woofers covered. “Problem solved!” Overall, the Sonetto V G2's performed well and brought many smiles to my face“they punched above their weight.” TF concluded that the Sonus faber Sonetto V G2 “is an enjoyable, well-sorted speaker capable of producing full-range room-filling sound and bringing forward subtle details, with all the types of music I sent them. . .They don't sound bright or glaring. Their low end is ample and satisfying. They rock, swing, and can reproduce a full orchestra.” The voltage sensitivity is specified as 89dB/2.83V/1m; JA’s estimate was within experimental error of that. But as often seems to be the case the impedance was very demanding of current from the partnering amplifier. (Vol.47 No.12 WWW)
See Kal Rubinson's review on p.151. (Vol.48 No.4) Totem Acoustic Elements Fire V2: $8450/pair (stands necessary)
This two-way, reflex-loaded, standmount uses a 1" titanium-dome tweeter and a 7" Torrent-cone woofer. There is a first-order high-pass crossover filter on tweeter and, unusually, there is no low-pass filter on the woofer. This is said to optimize the speaker’s time-domain behavior, though JA’s measurements showed that while both drive units were connected in positive polarity, the tweeter’s output led that of the woofer. The overlap between their outputs in the crossover region resulted in a large suckout in the low treble in the on-axis response. However, this suckout fills in to the speaker’s sides, Consequently, Totem recommends not toeing in the Fire V2’s to the listening position, which will alleviate the issue. This advice was followed by HR when he auditioned the Totems. He commented that beyond its steady and correct tones, and precision soundstage mapping, “the Totem’s best trait was its glassless, grainless, eye-grabbing transparency.” He also noted that recorded bass drum sounded terse and well-formed and went low in frequency“possibly to 30Hz.” HR concluded that Totem’s crossoverless woofer “is responsible for pumping up midrange presence and soundstage volume, while adding a full octave of bass below what I get from my Falcon [Gold Badges] or my 1997 [Totem] Model 1s. These abilities combined to make recordings present larger, clearer, and more dynamically charged than they did through my Falcons or DeVores.” JA noted that the impedance averaged 15 ohms, meaning that the FireV2 is a relatively easy amplifier load. Adjusting his estimate for that 15 ohm impedance gave a sensitivity of 86.75dB/W/1m, which is close to the specified 88dB. (Vol.48 No.2 WWW) Triangle Antal 40th Anniversary Edition: $4700/pair
As its name suggests, this slim, three-way tower celebrates the French manufacturer’s 40th anniversary. A horn-loaded tweeter with a rigid anodized-magnesium dome is allied with a midrange unit that uses a paper cone that Triangle says is the most optimized they’ve ever developed, and two reflex-loaded, wood-pulp, flax, and carbon fiber-membrane woofers. RS found that the Antals offered a big sweet spot and that the speaker’s midrange had “a projector-like clarity against which images and musical lines appeared in physical, protuberant relief.” Bass drum hits were clean yet bold, he noted, with good impact and sustain, but without overhang. “Assuming the rest of your system is up to snuff,” RS concluded, “the Antal 40s will let you hear an inordinate amount of what’s on the record. I found it hard to imagine, as I listened, that I was missing anything.” JA found that the Antal’s sensitivity was 3dB lower than the specified 92dB/W/m and noted that the speaker was a relatively demanding load for the partnering amplifier. He did note that the Triangle speaker’s frequency balance was flat and even, its dispersion in the vertical and horizontal planes well-managed, and the low frequencies extended if overdamped, favoring articulation over ultimate bass weight. For her follow-up review, JMu drove the Antals with the HiFi Rose RA180 integrated amplifier. She found that they were capable of endowing images “with sufficient presence and enough highly resolved detail to be immersive in their own way … Voices sound as though they came from the bodies of real, flesh-and-blood singers.” She concluded that the Antal’s best features were “presence and purity of tone.” (Vol.45 No.10, Vol.46 No.6 WWW) C (RESTRICTED LF): SVS Prime Wireless Pro: $899/pair (stands necessary)
This two-way, active standmount offers an 1/8" stereo analog input, RCA and TosLink S/PDIF, HDMI ARC and eARC, and Ethernet digital inputs, as well as AirPlay 2 and Chromecast Wi-Fi connectivity using the DTS Play-Fi app. There is also a single subwoofer output. RvB felt that Play-Fi still needed improvement, so he streamed audio with Tidal Connect or Roon. Although the Prime Pro’s low-frequency extension is specified as 3dB at 42Hz, RvB found that the small speakers offered sufficient bass weight. “Even without a sub or two,” he wrote, “they played loudly without breaking up or sounding ragged.” Imaging lacked pinpoint precision, however, and RvB was bothered by the lively enclosure. (Measurer JA noted a strong cabinet resonance in the midrange with a frequency close to that of the musical note Middle C and another strong resonant peak just below 600Hz in the port’s output.) Nevertheless, RvB was impressed by the Prime Pro. Compared with the all-in-one Vanatoo Transparent One Encores, he found that the SVS speakers played louder, partied harder, slammed deeper, and looked nicer, as well as offering a “small smorgasbord” of convenient features. “If your budget is somewhere south of $1000, and you're looking for versatile powered speakers capable of unabashed performance, I don't think you can go wrong with the SVS Prime Pros,” he concluded. (Vol.46 No.1 WWW)
At the end of 2013, Audioengine replaced the A2 ($199/pair) with the A2+, the only apparent differences being that the latter costs $50/pair more and, per JA, "adds to the left, master speaker a USB 1.1 input for digital audio and a pair of output jacks, used to feed an unfiltered, unequalized signal to the subwoofer(s)." JA compared the new speaker with its predecessor, confirmed that they sounded "identical," and added, "I was impressed by how well these tiny speakers managed to fill my listening room with sound." His new measurements noted that "the A2+'s farfield response … is identical to the A2's." He concluded, "A heck of a speaker at a heck of a price!" (Vol.37 No.9, Vol.38 No.4 WWW) Deletions
Klipsch + OJAS K0-R1 limited edition sold out. Canton Reference 7K, replaced by newer model not yet reviewed. JBL 4367, MartinLogan BalancedForce 212, Tekton Moab Be, discontinued. Tannoy Stirling Prestige Gold Reference, not currently imported. B&W 804D4, Fyne Audio F500SP, Mayfly Audio Systems MF-201a, Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G, Perlisten S7t, PSB Synchrony T600, not auditioned in a long time.
