Bowers & Wilkins, known better as B&W Loudspeakers, are responsible for some of the finest-sounding and arguably the most elegantly designed loudspeakers on the planet. From the legendary Nautilus Loudspeaker on down, Bowers & Wilkins has built their brand on excellence. While it's not uncommon for a luxury brand to venture into budget waters, none do it with quite the panache of Bowers & Wilkins and the LM1 loudspeaker reviewed here.

Additional Resources
• Read a review of the reference level B&W Natutilus 805 Loudspeakers.
• Read more small and bookshelf audiophile speaker reviews here.
• Learn more about affordable audiophile speakers at AudiophileReview.com's bookshelf speaker page.

The LM1, or Leisure Monitor 1, retails for $175 ($875 for an all-LM1 surround sound system) apiece. It looks as if it stepped from an exhibit at MOMA. The LM1 is Bowers & Wilkins through and through, with its extruded tweeter giving the LM1 a sort of mini-802 feel. The LM1 comes in a wide variety of colors, which include Pearl White, Black, Silver, Turquoise (yes, Turquoise) and Burgundy Red, each of which are exquisite and add to the LM1's stylistic and décor-friendly flair.

The LM1 features a single one-inch tweeter, resting above a five-inch bass/midrange driver. The LM1 has a reported frequency response of 75Hz-20kHz, so a sub is required for full-range performance, but not to worry, for there are three subs in the LM1 family that fill the bill perfectly. The LM1 is rather efficient at 91dB and carries a rather benign eight-ohm load, making it an ideal speaker for a receiver-based home theater. Out of the box, the LM1 is table or wall-mountable-ready and comes with the necessary hardware for each situation.

High Points
• The LM1 is surprisingly robust, providing copious amounts of output when needed, which is shocking, considering its diminutive size.
• The LM1 posses Bowers & Wilkins' signature sound, which is composed, rich and warm, though a touch dry, making it rather ideal for extended listening sessions using a wide variety of source material.
• The midrange is where the LM1 excels, providing ample amounts of detail and texture that are of equal importance for music or movie listening.

Read more about the high points, as well as the low points, on Page 2.