Sonus faber Stradivari Homage Speakers Reviewed

Sonus faber Stradivari Homage Speakers Reviewed Watching a kettle boil, waiting for a cheque to arrive, counting the minutes until The Return Of The King appears on the screen at the local Odeon - not truly comparable with the......Read More

Spendor BC1 Loudspeakers Reviewed

Of the many beloved British institutions diminished in recent years by non-elected, 'think-tank' bureaucrats, the BBC ranks alongside the Royal Mail, the NHS and British Rail as among the most keenly mourned. Younger readers probably won't believe that 'BBC'......Read More

Alexander SE3S Loudspeakers Reviewed

Novelty value is the first thing to disappear after you've spent your hard-earned cash. Once you get past the diminutive size and the metal cabinets of Alexander loudspeakers, the systems have to stand up against more conventional box-type competitors at......Read More

Aperion Audio Intimus 422/S-8 Loudspeakers Reviewed

It is true. You do not get a second chance to make a great first impression. The folks at Aperion Audio, based in Portland, Oregon, have certainly taken this truth to heart. Inside the heavy master carton, the speakers are......Read More

Apogee Centaur Electronstatic Loudspeakers Reviewed

Feeling a bit like the boy who cried 'Wolf!', I still can't help but regard this new range from Apogee as 'ribbons for the masses'. But unlike the last models which inspired this sort of reaction -- Stages and Calipers......Read More

Apogee DAX Crossover Reviewed

Two types of add-ons are immune to the antipathy caused by such 'evils' as graphic equalizers or click suppressors. Most diehards will forgive/approve of dedicated extras of any type because they can be regarded as extensions of the basic components......Read More

Apogee Scintilla Loudspeakers Reviewed

Like a brace of the monoliths in 2001, a pair of Apogee Scintillas stands in my listening room, framing whatever system I'm using at the time. They will never leave that room, unless I win the Lottery and find myself......Read More

Apogee Stage Electrostatic Loudspeakers Reviewed

Never one to mince words, Apogee's Jason Bloom said quite categorically that manufacturers who ignore the affordable products for the glory-making flagships need their heads examined. 'Who wants another #40,000 speaker?' he asked, eyes raised skyward. Studying the world economy......Read More

B&W 602 S2 Loudspeakers Reviewed

Sampling this budget beauty is an education. The last B&Ws I reviewed were the decidedly high-end Nautilus 805s, which I pretty much expected to be something yummy. Hell, anyone can make a small two-way speaker which sounds dandy at around......Read More

B&W 700 Series Speaker System Reviewed

I have to confess, I have a soft spot in my heart for B&W products. I am a fan of the English sound which B&W has historically exemplified. I rarely hear a B&W product that I don't like, and there......Read More

Beauhorn B2/2 Horn Loudspeaker System Reviewed

Sorry to use 'horns' and 'bull' in the same sentence with the former not connected to the latter's skull, but horns are to me as a red rag to a bull. Veteran readers know that the only horn speakers that......Read More

Canton Ergo Speaker System Reviewed

When asked to review these Canton Ergo speakers, I didn't do any advance research. I simply said, "Sure, that would be great," and forgot about it until the pallet arrived. And I do mean pallet. More often than not, my......Read More

Cello Audio Palette, Performance II Amps, Cello Stradivari Grandmaster Speakers Reviewed

Name a pursuit or hobby. Better still, think of your own prime passion. Think of the ultimate fantasy which relates to it. Cars? You probably fantasise about owning a Diablo and a place to drive it. Boating? You want a......Read More

Dali Evidence Speaker Ensemble Reviewed

I first saw the various Dali speaker lines last January at the CES show in Las Vegas. While I didn't have time to do more then quickly look at the speakers themselves and listen rather briefly to the newest addition,......Read More

Dali Piano Speaker System Reviewed

Lifestyle speakers. The utterance of those very words are enough to make an audiophile shudder, as speakers designed to look good often do not come near sounding good. Usually, the justification of their existence is to avoid the boxy look......Read More

Definitive Technology Mythos One Speakers Reviewed

Many products on the market offer style or substance. Very rarely do you get both. Some manufacturers focus on appearance and offer little in the way of performance. Others aim for fantastic performance, but allow appearance to suffer. Apple is......Read More

Definitive Technology Powermonitor 900 System Reviewed

Creating a great-sounding home theater is a surprisingly challenging feat. It requires careful auditioning of speakers, preamplifiers and amplifiers. Some consider the electronics the most important link in this audio chain, but I would argue that the speakers have the......Read More

Final 0.2 HTS Speaker System Reviewed

Against all odds, electrostatic loudspeakers are currently more viable, practical and affordable than they've ever been. True, the box-type, dynamic speaker will forever remain the dominant format, despite the evolution of the flat panel concept, and electrostatics will always need......Read More

Infinity Cascade Speake Reviewed

I love these plays on titles. As you remember from our last episode, I mean two issues back, I was invited on a press junket to Northridge, California, for the unveiling of the new Cascade line of speakers for......Read More

Infinity Entra Reviewed

When it comes to choosing a speaker ensemble, quality sound options are certainly not in short supply. Unfortunately, this makes shopping around for the perfect match to your ears more difficult than ever. Once you have narrowed down the type......Read More

Infinity Kappa Series and Intermezzo 1.2s Subwoofer Reviewed

Sitting under a shade tree at the edge of the Willamette River watching brilliant leaves fall, I drifted off to a time and place when I knew young love. There is something about the nostalgia of fall that makes me......Read More

Infinity TSS-750 Home Cinema System Reviewed

The name Infinity has been associated with innovative speaker designs for three and a half decades. In that time, the company has created unique speaker systems that propel their passion for lifelike music reproduction to high levels. As a leading......Read More

JBL SCS160SI Home Speaker System Reviewed

Not long ago, I had some friends over to listen to several sets of speakers I had in for review. After pouring over the same music tracks repeatedly, it was unanimous with the entire group that the smallest speaker ensemble......Read More

KEF Reference 203 Speakers Reviewed

I have been a fan of KEF speakers for some time now, and I have had extensive experience with a significant portion of the KEF line, including the KEF Reference system, which I had in my home. It was with......Read More

Klipsch Heresy Loudspeakers Reviewed

'Crude.' 'Vulgar.' 'Unrefined.' 'Relentless.' 'Coarse.' These are but a few of the terms which sprang to mind when I sat in front of the Klipsch Heresy loudspeakers. 'Uncivilised.' 'Boorish.' 'Raw.' 'Untamed.' Hey -- I was turning into a 'kin thesaurus,......Read More

Klipsch Synergy Series SLX/SUB-10 System Reviewed

Since the Klipschorn® was patented 60 years ago, Klipsch loudspeakers have continued to evolve while never wavering from the four design principles the legendary Klipschorn® embodied: high efficiency with low distortion, controlled directivity, flat frequency response and wide dynamic range.......Read More

Krell KAV-280cd player, KAV-300iL and LAT-2 speaker reviewed

Whatever else you may have heard about Krell's Dan D'Agostino, he has a wicked sense of humour. This fearsome high-end has been known to succumb to a fit of the giggles which can last for hours. So it was probably......Read More

Linaeum LFX Speakers Reviewed

It's not even old enough to have evolved this far, but LinÊum's wee LFX with the wacko tweeter has changed. Hell, I only reviewed it in October '92 but here it is with enough revisions to justify a MkII prefix...though......Read More

MartinLogan Script, Scenarios and Cinema Speakers Reviewed

One of the minor dilemmas associated with audio reviewing is the need to keep a number of systems on the go. It's necessary if one cares enough to review products in context: you need to use high-end partnering components for......Read More

MartinLogan Theater and Ascent Loudspeaker Review

Let's start with the name: in its transition from manufacturer of tweaky (yet utterly gorgeous) full-range electrostatics, to being the purveyor of the most successful hybrids ever, Martin-Logan has become 'company with a logo'. Yup, there's a squiggle on everything,......Read More

MB Quart Vera Series Speaker Ensemble Reviewed

That children should be seen and not heard is an expression many parents use often. I have found myself exercising it now and then when my playful kids begin caterwauling like Presidential candidates in a debate. However, not all noise......Read More

Monitor Audio Bronze Series Loudspeakers Reviewed

Over the past few months I've been fortunate to audition several speaker ensembles in the $1,300 to $1,800 range. And the scores indicate that I have generally been impressed with the ensembles I have reviewed. While some yield a higher......Read More

Monitor Audio Monitor One Loudspeakers Reviewed

Didn't take long, did it? There I was, revelling in the wonder of the dirt-cheap Acoustic Research M1 speaker, and along comes Monitor Audio with the first serious challenger. And it's like the M1 in more ways than you really......Read More

MTD TUG Speakers Reviewed

Damon Runyon could have made a big deal out of Francesco Dente's name, 'dente' being Italian for those enamelled things in your mouth. So, if Francesco moved to New York and joined the Mob, he'd probably be known as "Frankie......Read More

Orchid Two Deep Resolution Loudspeaker Reviewed

What a gap: the Heil Air Motion Transformer first appeared some 30 years ago, pretty much faded from sight, and then - whoosh!!! Up pop a couple of new systems using the legendary tweeter, from two unrelated sources. With the......Read More

Paradigm Signature Series 5.1 Speaker System Reviewed

Paradigm speakers have a huge following, and I mean a HUGE following. It's not hard to see why, as they deliver an extremely high bang for the buck value quotient. They have an excellent dealer network, a very loyal customer......Read More

Pathos Logos Loudspeaker Reviewed

Italy's Pathos is doing for metal what their neighbours at Sonus Faber have been doing for wood. Each amp they produce boasts some new layout unseen elsewhere, they marry wooden trim with the shiniest of chrome, they're redefining ergonomic sensibility.......Read More

Phase Technology Velocity V-10 Speaker System Reviewed

If you're new to home theater, you probably don't understand much of the technical jargon included in many equipment reviews. Special features need to be explained in layman's terms so you will understand. To even consider buying new equipment that......Read More

PMC DB1+ Floorstanding Loudspeaker Reviewed

Most of you know me primarily as a booster of panel speakers, electrostatics and ribbons in particular. So, too, you may know of my love for certain dynamic, ostensibly 'conventional' speakers such as the BBC LS3/5A, Sonus Faber Homages and......Read More

Polk Audio RM6900 Home Theater Speaker System Reviewed

The year was 1972. President Richard Nixon made an unprecedented eight-day visit to Communist China and was later re-elected by a landslide. Police apprehended five men attempting to bug Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C.'s Watergate complex. Eleven Israeli......Read More

PSB Image T55 Speaker Reviews

In today's market, we are spoiled. If we have a problem, a solution can be found quickly on the Internet. If a product doesn't meet our satisfaction, there are plenty of replacement options. However, over 30 years ago that wasn't......Read More

Quad 989 Loudspeaker Reviewed

Few products are of such great consequence that reviewers both covet and fear them. Imagine the impact of a Linn LP-13 or an LS3/5b. Magazines and reviewers would fight for the scoops, and the resultant articles would enter audio lore......Read More

Quad Electrostatic Speakers (ESL 55) reviewed

If the title doesn't say it all, then let us remind you: The original Quad ESL. That display of genius which makes Peter Walker something of an audio deity. The most cherished hi-fi product ever. The cause of a thousand......Read More

Quad ESL-2905 Loudspeakers Reviewed

It is with no small measure of pride that I am reviewing the latest incarnation of the phenomenal Quad ESL63. Y'see, I had a teensy-weensy, but possibly pivotal role in its development. If that taints me with a conflict of......Read More

RBH MC Series Mark II Reviewed

Now that I've been evaluating gear for a few years, it's comforting to have a portfolio of reviews I can look back on and reference when writing new ones. That said, developing a sizeable frame of reference can actually be......Read More

Revel F12 Speakers and Revel B10 Subwoofer Reviewed

Revel is a speaker division of Harman International, the giant audio company with multiple brands, including such famous nameplates such as Mark Levinson, Harman Kardon, Lexicon, and Infinity. Revel started some years back with the high-line industrial-design Ultima speakers, which......Read More

Rogers db101 Speakers Reviewed

Wealth by association is a funny concept. But that's never stopped merchandisers from exploiting weird non-sequiturs like Ferrari-badged wristwatches, Marlboro clothing or any of the perfumes which inevitably follow the success of a designer in the rag-trade. And while writing......Read More

Ruark Equinox Loudspeakers Reviewed

Who kicked whom up the backside? What was it that inspired British speaker builders -- or at least one of 'em -- to stop being boring? My earlier dealings with Ruark are virtually non-existent, but I had wedged the company......Read More

Ruark Solus Loudspeakers Reviewed

It was only a matter of time before Ruark added an entry-level model to its flagship series. I'm completely puzzled as to why this brand needs as many ranges as it has, but, hey, I'm just a reviewer. What the......Read More

Sonus faber Amati Loudspeakers Reviewed

In 30 years as an audio casualty, I must have played with over 4000 different components. Some have been forgettable, some memorable and some so nigh-on-perfect that I've toyed with unspeakable, nay, inenarrable plots for acquiring them. So delicious is......Read More

Sonus faber Concerto GP Loudspeakers Reviewed

Keeping one step ahead of the competition has been Sonus Faber's trick ever since the birth of an Italian 'school' of speaker design. Whatever the origins of the genre - and there are stories to make Boccaccio blanch - the......Read More

Sonus faber Cremona Auditor Speakers Reviewed

If it bothers me when this happens, it will probably bother you. It's just that there's no escaping the need to remind you of earlier Sonus Faber products, and earlier reviews. Without wishing to make this read like the Old......Read More

Sonus faber Electa Floorstanding Speakers Reviewed

'When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie...' I love Things Italian, from my buzzy little Fiat Uno to Tameo models to Borsalino hats, spumoni to Sabrina's cantileverage. Dunno why; my sense of 'style' was never pronounced......Read More

Sonus faber Extrema Loudspeakers Reviewed

Do I seem paranoid? Beaten and battered? All of the above: I'm just not in the mood to underplay what may be the most exciting new product this year. Neither am I in the mood to face the inevitable backlash......Read More

Sonus Faber Guerneri Homage Loudspeakers Reviewed

It was Franco Serblin's burning desire to thank the great violin makers of Cremona. He chose to do it with a range of speakers bearing their names. But maybe it was also the challenge of following the Extrema. Or perhaps......Read More

Sonus faber Topolino Loudspeakers Reviewed

Recession or schizophrenia? Whatever the cause, some specialist manufacturers appear to be jumping from one end of their catalogues to the other, as if to downplay the current inappropriateness of high-priced gear. Apogee launched the budget Centaur models around the......Read More

Tannoy Autogrpah Mini Loudspeakers Reviewed

There it was, all creamy-coloured grille and 1950s-look woodwork. It was photographed against a white background, another model in the Tannoy Prestige series of classic coaxial speakers. Then I clicked opened the second image. Only this time, it was......Read More

Wharfedale Pacific Evolution Speakers Reviewed

Flying back from Toronto, Canada several weeks ago, I was thumbing through Land Rover Owner International in search of parts for my D90 and Series IIa. The magazine had that swollen look that well-read pages get. To preserve the copy......Read More