Loudspeakers

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Steve May  |  Jun 20, 2024  |  0 comments
hcc_recommendedThe top dog in JBL's retro-themed Authentics wireless speaker range, the 500 is a hefty, high-powered music system that plays loud with impressive bass extension. If you want delicate hi-fi, look elsewhere. This big boy is bad to the bone.
Mark Craven  |  Apr 19, 2024  |  0 comments
With all-new cabinet designs, upgraded drivers and even a fresh mocha colourway, B&W's S3 generation of its 700 series speakers offers much more than just a gentle upgrade...
Steve Withers  |  Apr 09, 2024  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomend Priced £2,475, this 5.1 speaker package from British sonic wizards Q Acoustics includes the relatively compact 5040 floorstanders, dedicated 5090 centre speaker, two 5010 standmounts on surround duties, and the QB12 subwoofer for LFE. Steve Withers listens in...
Mark Craven  |  Jan 05, 2024  |  0 comments
Someone once suggested the only things we can be certain of in this world are 'death and taxes'. To that I might venture you can add 'kick-ass compact speakers from Wharfedale', because the UK-born marque, when getting down to the business of delivering fine sounds from small boxes, never seems to put a foot wrong.
Mark Craven  |  Sep 22, 2023  |  0 comments
Outwardly, this 33cm-high bookshelf appears supremely simple, with a standard-looking two-way driver array of dome tweeter and bass/mid unit. The styling is also decidedly unflashy. However, the price tag of £2,495 hints that it aims to go a little better than a budget bookshelf.
Mark Craven  |  Sep 12, 2023  |  0 comments
KEF's Uni-Q driver has been a staple of its loudspeakers since 1988, undergoing various refinements over the years to the point that we're now at its 12th generation. However, not every overhaul has led the audio marque to shout about it in its speaker names, which is what it's doing with the R Series Meta.
Steve Withers  |  Apr 27, 2023  |  0 comments
JBL's Stage Series is a superb entry-level proposition. There's an energy to the performance that sounds cinematic, even while the delivery is well focused and deep bass nicely integrated....
Mark Craven  |  Dec 21, 2022  |  0 comments
hccbestbuybadgev3Mark Craven enjoys the highs and lows of a premium compact 5.1 system from American audio marque GoldenEar

US brand GoldenEar was the third loudspeaker company founded by famed designer Sandy Gross, following in the footsteps of Polk Audio and Definitive Technology. Gross has now left, but his parting gift is the £1,499-per-pair Bookshelf Reference X.

Steve Withers  |  Dec 19, 2022  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomendPiega's Ace loudspeaker range has gone active wireless. Steve Withers swaps cables for WiSA

Launched in 1986, Swiss loudspeaker brand Piega has a penchant for aluminium enclosures, ribbon tweeters, and the kind of meticulous handcrafted engineering you'd expect from a nation best known for its precision timepieces. And its Ace series ticks off all these boxes.

Steve Withers  |  Sep 14, 2022  |  0 comments
hccbestbuybadgev3Can French marque Triangle bring affordable hi-fi to immersive cinema? Steve Withers investigates

The stated philosophy of Triangle is to add a dash of romanticism to the world of hi-fi by emphasising emotion and sensitivity rather than reason and rationalism… so no prizes for guessing this manufacturer hails from France. The question is: do its loudspeakers have that certain je ne sais quoi?

Ed Selley  |  Sep 07, 2022  |  0 comments
hccbestbuybadgev3This stylish 'wireless speaker with ambition' catches the eye of Ed Selley. But what about his ears?

When it comes to making beautiful audio products, Italian manufacturer Sonus faber has an impeccable track record. Therefore, its move into the wireless speaker category comes with some aesthetic expectations.

Mark Craven  |  Jul 01, 2022  |  0 comments
hccrefstatusbadgeThe performance of some high-end speakers from a new US brand makes Mark Craven sit up and listen

With so many speaker brands competing in the home cinema/hi-fi markets, it can sometimes be hard to muster real enthusiasm when another one comes along. Yet Perlisten Audio, a new company from Wisconsin in the US, has arrived with a potent offering that immediately stands out. It helps, of course, that Perlisten debuts with a fully-formed range of models that will suit system builders, including subwoofers and height/surround cabinets.

Steve May  |  Jun 16, 2022  |  0 comments
hccbestbuybadgev3Sony's latest DSP wheeze could be the most important surround sound invention since Dolby Atmos, argues Steve May

Appearances can be deceiving. Much like Oscar Isaac in Moon Knight, Sony's HT-A9 looks relatively unassuming, even retro. But much like Marvel's latest superhero, in full flight it transforms into something altogether more formidable.

Mark Craven  |  Apr 15, 2022  |  0 comments
hccbestbuybadgev3Mark Craven believes Q Acoustics' mid-level Concept speaker package was worth waiting for

It was almost a decade ago that Q Acoustics launched its Concept range. At the time, the relatively new UK brand was known for affordable loudspeakers, and the 2013 arrival of the Concept 20 bookshelf was billed as a step toward the high-end. Okay, it was still on the right side of pricey, but later on in 2017 came floorstanders (the Concept 500s) at £4,000 a pair.

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