Loudspeakers

Klipsch muscles in on the sub/sat market with a compact reimagining of its Reference range. Mark Craven reports

The idea behind Klipsch's Reference Theatre Pack is simple: bringing the US speaker brand's house sound, beloved by owners of its floorstanding models, to those with small rooms/budgets.

Steve Withers reckons this more affordable M&K package sounds familiar. And that's a good thing

In an ideal world you'd want to experience movies with the same speakers used to craft their soundtracks. M&K Sound has been making professional studio monitors for decades, and its S150 is about as iconic as you can get. But what if you fancy a similar level of performance from a speaker that's a bit cheaper and a bit more… normal looking?

Mark Craven takes this revamped, 5.1 sub/sat style system for a spin. Literally

Home cinema speakers come in different flavours, all with a target audience in mind. You only have to look at Cabasse's new Eole 4 system, with its diminutive satellite enclosures, slim-line subwoofer and its white finish (black is an alternative) to know it's intended for living room systems where discretion is vital.

KEF’s revamped R Series is just the ticket for a serious AV system. Ed Selley gets stuck in

Many speaker brands are in the habit of releasing new model ranges as an entirely new entity – new name, new driver configurations, even new price points – in the pursuit of 'going with the market.' At the other end of the scale, you have companies like KEF, which has had a Q Series, R Series and Reference Series for a very long time.

Does this 5.1 system have the muscle to back up its good looks? asks David Vivian

Focal's speaker lineup goes all the way from bijou to blimey, affordable to 'if you have to ask'. Which is useful when it comes to putting together a 5.1 package that's a few steps above entry-level but, at the same time, isn't going to break the bank, looks fabulous and has the size and wherewithal to fill a big room with movie mayhem – and possess the lightness of touch to play music with grace and finesse, too.

I was extremely impressed with Focal's 300 Series ICW 8 in-ceiling speakers back in HCC #286. They were an obvious audition for Atmos and DTS:X overhead duties, so what could Focal offer if you wanted the same performance and seamless installation all round the room? Enter the 300IWLCR6 full-range in-wall speaker.