Fyne Audio Vintage 10: fast, dynamic, energetic, fun
Fyne Audio Vintage 10 speakers I have long been a fan of dual-concentric, high-efficiency loudspeakers, which really complement amplifiers such as my Audio Note Meishu Tonmeister single-ended valve amp, but I have so far never had the opportunity to try one of Fyne Audio’s Vintage range at home. The underlying rationale behind the Vintage range […]
Peak Consult Sonora: a speaker that unlocks the music
Peak Consult Sonora loudspeakers When people say there’s more to something than meets the eye, it usually turns out to be just a glib turn of phrase, but in the case of the Sonora from Peak Consult, it happens to be true. They may look similar to many speakers of their size, but their construction […]
Fischer & Fischer SN/SL 270 AMT speakers: solid as a rock
Fischer & Fischer SN/SL 270 AMT speakers Having enjoyed Fischer & Fischer’s standmount SN70 last year so much that I made it one of my best products of the year, it was with excitement that I awaited arrival of the compact floor-standing SN270. When it arrived, I was even more thrilled to discover that it […]
PMC prophecy5: the future of speakers is looking good
PMC prophecy5 speakers On a wet afternoon in December PMC invited members of the audio press to the one of the less charming parts of Wimbledon, however once inside what appeared to be a warehouse we discovered a state of the art mastering and mixing studios. Wired Masters specialises in making what might generally be […]
Martin Logan ESL X electrostatics: a very appealing speaker recipe
Martin Logan Electromotion ESL X speakers The concept of the ‘marmite product’; a device that appeals hugely to a subset of people while repelling roughly the same number, is one with which the audio industry is both familiar and fairly comfortable with. While I am pretty confident that the good people of Martin Logan won’t […]
Best hi-fi of 2024
The Ear’s reviewers pick the best hi-fi of 2024 If you want to know the best hi-fi of 2024, the audio products that really wowed our reviewers this year look no further. These components that made a lasting impression, they are the ones reviewers would have held onto if they could and sometimes did. There […]
Living Voice OBX-R80: a loudspeaker for music lovers
Living Voice OBX-R80 loudspeakers Living Voice was born out of desire to make loudspeakers that were suitable for the valve/tube electronics. Founder Kevin Scott got his start with Definitive Audio selling tube amplifiers and a small range of speakers that were suited to their relatively low power, but when such models as he considered of […]
Art Emotion Carbon 6: fast, compelling, well balanced
Art Emotion Carbon 6 loudspeakers The latest range of loudspeakers from Art may only have been in production for a matter of months, but they owe their existence to an ongoing quest by the company to refine its innovative cabinet designs and choice of drive units. This has resulted in the current comprehensive line-up of […]
Diapason Ares Excel: tiny towers of power
Diapason Ares Excel speakers Having revelled in what several bookshelf Diapason loudspeakers from Italy can achieve, I was intrigued to note an inexpensive floorstander in the catalogue, the only other one being a £55,000 design and (way) over my pay grade. The Ares Excel is probably the narrowest floorstanding loudspeaker I have ever used (5 […]
Neat Elite Classic: speakers to go
Neat Elite Classic loudspeaker In 2022, Neat launched the first model in its Classic range with a new version of the legendary shoebox-sized Petite. I enjoyed what this mighty mini could do and was not surprised that the giant-killing little speaker became an immediate success. This led to demand for a floorstanding companion for the […]
Neat nails Mystique Classic
Neat Acoustics Mystique Classic speakers A new loudspeaker from British stalwart Neat Acoustics is always an exhilarating moment and I was excited when the new Mystique Classic arrived to try in my own system. I had seen a prototype of the compact floorstander at the Munich High End show in May and knew that it […]
Prodigy5: small box = great sound
PMC prodigy5 speakers PMC started out in pro audio and their official name is Professional Monitor Company so it’s hardly surprising that they are as heavily involved in the music production side of the business as the listening side where we sit in our comfy chairs. PMC’s ethos is that you can use the same […]