Dali Sonik 5 speakers One of the more rewarding aspects of being a hi-fi reviewer is finding a seriously affordable loudspeaker that does a great job anchoring a price appropriate system but grows and then conspicuously over-delivers when the source and amp are upgraded as they might be in a real-world system building scenario. It’s […]
Xavian Grande Unica speakers Since 1994, the Czech Republic has been home to Xavian Electronics, a loudspeaker company led by designer Roberto Barletta. Formerly based in Prague and now in Hostivice, Xavian manufactures its loudspeakers in-house using solid wood. The Natura series is inspired by the Czech countryside, and one of the models is the […]
Davone Reference Three speakers The first Davone speaker I saw was the Ray, a very distinctive and beautiful design with a single stalk stand and a curvy shape wrapped in bent plywood. It immediately brought to mind the Eames Lounge Chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames in the fifties – the name that Davone […]
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 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 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 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 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 […]
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 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 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 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 […]