| BUYING GUIDE - LOUDSPEAKERS - £300-£799 |
| PRICES SHOWN ARE THOSE AT THE TIME OF REVIEW |
| Loudspeakers |
£ |
Year |
Verdict |
| AAD E48 |
£599 |
May 02 |
A very fine 'speaker that's just let down by a slightly synthetic sound with acoustic music. Rock recordings are superbly relayed however, and imaging is excellent. Recommended. |
| Acoustic Energy Aegis 2 |
£350 |
Dec 00 |
Sold build and an exciting sound mean the 2's should be on your listening list. Great value too. |
| Acoustic Energy Aesprit 300 |
£400 |
Jul 02 |
Open sounding and easy to listen to, with plenty of bass, but when it comes to speed and agility they can't quite match the strong competitiion. |
| Alesis M1 (active) |
£549 |
Jul 99 |
Almost worthy of domestic bargain status, the M1s lack just a little smoothness and finesse. |
| Arcaydis AS2 |
£700 |
Oct 99 |
Quality drive units give smoothness, detail and imaging. Require hefty amplification and finish could be better |
| Arcaydis ASC |
£399 |
Jun 99 |
The ASCs have natural warmth and good imaging. Inclined to be a little power-hungry. |
| ATC SCM7 |
£480 |
Dec 01 |
Clean and exact sounding, with plenty of detail. slight lack of bass extension though. |
| B&W CDM1SE |
£600 |
Apr 98 |
Tuneful and confident, these 'speakers are well suited to Pop and Dance music. |
| B&W DM305 |
£350 |
Mar 97 |
All the ingredients for listening fun are in the DM305. Overall presentation could be more cohesive though. |
| B&W DM602 Series 2 |
£300 |
Aug 99 |
A fair design that needs partnering with smooth amplification in a well-furnished room. |
| B&W P4 |
£600 |
Mar 95 |
Good-looking solid íspeakers with great spirit and tenacity but with a dry treble. Not fans of classical music. |
| Blue Room Minipod |
£400 |
Jan 97 |
Arresting style allied to an engaging sound makes the Minipods attractive. Best with smooth amps and source. |
| Boston Acoustics VR-M50 |
3699 |
Jul 01 |
Pricey but well built, the 50s are well engineered and immaculately finished. Good, fast bass but treble can be overwhelming on some recordings. Worth an audition. |
| Castle Avon |
£699 |
Dec 96 |
Taut, dry bass and lucid midrange but need matching to warm ancilliaries to avoid sounding bright. |
| Castle Harlech |
£799 |
Aug 96 |
Bass power and extension will impress but overall sound is uneven and rather sterile. |
| Castle Inversion |
£425 |
Aug 99 |
Unusual styling will polarize opinion, but sonically the '15s are fair performers. Imaging could be better. |
| Castle Kendal |
£450 |
Mar 98 |
The Kendals have great clarity but need coupling to warm ancillaries. |
| Castle Pembroke |
£499 |
Aug 00 |
A very musical 'speaker inside an unassuming cabinet. Basically accurate, ideal for classical and all acoustic music. |
| Castle Severn II |
£579 |
Jul 98 |
Apart from some hardness in the tweeters, the Severn 2s are accomplished all-rounders. |
| Castel Severn 2 SE |
£699 |
Oct 00 |
Big floorstanders with a big sound. Commendably natural sound with plenty of power. |
| Castle Stirling 3 |
£729 |
Jun 02 |
An accurate and well balanced sound with good body and oodles of detail. Some slight coloration, but otherwise spot on for the money. Good for solid-state and valves. |
| Castle Warwick 3 |
£549 |
Nov 01 |
The Warwick 3 is warm and friendly sounding. Deep, if at times sluggish bass and a fine sweet treble. Up against strong competition though. |
| Chario Hiper 1 |
£399 |
May 95 |
Music makers through and through with a great feel for rhythm and dynamics. |
| Chario Lynx |
£549 |
Apr 99 |
The Lynxes are superbly built but their rising bass and treble suit home cinema more than hi-fi. |
| Cyrus CLS 50 |
£500 |
Sep 01 |
Nicely smooth and fluid with a big sound from small cabinets. Not the most dynamic performers around and the bass, although deep, can be a tad loose. |
| Dali 450 |
£700 |
Feb 96 |
A powerful and rich sound from these competitively priced floorstanders makes them worth a recommendation. |
| Dali Royal Menuet |
£399 |
Feb 00 |
Solid and reliable performers, smooth, sophisticated and controlled. |
| Dali Royal Scepter |
£649 |
Oct 00 |
Excellent little speakers with a controlled, smooth and neutral sound. Great finish too. |
| Elac CL 82 Mk2 |
£399 |
Jan 00 |
Reliable German-made 'speakers that sound exciting with detail and refinement rare at the price. |
| Epos ES12 |
£495 |
Oct 96 |
Strong, punchy bass allied to detailed and articulate midrange and treble. |
| Epos M12 |
£430 |
Jul 01 |
Fast, detailed and engaging, the M12s are a winner. They need sensitive matching and are fussy with recordings. |
| Heybrook Heylios |
£339 |
Mar 97 |
The Heylios stand out for their bass depth, dynamics and sound staging. Overall balance prefers Classical to Rock. |
| Heybrook Heylo |
£389 |
Oct 95 |
Posses a neutral, fast and dry sound. A good match for soft sounding systems. |
| Indigo One |
£329 |
Feb 00 |
Sound exciting with studio recorded rock but deliver a veiled and occasionally muddled performance with richly texured classical recordings. |
Jamo A410
A4 Sub-Woofer |
£79
£349 |
Aug 02 |
Despite the unusual 'lifestyle' aesthetics, these are genuinely capable speakers capable of taking on the conventional box designs and winning. |
| Jamo 307 |
£300 |
Apr 95 |
Delicate, detailed sound, albeit with rather imprecise imaging. Will work well on a bookshelf. |
| Jamo E850 |
£300 |
Dec 00 |
With oodles of power, the 850's produce a big, if not always cohesive, sound with deep bass. |
| JPW ML910 |
£300 |
Nov 97 |
The 910s aren't perfect but make music fun. Quality, power and extension, the Millenniums are worth a listen. |
| JPW Ruby 2 |
£395 |
Oct 98 |
Once allied to warm electronics, the Ruby 2s mix insight with plenty of involvement. |
| Kef KMS 2002 |
£499 |
Sep 01 |
Brilliant but slightly flawed. Wonderful transparency, imaging and build, but runs out of steam when the going gets tough. |
| Kef LS3/5A |
£599 |
Jul 95 |
Partnered with the Rogers AB1, this is a substantial marriage. |
| Kef Q35 |
£350 |
Nov 97 |
Very accomplished midrange and treble but the dry in the bass. For Rock fans the upper bass speed is appealing. |
| Kef Q35.2 |
£350 |
Dec 00 |
Well finished and full sounding with a deep and rich bass. Could be a little 'big' sounding for some rooms, but they're easily among the best at the price. |
| Kef Q55 |
£499 |
Aug 97 |
The Q55s look rather expensive at £500 with their 'boom and tizz' presentation. |
| Kef RDM1 |
£499 |
Oct 97 |
The RDM1s soundstage well thanks to their Uni-Q drivers. Can be uninvolving because of a lack of scale and impact. |
| Klipsch KG3.5 |
£595 |
Apr 00 |
A fast and furious 'speaker with powerful bass and exceedingly clear treble. Not for the classically minded but immense fun on everything else. |
| Linn Katan |
£600 |
Apr 01 |
Exciting and attractive little 'speaker with detail and punch. Better with rock than classical. |
| Linn Tukan |
£389 |
Dec 95 |
Highly musical standmounters that give similarly priced floorstanders a great deal to worry about |
| Magnat Vintage 701 |
£799 |
Aug 00 |
Spankingly good 'speakers with a lot of attraction. They are suited better to big rooms and big sounds. |
| Meridian A500 |
£750 |
May 95 |
Very polite and many will appreciate their civility. Deep powerful bass. |
| Mission fs2 NXT Panels |
£799 |
Sep 00 |
The Mission panels offer a tempting taste of spaciousness and dynamics that you can't sit back and ignore. And think of all the floor space saved! |
| Mission 733 |
£300 |
Apr 95 |
Captivating floorstanders that bring music to life - what good hi-fi should do. |
| Mission 773e |
£400 |
Nov 99 |
Nicely engineered slimline model. Some sonic trade-offs with the compact size. |
| Mission 734 |
£430 |
Sep 95 |
Engineered for low price and showroom appeal rather than absolute sound quality. |
| Mission 751Freedom |
£350 |
Apr 97 |
Charming little stand-mounters with a sweet, warm, musical sound. |
| Mission 752 Freedom |
£578 |
Jan 97 |
Dynamic, punchy, and musical yet refined like few at the price. Bass lacks a little depth. |
| Mission 774 |
£500 |
Feb 99 |
With the right ancilliaries, the 774s have a clarity and lack of colouration still rare at the price. |
| Mission 780 |
£300 |
May 00 |
A civilised 'speaker with a well-controlled and musical sound. Not the ultimate for dynamic expression, and a little power-hungry. |
| Mission 782 |
£699 |
Aug 00 |
Solid cabinets and good engineering result in a detailed and punchy sound with deceptively deep bass. Great imaging. |
| Mission m51 |
£300 |
Jun 02 |
The m51s are very well engineered and have a taut and tuneful bass rarely found at this price point. Can sound hard when ill matched and fed bad recordings though. |
Monitor Audio
Reference Gold 10 |
£799 |
Jun 01 |
A 'speaker for younger audiophiles, perhaps. A big sound for a standmount with plenty of low bass and rhythmic drive. Maybe too forward for some though. |
| Mordaunt-Short MS25i |
£300 |
Nov 96 |
Sweet sounding metal dome tweeter although the dry bass and rather plasticky midrange work against it. |
| Musical Technology PM15 |
£474 |
Jan 99 |
Sophisticated, neutral sound and fine musicality put the PM15s near the head of the class. |
| Near 10M |
£500 |
Jan 96 |
A thin and hard sound but precise with it! |
| Neat Critique II |
£445 |
Jan 99 |
Deserving 'speakers with good looks and build. Can fail to shine with over-polite equipment. |
| Neat Critique Pro |
£385 |
Mar 00 |
Unassuming appearance but very musical and reasonably priced. Smooth but clear performance without bass boom. |
| NHT 1.3 |
£389 |
Aug 95 |
Very crisp sounding 'speakers best suited to smaller rooms. |
| NHT Super Two |
£600 |
May 01 |
Caution is needed with placement, but the Super Two's are a very involving listen with fine bass depth. |
| O'Heocha D1S |
£495 |
Aug 00 |
Very promising stuff. Unusual, outlandish looks and a controlled but bright sound. |
| Opera Duetto |
£395 |
Feb00 |
Good with chamber music and string quartets, anything more beefy and rhythmic they become slightly confused |
| Opera Mini |
£300 |
Nov 99 |
A mini 'speaker made for music. Well built and versatile. At worst, ponderous, at best, immense. |
| Opera Operetta |
£795 |
Mar 01 |
Genuinely exciting to listen to with strong bass and sweet treble, they're equally proficient with both rock and classical. Beautiful build and excellent value for money. |
| Opera Prima |
£495 |
Feb 99 |
The Primas offer a taste of the high-end at a sensible price. They are more fans of Classical than Rock though. |
| Ortofon ConCorde 6 |
£329 |
Oct 95 |
Good value floorstanders with clean enjoyable sound - not quite supersonic, though. |
| Polk PSW150 |
£500 |
Jul 97 |
The PSW150 adds depth to a system but can sound obvious at times. |
| Proac Tablette |
£600 |
Aug 98 |
Amp-sensitive and slightly boxy in the lower treble, the ProAcs are still highly musical. |
| Quad 11L |
£380 |
Aug 02 |
Pretty much sets a new standard at the price. The gorgeous looking 11L is also a sophisticated and neutral sounding winner. A bit of a bargain. |
| Quadral QLX 180 |
£325 |
Dec 00 |
Large open sound from these big three way 'speakers. Good integration but the bass could be too heavy for some. |
| Rel Q Bass |
£350 |
May 96 |
Needs care in setting up but this subwoofer offers serious quality bass for not a lot of money. |
| REL Q100E |
£500 |
Apr 98 |
Another capable sub from REL that boosts bass and improves sound staging. |
| Rogers AB 1 |
£499 |
Jul 95 |
When used with the Kef LS3/5a this sub delivers the goods, beyond a doubt. |
| Roksan RokOne |
£595 |
Feb 97 |
Musically involving 'speakers that many will enjoy, but a little unrefined at times. |
| Sequence 400 |
£329 |
Apr 96 |
Good at orchestral scale but coloured in the midband. |
| Soundcraft Absolute 4P |
£799 |
Oct 97 |
The Absolute 4Ps excel in all areas except for the rather bright, hard treble. Bass is exceptional. |
| Spendor 2030 |
£599 |
Jun 96 |
Smooth and coherent in their delivery with deep and taut bass extension. Not the most spacious sound. |
| Systemdek 165 |
£400 |
Feb 96 |
Dry and clean sound, but can become hard and confused when pushed. |
| Tannoy Eyris 1 |
£599 |
Jun 02 |
Fine, open 'speakers in the traditional Tannoy mould. The fine detail and treble response is slightly marred by a slightly lazy bass though. |
| Tannoy Precision P10 |
£300 |
May 98 |
Though very even in their performance, the P10s lack ultimate clarity and punch. |
| Tannoy Profile 633 Plus |
£300 |
Nov 96 |
Weighty bass and rhythmic detail work well on dance. Less satisfying with classical music. Firm imaging. |
| Tannoy Revolution r2 |
£350 |
Oct 99 |
Lively and exciting, will appeal to many. Solid build and confident sound makes them well worth the money. |
| Tannoy Revolution r3 |
£550 |
Mar 00 |
Impresssively full-voiced floorstanders with seismic bass. Treble can suffer some sibilance if pushed hard |
| TDL RTL 4 |
£650 |
Feb 95 |
Easy going with plenty of detail and timbral richness. Better with classical fare. |
| TDL T-line 2 |
£550 |
Jan 97 |
Midrange and treble have good tonal colour, detail and speed. Bass is slow and blurred. |
| Technics SB-M01 |
£400 |
Feb 00 |
Deliver a strong and engaging sound that really does impress. |
| Technics SB-MO1E |
£400 |
Nov 99 |
Punchy and dynamic, yet refined. In a small environment, these highly detailed 'speakers are excellent. |
| Technics SB-M300 |
£350 |
Nov 95 |
A great sound with solid bass from a compact and well priced 'speaker. |
| Technics SB-M500 |
£450 |
May 96 |
Clean, dry and taut with good imaging and sound staging. More neutral than Missionís 752s but less euphonic. |
| Titan Mini T2B |
£600 |
Dec 99 |
Heftily built standmounts with terrific punch and attack. The metal drivers might make classical a bit harsh. |
| Triangle Comete TZXe |
£475 |
Jan 95 |
Quite pleasant, inoffensive sound but others costing less can offer more. |
| Triangle Zerius 202 |
£695 |
Dec 01 |
Good value for this type of high sensitivity loudspeaker. A big, full and exciting sound but can be bright at times. Ideally used with valves. |
| Videologic Sirocco Pro |
£550 |
May 00 |
Can run leading mid-price hi-fi designs frighteningly close for comfort! |
| Wharfedale Pi-30 |
£499 |
Mar 01 |
Forward, detailed and revealing presentation, but on the bright side and with weak depth perspectives. |
| Wharfdale Valdus 500 |
£300 |
Oct 95 |
Good for adding scale and power to a weak system or budget separates |
| Yamaha MSP5 |
£449 |
Jun 99 |
Ruthless to poorly-produced material and can sound cold, but their detailing is impressive. |
