| BUYING GUIDE - LOUDSPEAKERS - £1500+ |
| PRICES SHOWN ARE THOSE AT THE TIME OF REVIEW |
| Loudspeakers |
£ |
Year |
Verdict |
| Audiovector 6 |
£4600 |
Jun 95 |
If you have enough room and money the 6s are capable of a highly musical, involving performance. |
| BKS 107 MkII |
£1500 |
Dec 98 |
The 107 Mk2s may look slim but they have a solid sound and are fabulously revealing. |
| Cadence ES |
£3500 |
Sep 95 |
Interesting design that incorporates an electrostatic tweeter. An impressive sound but an inconsistent performer. |
| Celestion A3 |
£1800 |
May 97 |
The A3s are quite simply superb. All you'll need to enjoy them is a large enough listening room. |
| Cyrus Icon |
£2500 |
Jul 01 |
Highly recommended with a detailed, open and smooth sound. These NXT world firsts are an excellent addition to the hi-fi market both sonically and technologically. |
| Diapason Adamantes III |
£1999 |
May 02 |
Not cheap but superbly built and fine looking. The sound won't be to everybody's taste but is sweet and favours acoustic music. |
| Elac Jet 330 |
£2500 |
Jul 00 |
Great build and a clean, neutral sound with superb treble. Not cheap though. |
| Epos ES25 |
£1505 |
May 95 |
An extremely coherent and focussed sound; these are true audiophile speakers. Captivating with classical music. |
| Final Electrostatic |
£N/A |
Jun 00 |
A civilised open sound with oodles of space to the sound. Could integrate a little better. |
Final Electrostatic 0.2 &
Final 10 Sub Woofer |
£1875 |
Jan 02 |
Very different to the usual sub/sat sound. This is an airy, spacious and civilised sound, but it doesn't come cheap. |
| Harbeth HLS8 |
£1999 |
Mar 97 |
Glassy clarity, bright treble, with bass that comes alive when given welly. Expensive though. |
| Heybrook Octet |
£1800 |
Jul 98 |
The Octets are smooth, laid-back floor standers. Lack speed and transparency. |
| Jamo Concert 11 |
£2000 |
Dec 97 |
A worthy bigger brother for the Concert 8s, with a fast, transparent and even sound. |
| Jamo Concert 8 |
£1500 |
Jun 97 |
The Concert 8s are superbly clean and transparent. Their nature will show up any source shortcomings. |
| JBL S2600 |
£3500 |
Jul 96 |
Smooth, detailed and spacious with great scale and imaging. Capable of producing a real performance. |
| Kef Reference 3 |
£2000 |
Nov 95 |
For superb reproduction within large rooms, the 3s are a force to be reckoned with. |
| Kef Reference 4 |
£3099 |
Oct 96 |
Superb bass and near-electrostatic soundstaging make these involving 'speakers a bargain. |
Kef Reference
Three-Two |
£2250 |
May 01 |
A big hitter of a loudspeaker, but with true Reference qualities. Smooth, detailed and impressive, if not perfect. |
Linn Katan &
Linn Sizmik |
£1595 |
Jan 02 |
When properly set up this combination delivers a cohesive and well balanced sound. Good with rhythm and speed. |
| Linn Komri |
£25000 |
Mar 02 |
Incredible in so many respects, the Komri's let any music sound quite sublime. |
| Living Voice Auditorium |
£1500 |
May 99 |
Their strengths suggest a Classical 'speaker but they suit electronic compositions better. Rich tone but loose bass. |
| Living Voice Avatar |
£2500 |
Mar 02 |
Big sounding and highly detailed, the Avatars are a winner. Your wouldn't or shouldn't want more at this price. |
| Naim Allae |
£1990 |
Feb 02 |
Match with care and you'll get an incredibly powerful and engaging sound, with surprising sophistication. Fine value. |
| Proac Studio 150 |
£1500 |
Mar 99 |
Musically engaging but the tall ProAc's brightness suits them best for smooth valve amplification. |
| Quad ESL-988 |
£3500 |
Dec 00 |
Partner with suitable amplification and the 988s offer the unmistakable transparancy of an electrostatic coupled with a firm hold on rhythm and bass. The bizzo! |
| Quad ESL 989 |
£4600 |
Jan 01 |
The 989s play music like no other. Open and neutral. The sound is detailed, revealing, ruthless with bad material, but downright marvellous otherwise. |
| Red Rose Music Rosebud |
£2999 |
Aprr 02 |
One of the finest standmounts you'll find, with deep bass and a very spacious sound. However, the high price could be a hurdle. |
REL Stadium III
Sub Woofer |
£1500 |
Jun 01 |
Providing earth shaking and taut bass as well as subtly and breath, the Stadium III is a winner. |
| Slate Audio Stormforce |
£8000 |
Feb 99 |
The best home for a reflex-loaded Tannoy dual-concentric, but they don't come cheap! |
| Spendor SP7/1 |
£1970 |
Jan 95 |
Gorgeous looking. Listening becomes an enjoyable experience, full of surprises from subtleties. |
| Spendor SP9/1 |
£3400 |
Apr 96 |
One of the clearest and most expressive loudspeakers you'll ever find for a large room. Easy to drive, too. |
| Tannoy AMS8 |
£2702 |
Aug 96 |
Bold, powerful sound with solid bass, focussed midrange and delicious treble. Well worth tracking down. |
| Tannoy D900 |
£3999 |
Sep 97 |
£4000 may be a lot to pay for a pair of 'speakers, but the Tannoys deliver to great effect in all areas. |
| Tannoy TD8 |
£4500 |
Nov 01 |
Very fine 'speakers, with great build and a true reference sound. Not the lowest bass around but the midrange is beautifully detailed and open and treble superb. |
| Technics SB-M1000 |
£1500 |
Nov 96 |
Materially excellent value. Sound clean and extended but can lack involvement. |
| Thomas Transducers Brio |
£4750 |
Feb 95 |
Capable of producing a captivating performance of lifelike proportions with a great air of naturalness. |
| Thomas Virtuoso Gold |
£3395 |
May 98 |
Impressive horns that combine lightness of touch with power and clarity. |
| Vandersteen 2Ce Signature |
£1999 |
Aug 02 |
Highly enjoyable sounding with deep bass and a fast neutral sound. May not be everyone's cup of tea but highly recommended for audition. |
| Velodyne HGS-12 |
£2125 |
Apr 02 |
Supertight, well damped and gutsey sound makes it a top performer, but you'll have to pay for the privlidge. |
| Wilson Benesch Arc |
£2000 |
May 02 |
Superbly designed and super clean sounding, the Arcs are a fine 'speaker but need to be carefully matched to avoid sonic sterility. |
| Wilson Benesch Discovery |
£5500 |
Jun 01 |
Amazingly detailed and open with a deep and tight bass, sweet treble and wonderful integration. The Discovery is simply one of the best 'speakers currently available. |
| Zingali Overture .3 |
£1395 |
Jul 00 |
Something of an oddity but very entertaining, with beautiful looks. They are recording-fussy - stick to orchestral and well-recorded rock. |
