Speakers

To stand out from the crowd, a speaker (or any product) needs to have a gimmick. "Gimmick" is too harsh of a word, really. "Unique element of differentiation" is too clinical but more on the mark. Maybe I should say, "thingamajig." On-wall speakers...

3 expert reviews

Hecht is definitely not new to the speaker business. His legendary father, Bill Hecht, founded Phase Tech's parent company, United Speaker Systems, in 1955 and began building speakers for Avery Fisher (another legendary name). In 1967, the elder Hecht...

3 expert reviews

But it's no secret that Japanese speakers are a tough sell in both North America and Europe, where the domestic competition is fierce. It isn't easy getting noticed amid the noise of 300 (or is it 500) other speaker manufacturers clamoring for attention.

3 expert reviews

How would you feel if you woke up one day in a perfect body? You'd pull back the blanket and look down on a perfectly flat tummy (something I haven't seen in years, although heaven knows I'm trying). Combination skin is a thing of the past—you seem to...

3 expert reviews

Neil Young was on NPR chatting about his new movie, Heart of Gold, when he uttered a line that stuck with me: "The art of singing is making a sound that comes from your heart." Thanks Neil, I'm co-opting the idea to describe what distinguishes great...

3 expert reviews

$1,550/ea. 10" powered subwoofer with 1,250-Watt Tracking Downconverter amplifier, self-diagnostic EQ, single-ended and balanced line level inputs Bob's latest subwoofer uses a single front-firing 10" driver and over a thousands watts of power to...

2 expert reviews

A year ago I reviewed Infinity's terrific- sounding $749 TSS-750 surround speaker system, and it quickly became one of my favorites in its price class—a surefire recommendation for entry-level surround sound systems. But much though I admired that...

3 expert reviews

If you want to hear the uncoloured truth about your music collection in all its glory and have decent amplification this is a bit of a bargain.

2 expert reviews

I replaced AR's in 1998, been hooked on Kef since then. Driving 9.2 and 90's hard with 1st a Rotel amp, then Technics Surround. Very solid, detailed 3D sound filling a large living room. Used mainly for rock, classical, movies like Inception,...

4 user reviews

The audiophile and the ecstasy. Bowers & Wilkins offers an impressive range of speakers in nearly every size and price category, but they're best known for models that demonstrate the company's continuing pursuit of the state of the art. Just last...

2 expert reviews

The CSC55 was measured on a 6-foot stand, which gives anechoic results to approximately 200 Hz. Except for the subwoofer, all measurements are taken at a full 2 meters, which emulates a typical listening distance, allows the outputs of large speakers...

3 expert reviews

I've reviewed many excel- lent in-wall speakers, but none quite like the new Radia R-800 in-wall speaker from BG. With 24 drivers in each speaker, this giant stands almost 7 feet tall and is clearly designed for extreme listening—extremely satisfying...

3 expert reviews

Out of the box, these speakers had an unusually rich, robust, beautiful sound, an authority, a majesty even, that greatly impressed me. Unlike some other recently touted and really expensive big speakers that, to these ears, have sounded dead and...

1 expert reviews | 1 user reviews

Even if Thiel hadn't given their new subwoofer line the slick name of SmartSub, I'd still say most subwoofers are stupid. Make that stoopid. Granted, I've had some good ones in the last few years, and that's no accident, since no reviewer would...

2 expert reviews

The K7 is a neutral monitor in the true sense. It is the smallest in the Snell's new series 7 line. The K7 is designed to perform, regardless of placement, and integrate with most decor. Based on newly developed, high performance drivers from...

2 expert reviews

Anthony Gallo Acoustics' speakers had me thinking about the old Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme. If you'll recall, after Humpty took a nasty fall and was smashed to pieces, all of the king's horses and men could never make him whole again. Following my...

3 expert reviews

First-generation THX blossomed in the high-end sphere. The first companies to make THX-certified speakers were already making great ones, with or without certification. Even now, the list of THX speaker makers reads like an industry honor roll. That...

3 expert reviews

I've used these occasionally for the last several years, attached to an old CD player in my office, but I recently set them up properly. Source: Apple lossless itunes files and older mp3s. Card: Assus Xonar Essence STX, Amp: Virtue Audio. The speakers...

4 user reviews

Just when I thought speaker designers could focus 100 percent of their talents on creating the best-sounding speakers, flat-screen TVs came along and created a burgeoning market for ultrasvelte plasma-friendly speakers. Anything other than the most...

3 expert reviews

Performance Build QualityValue

2 expert reviews

A while ago I wrote a preview of these little speakers. At the time, I was really looking forward to getting a test pair. Thanks to the friendliness o...

2 expert reviews

But no speaker line can survive indefinitely. Audiophiles, like most consumers, are constantly looking for the new and different. And the competition is especially fierce in the high-end, where each sale is far more than a blip in a manufacturer's...

4 expert reviews

I agree with the previous reviewer. A great speaker for the money. Good across the frequency range, perhaps a bit midrange forward; excellent and airy, detailed tweeter and very supportive bass. If you have room space limitations, these speakers...

2 user reviews

I don't think I've ever before referred to a speaker as "sexy," but Sonus faber's new Domus line is definitely hot stuff. Yeah baby, the Domus Series' enticing curves—sheathed in supple black leatherette, poised on spiked feet—will get audiophiles all...

3 expert reviews

I think it's time we revived the old maxim that speakers are the most important part of an audio system. Yes, DVD players, A/V receivers, pre/pros, and power amps all play crucial roles, but speakers give you a bigger shot at personalizing your sound....

3 expert reviews