hi-fi+ guide to loudspeakers 2017

115 Pages·2017·9.18 MB·English

HI-FI+ GUIDE TO
LOUDSPEAKERS 2017
Sponsored by Raidho
GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017 HI-FI+
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HI-FI+ GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017
(Sponsored by Raidho)
CONTENTS U NEED 2 KNOW EDITORS’ CHOICE
New offerings in three important Our Editors’ Top 5 picks in each
loudspeaker categories loudspeaker category
• 61 new Floorstanding Loudspeakers • Premium-priced Floorstanding
• 25 new Standmount & Bookshelf Loudspeakers
Loudspeakers • Affordable & mid-priced Floorstanding
• 6 new Subwoofers & Other Loudspeakers
Loudspeaker types • Premium-priced Standmount
Loudspeakers
HI-FI+ INTERVIEW FIVE GIFTED • Affordable & mid-priced Standmount
LOUDSPEAKER DESIGNERS Loudspeakers
• Mads Klifoth of AudioVector
• Daniel Emonts of Dynaudio FEATURES
• Daryl Wilson of Wilson Audio Specialties • The Complete Guide to Loudspeakers
• Craig Milnes of Wilson Benesch • Standmount Loudspeakers—The Basics
• Yoav Geva of YG Acoustics
LOUDSPEAKER LEXICON
HI-FI+ REVIEW INDEXES FOR ALL Loudspeaker lingo explained in
LOUDSPEAKER PRODUCTS FROM layman’s terms
ISSUE 100 TO PRESENT:
• Review Index: Desktop and Standmount
Loudspeakers, and
• Review Index: Floorstanding Loudspeakers
and Subwoofers
HI-FI+ GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017: CONTENTS GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017: CONTENTS HI-FI+
EDITOR, HI-FI+ GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017 THE EDITORIAL OFFICE CAN BE
PUBLISHER, HI-FI+ CONTACTED AT:
Chris Martens Hi-Fi+ Editorial
Tel: [phone] Office Absolute Multimedia (UK) Ltd
Tel: [phone] Mobile Unit 3, Sandleheath Industrial Estate,
Email: [email protected] Sandleheath, Hampshire
SP6 1PA
EDITOR, HI-FI+ MAGAZINE United Kingdom
Alan Sircom Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected] Web: www.hifiplus.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Absolute Multimedia (UK) Ltd is a
Alan Sircom subsidiary of TMM Holdings LLC,
Jason Kennedy 2500 McHale Court Suite A
Austin, Texas 78758, USA
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Jenny Watson CHAIRMAN AND CEO
Fonthill Creative, Salisbury Thomas B. Martin, Jr.
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HI-FI+ GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017 GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017 HI-FI+
FROM THE Welcome to the Hi-Fi+ Guide to scale. Some of the best new offerings we This Guide presents:
Loudspeakers 2017. This guide represents have heard are able to convey levels of deep
EDITOR
a snapshot-like look at the world of high musical information that might have seemed • “U Need 2 Know” sections revealing a
performance loudspeakers circa the latter unthinkable just a few years ago. wealth of new loudspeaker products,
part of 2017. • Talks with five gifted designers of high
Value is Out There (if you know where to performance loudspeakers,
My mother used to describe the toy look for it): While ultra high-priced top-tier • A section highlighting Hi-Fi+ loudspeaker
catalogues put out by some stores around models continue to scale the performance reviews from issue 100 to present,
Christmas-time as “wish books” and in a heights, today’s best affordable floorstanders • Feature articles on loudspeakers design in
sense this guide is likewise a loudspeaker and standmount monitors are becoming general and on standmount loudspeaker
wish book—a chance to see what’s available sonic overachievers of the first rank and in in particular, and
now or coming soon, as well as a look at ways rarely seen before. In short, this is a • Loudspeaker Lexicon: An in-depth glossary
some of the best loudspeakers Hi-Fi+ has golden era for those seeking great sound to explain acronyms and terminology.
discovered over the past few years. As always on a budget.
we’re guided by several key principles: As always, our goal is to help readers to
Size Isn’t Everything: Large, floorstanders derive deeper satisfaction from the music
The Proof is in the Listening: After certainly have their place, but in just the they love, while having great fun with
loudspeaker measurements are taken and past few years well-designed and relatively carefully selected audio equipment and
charts and graphs drawn, only one thing compact standmount monitors have music systems. We wish you the best in
really matters—the perceived sound quality begun to deliver extraordinary amounts your quest for great loudspeakers, and
a loudspeaker delivers to your ears and the of performance and sonic refinement for happy listening.
musical satisfaction you derive from that their size and price, meaning bigger isn’t
sound. Period. always better! Chris Martens
Publisher, Hi-Fi+
The Best Get Better: The past year has seen
a flurry of important and impressive releases
at the very top end of the price/performance
HI-FI+ GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017 GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017 HI-FI+
U NEED 2 KNOW
FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS
STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKERS SUBWOOFERS AND OTHERS
SPONSORED BY DYNAUDIO
HI-FI+ GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017 GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017 HI-FI+
FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS
Aequo Audio Ensis Aequo Audio Stilla
The multi award winning Ensis speaker capabilities without ever becoming harsh A modest-sized and incredibly elegant @ 8 ohms nominal, it matches with almost
(e.g., Best Speaker of the Year, “best ever or too analytical: fast, non-fatiguing, and floorstanding speaker, yet with super- every amp! The 5-inch driver is responsible
to have had in listening room”, etc.) has highly involving. Some of the most musical impressive low frequency dynamics. The for very open, or pleasantly detailed,
made some of the world’s most renowned emotion enabling speakers in the world, on-board analogue ARPEC system for room midrange frequencies without colouration.
journalists rave on about how such small regardless of price. Includes many in- size and placement adjustments, tunes Highs are handled by the EHDL dispersion
speakers can deliver such huge sound. This house developed technologies, like special the double 7-inch subwoofers’ roll-off— tweeter. All are time-aligned by the easy-
includes taut and deep notes of the lowest composites, the EHDL dispersion and simulating a closed-box- into the lowest (!) to-use adjustable angle cabinet, and all
octave by its 500watt powered subwoofer analog room-size and speaker-placement frequencies with 2×250watt amplification. are wideband phase-aligned by the first
and a huge 3D soundstage with holographic adjustment system. Suitable for small and large rooms. Many order crossover, to deliver a spectacular,
imaging. The most highlighted aspects components are directly derived from holographic soundstage.
are the very detailed, high-resolution https://www.aequoaudio.com/ensis the Ensis loudspeaker; again, the mid/
high section remains passive with 90dB www.aequoaudio.com
Technical Specifications
Technical Specifications
Type: Floorstanding loudspeakers
Type: Floorstanding loudspeakers
Driver complement: 3-way:
Bass: 1 × 10-inch (active Ncore power) Driver complement: 3-way:
Midrange: 1 × 5-inch
Bass: 2 × 7-inch (2×250watt Ncore)
High Frequency: 1× 1-inch
Midrange: 1 × 5-inch
Active mid/high is optional
High Frequency: 1 × 1-inch
Enclosure Type: Closed box Active mid/high is optional
Frequency Response: 10Hz–40kHz Enclosure Type: Closed and special reflex
(-3dB @ 16Hz in average room on xxl) loaded
Impedance: 8 ohms nominal Frequency Response: 14Hz–35kHz
(-3dB @ 17Hz in average room on xxl)
Sensitivity: 90 dB
Impedance: 8 ohms nominal
Price: £24,000 per pair
Sensitivity: 90 dB
Availability: ultimate-fidelity.co.uk
Price: £18,000 per pair
Availability: ultimate-fidelity.co.uk
HI-FI+ GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017: U NEED 2 KNOW – FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017: U NEED 2 KNOW – FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS HI-FI+
Acoustic Insight Virtual Stage Floorstander Audiovector SR 3 Arreté Raw Surface Limited Edition
Acoustic Insight shatters the mould of customisable top-end and unprecedented With a waxed concrete surface and
the standard multi-way loudspeaker with quality bass extension. It also delivers an contrasting 24-karat gold-plated details, the Technical Specifications
electronic crossover. uncompromised degree of imaging, clarity, look of the new SR 3 Arreté Raw Surface can
Type: Floorstanding Loudspeaker
transparency, and sheer musical accuracy be defined as exclusive and very unique.
For a start we use the most advanced Jordan that must be heard to be appreciated, Just like the technical features and beautiful Driver complement:
full range drive unit with its unprecedented plus impeccable dynamics and naturally sound of it. 1 × Avantgarde AMT 2.0
phase-coherent clarity across the whole integrated balance across the whole musical (Hand built Air Motion Transformer)
musical spectrum without crossover. spectrum. These are just for starters. This model, limited to 100 sequentially 1 × Audiovector Evotech
numbered pairs, uses a brand new coating High-Efficiency Driver
The speaker offers uniquely optimised www.acousticinsight.co.uk technology to stabilize and stiffen the cabinet 1 × Audiovector Evotech Long-Throw
elegant cabinet designs with fully to create the perfect foundation for our Driver
advanced in-house Audiovector drivers. It
Enclosure Type: 2 ½-way bass reflex,
Technical Specifications also uses the tweeter of bigger sibling, SR 6
bottom ported
version 2.0 AMT, which has a lighter, faster
Type: Floorstanding Loudspeaker
membrane to add extra detail, size, and Frequency Response: 22Hz–54kHz
Driver complement: soundstage. Cabling comes from our flagship,
Impedance: 8 ohms Nominal
2 × Full range drivers R 11 Arreté and damping has been further
1 × adjustable HF unit improved. A new optimized crossover knits it Sensitivity: 91.5 dB
all together to a truly coherent, detailed, and
Enclosure Type: Price: £10,500/pair
more punchy entity.
Mass loaded transmission line
Availability: Raw Surface Concrete Coating
Frequency Response: 29Hz–27kHz (-3dB); http://audiovector.com/sr-3-avantgarde- & 24K Gold Details
23Hz–37kHz (-6dB) arrete.html
Impedance: 5 ohms
Sensitivity: 89dB @ 1W/1m
Price: £3,100
Availability: Directly from Acoustic Insight
HI-FI+ GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017: U NEED 2 KNOW – FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017: U NEED 2 KNOW – FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS HI-FI+
Audiovector SR 3 Signature Auris Audio Poison 8
Technical Specifications Technical Specifications
Our Signature series is made from a Our new loudspeaker introduces the
culmination of our many evolutionary Type: Floorstanding Loudspeaker successors to our well known and celebrated Type: Floorstanding Loudspeaker
developments to achieve the manufacturing Poison series models: namely, the Poison 8
Driver complement: Driver complement: Beyma, Custom mid
of a perfect all-round speaker that can play and Poison 88.
1 × Evotech T2011 Silk Dome driver and Fountek ribbon tweeter
all kinds of music.
(Hand build Dome Tweeter)
This pair represents, so far, the most Enclosure Type: Vented
1 × Audiovector Evotech P2008CS
The distinctive curved cabinet shape accomplished concepts of Auris Audio, in
1 × Audiovector Evotech P2008CS Crossover: 250 Hz / 3500 Hz
eliminates the standing waves and internal technological and musical sense.
resonance. With no parallel panels inside, Enclosure Type: 2 ½-way bass reflex, Impedance: 8 Ohm
the speaker sounds clean, clear and with bottom ported Poison 8 is a 4 way, 3D loudspeaker hand Sensitivity: (1 W / 1 m) 91 dB
amazing power. made from natural materials that have
Frequency Response: 27Hz–27kHz
Price: 9.588,00 euro
become a trademark of Auris brand.
The SR 3 series are hand built in Denmark Impedance: 8 ohms Nominal Availability: available world wide
with Danish made in-house parts. Sensitivity: 91.5 dB With recommended power handling from
10W -100W this beauty shows superlative
Price: £4200/pair
www.audiovector.com performance and unique acoustic style.
Availability: Piano & Matte Lacquer in
Black, White, Rosewood & Cherry. http://aurisaudio.rs/en
Custom car lacquer finishes available
on request
HI-FI+ GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017: U NEED 2 KNOW – FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS GUIDE TO LOUDSPEAKERS 2017: U NEED 2 KNOW – FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS HI-FI+