Rating: Hot: Among the earliest proponents of metal drive units, Monitor Audio goes all the way with the Silver RX1, on which the tweeter and woofer are made of ceramic-coated aluminium/magnesium alloy. Typically, these compact standmounts exhibit a clean and uncoloured midrange, with decent highs and bass. No artificial flavouring to pump up the bass, […]
Rating: Hot: One will immediately appreciate the top-notch build quality and good looks – the wife-acceptance factor is high. These are very resolving speakers, able to bring out loads of details from the recording, even at low level listening. Can also deliver transients with impressive speed and impact. They don’t get frazzled when fed complex […]
Rating: Hot: It appears the hi-fi world just can’t get enough of this classic – Rogers’ current owner, the Wo Kee Hong group, has already turned out a previous special edition of the venerable LS3/5a, while this one is to commemorate the 65 years that have passed since its creation. One listen and you’ll hear […]
Rating: Hot: Some fine high- and mid-end loudspeakers have emerged from this Memphis, USA-based company, but the Dianne is its first “entry-level” model, although that term should be taken in the right context. Still, this is a reasonably priced speaker and offers much for the money, including fine cabinet craftwork and finish. Sonically, very pleasant […]
Rating: Hot: Audiophiles bold enough to get off the well-trodden routes will occasionally find treasures hidden from mainstream consciousness. Odeon Audio, for example, is one of them. German, with bare-bones exposure outside certain circles, and no English version of its website – but obviously well in business for years, thanks to a line of medium-range […]
Rating: Hot: Open and spacious sound stage, with great ambient detail. Very revealing once set up properly. They don’t fall apart with complex recordings, very decent with piano works, especially. Great and deep-ish bass, with vice-like grip on the lows. Majesty of scale in the overall presentation. Near-holographic treble and life-like sonic pictures. Smooth tonal balance. […]
Rating: Hot: An interesting turn for Epos, the Epic range marrying some good, old-fashioned design cues with modern sonic values. Immense potential when paired with electronics above their class, never being shown up. Strengths include impactful and confident bass, deft handling of dynamics and transients, and discerning staging and imaging. Simpler recordings are afforded spatial dimension, […]