Features: Loudspeakers

In a Tracking Angle review in March of this year, I called Philharmonic Audio’s Balanced-Mode-Radiator (BMR) Monitor loudspeaker “The Loudspeaker Bargain of the Century—at Least So Far.” (And I am so glad that I put that weasel-y little derrière-covering qualifier in.) That's in the context of, in my 2023 Tracking Angle review of Bricasti’s M3 Digital-to-Analog Converter, I called Solen Electronique’s fully-assembled SB Acoustics Sasandu Tx Finale three-way (with double woofers) loudspeaker “the Audio Bargain of this Century—so far.” And now, I announce a NEW Loudspeaker Bargain of the Century. As Shakespeare wrote:

Men were deceivers, ever.
One foot in sea, and one on shore.
To one thing, constant, never.

I believe most hi-fi consumers and professionals hop scotch (my term) in the pursuit of audio nirvana. The reasons are, by and large, obvious: Upgrade neurosis coupled with a strong dose of financial considerations. This has been my story going back to my first audio purchase in 1968. I would listen to my system for a certain period of time and then decide which unit (turntable, cartridge, receiver, amp, preamp, speakers) would get the next upgrade. Back in the early... Read More

“These are what I listen to when I want to know what I’ve recorded, Roy Halee told me, standing in front of a pair of the original Wilson WATTs (Wilson Audio Tiny Tots). That’s what I listen to for pleasure,” he added, pointing to the Infinity IRS monoliths dominating his large, vaulted-ceilinged Connecticut listening room. Mark Levinson electronics juiced the WATTs. Big Jadis tube amps powered the panels. It was early 1987 and Halee was still relishing his Graceland... Read More

Believe it or not, I think that the Falcon Loudspeakers F50 (to me, “F50” sounds like the name of a not-yet-built US fighter jet), and which, at $2,495, is loosely in the same sub-$3,000/pr. price tier as the Philharmonic Audio BMR Monitor I reviewed last time out, really is a respectable alternative to the much larger, three-way BMR Monitor ($1,900/pr. and up, depending on finishes; but, currently out of stock, because of a few great reviews). Despite the F50’s having only a (nominal) 5" woofer. And, even if the F50 costs more. It all depends upon which virtues are more important to you, and which vices are less important to you.

“Stunning. They can hang out in the living room”. Forty reviewing years and that comment from wifey was a first! Her response early last Fall seeing the dramatically “painted by nature” Acora VRCs unpacked and sitting in the driveway in the early morning sun.The light made an already dazzling looking speaker look even more so. It also resembled the delivery of our granite kitchen counters back in 2011, during which the narrowest section had cracked during the truck... Read More

How would I define the BMR Monitor’s “Personality”? How about “This loudspeaker sounds like it was designed by an orchestral string player who knows enough engineering to achieve his goals with admirable economic efficiency.” The BMR Monitor is especially remarkable for its timbral and temporal coherence; midrange and treble articulation and detail; and its extraordinary soundstaging and imaging.

At last year's Southwest Audio Fest I was impressed with Genesis Advanced Technology's introduction of its new G7 Foxtrot loudspeaker. I recognized it as one of the notable products in my 2024 SWAF report and quickly made arrangements with Genesis owner and designer Gary Koh to review it. Genesis History The late Arnie Nudell, a renowned figure in high-end audio founded Genesis Advanced Technologies in 1991. Before establishing Genesis, Nudell co-founded... Read More

When you think of high-end audio, you might envision large floor-standing speakers with multiple drivers and impressive cabinetry. However, some of the most astonishing sonic experiences can come from unexpected sources. This is the case with the Audience ClairAudient 1+1 V5 Personal Reference Loudspeaker. Despite its small 8" height, 9.75" depth, and 6" width, the V5 delivers sonic performance that can rival and, in some areas, surpass much larger... Read More

Denmark based Dynaudio designs and manufactures loudspeaker systems for professional studios, car audio, and home hi-fi, all using advanced driver technology engineered and developed in-house. When Dynaudio's John Quick offered the opportunity to review the Evoke 30s, I was absolutely stoked. Though I've been impressed by casual listenings to their stand-mount Special 40, I've never had the chance to spend quality time with a pair of Dynaudio speakers.... Read More

At a press conference during last spring’s Munich High End 2024 YG Acoustics introduced its new “flagship” $498,000 XV 3 Signature loudspeaker—a four tower, limited-to-eight-pairs edition.This isn’t a review of that speaker, so there’s no point in going through all that went into its design and execution overseen by YG CEO and chief designer Matthew Webster.No doubt designing and executing this modestly priced Talus loudspeaker introduced in 2023 was at least, if not... Read More

Vera-Fi Audio’s “Vanguard Scout” shoebox-sized (but, which is DEFINITELY NOT an LS3/5A DESCENDANT OR EMULATION) loudspeaker, direct-to-consumer priced at $299 USD the pair, has had me ruminating on quite a few things.

Getting good sound in a hotel room is always dicey and most of the time nearly impossible, even when an experienced exhibitor has previously used the same room. Sometimes it’s the electricity, sometimes the room’s décor has been redone and sometimes, well, it’s whatever sometimes makes your system not “happening” and there’s no good reason for it that you can think of, so you just pack it in for the evening and do something else, only to return next night and it’s... Read More

My relationship with subwoofers began in the late 70s while making my rounds at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, back then one of two summer Consumer Electronics Show high performance audio hotel sites. The other was the nearby Blackstone. The main show was at the giant McCormick Place Convention Center.I walked into the Janis Audio display room, where owner/designer John Marovskis had set up a demo of his new Janis W1 subwoofer and Interphase crossover/amp. I... Read More

In the autumn of 1973, I walked into an audio store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, intending to buy an album. As I entered the store, I could hear James Taylor's music playing from a pair of Rogers LS3/5A loudspeakers. At that time, I owned a Marantz 1060 and AR 3a loudspeakers that I had used during my college days in Boulder, Colorado. I was instantly captivated by the sound that day, and this singular moment initiated me on a lifelong pursuit to experience those... Read More

Various versions of the Linkwitz LX521 speaker have captivated my interest since I first heard it at RMAF 2012. In subsequent years, I prioritized visiting the Linkwitz room, where I would be consistently impressed by the speaker's ability to create an excellent sound stage and perform remarkably well in various rooms.Siegfried Linkwitz is renowned among loudspeaker designers for introducing several revolutionary advancements in the audio industry, the most... Read More

How Low Can You Go? I’m not talking about quality per se, but quality at a reasonably low price. At $3,200 a pair, the new speaker from Canadian audio electronics stalwart Simaudio is an exceptionally impressive listen at any price. I had a hint at this when I heard a pair at the 2022 Montreal Audio Fest. The Simaudio room was not a tiny hotel room but a medium to large-sized exhibit space on the lower level. It was paired with the Ace, a Simaudio integrated amp/streamer of about 50 high-current watts per side. This simple system, for around $7,000, played recordings in a way that made me want to sit down and listen—and I did just that. 

When Robert Schumann wanted to tell the world how impressed he was by the young Johannes Brahms, Schumann published words to the effect of, “Hats off, ladies and gentlemen!” That’s exactly the way I feel about Solen Electronique’s fully assembled and tested (and slightly tweaked) version of SB Acoustics’ top-of-the-line floorstanding 3-way (but with twin woofers) loudspeaker kit, the Sasandu Tx (for TeXtreme). (The sasandu is a traditional Indonesian musical... Read More