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| The Hot 100 distills the essence of our review pages to bring you the essential hi-fi buyer's shortlist. The Hot 100 puts together the 100 most outstanding models we've tested in the main product categories of CD players, DVD/SACD players, Turntables, Tuners, Amplifiers and Loudspeakers. We've summarised the review finding to bring you clear sound quality judgements plus the vital product details. |
Arcam |
CD23 Text |
£1200 |
2/02 |
[AH] |
01223 203200 |
| Attractive take on the lauded Alpha 9, dCS Ring DAC and all, adding CD Text. Sonic strengths are detail, insight and a good grip on rhythm. Its fine-grained character shows resolution and organisation with an endless ability to mould itself to the character of the music. |
Arcam |
DiVA |
CD72 |
£450 |
2001 Awards |
01223 203200 |
| Based on 24-bit Burr-Brown delta sigma DAC and Sony mechanism, with a chassis damped by sound-deadening material. Optical and coaxial digital outputs are provided. This is a lively yet truly civilised player, offering a well-balanced performance at the right price. |
Chord |
DAC64 |
£1960 |
7/02 |
[AH] |
01622 721444 |
| Chord’s now fully-sorted 96kHz-capable DAC features a buffer memory and reclocking system that theoretically eliminates jitter. AH concluded, ‘It’s not its lushness and smooth ride that make it a winner, but the way that it treads the route of musicality and natural timing.’ |
Creek |
CD50 |
£700 |
7/03 |
[DB] |
01442 260146 |
| We’ve come to expect bargains from Mike Creek. This one wipes the floor with most budget players and some with much higher price tags, extracting incredible precision from recordings. Compare it with some expensive players and you’ll ask, why pay more? |
dCS |
Purcell/Delius |
£5000/6500 |
12/99 |
[AH] |
01799 531999 |
| Purcell is a D/D converter that ‘upsamples’ to 24/96 or 24/192, for analogue conversion by Delius. An impressive input array, upgradable firmware, pro-grade electronics — and sublime sound quality, making CDs sound wholly believable at last. Provision for DSD conversion when a standard is agreed. |
Linn |
Ikemi |
£1950 |
4/01 |
[AH] |
0141 307 7777 |
| Midi-size, with all-metal three-motor mechanism, 24/96 Burr-Brown PCM 1732 DAC, switch-mode power supply. Allows you to focus on individual instruments easily, with good articulation of fine detail, yet a ‘relaxed’ treble focus. XLR balanced analogue and XLR AES/EBU digital outputs. |
Linn Sondek |
CD12 |
£12,000 |
8/99 |
[CB/SH] |
0141 307 7777 |
| The CD12 has apparently changed since our review, when CB was felt ‘a sense of disappointment’, reinforced by going back to his Meridian 508.24. SH, though, found it ‘more like analogue’ than most, in the positive sense that it seemed to present more information. |
Musical Fidelity |
308CR |
£2000 |
8/99 |
[DA] |
020 8900 2866 |
DA was mesmerised by the sound from this 24-bit upsampling player. It is all solid-state, but comes so close to matching its Nu-Vista sibling’s sound quality that you’d swear there were valves in the equation somewhere: ‘natural’ and ‘unforced’. |
Naim |
CD5 |
£1200 |
12/00 |
[AG] |
01722 332266 |
| It can’t play CD-RW discs or give a digital output, and loading is ‘manual’ — but musically, in a class of its own at the price, imbuing a richness and life that CD frequently lacks. A solid, 3D quality, superb dynamics, and, naturally, a magic sense of timing. |
Naim |
CDS II |
£6265 |
1/99 |
[MC] |
01722 332266 |
| Price includes Naim’s XPS power supply unit. As MC said, the best compliment that can be paid this player is that it sounds like a fine analogue turntable, with firmly constructed rhythm and bass lines, natural timbre and grainless textures. Only to be bettered by the CDS3. |
Perpetual |
P-1A/P-3A |
$1100/800 |
11/01 |
[DA] |
+1 303 543 7500 |
| Diminuitive DSP (P-1A) and DAC (P-3A) units that do something special. The combination transforms CD, communicating the illusion of real musicians. The P-1A is the killer, used as an interpolating upsampler, but with capability for room or speaker EQ correction. Mail order only in th UK. |
Primare |
D30.2 |
£1500 |
6/99 |
[AG] |
01423 359054 |
| Uses the classic Philips CDM12.4 mechanism, with Primare-tweaked software for lower noise, plus special decoupling and a magnetic clamp. Conversion is by 8-times oversampled Burr-Brown 1702 20-bit D/A converters. Review conclusion: the balance between ability and smoothness in the D30.2 is about as good as it comes. |
Rotel |
RCD-02 |
£380 |
2002 Awards |
01903 221500 |
| Rotel has long been respected for its UK-designed, Far East-built budget players, which make some claim to the ‘audiophile’ tag. Although the company now makes DVD players and AV receivers, it hasn’t forsaken CD/two-channel users. If you’re on a tight budget this one is well worth auditioning. |
Unison Research |
Unico |
£1100 |
7/03 |
[KK] |
01753 652669 |
| Using a triode valve output stage this CD player aims to combine the best of both worlds, with a sound, as KK noted, that could come scarily close to resembling a decent moving-coil, playing mint vinyl through a tube phono stage.’ |
DVD/SACD players
Back to the top>> |
Arcam |
DV88 Plus |
£1000 |
2/03 |
[AG] |
01223 203203 |
| This well-built, ergonomically satisfying DVD-V and CD player features painstaking audio circuit design: separate clocks and power supplies for audio and video, dual Wolfson 24-bit/192kHz WM8716 DACs. You get excellent picture quality and sound on DVD-V, plus CD sound equalling Arcam’s Alpha 7SE. |
Denon |
DVD-3800 |
£900 |
2002 Awards |
01753 888447 |
| Heavyweight construction reflects the sophistication inside this highly developed video player, offering the full range of outputs and well-conceived controls. Audio performance is striking, enabling DVD-A discs (no SACD) to deliver the promise of multichannel audio, sounding powerful, richly detailed and transparent. |
Marantz |
DV8300 |
£1500 |
11/02 |
[PM] |
01753 680868 |
| A fine player based on the chassis of the earliest universal player, Pioneer’s DV-747A, but with added Marantz touches such as ‘HDAM’ output stages and heavier build. An EISA Award winner in 2002; but now there are other players with more sparkle and clarity. |
Onkyo |
DV-SP800 |
£1200 |
2/03 |
[PM] |
01788 573100 |
| Based on a tried-and-tested Pioneer chassis, the Onkyo offers DVD-A, SACD and CD playback, stacks of connectivity options, remote control and an on-screen display. PM said, ‘The Onkyo carves out a powerful and atmospheric performance... the best of the first-generation models.’ |
Philips |
SACD1000 |
£1300 |
6/01 |
[AG] |
0870 900 9070 |
| An early implementation of multichannel SACD, also a DVD-V player, but no DVD-A. SACD replay had a poise and clarity beyond CD; the ambience of multi-channel SACD brought something close to real-life. There is a separate pair of outputs for two-channel use. |
Pioneer |
DV-656A |
£400 |
10/02 |
[PM] |
01753 789789 |
| It took a manufacturer with no vested interests to produce the first universal player, the DV-747A. Pioneer then followed up with the lower-cost DV-656A, which delivers every format to a standard that many single-format players costing twice as much can’t achieve. |
Pioneer |
DV-757Ai |
£800 |
12/02 |
[PM] |
01753 789789 |
| This model plays DVD-A, SACD, standard DVD-V and CD. It also has an i-Link digital interface (IEEE 1394 or ‘FireWire’), a digital output for high-resolution data, allowing secure connection to a suitable amplifier (currently only Pioneer’s VSA-AX10i receiver). Now updated with PAL Progressive capability. |
Yamaha |
DVD-S2300 |
£900 |
4/03 |
[PM] |
01923 233166 |
| Using Panasonic and Sony technology, this DVD-A/SACD/CD player is among the best of the new breed. Multichannel DVD-A was fine, though two-channel PCM could sound plummy and dynamically restrained, but multichannel SACD sound was outstanding. An unwitting champion of SACD? |
Turntables
Back to the top>> |
Bluenote |
Bellavista Signature |
£1900 |
07/03 |
[AH] |
01736 769156 |
| Italian design, suspended platter weights à la GyroDec, but a dual-deck rectangular plinth. A good blend of materials — acrylic, bronze, aluminium, Teflon, and polyvinyl platter — combine in a very clean, fast and above all musical deck. Borromeo unipivot arm (£1000) completes high-performance combination. |
Clearaudio |
Champion |
from £1020 |
3/01 |
[AH] |
01252 702705 |
| A rich, colourful sound had excellent 3D image stability, the mid a little recessed; but a fine rhythmic ‘groove’ and pace made extended listening a pleasure. With black acrylic base and translucent platter (no dust cover), the stepped pulley of the outboard AC motor manual speed change to 45. |
Linn |
LP12 |
from £1075 |
10/97 |
[KK] |
0141 307 7777 |
| Classic three-point suspended chassis design, based on AR and Ariston models but with tighter engineering. Simple AC motor drive leaves room for improvement with better power supplies; current versions use Basik, Valhalla or Lingo supplies, with Akito or Ekos tonearms. A reference deck. |
Michell Gyro |
SE |
£870 |
5/99 |
[AH] |
020 8953 0771 |
| Updates 1980s GyroDec, itself descended from classic Transcriptors and Hydraulic Reference, hence the merry-go-round appearance. A neutral deck, great sound at a reasonable price. Optional upgrades include QC PSU (£440) and a clamp, but latest version uses DC motor for even clearer sound. |
Pro-ject |
Debut |
£120 |
7/00 |
[TB] |
01235 511166 |
| Simple but effective: price includes tonearm and Ortofon m-m cartridge. ‘No nasty top or flaccid bass, just clean, rather crisp and lively sound,’ commented TB. If you need a phono stage, go for Debut Phono or Debut Phono SB (with fine speed control, £160). |
Ortofon Kontrapunkt |
A and B |
£500/£750 |
6/01 |
[TB] |
01235 511166 |
| Two great-value moving-coil cartridges, combining detail, well-defined musical colour and tight, rhythmic bass, no brittle edges to the music and low surface noise. Kontrapunkt B (£750), with nude Fritz Gyger 80 stylus on solid ruby cantilever, offers more space and detail. Seriously recommended. |
SME |
Model 10 |
£4255 |
12/99 |
[KK] |
01903 814321 |
| Price quoted includes a simplified version of the classic Series V tonearm. ‘So eerily quiet and uncoloured’ said KK, ‘one of the best ambassadors yet for the greatness of analogue replay via vinyl... The Model 10 let’s you hear the music and nothing else’. |
Tuners
(Analogue/DAB)
Back to the top>> |
Arcam |
DT81 |
£650 |
1/02 |
[AH] |
01223 203203 |
| With better controls than previous models, the DT81 is arguably superior to the more expensive FMJ DT26. Comprehensive user features include engineering mode for interested enthusiasts. Its clear, distinct way of opening up a broadcast makes this a relatively impartial but accurate receiver. |
Creek |
T43 |
£400 |
9/01 |
[IH] |
01442 260146 |
| A simple fuss-free tuner with excellent FM sound quality, with a total of 64 presets for FM, MW and LW. Signal strength and multi-path distortion are displayed. IH found it had ‘a full-bodied sound that’s nicely articulated and stable... excellent value.’ |
Magnum Dynalab |
MD102 |
£2200 |
2/01 |
[AG] |
020 8948 4153 |
| Toronto-based specialist Magnum Dynalab still makes all-analogue FM-only tuners. This one has optional remote control for fine-tuning and switching between five presets. AG thought it ‘musically superior to any other tuner that I’ve heard, including DAB. In every respect it’s nothing less than stunning’. |
Marantz |
ST-17 |
£600 |
9/01 |
[IH] |
01753 680868 |
| Three wavebands and RDS; for IH the sound was ‘detailed and solid, projecting a coherent soundstage with excellent depth of image’ if a little bright. It lacks independent remote control but ‘sounds superb, makes the best of weak signals and exudes a quiet confidence’. |
Pure Digital |
DRX-702ES |
£330 |
7/03 |
[AH] |
01923 260511 |
| Winner of our three-way group test, this model brings you DAB yet has a decent FM tuner in the same package. USB connectivity for upgrading via a PC; dark, attractive, contoured presentation and the controls are simplicity themselves — a top-drawer product. |
TAG McLaren |
T32R |
£2300 |
7/00 |
[AH] |
0800 783 8007 |
| TAG’s high-quality £1600 AM/FM analogue tuner with optional £700 DAB module offers luxurious finish and clear, customisable display. The T32R has more warmth and body through the midband than Arcam’s DRT10, and a less digital-sounding treble. AH called it ‘The best way to hear DAB right now.’ |
Amplifiers
Back to the top>> |
Arcam |
FMJ A32 |
£1100 |
3/02 |
[AG] |
01223 203203 |
| This top-of-the-range integrated offers 100W/ch, thanks to an uprated power supply. AG found it sounding confidently in charge, making the most of speakers it was used with, reproducing the life and vitality of a performance. It also offers tone controls. |
Arcam |
A85 |
£700 |
5/01 |
[AH] |
01223 203203 |
| Remote-control 85W/ch amplifier, using bi-polar output devices (not MOSFETs). Its clean and detailed sound nimbly communicates music. Microprocessor-controlled source switching, tone controls and input trim facility (to equalise levels of sources). Still the finest integrated amplifier at the price. |
Audio Research |
VS110 |
£4000 |
3/03 |
[DB] |
020 8971 3909 |
| With eight 6550 output tubes (four per channel in push-pull pairs) this higher-power version of the VS50 gives the sound of classic valves in spades. DB reported ‘warmth, texture, muscularity and deep bass aplenty... brawn, brain and heart in one glowing package’. |
Audio Research |
Ref Two |
£10,000 |
3/00 |
[MC] |
020 8971 3909 |
| Despite broadband noise from this valve-fuelled lab-handled design, sound quality was top notch as well. ‘It comes close to being, or it really is a state-of-the-art piece of audio engineering,’ said MC. |
Audio Synthesis Passion Ultimate |
£1300 |
8/01 |
[MC] |
01159 224138 |
| Remote-control version of classic passive attenuator. Control of volume and source is via optical linkage, a single Vishay resistor leading to light-controlled shunt resistor. The Ultimate is still top of the class, rivalling active pre-amps at four times the price. |
Balanced Audio Technology |
VK-50SE/VK-60 |
£6125 |
7/00 |
[AG] |
01892 539595 |
| Full remote control pre-amp and 60W/ch stereo push-pull valve power amplifier, combine the dynamics and load tolerance of solid-state with the finesse, inner complexity and poise of tubes. Sweet-sounding, without the audible severity of some solid-state counterparts. |
Chord |
CPA 3200/SPM 1200C |
£4040/4210 |
1/99 |
[AH] |
01622 721444 |
| Audio meets aerospace engineering. The fully-balanced SPM1200C uses a switched-mode power supply, yet sounds dynamic and transparent. ‘Has the disconcerting ability to create real sound pressure levels with ease,’ said AH, with ‘transparency to music’s inner workings.’ |
Conrad-Johnson |
MV60SE |
£3000 |
2/03 |
[MC] |
020 8948 4153 |
| Originally using two pairs of Svetlana EL34 output valves, uprated to ‘SE’ status with 6550 tubes, this 55W stereo power amp shows a vein of the excellence of C-J’s Premier range. A nicely-tuned upbeat delivery, equally rewarding on a jazz or classical programme. |
Conrad-Johnson Premier |
17LS |
£4900 |
12/01 |
[MC] |
020 8948 4153 |
| Aspects of C-J’s megabucks ART have trickled down to this line-level pre-amp: inside are four 6992 triodes plus a huge bank of tremendously expensive capacitors. Although C-J’s ‘MV’ prefix designates lower cost, the MV60 power amp is a worthy partner. |
Creek |
P43R/A52SE |
£350/£600 |
5/00 |
[TB] |
020 8361 4133 |
| Creek’s remote-control pre gives easy-to-listen-to sound, encouraging involvement with the music, fast and deep bass. Add m-m or m-c stages (£49 to £79) for vinyl replay. With bi-wirable speakers, a second A52SE power amp gives even better results. |
Creek |
5350 |
£700 |
2/01 |
[AH] |
020 8361 4133 |
| Creek’s 75W/ch integrated sounds good enough to worry more expensive combinations, all the right elements in place, in tune, in time. Imaging held instruments rock-steady in a wide believable space. Remote control of source and volume: phono stage an optional extra. |
Croft Vitale |
£350 |
2/00 |
[KK] |
01746 769156 |
|
ESLab |
DX-S4 |
£2500 |
11/01 |
[IH] |
01903 814618 |
| Not so much an amplifier as a 200W digital speaker driver, based on Tripath’s Class T circuit. IH praised the sheer tangibility it can bring to music, ‘everything about a soundstage and surrounding ambience beautifully articulated and stable regardless of volume or transient requirements’. |
EAR |
864 |
£1500 |
1/00 |
[KK] |
01480 453791 |
| A phono-inclusive pre-amplifier to satisfy audiophiles and studio professionals, with its XLR balanced input and output. Balanced operation offers improved dynamic contrasts, slam, overall control and coherence, as well as virtually noise-free operation. |
Krell |
KAV-300iL |
£3900 |
10/01 |
[KK] |
020 8971 3909 |
| A 300W/ch integrated. Hooking up 1 ohm Apogee Scintilla speakers, KK found it ‘produced the very best sound I have ever heard from the Scintillas… I would take the KAV-300iL over any solid-state amp I can name south of the Theta Dreadnaught’. |
Linn Kolektor |
£500 |
4/99 |
[AH] |
0141 307 7777 |
| A well-equipped partner for LK85 or LK140 power amps. Includes m-m phono, one of 10 inputs which can be tailored to suit the user, remote control, headphone socket and tone controls. There is a little ‘grain’ and constriction, but overall it sounds fine. |
McCormack |
pre/pwr |
£2590 |
10/00 |
[AG] |
0208 948 4153 |
| Power amp uses an unusual ‘distributed-node’ power supply; the unity-gain pre-amp offers passive or buffered output, the latter preferred. Despite a dryish balance and a touch of ‘grey’, this combination is bold and transparent, combining real solidity with fine detail. |
Musical Fidelity |
A3.2 |
£1000/£1000 |
5/03 |
[DA] |
020 8900 2866 |
| DA felt that the 3.2 pre-amp offered sound quality well beyond its price tag, and the 130W/ch-rated power amp is claimed to drive any domestic speaker. concluded DA, ‘At this price point I can think of nothing I’d rather build a system around.’ |
Nagra |
VPA |
£935 |
4/99 |
[KK] |
01235 810455 |
| Built around a pair of 845 output tubes, this push-pull monoblock power-amp is rated at 50W into 4, 8 or 16 ohm loads, with zero negative feedback. KK praised its commanding and authoritative presentation and a bass control of which Ongaku owners can only dream. |
Naim |
NAC 112/NAP 150 |
£625/£750 |
03/02 |
[AH] |
01722 332266 |
| This 150W combination delivers the ‘Naim sound’ with an obvious freedom from artifice, and, as AH said, ‘with little of that unnatural glare and haze that afflicts products which try to give too much in terms of detail and clarity’. Difficult to trump for unflustered sound and musical satisfaction. |
Naim |
NAIT 5 |
£800 |
2/01 |
[AH] |
01722 332266 |
| Rated at only 30W (we measured 36W), but a dynamic performer. With a very convincing decay to treble notes and harmonics, an easy-going amp that didn’t fatigue after continued listening. Stereo detail not as explicit as some, rhythm and timing its real strengths. |
Naim |
NAP 500 |
£10,000 |
8/00 |
[MC] |
01722 332266 |
| Naim’s biggest amplifier with an impressive outboard power supply and Semelab output devices so powerful that protection circuitry isn’t required. The circuit is bridged to give 140W/8 ohms (doubling into 4), with prodigious current. Sound quality is thrilling, and driving Naim NBLs there’s real synergy. |
Pass Labs |
X350 |
£9950 |
2/00 |
[AG] |
01892 539595 |
| Rated at 350W/ch, the X350 eschews feedback, giving it a lower than normal damping factor, and is biased strongly towards Class A so runs very warm. The level of detail, authority and naturalness places it among the finest at any price. |
Pathos |
TT RR |
£3250 |
8/99 |
[KK] |
01753 652669 |
| MOSFET output stage fed by a single-ended, zero NFB tube driver stage: downside is relative inefficiency and high heat dissipation. Loads below about 5 ohms ‘make it cry’, said KK, who still called this ‘one of the finest amplifiers I’ve heard, regardless of price’. |
Primare |
A30.1 |
£1500 |
6/99 |
[AG] |
01423 359054 |
| Primare’s A30.1 bi-polar amplifier, rated at 100W/channel but seems more powerful than this, looks like a million dollars, and is remote-controllable. The volume control is a fine 100-step-ladder type, with extremely low distortion and accurate channel balance throughout its range. |
Quad QC |
24/II-forty |
£4000 |
11/00 |
[KK] |
01480 447700 |
| Retro recreation of the classic Quad 22/II valve pre-/power combination, using KT88s to give twice the power (40W/ch) of the KT-66 original. Pre-amp lacks the 22’s filters, but is also free of noise, and has a new smoothness and precision. |
Rotel |
RA-01/RA-02 |
£250/£350 |
4/03 |
[TB] |
01903 221500 |
| Quality needn’t break the bank. Rotel’s remote-control RA-02 and otherwise-identical RA-01 share the same 40W/ch (8 ohms) output, six line inputs, and a sound that TB called ‘smooth and fatigue free’. Don’t expect the earth at this price but be pleasantly surprised. |
SJ |
pca100/ppa100 |
£4600 |
4/00 |
[IH] |
0141 810 2820 |
| Styling and attention to detail in this remote control pre-/power amplifier (£2200/£2400) are exceptional, the power amp taking the reduction of residual noise and interchannel crosstalk to near-obsessive lengths. IH was impressed: in all key aspects, this combination performed flawlessly. |
TAG McLaren |
DPA32R |
£1500 |
10/00 |
[MC] |
0800 783 8007 |
www.tagmclarenaudio.com |
| This pre-amp can operate both as a digital encoder and as D/A for digital sources, and connects to other TAG components via a system bus. TAG’s DAB radio module can be added. Solid performance at a fair price, and above-average sound. |
Unison Research Unico |
£775 |
7/02 |
[KK] |
01753 652669 |
| Hybrid integrated, valves in the pre- stage and 80W/ch MOSFET output stages, plus remote volume control. Its midband, said KK, is ‘a lush and warm region’ replicated only by all-tube amps unlikely to match its generous power delivery. There’s a £50 phono option. |
Loudspeakers
Back to the top>> |
Avantgarde |
Uno |
£7350 |
05/00 |
[SH] |
01895 833099 |
| Avantgarde’s smallest loudspeaker stands 1.44m high, has horn-loaded midrange and tweeter, and a self-powered subwoofer, with a claimed system sensitivity of 100dB/W. SH noted that it gave immediacy, impact, emotional communication — but without the coloration that has spoiled other horn loudspeakers. |
AVI |
Neutron III |
£500 |
01/01 |
[IH] |
01453 752656 |
| With its 5l volume, this miniature (265 x 140 x 205mm) update of the Neutron uses a ScanSpeak fabric dome tweeter and 127mm Vifa pulp cone mid/bass, crossover 2.8kHz. Easy to drive, if insensitive, it builds on, its predecessors’ stable imagery, tonal accuracy and detail. |
Blueroom Minipod |
£260 |
07/00 |
[AH] |
01903 260033 |
| Though small, the Kevlar-coned bass/mid unit in this moulded speaker produces a certain bass weight, even erring on the warm side. Overall resolution is not especially high, and treble occasionally stood out, but there was a refreshing lack of woody coloration. |
B&W |
602 S3 |
£300 |
9/02 |
[KK] |
01903 750750 |
| This 490mm-tall stand-mounter deserves a decent 25–100W amplifier: the tweeter (said to reach 42kHz, –6dB) may show up edginess or clipping. KK found it open-sounding, vocals ‘sweet and lifelike regardless of source or amplification’. Optional foam port plug tightens the bass. |
B&W |
DM303 |
£180 |
12/01 |
[AG] |
01903 750750 |
| In AG’s group test of £200 models, the 303 sounded powerful, authoritative and had a more ‘grown-up’ quality than the rest. Treble can get harder when pushed. Overall, it has a tight, fast and slightly overdamped sound that makes it keep control at higher volumes. |
B&W |
Nautilus 802 |
£6000 |
9/01 |
[AH] |
01903 750750 |
| One of B&W’s finest ever loudspeakers, it carries the authority and finesse of the big Nautilus 801, but will work in room spaces where the 801 simply won’t. First class stereo imaging, bass, midrange clarity and smooth, transparent extended treble, not to mention killer looks. |
Castle Acoustic Stirling 3 |
£730 |
07/02 |
[TB] |
01756 795333 |
| TB described the Stirling 3’s predecessor, Severn 2, as ‘detailed but gentlemanly’: the Stirling 3 builds on these strengths and gives greater vividness, sharper and more precise imaging. A fine speaker and worthy winner of a 2002 Editors’ Choice Award. (Special finishes are available at extra cost.) |
Dynaudio Contour |
T2.5 |
£2460 |
08/00 |
[KK] |
01732 451938 |
| The Contour T2.5 put KK in mind of the larger classic British speakers of the 1970s, but with far greater power handling and speed. Has the capacity to sound huge, but with holographic imaging, ‘deliriously wide’ soundstaging, and above average depth. |
Elac |
CL82 Mk II |
£340 |
12/00 |
[AG] |
01494 551551 |
| Elac’s aluminium composite bass unit (in a wood cabinet rather than a metal one, and with dome rather than ribbon tweeter) can deliver high volume levels with negligible compression or distortion. Basslines are particularly well projected, and the sound overall is extremely well integrated. |
Elac |
310i JET |
£680 |
03/00 |
[AG] |
01494 551551 |
| A very compact, vented all-aluminium enclosure using aluminium cones and domes, this litle model has sharp reflexes and is bold, detailed, lean and powerful. Most at home with rock and jazz, where what it lacks in sophistication is made for up in panache. |
Energy Encore 2 |
£750 |
08/01 |
[AG] |
01473 240205 |
| Satellites use aluminium dome tweeters and synthetic cone bass/mids, the sub a 150W amp and 200mm reflex-loaded driver. Well able to reproduce subtle solo instrumental playing or full-scale orchestra at realistic volumes. All in all, simply a great find. |
Epos |
M12 |
£500 |
2001 Awards |
01442 260146 |
| An enthusiast’s hi-fi music speaker, but also adaptable for home theatre use, the M12 uses the well-tried Epos bass/mid driver and a simple crossover. With an open, lively and exciting sound, this is a very fine speaker for the money. |
Harbeth Compact 7 |
ES |
£1300 |
6/99 |
[MC] |
01444 235566 |
| ‘Compact’ only by barn-door standards, the thin-wall enclosure is visco-elastically damped to BBC standards using composite counterlayers, with the boundaries between main shell and screwed-on panels damped. Balanced, articulate, transparent, with natural vocals; easy to recommend. |
Jamo |
D830 |
£1500 |
05/02 |
[AG] |
01788 556777 |
| Something of a benchmark. SEAS Excel drivers in a well-braced cabinet provide crisp, detailed and thoroughly musical sounds, with little strain even when pushed. Bass is competent and extended, although higher up the sound can be a touch forward. |
JMlab Cobalt |
815 |
£860 |
05/01 |
[AG] |
0121 616 5126 |
| Inverted-dome Focal tweeter plus two 160mm drivers (one bass, one bass/mid), in a front-ported cabinet. It had a somewhat bright treble, but the sound starts and stops when it should. Everything hung together, and it excelled on all kinds of music. |
Linn Katan |
£635 |
11/01 |
[AH] |
0141 307 7777 |
| Versatile descendant of Kan and Tukan features non-parallel sides to reduce standing waves and clever lock-down crossover board which, when reversed, switches to bi-wire-/bi-amp-ready mode. Sound proved very stable, with unusual (for Linn) ‘airy’ audiophile quality to boot. |
MartinLogan Prodigy |
£8970 |
08/00 |
[MC] |
020 8971 3909 |
| A big hybrid electrostatic, and arguably ML’s most successful, musically. MC found it had ‘stature, presence and tonal accuracy... exceptional spatial qualities and fine sense of air’. If subtlety/refinement matter more than impact, this MartinLogan may be the one for you. |
Mirage |
MRM-1 |
£2200 |
04/00 |
[AG] |
01473 240205 |
| Heavyweight miniature two-way: the two-layer enclosure has steel lining and a Corian machinable-polymer baffle. Demands a lot of power, but free of the usual box coloration artefacts. Its precision and detail are difficult to match, but It really needs a subwoofer. |
Mission |
m53 |
£550 |
11/02 |
[AG] |
01480 451777 |
| A real find in our Nov ’o2 Group Test, this Mission m53 floorstander sounds just like its little brother but with much more extension to the low-frequencies. A superbly balanced all-rounder that’ll work just as well with pumping rock or subtle jazz. |
Mission |
fs2-AV |
£800 |
11/00 |
[AG] |
01480 451777 |
| How we rate it The most credible audio application so far for NXT flat panel technology. An AV system (it’s also available as a two-channel sub-sat system), the fs2-AV consists of a corner subwoofer and five identical satellites on rotatable stands which can be detached for wall fixing. Sonically, the system is smooth, easy and mellifluous. The fs2-AV fills large spaces far more convincingly than you could expect. |
Quad |
ESL-989 |
£4000 |
07/00 |
[KK] |
01480 447700 |
| Larger, wider-bandwidth take on the ESL-63 electrostatic (which itself replaced the classic ‘57’) with an additional bass panel. Other changes include audiophile components and more rigid construction. The speaker needs room to breathe, but still does the ‘disappearing act’ so beloved of the originals. |
Ruark |
Etude |
£500 |
05/02 |
[AG] |
01702 601410 |
| Compact bookshelf speaker, an easy 8 ohm load and reasonably sensitive (86dB), and a clean and neutral sound: a mildly laid-back presentation, but one that many prefer for long-term comfort, not entirely un-LS3/5A-like, with similar lean bass and open midband. |
Ruark |
Prologue R |
£950 |
10/00 |
[AG] |
01702 601410 |
| Asymmetric 905mm-high enclosure (supplied in mirror-image pairs) using two 140mm paper pulp bass/mids and a 28mm silk dome that takes over at 1.8kHz. Slightly drooping frequency response, but its consistency of voicing and musical expressiveness are out of the ordinary. |
Sonus Faber Cremona |
£5000 |
9/02 |
[KK] |
020 8971 3909 |
| Another beautiful ‘boat-tailed’ floorstander from the Italian masters. The sound has soul: it’s vibrant and bold,’ as we said in our 2002 Awards issue. You shouldn’t expect the ultimate refinement of the even more expensive Amati, but this speaker is extraordinarily good. |
Snell |
E.5 Tower |
£1520 |
6/99 |
[AG] |
01233 813111 |
| One American review described this superbly-made, big and heavy speaker as ‘European-sounding’. It isn’t. It’s a quintessentially US-flavoured big speaker, one with a rolling, prominent bass— an almost raunchy quality, irrespective of the setting of its useful boundary switch. |
Tannoy Dimension |
TD12 |
£6500 |
4/12 |
[MC] |
01236 420199 |
| With a 12in (305mm) Dual Concentric (horn-loaded dome tweeter built into the centre of the main bass/mid unit), the TD12 also has Tannoy’s Supertweeter mounted on top. MC was won over by the speaker’s dynamics and expression, and high sound levels. |
Totem |
Arro |
£960 |
7/99 |
[AH] |
01924 406016 |
| Thin enough to slip into the smallest listening room, the Arro has an outstanding ability to cast a stereo image across, behind and around the speakers. Integration between the two small drivers is excellent, the seamlessness helping draw the listener into the fluid midband. |
Wharfedale |
Diamond 8.1 |
£120 |
9/01 & 12/01 |
0845 4580011 |
| An opinion divider. KK found ‘a soundstage so wide and so deep that one listener thought he was hearing the massive Apogee Scintillas’. AG and his panel thought its ‘strengths subsumed by an uneven balance’. Probably best |