Speaker Packages

There’s no denying the convenience of a soundbar. Essentially an entire speaker system in one submarine-shaped cabinet, they are designed for wall-mounting underneath your flatscreen TV, with many offering technologies that simulate a 5.1 soundfield.

But while they are certainly practical and increasingly popular, they also usually involve a sonic compromise, and I’ve found the results are patchy at best. So can B&W’s high-end offering, named the Panorama, set a new standard for one-box cinemas?

First published in Home Cinema Choice 172

You can also download the pdf here

Even if unaffordable to most, we all adore reading about (or experiencing) those fabulous things only the super-rich can own; a Bugatti Veyron, a Riva powerboat, a family ticket at Alton Towers. The same probably applies to this Reference 7.2 speaker system from KEF. At around £40,000, this is home cinema for those for whom cost is not really an issue. Home theatre for folks with Ferraris in the heated garage.

What you get for the enormous wedge is excellence, performance and sheer beauty. This system is not about built-in discretion, it’s not for hiding. These are some of the most astonishing loudspeakers in existence. They demand to be seen...

First published in Home Cinema Choice 165

You can also download the pdf here

Quad has been in the high-end hi-fi business for more than half a century. And it is probably best known for quality floorstanders. However, the company realised a couple of years ago that, with the proliferation of sleek, flatscreen TVs, there’s a need for a matching, low-cost speaker set.

Hence, the L-ite system was born. But, while it’s been well-received ever since (not least by HCC in #144), it’s time for an upgrade. Please give a warm and hearty welcome to... Dum dum dum... the new, improved L-ite2...

First published in Home Cinema Choice 164

You can also download the pdf here

If Dolby Labs engendered the home cinema age with Pro-Logic, then THX elevated it to art. Based not on what the golden-eared hi-fi world had long held dear, but upon real research into what made audiences excited about the motion picture experience, THX developed standards and specifications which now cover virtually all aspects of AV electronics and software. The philosophy behind THX originated in professional mixing rooms and cinemas, but its standards can transform the ordinary viewing room.

Consider this hellacious array of THX-approved home cinema speakers, from legendary US brand Klipsch. This 7.2 collection, with massive wide horns facing all directions, is aimed squarely at the home cinema hardcore…

First published in Home Cinema Choice 164

You can also download the pdf here

First reviewed in HCC 163

Rating 4/5

Price: £4,100

With the news that Pioneer is to withdraw from the TV market, and discontinue its acclaimed Kuro plasma lineup by march 2010, it's perhaps appropriate to look at the company in a fresh light, as a high-end audio brand.

Despite the fact that Pioneer has been making speakers since 1937, it is not thought of as a high-end speaker maker. yet, it has in its portfolio some of the most exciting speaker designs available.  read more »

First reviewed in HCC 162

Rating 4/5

Price: £1,300

First reviewed in HCC 160

Rating 3/5

Price: £350

First reviewed in HCC 160

Rating 3/5

Price: £260

Audio Pro has long shown an obsession with cool, crisp design, often exploring different textures and colours for their products. Yet this set of loudspeakers is as boxy as old-school Volvos, and as function-breeding-form as Ikea furniture. However, this is not priced like cheap flat pack furniture. The price is definitely in the serious engineering bracket at £1,300.

Audio Pro describes this particular Evo system as a ‘midrange’ option, but that’s only partly true. While the company offers a host of speakers that cost more and less than these, therefore making them mid-priced, in comparison to competitive products, this package is relatively inexpensive.  read more »

First reviewed in HCC 160

Rating 4/5

Price: £1,500

First reviewed in HCC 161

Rating 4/5

Price: £800

First reviewed in HCC 161

Rating 4/5

Price: £1,850

In part two of our credit crunch system special, we cherry pick a bargain screen, projector and speakers and then crank the whole darn rig up to eleven.  read more »

Regular HCC-readers will recall drooling over the Bowers & Wilkins speakers featured back in HCC Issue 156’s Bulletin pages – the set being based on ‘Whizz-Bang technology from the 800 Series.’ Of course, being a fan of both Whizz and Bang, I simply had to find out for myself what the fuss was about.

In due course, a 5.1 array culled from the 15-model strong 800 series arrived, with the newest of the subwoofers and the most gigantic centre enclosure I have probably ever seen. In terms of ranking, this collection sits just below the B&W’s Signature Diamond range, where the brand sell tweeters made with – get this – vapour deposited diamonds.  read more »