Speaker ReviewsSpeaker Reviews
Paradigm SA-15R-SM In-Ceiling Speakers
- Written by Stephen Hornbrook
- Published on 11 November 2010
Paradigm has been in the speaker business for many years - 28 to be exact - and they have consistently produced some of the finest floor standing speakers and subwoofers on the market. What many may not be aware of is there full line of in-wall and in-ceiling speakers. I had the chance to check out their extensive line up at this years' CES. It was also my first time meeting some of the nice folks at Paradigm. They recommended I try a set if in-ceilings in my family room to finish out the surround sound system. So here they are, the Paradigm SA-15R-SM's.
Episode In-Wall and In-Ceiling Speakers
- Written by Piero Gabucci
- Published on 01 November 2010
A couple of years ago I designed a home theater for a client and specified the Episode Home Theater LCR because among other things, it offered an adjustable planar magnetic tweeter. It is a hulking speaker that was designed to be integrated into cabinetry and I can tell you it sounded terrific. I became an instant fan. The HT-650LCR is still considered the flagship home theater speaker. In this review, we cover their in-wall and in-ceiling speakers.
PSB Synchrony One Floor-Standing Speakers
- Written by Jim Milton
- Published on 09 September 2010
Paul Barton has been in the loudspeaker game for over 35 years and his latest iteration of speakers shows that his experience has been put to good use. The Synchrony Ones are his top of the line 3-way (5 drivers) towers that use some interesting design twists. At nearly 61 pounds apiece, they make an elegant statement of curved wood and aluminum surfaces that blend together in a flawless fashion.
Axiom Epic 80-800 Speaker System: M80v3 Tower, VP180 Center, QS8v3 Surround, and EP800v3 Subwoofer
- Written by Chris Eberle
- Published on 28 October 2010
When shopping for loudspeakers today, we assign many different criteria to our decision. Do we choose on price, sound quality, aesthetics, science or some other aspect? Of course a discriminating listener wants the best of all these worlds and there are many manufacturers ready, willing and able to deliver on all counts. Axiom is one who has been at their game a long time. In this review, we test their M80v3 Tower, VP180 Center, QS8v3 Surround, and EP800v3 Subwoofer.
Thiel MCS1 LCR Speakers
- Written by Jared Rachwalski
- Published on 06 September 2010
Thiel Audio has been designing and building loudspeakers for over 30 years. The 1978 Model 03 was one of the first multi-driver speakers to utilize a time and phase accurate design. This has been at the heart of all Thiel designs ever since, and is consistently found throughout their product line. This is a lofty and difficult design choice which, when done right, can provide an enveloping and realistic musical presentation. In this review, we take a look at the Thiel MCS1, which is a monitor speaker that could be used in an LCR configuration.
Dynaudio Focus 110A Actively-Powered Bookshelf Speakers
- Written by Jason Victor Serinus
- Published on 25 October 2010
Few things other than human relationships are as important to a writer and music/audiophile critic as the sound of their system. As someone who spends the bulk of his time in front of the computer, the necessity for a great-sounding desktop sound system that can transform bits on a solid-state or hard drive into living, breathing music is essential. For many of us, an essential aspect of a computer-based desktop system is compactness. Some people may have room for a separate amplifier, preamplifier, DAC, and pair of bookshelf (or bigger) speakers in their office; I, for one, do not. Thus, when Michael Manousselis of Dynaudio USA offered me a pair of the Focus 110A "active-powered" (built-in amplifiers) speakers, I was more than happy to accept.
Affordable Systems Reviews: Mordaunt-Short Aviano and Cambridge Audio Azur 650R
- Written by Andrew Yang
- Published on 02 September 2010
Looking at a system is intrinsically more involved than looking at a single component. Evaluation of a single component typically holds the balance of the system constant so the performance of the test item can be determined. How then is a system evaluated? The test of a system examines several variables, not the least of which is the reviewer's component selections. Here, we review the Mordaunt-Short Aviano and Cambridge Audio Azur 650R.
Harman Kardon and Definitive Technology
- Written by Jim Clements
- Published on 14 October 2010
This is a complete 5.1surround sound system. The front end is the new Harman/Kardon BDP1 Blu-Ray player. The Harman/Kardon receiver is also a new model, the AVR 3600. The speaker package is the Definitive Technology ProCinema 800. These products are not typically discounted, so the anticipated system price comes in just under $2,700. This places the system just over the threshold we've established for "Mid Priced" systems which we have defined as systems with a street price between $2,500 and $5,000.
Waterfall Audio, Iguasçu Evo Floor-Standing Speakers
- Written by Brian Alvarez
- Published on 26 August 2010
I'm hoping to not be the minority when it comes to design and audio equipment. Far too often you hear of audio and videophiles mentioning that a piece of gear has a high WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor). All too often this denotes it's not a boring slab of black electronics or a monolithic boring speaker. Why is it only the spouse who has high aesthetic requirements? Here, we review Waterfall Audio's Iguasçu Evo floor-standing speakers that have glass enclosures.
Legacy Studio HD Monitor Speakers
- Written by Jim Milton
- Published on 11 October 2010
Legacy Audio has been making speakers amongst the cornfields in Springfield, IL for over 20 years. Bill Dudleston (president and founder) and Doug Brown (VP) gave me a tour of their facility last summer which allowed me to see first hand how their speakers are assembled, tested, tuned and shipped. Legacy has many models to choose from, including floor-standing speakers such as the Whisper, and the Studio HD Monitors, which are reviewed here.
MK Sound LCR950 Monitor Speakers, SUR950T Surround Speakers, and MX250 Subwoofer
- Written by Ross Jones
- Published on 09 August 2010
MK Sound, successors of the former Miller & Kreisel company, started with a "don't mess with success" philosophy. At first, it sold legacy products like the renowned 150 THX speakers, and introduced consumer products like the M Series that were previously available only to the professional market. More recently, MK Sound developed a new tweeter for its MPS 2510P and 1611P professional monitors. The new tweeter was developed in conjunction with Peerless of Denmark (now part of Tymphany), M & K's driver component partner for 34 years. MK has incorporated the new tweeter into its newest consumer speakers, the 950 series.
