Articles
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First Impressions: BG’s Next-Gen Z-92/Z-62 Speakers
|An upcoming project I’m working on for Playback 16 is a review of a surround-sound speaker system based on BG Radia’s new hybrid ribbon/dynamic Z-92 and Z-62 speakers, plus a Radia 210i subwoofer. Readers who ...read more -
Paradigm Reference Signature S8 Loudspeaker
|Paradigm enjoys a solid reputation for building modestly priced loudspeakers that deliver strong performance for the money, but that fact raises an important question. What would happen if a traditionally value-oriented, price-conscious firm such as ...read more -
Definitive Mythos STS Super Tower speaker system
|A true story: at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2008, Definitive Technology rolled out its Mythos STS Super Tower loudspeaker ($2998/pair), a tall, slim speaker with an self-powered subwoofer fitted within its svelte cabinet. The ...read more -
Monitor Audio Radius Surround System
|My first exposure to Monitor Audio’s Radius-series speakers came through a stereo system based on a small subwoofer and an adorable pair of tiny cube-shaped Radius R45 satellites—satellites so small they could fit in the ...read more -
Usher Audio Dancer CP-8571 II Loudspeaker
|Usher’s three-way Dancer CP-8571 II is a dead-serious high-end speaker that offers innovative design, Rolex-like construction, exceptionally high-performance drivers, and—most importantly—sound so good that it easily competes with American and European speakers selling for thousands ...read more -
PSB VisionSound 5.1-channel Speaker System
|200PSB’s plasma-friendly VisionSound speaker line includes the floorstanding VS400 and the standalone/ wall-mount VS300, available in black or titanium finishes. Our review system consisted of five VS300 satellites plus a 150-watt SubSeries 5i subwoofer. The ...read more -
Mirage OMD-28 Omnidirectional Loudspeaker
|I have a vivid childhood memory where a music teacher and a group of older students gave demonstrations of orchestral and band instruments in the gymnasium of my elementary school. Some of the instruments were ...read more -
Magnepan Magneplanar MG1.6 Loudspeaker
|If asked to draw a picture of a typical set of loudspeakers, I’m betting most readers would sketch box-like enclosures with round, piston-type drive units on the front. Or they might draw a set of ...read more -
Epos ELS303 Loudspeaker
|I favorably reviewed the Epos ELS3 mini-monitor in TAS Issue 145 and that well-balanced speaker later went on to win TAS’ 2003 Budget Loudspeaker of the Year award. Though the ELS3s didn’t produce much bass ...read more -
NHT Classic 5-Channel Speaker System
|In recent years, NHT (the acronym stands for Now Hear This) has made waves with its excellent but expensive self-powered, DSP-controlled Xd speaker (favorably reviewed in August 2006 issue of The Absolute Sound). Fortunately, NHT ...read more -
The Zu Definition 2 Loudspeaker
|There’s different for the sake of it, different for a reason and then there’s different with attitude. At first take it’s easy to place Zu Audio and their products firmly in the third category; after ...read more -
JBL Cinema Sound 5.1-Channel Speaker System
|JBL is a more than 60 year-old firm whose slogan, “Pro Sound Comes Home,” is a reference to the company’s reputation as a maker of high-performance studio monitors and sound reinforcement systems. While the idea ...read more -
Klipsch RF-52 5.1-Channel Speaker System
|Ever since audio legend Paul W. Klipsch began manufacturing loudspeakers in the 1940s, the name Klipsch has been associated with horn-type drivers, and it's easy to understand why. Horns are inherently efficient, and as one ...read more -
KEF FiveTwo Model 7 5.1-Channel Speaker System
|Aesthetics-conscious speaker buyers and manufacturers have been trying to find the right recipe for getting authentic surround sound from fewer than five speakers and a subwoofer (see “Simplifying Surround Sound” in Issue 74.) Why bother? ...read more -
Phase Technology DARTS 525 DSP-Controlled, 5.1-Channel Speaker System
|About a year and a half ago, I got my first taste of Phase Technology’s remarkably advanced and utterly unforgettable DARTS speaker system, whose name is an acronym that stands for Digital Audio Reference Theater ...read more