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Featured Reviews
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Axiom Audio Algonquin Outdoor Speaker System Review
The Axiom Algonquins proved to be among the best sounding speakers I've heard in this price class. Their ability to give you a full spectrum of sound, solid bass extension, and plenty of efficiency and power handling makes them ideal for those looking for quality bookshelf type speaker systems for their gaming room or covered barbeque area. Axiom’s color matching, prompt and unparalleled customer service and very generous return policy makes them a safe buy for anyone not sure if these speakers are right for them.
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RBH Sound TK-5C Bookshelf Speaker System Review
The RBH Sound TK-5Cs were top notch performers, sounding BIGGER than they looked without faltering at high SPL levels. If you can't find an RBH dealer in your area, check out the EMP EF30s which are similar in performance but almost $150 cheaper through the Audioholics online store.
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Bookshelf
Axiom Audio announced a new Millennia "Garage" speaker, which is a version of their popular M3 v2 speaker. The speaker comes with a diamond-plate styled enclosure and has the same performance and specifications as the traditional M3 v2 speaker. The Millennia "Garage" speaker supports up to 175 watts of maximum power and has a frequency response of 60-22 kHz (+/-3dB) with an in-room sensitivity rating of 92 db SPL @ 1W/1m.
Could the MB Quart Alexxa B-One speakers be manufactured in Hades? I ask this because, as I am sure you know, the devil is in the details. And detail is what these speakers are all about. They present a very detailed reproduction of music, and there is also great detail in the fit and finish. But fear not, I will not be forced to consider damnation after all, as the Alexxas are not the handiwork of Beelzebub, but rather that of a storied team of engineers in Germany. (But they are one hell of a pair of bookshelf speakers.)
Emotiva, the maker of affordable amps and processors, has stepped into the speaker world in a big way. With the help of the famous loudspeaker designer Vance Dickason, they have put together a 5.0 package at a price that seems almost too good to be true. These speakers sound great, the dipole surrounds are amazing, and the boundary and tweeter adjustments mean that they'll fit almost any room. The downside? Just look at them…
Totem debuted their Limited Edition One bookshelf speaker system at their Venetian demo suite. With only 2000 units being produced and retailing for $3595/pair they are certainly targeted for the audiophile that demands an exclusive speaker system. These speakers had a very fluidic sound characteristic with detailed and airy highs while conveying the intimacy that only a top quality bookshelf speaker can deliver.
Eventus Audio premiered their new Lysithea three-way loudspeakers which utilizes a modified version of the patented Simulated Anechoic Cabinet Construction [SACC] technology. The overall design is similar to a large stand mounted monitor; however, in place of a stand is an elegantly designed base with a captive low frequency driver. The crossover is located outside of the cabinet in the back of the loudspeaker and is damp-mounted. The crossover typology comes from the Eventus Audio's Nebula. A ring radiator tweeter and 5-inch carbon fiber cone midrange mate with a 7.5-inch carbon fiber woofer to produce frequencies from 40Hz to 45kHz. The weight is a staggering 99 lbs each, and the price is an even more staggering $28,000. Dimensions are 42" x 12" x 21.5" (HxWxD).
The RBH Sound TK-5Cs were top notch performers, sounding BIGGER than they looked without faltering at high SPL levels. If you can't find an RBH dealer in your area, check out the EMP EF30s which are similar in performance but almost $150 cheaper through the Audioholics online store.
If you are on the market for a dynamic pair of compact speakers with a high Spouse Acceptance Factor (SAF), dynamic audio performance on par with speakers twice their price, and an ability to create a sound image nearly on par with full sized speakers, than I urge you to consider the Usher Audio Be-718 Tiny Dancer speakers seriously. They are absolutely gorgeous, with the piano gloss center section and beautiful wood side panels making them right at home in a medium sized den with a tube amplifier softening that hard edge while sipping a 20 year old brandy. The Be-718 Tiny Dancer’s are not without peer, as there are other bookshelves, and even some floor standing speakers that perform admirably at or near this price point, but the combination of sturdy construction, excellent engineering, innovative tweeter design and implementation, and performance per dollar spent put these substantial sound boxes into the “if this is your price range, put these on your short list of speakers to audition” checkbox. It was truly my pleasure to review these highly capable pair of speakers with décor friendly appeal, and musicality nearly beyond reproach.
We recently reviewed the Usher S-520 bookshelf speaker system and found them to be an uncommonly good value because of their fidelity, build quality, and aesthetics. Just as we were gearing up to ship these speakers back to the manufacturer, Musikmatters – US Distributor of Usher Audio products, requested that we retest these speakers after replacing the woofers since we reported the woofers were susceptible to bottoming out during large bass transients in our face off review. Check out our results.
The gloves come off as Audioholics takes on eight pairs of bookshelf speakers priced from $200 - $1800 a pair and tells you who leads the pack and who you should send packing. While there may not be consensus, the four reviewers who took these speakers to task have some common opinions where it counts. Even when they agree to disagree, the results are informative and eye-opening. We also took a suite of measurements on each speaker at 1 meter (on-axis only as our time was limited) and these graphs are included towards the end of the shootout.
If I had to describe it in a word, that word would be "pandemonium." That was what seemed to be happening in the audiophile community as Ascend Acoustics announced their new "reference" bookshelf speakers, the Sierra-1's. Long time lovers of the brand were putting their beloved speakers up for sale with the Sierra-1's on pre-order. Sight unseen, ear unheard, the Sierra's were being compared and debated against speakers many times their price. As bookshelf speakers go, they aren't the cheapest but this is definitely a case of "you get what you pay for." And you're getting a lot. The bass and treble extension seems out of place in the same box. Usually you hope for one or the other. In this case, you get both and in a bookshelf package.
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