Recent Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

The original Janszen electrostatic loudspeakers were regarded as one of the first truly high-fidelity speakers, and some are still in use almost sixty years later. The new Carmelita Active speaker system sports the latest in driver technology with a high excursion woofer and a robust ESL panel that is built to last. The entire system is active with no passive crossover networks to increase efficiency and optimize driver integration. How do they sound? Check out our thoughts from our first listen at AXPONA 2016.

The RBH MC-4C are a high-performance speaker in a very compact package. They address the internal conflict in many of us; we want high-quality sound, but would rather not have to accommodate huge speakers to get it. Too often, small speakers represent a big compromise in sound. However, with the RBH MC-4C, good things do come in small packages. They look great, measure well, and most importantly excel sonically. Read our review and check out our YouTube video on the RBH MC-4C speakers.

Swedish audio manufacturer, XTZ Sound in Balance, makes a bit of everything. When they are not making amplifiers, CD players, cables, measurement systems, DSP, and earphones, they are making speakers. Today we will focus on several of the bookshelf speaker product lines ranging from their 93,95 and 99 series of products which look pretty interesting. XTZ focuses on naturalness of sound reproduction, neutral/flat frequency response in their products and based on quality parts and apparent great build quality, we have little reason to doubt their design goals.

While RSL Speakers are a relative newcomer to the ID race, they have a +40 year heritage in the loudspeaker business. Today we take a peek at two pairs of their compact but potent bookshelf speakers: the CG4 and CG24 as well as their Speedwoofer 10 powered subwoofer. This sub/sat combo looks impressive on paper. Could this be the best affordable speaker brand you've never heard of? We are looking forward to taking these products for a test spin via a formal review in the coming months to find out.

The Legacy Audio Studio HD bookshelf speakers are shocking. Usually when someone talks about an American, hand-crafted speaker with amazing high-frequency detail (thanks to a unique tweeter), a top-of-the-line cabinet, and high-end finish options, you start to imagine the price tag going up, and up, and up...but the Studio HD might just surprise you. We found them to offer the type of sound quality that lives up to Legacy's legendary build quality. Did I like these speakers? Well, lets just say I did lose a lot of sleep over them. Read on to learn all about these intoxicating speakers and check out our YouTube video review.

XTZ Sound has just added a new speaker to their venerable Cinema lineup. They are calling it their S2 height speaker but note it doesn’t have the “Atmos” moniker. That’s because XTZ didn’t pay the licensing fee to Dolby to use their name. Kudos to XTZ for not taking the blue pill on this one and focusing the budget of this product on the quality of the drivers and crossover components instead of a licensing fee and crossover tech that has been proven to be unnecessary to create the illusion of height. The S2 offers versatile placement options for ceiling or wall mounting or placing on top of companion speakers firing up at the ceiling to call the Transformers on Cybertron.

JBL Professional's new 7 Series monitors feature trickle down technology from the $20,000 M2 Master Reference Monitor, including the Image Control Waveguide. The line consists of two loudspeakers, the LSR705i, a compact 2-way speaker with a 5" woofer, and the LSR708i, a larger monitor boasting an 8" woofer. Both models are passive to save size and weight, in addition to centralizing power distribution. Unfortunately, the 7 Series will not be available for individual purchase, and are only available as part of a complete package.

We have to admit that we didn't think we'd see the name Triad associated with Atmos quite so quickly. Triad Speakers offer a Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze line of in-room speakers - the Bronze being the entry level. To this speaker, they've decided to add a top-mounted Atmos unit. While we couldn't find a price for the original Bronze LCRs (the speakers we believe these Atmos speakers are based off of), the Silver models are $850 each. The new Bronze LR-H Atmos speakers will cost $1000 each. The Atmos top unit will contain four, 2" full-range ScanSpeak drivers to yield a tighter and more controlled dispersion pattern and to increase power handling.

The SVS Ultra is a two-way ported bookshelf speaker with a 6.5” bass driver and 1” metal dome tweeter retailing for just under $1k/pair. Although SVS is widely known for subwoofers, today we look to see if the Ultra bookshelf speakers can change that perception and deliver the same legendary performance at the other end of the frequency spectrum. Impeccable build quality and aesthetics is only part of their story. SVS applies NRC science not to cheapen a product but to improve its measured performance and subjective listening experience. To say we were impressed is an understatement but do they live up to the SVS badge? Read on to find out.

XTZ Sound's Cinema Series isn't another "me too" surround system. Among other things, XTZ's Cinema lineup boasts trapezoidal cabinetry for a unique look, not to mention some unconventional driver layouts including a quad-tweeter array. The line consists of two speakers, the M6 LCR and S5 surround speaker, as well as two subwoofers, the SUB 1X12 and the massive SUB 3X12, which as the name suggests features a trio of 12" woofers in a massive vented cabinet. Check out the CEA2010 data on these new subs. Impressive, Most Impressive!

Generally speaking, Bluetooth is associated with cheap, substandard portable speakers; however, the folks at Aperion are proving that doesn't have to be the case. They're now offering their Allaire Bluetooth bookshelf speakers and Bravus II 8D subwoofer as a package deal, along with one special ingredient: HAL. What does HAL do? He creates a wireless connection between the Allaire speakers and the Bravus subwoofer, allowing for a compact 2.1 system without the clutter. Want to know more? Click to keep reading.

RBH Sound has upped the ante by releasing a speaker product that truly lives up to the Status Acoustics moniker with a superbly crafted speaker system constructed of solid granite. The Voce Fina is a two-way featuring a 6.5” Beryllium / Aluminum alloy phase plug driver and 1” soft dome Scan Speak 9500 tweeter. They are undoubtedly some of the finest sounding bookshelf loudspeakers I’ve ever had the fortune of listening to. They exhibited an uncanny ability of disappearing into the room and sounding much larger than their diminutive size suggests. If you’re looking for two-channel nirvana from a price no object speaker system that sounds as good as it looks, the Status Acoustics Voce Fina will take you there.

Getting great audiophile and home theater sound often means spending thousands of dollars on speakers. But what if we told you that you could get big, audiophile sound in a small, solidly-built, WAF-friendly package for under $900? The NHT Classic Three Bookshelf loudspeakers promise to do just that. Are these speakers a real diamond in the rough or simply another ordinary speaker? Read our full review to find out.

DD Audio is a company primarily known for their presence in the mobile audio space, but these days they've got their sights set on the home audio market. Their new loudspeaker lineup consists of a two way bookshelf speaker, a powered monitor, an on-wall speaker, an in-wall/in-ceiling speaker, and a powered subwoofer. With budget friendly prices, the question becomes: what does the new kid on the block have to offer? Keep reading to find out.