Recent Floorstanding Speaker Reviews

Axiom has updated their M80 v4 tower speakers and added a new flagship called the M100 v4. The two towers both sport dual 1" titanium tweeters, dual 5" aluminum mids and two 6" aluminum woofers for the M80 v4 and three higher excursion 6" aluminum woofers for the M100 v4s. The price of the M80 v4 is almost double of what it was a decade ago despite the fact it still comes in a vinyl wrapped cabinet. The M100 v4 costs almost $1k more than a pair of M80v4's just for an additional 6" bass driver. Can these speakers compete in a fiercely competitive ID marketing place?

After some hints dropped on their Facebook page, SVS unveiled their new Prime series loudspeakers and PC-2000 subwoofer at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest this year. The new Prime speakers are aesthetically similar to the costlier Ultras, and benefit from trickle down technology. The kicker is the price: the new line runs from $270/pair to $1,200/pair, or roughly half the cost of the Ultras. The PC-2000 is not quite as exciting an announcement, being the cylinder version of the PB-2000, and featuring identical performance to its boxy brother.

After weeks of dropping hints, Paradigm finally unveiled their new Prestige Series loudspeakers at the CEDIA Expo in Denver. Boasting six new models including three towers, one bookshelf speaker, two center channels, and surround speakers, the Prestige line is designed, engineered, and crafted in Canada. Pricing is yet to be determined, though we were able to sweet-talk our friends at Paradigm into giving us some estimates. Want to know more? Click to keep reading!

Pioneer Elite's new line of loudspeakers has a lot going for it: all models are true three way designs featuring an advanced concentric driver array, and their designer is none other than Pioneer's speaker genius Andrew Jones. In addition, the bookshelf and tower speakers feature integrated Atmos Elevation speakers, giving buyers an easy upgrade path to the 3D surround format. On the downside, the new Elite lineup is available in a black vinyl finish...and that's it. Want to know more, including our initial listening impressions of how the integrated Atmos Elevation speakers work? Click to read the full article.

Infinity has been relatively quiet for the last few years in the home audio market. Today that changes with the release of their new Reference series of loudspeakers. A comprehensive lineup consisting of nine new models, Infinity unveiled a pair of towers, bookshelf speakers, center speakers, and subwoofers, as well as a dedicated surround channel. Prices range from $350/pair for the R152 bookshelf speakers to $1,000/pair for the three-way R263 towers. Click to find out all the details of Infinity's new line.

Cambridge Audio's new 4th generation BMR driver (Balanced Mode Radiator) performs both tweeters and midrange duties allowing the woofers to concentrate on what they do best - bass. Cambridge has built two speakers around this BMR driver - the Aeromax 6 floorstanding and Aeromax 2 bookshelf speakers. Claiming low points in the 30-40Hz range, the $1500 a pair price for the Aeromax 6 and half that for the Aeromax 2's, the price to performance ratio seems pretty incredible. We're interested to hear how they sound and see how well they measure.

PSB's recently unveiled their new Imagine X loudspeaker lineup; consisting of four models ranging from the Imagine XB bookshelf ($499/pair) to the Imagine X2T three-way tower ($1,298/pair), PSB claims this new line packs the performance of their original Imagine lineup with pricing comparable to the lower tier Image line. Naturally, there is an important compromise: the attractive look of the Imagine series is replaced with basic cabinetry. Nonetheless, high end performance at a more affordable price is something sure to catch the attention of budget conscious audiophiles.

Bamberg Audio's new Series 3 TMW doesn't come cheap at $5,800 a pair. However, for that sum you get high end, full range performance in an attractive package, with a number of finishing options available. There's also one other small detail: the Series 3 TMW utilizes an active DSP crossover and packs 370W worth of amplification per side. Yeah, that bit got our attention too. Needless to say, we'd like to get our ears on a pair for further evaluation.

Apparently the folks at Martin Logan have been keeping a secret: their new statement loudspeaker, the Neolith. Technically speaking, they're still keeping quite a few secrets on that front; however, we've been able to cajole a few tidbits of information out of our contacts. Some highlights of the design include a 22"x48" electrostat transducer, a 12" midbass woofer, and a built in 15" subwoofer for extension down to 23Hz. Curious to know more? Click to keep reading.

The KEF Blade Two is just like the original Blade speakers except slightly smaller, slightly updated, and slightly less expensive. At $24,000 a pair, they give you most of the performance of the Blade speakers with a $6,000 savings. Sporting a new Uni-Q concentric tweeter/midrange driver and four new 6.5" woofers, the Blade Two drivers and technologies are already trickling down to the new Reference series from KEF. Like the Blade before them, the Blade Two speakers will be used to inform the designs of many speakers from KEF in the future.

The NHT Absolute Tower loudspeaker is small in stature but capable of playing loud and clear when coupled with a subwoofer. The Absolute Tower is built like a tank but is still slim and sexy with an extravagant piano black finish. Is this absolutely the best loudspeaker on the planet? Well, quite frankly no. Is it absolutely the best loudspeaker in this price range? We will let you decide. One thing is for sure, at $1,100 per pair you should definitely know what you are getting. With NHT, you're getting the real deal. Check out our new Youtube Video Review to get Gene and Hugo's listening impressions.

The Meridian Audio Special Edition line celebrates 25 years of Meridian creating digital speakers. The DSP8000 SE, DSP7200 SE, and DSP5200 SE have improved electronics and a semi-horn-loaded beryllium tweeter along with other improvements. The cost? $20k a pair for the DSP5200 SE, $46k a pair for the DSP7200 SE, and $80k a pair for the DSP8000 SE. Meridian offers a perfectly matching center channel in either horizontal or vertical orientation for half price of the pair. Meridian says these are the best sounding speakers they've ever made. At these prices, we certainly hope so.

At $14.5k, the Avantegard Zero 1 speakers are some of the least expensive speakers offered by the company. That said, they are packing a lot of technology. With a frequency response spec'ed to 30Hz, a three way design with independent amplifiers for each driver, and a wireless connection between the speakers, these are not your average self-powered speakers. With high quality 24-bit Burr Brown DACs, a focus on phase and time alignment, and all the digital inputs you'll likely need, they aren't just a pretty box. Check these out at a local high-end store near you soon.

The KEF Q900 floorstanding speakers are the flagship of the Q line, but they won't empty your wallet. At $900 each and deals to be found online, these speakers are in the perfect price point for those that want to step to speakers that, at the very least, look high end without having to mortgage their homes. Playing down into the 30Hz range, these are speakers for those interested in full range speakers on a budget. Highly recommended!