Displaying items by tag: woofer - StereoLife Magazine

In the world of loudspeakers, some designs command respect through advanced engineering, exotic materials and impressive specifications. Others do not look like spaceships, make no use of materials seemingly borrowed from z science-fiction film, and yet win people over with beautiful, musical sound and the simple fact that one can imagine living with them every day. Vienna Acoustics belongs firmly to the second group. The Austrian manufacturer has never built its identity around simulations, calculations and graphs alone, focusing instead on what makes its products appealing to the eye and the ear. The company was founded in 1989 by Peter Gansterer and Peter Haferl, whose goal was to bring together two worlds - solid engineering and the kind of aesthetics usually associated with fine furniture. Based in Rust, a small town in Austria's Burgenland region, the company now employs around 40 people. Among audiophiles, it is known for distinctive loudspeakers with exceptional cabinet work. Its catalog is dominated by models designed for stereo systems, and the names chosen for individual models will feel familiar to any music lover. Liszt Reference, Beethoven Concert Grand Reference, Haydn SE Signature, Mozart SE Signature - there is clearly a theme here. The last of these is the latest incarnation of one of the most important floorstanders in Vienna Acoustics' history, and also a very good example of just how differently hi-fi can be understood.

Ø Audio has introduced the Ymir, a new reference floorstanding loudspeaker that marks a decisive shift in the company's design direction and stands apart from earlier models such as the Icon 12 and Verdande. Described by the manufacturer as a clean-sheet development rather than an evolution of existing platforms, the Ymir combines a large-format compression-driver architecture with a newly engineered bass system and an unusually rigid cabinet structure intended to deliver high sensitivity and controlled directivity in real-world listening rooms rather than only optimized demonstration environments.

Revival Audio is expanding its Atalante family with a new limited edition flagship, the Atalante Grande Réserve, restricted to 300 pairs worldwide. The name borrows from the vocabulary of fine cognac and champagne and is intended to signal a carefully crafted, rare expression rather than a simple cosmetic variant. The new model develops the benchmark set by the Atalante 7 Évo, yet is aimed at listeners who want genuinely reference level performance in a more refined, well proportioned format. It brings together the design language and acoustic engineering of the Atalante series in a loudspeaker that is meant to feel like a complete, self contained statement rather than just the next step up the range.

In the world of hi-fi there are few things as satisfying as a well voiced compact monitor that can fill a living room with the authority of larger loudspeakers while looking like a small piece of industrial art. It is exactly this role that Bowers & Wilkins has in mind for the latest version of its smallest 700 Series model. The 707 Prestige Edition is a standmount loudspeaker created for music lovers who are unwilling to compromise on either aesthetics or sound quality and who appreciate carefully executed details and a finish that clearly sets their speakers apart.

Perlisten entered the hi-fi market in a way that surprised many - suddenly, yet with clear ambition. Its debut was far from accidental, led by seasoned engineers and managers with decades of experience in transducers, measurement systems, and loudspeaker design. Co-founder and president Dan Roemer brings over 25 years of industry expertise, including work with the NHT research group, MITek Corporation, and projects in the automotive and aerospace sectors. Lars Johansen, with more than 30 years in audio, has contributed to brands like JBL, Harman Kardon, Klipsch, and Jamo, and later served as partner and president of Miller & Kreisel, supplying solutions for recording studios and premium home theatres. Since its formal launch in 2016, Perlisten has aimed to deliver top-tier products, reflected in its pricing. The introduction of the more accessible A-Series marked a shift, opening the brand to a wider audience. Interest continues to grow, yet many enthusiasts remain unaware of the company's origins, the people behind it, and its long-term objectives. This is why I decided to speak with someone who has been with Perlisten from the start and understands every stage of its development - from early concepts and factory selection to launches and subsequent product lines. Erik Wiederholtz, Perlisten's Technical Director, is an acoustics specialist with experience in transducer modelling, dynamic speakers, MEMS digital microphones, hearing aids, headphones, and small speakers. Our conversation, I believe, will shed light on the company's foundations and help readers understand what Perlisten represents.

Monitor Audio has announced two new limited-edition loudspeakers based on its Silver Series 7G range - the Silver 300 7G Limited Edition and the Silver 100 7G Limited Edition. Both models are presented in a new Carbon Black Metallic finish and individually numbered, combining subtle design updates with proven acoustic engineering. The Silver Series 7G platform, introduced in 2021, sits at the heart of Monitor Audio's mid-range catalogue, bridging the gap between the Bronze and Gold lines. It introduced several key innovations, including Rigid Surface Technology II (RST II) and a new generation of Ceramic-Coated Aluminium Magnesium (C-CAM) drivers. These limited-edition versions keep that same foundation while refining both aesthetics and detail to mark the series' ongoing success.

British audio specialist, Q Acoustics, introduces its new trio of high-performance active subwoofers, Q SUB series. Whether as part of a Q Acoustics home cinema set-up, adding effortless bass extension to your existing 7.2, 5.1, or 2.1 system, or intensifying the low end on your powered and active speakers, these new models will deliver the drama to movies and music. Whatever the size of your home cinema room or the power of your system, Q Acoustics has the right-sized model to fill your space with powerful, impactful, but nuanced and controlled bass. The new subwoofer family consists of the 8-inch Q SUB80, the 10-inch Q SUB100, and a 12-inch model, Q SUB120. On board Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology ensures easy but comprehensive system and room integration and setting optimisation for a class-leading, distortion-free performance.

Triangle Electroacoustique is one of the oldest French loudspeaker manufacturers. Although the latest anniversary models, still available for sale, were introduced on the occasion of the company's fortieth birthday, at this point we are already halfway to another round anniversary (Renaud de Vergnette founded Triangle in 1980). We all know the story - the music lover and hi-fi equipment enthusiast thought that the speakers available on the market didn't perform as well as they could, so he set himself the goal of creating speakers delivering a clean, dynamic, and natural sound. Many audiophiles can also point out several elements characteristic of the brand's sets. Paper midrange drivers, horn tweeters, high efficiency, an interesting anti-vibration system with a large spike, and extravagant finishes. I can list these features from memory after reviewing the Comète 40th Anniversary Edition, Magellan Cello 40th, Borea Active BR02 BT or the Capella wireless monitors. However, no single product will tell us about the company's history, philosophy, and plans, so I decided to talk to Elodie Deveau, Triangle's Sales Manager.

Manufacturers of hi-fi equipment like to brag about their peak performance, but in any company's product lineup, the key role is played by the models that simply sell best. They are the ones that provide funds for further development and indicate what ideas appeal most to customers. Recently, Pylon Audio has been working hard on high-end loudspeakers. Over the past few years, the Polish manufacturer's catalog has included speakers from the Jasper series, including six models, the powerful Amber mkIIs, the old-school Jade 20s, which just got a bigger brother, and the Emeralds 25s. However, diamonds dominate the sales statistics, and I'm not surprised at all. The models in this series offer everything music lovers seek - a discreet and modest design, high-quality craftsmanship, versatile sound, seamless compatibility with a wide range of electronics, a rich variety of color options, and an affordable price. It may not be a piece of equipment that relies on exceptional technical solutions and surprises its owner daily, but it is hard to identify any clear drawbacks. If only we do not save too much on electronics and choose a model that fits the size and acoustics of our listening room, we will get speakers that can do everything. Will the new generation of the Diamond series continue the story? For this to happen, the Polish designers had to meet only one condition - not to spoil anything. And they claim to have even improved this and that. Is it true?

Whenever I grumble about the fragmentation of the audio equipment market, which translates into a huge variety of equipment available in stores, but also problems for customers to sort it all out in their heads and make a choice, I get a press release about new speakers, amplifier, or wireless headphones. If only these were brands whose existence I was aware of, whose products caught my eye while browsing magazines or reports from exhibitions, but this is not always the case. Later it turns out that we are not at all dealing with a small factory founded by enthusiastic students, but with a company operating continuously for thirty years, boasting many successes, awards, and, of course, a large group of loyal fans. Such was the case with Lindemann.