Displaying items by tag: monitor - StereoLife Magazine

Founded in 1998, Amphion has been designing and constructing loudspeakers from the very beginning, distinguished by something that many commercially available designs lack - extremely low sensitivity to imperfections in the acoustics of the listening room. Thanks to well-thought-out technical solutions, the brand's sets can fill any space with high-quality sound, or at least that's what Finnish designers, their foreign representatives, satisfied customers, and installers claim. Not to mention the dozens of musicians and sound engineers who trust Amphion's professional monitors to provide them best results in commercial or home studios and appreciate these monitors for their reliability, transparency, and truthfulness.

Bowers & Wilkins has long convinced audiophiles that the only way to achieve total listening satisfaction is chasing the original - the sound recorded in the studio. This leads to the obvious conclusion that our home stereo system should be the last element of the chain, which starts with the microphone, and that gaining more at the end means losing less during the whole process. It's hard to argue with that. And while it's a bit pointless to compare home electronics with professional equipment, I appreciate any manufacturer who stays true to this straightforward philosophy. While the idea can be explained in a single sentence, putting it into practice is quite complicated. Transport the sound from the recording studio to the home? But, wait a minute, isn't that what almost all the people involved in this subject have been trying to achieve for 145 years (that's exactly how long it's been since the invention of the phonograph)? Yes, but no one can deny that we have made tremendous progress in this field and are still moving forward.

MoFi Electronics introduced its new SourcePoint 10 loudspeakers at Capital Audiofest in Rockville, MD. The speakers are the result of 18 months of research and development led by Chief Speaker Designer Andrew Jones. Designed like a cost-no-object loudspeaker, SourcePoint 10 is completely custom-tooled with proprietary technology to deliver the highest sound quality and value. "Regardless of what an audio product costs, my passion is to deliver a level of sound quality and an experience that is far beyond the asking price." - says Jones.

Neat Acoustics has been designing and manufacturing loudspeakers since 1989. The company was founded by Bob Surgeoner, who has devoted most of his life to music, playing primarily blues, rock, jazz, folk, country, and bluegrass. The company's other key employees also work as musicians, which is virtually unheard of in the audio industry. In 2006, Bob was joined by Paul Ryder, who plays guitar in several bands in northern England. Since Paul is also an experienced sound engineer, the company set up its own recording studio. The professional approach to recordings is also intended to be a benchmark for the sound of the loudspeakers. A variety of musical instruments are on hand at the Neat Acoustics factory, including piano, string organ, harp, double bass, synthesizers, and a wide range of electric and acoustic guitars and other stringed instruments. High-resolution recordings can be played back instantly in the listening room. Bob and his team let music rule the tuning and sound of its speakers to the exclusion of almost all other criteria. All aspects of the design are evaluated empirically. This time-consuming, iterative process can take months before a design is considered finished.

PSB Speakers announced the Alpha iQ, Streaming Powered Speakers with BluOS, an all-in-one audio system that sets a new benchmark for modern, tangle-free, audiophile-grade listening. Comprising two bookshelf speakers with built-in amplifiers and a network streamer based on the award-winning BluOS multi-room music platform, the Alpha iQ lets listeners enjoy PSB's acclaimed “True to Nature” sound with more than 20 streaming services and hundreds of Internet radio stations. The Alpha iQ has a wide array of inputs so users can connect source components such as a turntable, TV, disc player, or game console. Listeners can share their music over a home network with up to 63 other BluOS-enabled components.

Boasting a worldwide success, the Borea range now includes two new active and connected models in bookshelf format. The Borea Active speakers are genuine high-fidelity systems. Compact and all-in-one, they provide a rich audio and video experience - stream your music in high resolution with Bluetooth aptX, reproduce the warm sound of a vinyl turntable, link your TV, or create a fuller experience with the addition of a subwoofer. The Borea Active BR02 BT and Borea Active BR03 BT speakers create a compact and powerful all-in-one Hi-Fi system with multiple features. These active speakers have been designed for modern and versatile use.

For 50 Years Monitor Audio has been at the forefront of loudspeaker development with a philosophy of quality, precision, and near-maddening perfectionism which has earned the British manufacturer high stature amongst its connoisseurs. Founded in 1972 to celebrate our jubilee year, we are launching a strictly Limited-Edition version of the acclaimed and award-winning seventh generation Silver 100. Founded in 1972, Monitor Audio's mission is to make audio human. From the very first speaker, the iconic MA1, the brand developed, innovated, designed, and refined, with a pioneering approach that saw patent after patent filed. It is an ethos that has not changed at all. In fact, Monitor Audio is one of the very few high-end audio brands still developing new, innovative technologies today.

New generations of iconic Audio Physic loudspeakers become smaller but more technically advanced, and each design equipped with a certain number of drivers is replaced by a new one. Some speakers, such as the Tempo, have resisted this trend, while others are now significantly smaller than before - the Avanti floorstanders being a case in point. Fans of Audio Physic's compact loudspeakers couldn't wait for the next incarnation of the Spark model. For a long time, the manufacturer argued that this function is fulfilled by the Classic 8 and Classic 15 models. It seemed that we would never see the new Spark again, but the Germans surprised us, and doubly so. Firstly, they have just announced the introduction of the new Spark, and secondly, they have made significant changes in its design. Yes, the new one is a three-way monitor.

Audiovector is one of the companies whose career has clearly accelerated over the past few years. I first encountered Audiovector loudspeakers when I reviewed... the first generation of the Arcam Solo system back in 2005. In the box, I found tiny monitors named Alto, built by the Danes for Arcam. If someone told me then that Audiovector's loudspeakers would be part of my reference system, I would probably have told them to knock on their head. And not with a finger, but with something much harder and heavier. And yet, here we are! For some time, everything that has to do with this company seems to be operating at an accelerated pace Some say that it is thanks to the passion and commitment of Mads Klifoth.

We became interested in the products made by a Polish company, Pylon Audio, when it had just started being successful and their loudspeakers - Topaz and Pearl - gained recognition. Then, other products followed, such as Sapphire, Diamond, and Opal. Not to mention the floorstanding loudspeakers manufactured for Unitra or Audio Physics's Classic series, both using cabinets made by Pylon Audio in Jarocin - a city in which, in the 80s, the biggest rock music festival in Europe used to be organized. Testing their products was always a chance to catch up on Pylon's latest achievements. It seemed as if the company had been, step-by-step, checking off the next points on their earlier prepared plan. Launching a new series of speakers, adding glossy lacquers, entering international markets, designing their own mid-bass speakers, establishing collaboration with the award-winning partners, awards, exhibitions, honours, expanding wood veneer palette, extending the factory… Every now and then a thought comes to my mind that reportage about the Pylon factory would be something worth making, yet every time one problem arises - such article would have to be often updated, since in one year the situation may change so dramatically that a huge part of knowledge about Pylon Audio may simply become obsolete.