Editors’ Choice: Best Loudspeakers $20,000 and Up

Based on a loudspeaker originally designed by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the mid-Sixties, the 5/5 is a three-way that, by slot-loading the midrange and woofer for wider, smoother, more even axial response, manages the difficult trick of a uniform frequency response across an approximately 60-degree window, while at the same time realizing state-of-the-art imaging and a commandingly impressive dynamic range. Bass response is deep enough to obviate the need for a subwoofer, while the overall tonal balance left reviewer Paul Seydor feeling he was hearing back to original sources in a way he’s experienced with very few speakers. PS judges it the finest three-way, cone-based loudspeaker in his experience and one of the finest, period. PS, 331

Although significantly more affordable than most of Wilson’s other speakers, the SabrinaX unquestionably comes from the same gene pool. Utilizing the Convergent Synergy Mk 5 tweeter from the WAMM Master Chronosonic, the 8″ woofer from the Sasha DAW, the binding posts of the XVX, and Wilson’s new AudioCapX-WA capacitors first implemented in the XVX, the SabrinaX is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The cabinet is constructed entirely from Wilson’s ultra-dense X-material to reduce vibration and noise. The result is a speaker that conveys a sense of musical truth and beauty remarkable at its price. As expected from a single woofer and smaller cabinet, the SabrinaX lacks the massive low-end authority of Wilson’s more expensive offerings but literally nothing else. Matthew Clott, 317

The Danish manufacturer Davone’s current flagship has an aesthetic authority that’s matched by its sonic character. The 93-pound floorstander is constructed from 25mm form-pressed wood, internally braced with sturdy plywood elements. It is a bass-reflex design with, unusually, the port located on the speaker’s top surface. The three drivers include a beryllium tweeter operating out to 30kHz and a massive 10″ woofer that manages a mechanical deflection of 22mm; especially noteworthy is the 4.5″ TeXtreme^® midrange driver that features a diaphragm fabricated from a unique carbon-fiber tape that’s exceptionally light and stiff, with breakup modes distributed among several resonance frequencies. The result is a loudspeaker with a slight appealing warmth joined to a top end possessing an ease and airiness that wear extremely well. AQ, 353

The Minissimo Forte is the best Minissimo yet. The unique apostrophe shape of the 2-way loudspeaker’s enclosure remains, and there’s still an integral stand. What’s very different is the crossover, described as “semi-active balanced second order.” AC powers a buffer amplifier inserted between the crossover and drivers. (A pair of sleek Crystal Cable power cords is supplied.) As a result, the crossover needs no inductor coil—distortion is reduced, and dynamics improve. Reproduction of the human voice is exceptional, and bass is surprisingly prodigious for a speaker of this size. The beautifully machined aluminum Scala “top hat” ($1400) that sits atop the speaker and further improves image focus is optional, but really should be considered essential. AQ, 346

This wonderful mini-monitor plays music with a lot more dynamic impact, control, and sonic heft than it should be able to muster given its size. Its robust sound could easily be mistaken for that of a small-to-medium-sized floorstander. It recreates a large, airy soundscape filled with well-defined images in a coherent contextual whole. High resolution without sounding forced is the TD1.2’s main strength. One has a feeling of peering into the recording event, so well does it portray fine details. It is limited in low-frequency extension and dynamic range, like all mini-monitors, and it is expensive. The TD1.2 is for the enthusiast, who appreciates the strengths—and accepts the weaknesses—of fine mini-monitors and wants the best available. Kirk Midtskog, 304

This speaker looks unusual and sounds different too. In a very good way. The original science of the LX521.4 was done by the late Siegfried Linkwitz and focuses on his lengthy research into addressing the problem of spatial presentation. In a nutshell, this involves designing speakers that have smooth changes in power response with frequency. This is very hard to do, especially with cone drivers. But Linkwitz made huge progress, which his namesake company has continued. Listening to the LX521.4 yields images that often appear in space in places unrelated to the speaker positioning (e.g. in between, behind, outside). The air around performers is exceptional. On top of that the LX521.4 is a full-range dipole speaker. In the bass this works wonders because fewer of the inevitable room resonances are excited. And, unlike many planar dipole speakers, the LX521.4 has good bass power down into the low bass range. The only caveat is that high-end devotees will probably find that the LX521.4 isn’t the champion of the world in detail. But you should hear it because you may not care after you do. TAS YouTube

The omnidirectional MBL 120 has been specially engineered for medium-sized rooms—and in such environs it sounds fabulous. The soundstage it throws has never been more holographic or enveloping. More extended across the frequency spectrum and far less colored in the bass than the 121, it is a more refined speaker in every category. The best small MBL yet. NG, 228

Magico’s A5 brings the company’s vaunted technologies to a less lofty price point. The A5 is a three-way, five-driver system in a sealed, anodized-aluminum enclosure that features materials and construction techniques previously implemented in Magico’s top Q series. The result is a speaker that offers crisp, tight extension down to 24Hz, staggering dynamics for its size, and a lifelike sense of weight and body. The overall presentation is triumphantly cohesive; image accuracy and presence are meticulous. The A5 offers micro-resolution, yet never sounds analytical. A terrific speaker and a great value. MC, 320

A loudspeaker for connoisseurs who appreciate the finest the high end can offer. The look is sumptuous, the quality of materials stunning, and the mirror-like finish breathtaking. But it’s the sound that truly seduces—ripe with detail and harmonic complexity. Credit is due to the beryllium tweeter, which makes a great match with Kharma’s proprietary composite (KCD) woofers (goodbye to Accuton ceramic drivers). Ideal for smaller to medium-sized rooms, yet so potent in output and midbass thrust it’s easy to forget it’s a mere two-way. Like all Kharma speakers it has a delicacy, low-level resolving power, and micro-dynamic dexterity that touch both the mind and the heart. NG, 253

After nearly 50 years in the electronics business, PS Audio has released a speaker—and it’s a great one. The drivers are all custom-made for the FR30 and include two innovative planar-magnetic transducers—a 10″ midrange and two 2.5″ tweeters. Four 8″ woofers augmented by four 10″ side-firing passive radiators add bottom-end firepower. The oval enclosure sits on a platform that raises it from the floor, giving the FR30 a distinctive appearance. This formidable driver array produced some of the smoothest, best integrated, and musically realistic bass AHC has heard. But the midrange and treble reproduction from those large planar-magnetic drivers were the stars of the show. There was more detail at every level of sound, particularly on low-level passages that faded away into silence. AHC, 331

Much of YG’s technology from its higher-end offerings found a place in this two-way, floorstander, along with standard YG features like a solid-aluminum sealed enclosure, proprietary anti-resonance devices, and world-class fit and finish. The result is a slender package with a surprisingly big lively sound and an ability to delve deeper than you’d expect. The highs are more extended (an airy 40kHz) than a typical soft-dome tweeter, with the benefit of no metallic glare. Imaging, tonality, detail, and dynamics are all at a bespoke level. Musically, the speaker is an unending delight. The YG also fits perfectly into today’s small

Standing roughly four feet tall on its spiked outrigger base, this 3-way bass-reflex design features a 1″ beryllium-dome tweeter that is mounted coaxially within a 3.5″ midrange cone, making for a better off-axis listening experience. Two 6″ woofers with membranes fabricated from a laminated material of aramid fabric and raw fibers complete the driver complement. All the transducers are made from scratch by TAD. Slit-shaped ports on both lateral surfaces of the Evolution One TX contribute to its flexibility in room placement—it will perform well just a foot-and-a-half from the room boundary behind it. Scaling of musical forces, layered depth, and timbral accuracy are all excellent. AQ, 328

Estelon’s least-expensive full-range loudspeaker manifests all the virtues of the Estonian manufacturer’s most ambitious products, including a highly attractive and uniquely shaped enclosure fabricated from a proprietary marble composite. In this non-resonant cabinet, the YB Mk II’s three drivers—a ScanSpeak 1″ beryllium dome, a ScanSpeak 5.8″ sliced-paper cone mid/woofer, and a SEAS 8.6″ aluminum woofer—function optimally. The Estelons spatiality may be their strongest selling point. The speakers also excel at the reproduction of the human voice. Unquestionably, the YB Mk IIs function best with substantial high-current amplifiers, which provide all the low-end heft and “grip” the speakers are capable of. AQ, 320

Finding an omni-directional speaker that works in real-world rooms can be a challenge. Finding one that is simple to set up, somewhat affordable, relatively easy to drive, and sounds like music is near impossible. Yet German Physiks’ Borderland Mk IV, with its Dicks Dipole Driver (DDD) omnidirectional transducer mated to a 12″ down-firing woofer in a sealed enclosure accomplishes just that. The Borderland offers a sense of live music that few other speakers convey. With a single driver reproducing the frequencies from 190Hz to 24kHz, the Borderland represents a near acoustic point source, creating a holographic stage that is both palpable and believable. And that 12″ sealed woofer truly brings the goods while never losing its grip or unraveling. DO, 316

For listeners who want their music to scale up convincingly but must deploy an audio system in a typical moderately sized domestic space, the Confidence 50 should be under strong consideration. By any standard, the Confidence 50 is a big loudspeaker, 59½” tall and close to 110 pounds, a three-way, five-driver design with bass extension down to 35Hz –3dB. The driver complement includes the latest iteration of Dynaudio’s Esotar soft-dome tweeter plus pairs of 6″ midrange cones and 7″ woofers above and below, all of which utilize the company’s proprietary Magnesium Silicate Polymer membrane material. The Confidence 50s impress as much with smaller-scale music as with Mahler and Metallica. Subtleties in phrasing and dynamic inflections by a string quartet or shifts in tone color by a jazz vocalists register effortlessly. AQ, 338

The Acora SRC-1 is a new product from a new company. This is a high-end loudspeaker with a stone enclosure that succeeds in all important audiophile metrics. CNC technology allows for the eight pieces of granite that comprise each cabinet to be cut to the exacting tolerances required, so that they fit together perfectly and function as they should acoustically. A ported, surprisingly svelte, 246-pound two-way floorstander, the SRC-1 uses a 1″ soft-dome tweeter and a 7″ sandwich paper-cone woofer, sourced from ScanSpeak and rebuilt by Acora in Toronto. The presentation of musically meaningful detail is the SRC-1’s major strength, as is its rendering of image size and recording space. Bass is tuneful, with good impact. Orchestral climaxes are majestic, most certainly because nothing is vibrating that shouldn’t be. An instant classic. AQ, 308

The new 3-way “compact reference” loudspeaker from the relatively young Swiss company Stenheim is an explosive musical launchpad that brings a set of strengths to the market that is frankly unique in one small (but 150-pound-heavy) package. An unusually high 93dB sensitivity with a nominal 8-ohm impedance (6 ohms minimum) opens the window of usable amplification. Imagine the presence and energy of your favorite horn loudspeaker (but without the unpleasant colorations) squeezed into a small attractive aluminum enclosure that can fit in your small to medium-sized listening room. AM, 304