These are the speakers serious systems are actually built around, as opposed to the million-dollar statements, which perhaps are built to be talked about.
Welcome
Between the affordable references and the statement designs sits the real top of the market: the speakers that serious systems are actually built around. Magico, Wilson, Rockport, Vivid, MBL and the other names here cost between $20,000 and $150,000 a pair. This is the list for someone who has decided to buy the last pair of speakers they will own.
Products on this list
Audiovector
R8
65000
/
5
Reviews
The R 8 Arreté is a true high-end performer. The new Audiovector Carbon Driver has been engineered to further improve our already class leading drivers: Lighter, stiffer and 'acoustically dead' membranes produce a fast and uncoloured sound. The membranes of the new Titanium Tech drivers are made from precision woven aramid fibres sandwiched with artificial wood resin.
Audiovector is a Danish loudspeaker maker, founded in 1979 by Ole Klifoth, which builds every speaker in-house. Klifoth's ideas about linear dynamics, linear phase and low compression shaped its first speaker and still guide the designs. Cabinets use teardrop shapes and non-parallel walls to break up standing waves, and the range has Air Motion Transformer tweeters and an optional Freedom Grounding Concept meant to reduce distortion. Owners of R-series speakers can send them back for an upgrade to Signature, Avantgarde or Arreté specification, even across generations. The wide-baffle Trapeze revives the 1979 original.
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What reviewers think
Product Strengths
- Complex design with drivers firing and venting in multiple directions
- Luxurious finish with options such as piano-lacquered Italian Burl Walnut veneer
- Several proprietary technologies ('Concepts') such as Soundstage Enhancement Concept, Low Compression Concept, Natural Crystal Structure, and Freedom Grounding Concept contribute to its performance
- Big and bold live sound with plenty of definition and excellent soundstaging
- Edge-of-the-seat dynamics with control and precision
Product Considerations
- Requires a powerful amplifier to perform at its best
- Quoted sensitivity may be a little optimistic, and the load can be quite tough
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Magico S5 MKII: Both are high-end floorstanders, with the S5 delivering a clean, dynamic, and transparent sound
- Vs Wilson Audio Sasha DAW: Both are high-end floorstanders, but the Sasha DAW tends to 'wrap you in the music'
- Vs PMC fact fenestria: The PMC fact fenestria offers speed, detail, and exceptional soundstaging
- Vs Audiovector R11: The R11 has more bass depth and slam, but the R8 has better finesse and control over the bass
- Vs Audiovector SR series: The R8 betters the SR series in every respect and tonally sings more in key
Takeaway: The Audiovector R 8 Arreté is a luxurious and technologically advanced loudspeaker that delivers a remarkably rewarding listening experience with a big, defined sound. It is a great option for those seeking a high-end audio experience and have the appropriate equipment to pair with it.
Video review
About the brand
Audiovector is a Danish loudspeaker maker, founded in 1979 by Ole Klifoth, which builds every speaker in-house. Klifoth's ideas about linear dynamics, linear phase and low compression shaped its first speaker and still guide the designs. Cabinets use teardrop shapes and non-parallel walls to break up standing waves, and the range has Air Motion Transformer tweeters and an optional Freedom Grounding Concept meant to reduce distortion. Owners of R-series speakers can send them back for an upgrade to Signature, Avantgarde or Arreté specification, even across generations. The wide-baffle Trapeze revives the 1979 original.
R8
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Wilson Audio
Chronosonic XVX
369000
/
10
Reviews
In 2018, having completed work on the Sasha DAW, Daryl Wilson knew it was time to push his engineering team's skills, passion, and expertise to further limits and extremes—just as his father had with the WAMM. From this inchoate desire, he began formulating ideas for his new flagship loudspeaker.
Wilson Audio is an American loudspeaker maker in Provo, Utah, founded in 1974. Its speakers are built around time alignment, with drivers on the larger models adjustable for the listening position, down to the microsecond on the Chronosonic XVX. Cabinets combine Wilson's own X-Material, S-Material and V-Material to control resonance, and the company makes AudioCapX capacitors in-house for its crossovers. Trained dealers set the speakers up in the owner's room using the Wilson Audio Setup Procedure. The SabrinaX is the entry floorstander for smaller rooms, and the WAMM Master Chronosonic is the flagship.
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What reviewers think
Product Strengths
- Sets a new standard of realism in reproduced music, more fully conveying artistic intent
- Delivers a physically startling sense of suddenness on transient attacks, combining tremendous transient speed with hard-hitting physical power and force
- Has a preternatural ability to seemingly change its tonal balance based on the music's energy distribution
Product Considerations
- The physical design places it into large rooms
- Requires professional installation by an authorized dealer
- Needs good care and the best audio equipment upstream
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The Chronosonic XVX has physical dimensions more like the Alexandria XLF, but its sound is more like the WAMM Master Chronosonic
- The Chronosonic XVX has a design language borrowed and scaled from the WAMM Masterchronosonic
- In outright terms, the XVX gets within 'a gnat's crotchet' of the WAMM, but The WAMM demands more
Takeaway: The Chronosonic XVX brings music to new heights. It gives more flexibility of options than many of its peers lack and will result in better loudspeakers all round.
Video review
About the brand
Wilson Audio is an American loudspeaker maker in Provo, Utah, founded in 1974. Its speakers are built around time alignment, with drivers on the larger models adjustable for the listening position, down to the microsecond on the Chronosonic XVX. Cabinets combine Wilson's own X-Material, S-Material and V-Material to control resonance, and the company makes AudioCapX capacitors in-house for its crossovers. Trained dealers set the speakers up in the owner's room using the Wilson Audio Setup Procedure. The SabrinaX is the entry floorstander for smaller rooms, and the WAMM Master Chronosonic is the flagship.
Chronosonic XVX
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Magico
M9
750000
/
3
Reviews
A summation of our no-holds-barred assault on the limits of dynamic loudspeaker design, the new Magico M9 establishes new benchmarks in musicality, transparency, and fidelity. This four-way, six-driver floor standing system features the world's first loudspeaker enclosure to combine inner and outer skins of carbon fiber with a revolutionary aluminum honeycomb core. Included with the M9 is a state-of-the-art analog outboard active crossover, the MXO. Designed in-house, this carefully crafted unit handles bass/midbass frequency separation.
Magico is an American loudspeaker maker, founded in 2004 to rethink how loudspeakers are designed and built. Its enclosures are made mostly of aluminum with complex internal bracing, and the flagship M9 uses a carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb cabinet with a beryllium-diamond tweeter. Midrange drivers and woofers use graphene-enhanced Nano-Tec cones, and M Series technology carries down into the S Series and A Series. Reviewers point to a wide sweet spot. The A5 suits medium to large rooms, and the A3 is on our Best Floorstanding Speakers list.
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What reviewers think
Product Strengths
- Alon Wolf's most successful design to date
- Permits the least colored, most authentic sounding, and musically engaging performance of any loudspeaker
- Unmatched resolution, and the resultant transparency into the recorded event that it wrought
- Vanishes from the perceptual experience of listening to a recording, leaving only the more convincing sensation of live music
- Enclosure is effectively silenced, with no sympathetic cabinet motion
Product Considerations
- Massive, exotic, and very expensive loudspeakers
- Requires exceptional associated system of components
- Requires a custom-built and optimized listening space
- Each external crossover weighs another forty pounds and includes a sixty-pound power supply
- Is actively bi-amplified
Takeaway: The M9 provides the least colored and most authentic sound. It's a remarkable engineering marvel that brings you closer to the experience of live music.
Video review
About the brand
Magico is an American loudspeaker maker, founded in 2004 to rethink how loudspeakers are designed and built. Its enclosures are made mostly of aluminum with complex internal bracing, and the flagship M9 uses a carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb cabinet with a beryllium-diamond tweeter. Midrange drivers and woofers use graphene-enhanced Nano-Tec cones, and M Series technology carries down into the S Series and A Series. Reviewers point to a wide sweet spot. The A5 suits medium to large rooms, and the A3 is on our Best Floorstanding Speakers list.
M9
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Magico
M7
375000
/
4
Reviews
The Magico M7 is a four-way, six-driver floorstanding loudspeaker capable of astonishing performance. Featuring the latest Magico drive-unit technology, an organically shaped carbon-fiber-and-aluminum enclosure, and the latest Elliptical Symmetry Crossover, the M7 is a tour de force of advanced loudspeaker engineering. The M7 was conceived by Founder and CEO Alon Wolf as a more accessible version of the semi-active M9.
Magico is an American loudspeaker maker, founded in 2004 to rethink how loudspeakers are designed and built. Its enclosures are made mostly of aluminum with complex internal bracing, and the flagship M9 uses a carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb cabinet with a beryllium-diamond tweeter. Midrange drivers and woofers use graphene-enhanced Nano-Tec cones, and M Series technology carries down into the S Series and A Series. Reviewers point to a wide sweet spot. The A5 suits medium to large rooms, and the A3 is on our Best Floorstanding Speakers list.
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What reviewers think
Product Strengths
- The Magico M7 delivers the highest sound quality by the reviewer's metrics
- Described as 'vivid' due to a comprehensive lack of distortion, low compression, rich texture and detail, and coherence across the spectrum and image
- Soundstaging hangs in space with a realistically large soundstage window and deeper stage depth, approximating real sound in a real performance hall
- Superb instrumental definition with a tonal density that removes a filter, revealing the believable richness of each instrument combined with high definition and low etch
- Voicing is resolutely flat in terms of frequency response, so well-balanced recordings sound impressively right
Product Considerations
- The M7 might require bigger amplifiers to reach the dynamic levels of the best horn speakers
- It will not be a good fit for listeners who need frequency colorations to reassure them that their expensive speakers are doing something
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs MBL 101X, the M7 does a more believable simulation of the stage because it's rather clear about performer locations, but the MBL-101X gets the image off the speakers more reliably, but at the price of some placement precision and air
Takeaway: The Magico M7 speakers deliver a rare and significant sonic achievement with a focus on distortion minimization. These speakers set a benchmark across almost all important sonic dimensions, making them worth considering for serious audio enthusiasts.
Video review
About the brand
Magico is an American loudspeaker maker, founded in 2004 to rethink how loudspeakers are designed and built. Its enclosures are made mostly of aluminum with complex internal bracing, and the flagship M9 uses a carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb cabinet with a beryllium-diamond tweeter. Midrange drivers and woofers use graphene-enhanced Nano-Tec cones, and M Series technology carries down into the S Series and A Series. Reviewers point to a wide sweet spot. The A5 suits medium to large rooms, and the A3 is on our Best Floorstanding Speakers list.
M7
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Clarisys
Auditorium
149000
/
1
Reviews
Experience Clarisys Audio's Auditorium for ultimate sound quality. Boasting neodymium magnets and a double-sided bass panel, double-sided midrange, and double-sided treble. All drivers are 100% identical, giving you perfect coherence.
Clarisys Audio is a Swiss maker of ribbon loudspeakers. Its speakers use a double-sided ribbon driver held in a metal exoskeleton frame, and neodymium magnets raise their sensitivity, which makes them a natural match for tube amplifiers. The company supports its owners with community forums, a parts library and a certified pre-owned marketplace on its website. The Minuet is on our All Planar and Electrostatic Speakers list, and Clarisys also makes the Auditorium.
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What reviewers think
Product Strengths
- Experienced a 'wall of sound' from the speakers
- These speakers do not need room treatment
Product Considerations
- Extremely well-built, resulting in a thousand-pound shipping weight
- Speakers purchased at Audium come with a service, where if the buyer has issues, someone will fly to the buyer's home and fix them
Takeaway: The Audium speakers offer a phenomenal sound experience without needing extra sound treatment in the room. The build is solid, and the company will even fly to the buyer's house to fix them.
Video review
About the brand
Clarisys Audio is a Swiss maker of ribbon loudspeakers. Its speakers use a double-sided ribbon driver held in a metal exoskeleton frame, and neodymium magnets raise their sensitivity, which makes them a natural match for tube amplifiers. The company supports its owners with community forums, a parts library and a certified pre-owned marketplace on its website. The Minuet is on our All Planar and Electrostatic Speakers list, and Clarisys also makes the Auditorium.
Auditorium
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Sonus faber
Suprema
750000
/
1
Reviews
The most ambitious project of Sonus faber to date, Suprema reflects the pinnacle of audio engineering. Building on a legacy of artisanal design and a relentless pursuit of perfection, Suprema honors the 40th anniversary of a brand dedicated to pushing the boundaries of audio excellence.
Sonus Faber builds speakers like string instruments, with lute-shaped cabinets in solid walnut and other woods, finished in leather, and every finished speaker tuned by ear. The Italian company, founded in 1983 and based outside Vicenza, puts modern drivers inside those cabinets, and the Sonetto VIII carries the cork midrange chamber first used in the Suprema flagship. The house sound is rich and full without being tiring over a long evening. The Lumina series opens the range, and the Sonetto and Olympica ranges cover the middle.
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What reviewers think
Product Strengths
- The Suprema system stays very clean, however loud it is played
- It sounds great at any volume level
- The Suprema delivered sound precisely as recorded without a hint of subdued highs, understated midrange, or ill-defined bass, being musical and replete with fine musical detail
- The system's imaging was outstanding, presenting a properly scaled, well-proportioned soundstage
- Subwoofers blend seamlessly with main speakers on good stereo systems, with the Suprema system demonstrating how complete such integration can be
Product Considerations
- Without a subwoofer, the Suprema wouldn't qualify as a full-range system, needing it to have a flat response down to 16Hz
- The Suprema system requires ample amplification, needing hundreds or even thousands of watts
- Room modes can affect bass reproduction, requiring careful subwoofer placement
Takeaway: The Suprema has innovative features and a brilliant implementation of known technologies, and it offers invaluable acoustic flexibility, marking a transformative direction for Sonus Faber. The seamless integration of subwoofers and main speakers provides exceptional sound quality at any volume level.
Video review
About the brand
Sonus Faber builds speakers like string instruments, with lute-shaped cabinets in solid walnut and other woods, finished in leather, and every finished speaker tuned by ear. The Italian company, founded in 1983 and based outside Vicenza, puts modern drivers inside those cabinets, and the Sonetto VIII carries the cork midrange chamber first used in the Suprema flagship. The house sound is rich and full without being tiring over a long evening. The Lumina series opens the range, and the Sonetto and Olympica ranges cover the middle.
Suprema
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Sonus faber
Aida
140000
/
4
Reviews
Born from the heart of Italy's rich musical heritage and artisanal tradition, Aida maintains its typical lute shape with sinuous lines, clad in refined wood and leather. Every curve is deliberate, calculated to enhance both the aesthetic and acoustic experience.
Sonus Faber builds speakers like string instruments, with lute-shaped cabinets in solid walnut and other woods, finished in leather, and every finished speaker tuned by ear. The Italian company, founded in 1983 and based outside Vicenza, puts modern drivers inside those cabinets, and the Sonetto VIII carries the cork midrange chamber first used in the Suprema flagship. The house sound is rich and full without being tiring over a long evening. The Lumina series opens the range, and the Sonetto and Olympica ranges cover the middle.
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What reviewers think
Product Strengths
- Clear, perfect sound, due to reduced disturbing vibrations
- The Sound Field Shaper system ensures flawlessly accurate stage images at any room size
- A seamless soundstage that never sounds like a woofer, tweeter, and midrange in a cabinet
- Tonal accuracy and contrast that are the most natural and convincing
- The high-frequency spectrum is well represented with a high degree of resolution and the ability to render musical detail without harshness, distortion, or fatigue
Product Considerations
- Perfection doesn't come cheap
- Aida may not be the speakers you take home because of the high price
- The bass isn't as aggressive, gut-punching, or pants-flapping as that of a few favorite audiophile darlings
- Small amplifiers run out of juice when called upon to really rock
- Older Sonus faber speakers are often criticized for a midrange glow that borders on coloration
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Magico/Wilson Audio/YG Acoustics: Aida has a different approach
- Vs QUAD 57 or the MartinLogan CLX: Aida provides a seamless soundstage that never sounds like a woofer, tweeter, and midrange in a cabinet
Takeaway: The Aida is a luxurious speaker that strives for—and achieves—perfection in sound and artistic design. It delivers a live concert hall level of performance without distortion, offering an unmatched listening experience.
Video review
About the brand
Sonus Faber builds speakers like string instruments, with lute-shaped cabinets in solid walnut and other woods, finished in leather, and every finished speaker tuned by ear. The Italian company, founded in 1983 and based outside Vicenza, puts modern drivers inside those cabinets, and the Sonetto VIII carries the cork midrange chamber first used in the Suprema flagship. The house sound is rich and full without being tiring over a long evening. The Lumina series opens the range, and the Sonetto and Olympica ranges cover the middle.
Aida
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MBL
101 E MKII
90000
/
3
Reviews
Distinguished by its large, melon-shaped aluminum and magnesium alloy radial woofer, the 101 E MKII is a proven, legitimate successor to the original MBL speaker – the legendary MBL 100 – launched in 1979. Known then, and now, as the Radialstrahler (radial emitter), this convention-defying omnidirectional speaker enriched musical playback with revolutionary sound reproduction. The audio world was amazed, first and foremost, by its avant-garde design, then astonished when it evenly distributed the sweetest of harmonics and deepest of bass notes throughout listening rooms.
MBL is a German maker of omnidirectional Radialstrahler speakers and electronics. The company's story starts in Berlin in the mid-1970s, with a young electronics engineer named Meletzky wanting speakers that send sound in all directions, as instruments do in a concert hall. Radialstrahler drivers use petal-like segments that flex in a bending mode to radiate sound through 360 degrees, so listeners can move around the room. MBL makes its drivers in-house in Germany. The 126 suits small and medium rooms, and the 101 X-Treme MKII is the four-tower flagship for large spaces.
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What reviewers think
Product Strengths
- An all-encompassing sound keeps listeners rooted to their seats
- A unique 360° sound wave design creates a natural balance of direct and reflected sounds
- A truly huge, yet meticulously crafted, soundscape is created
- Not physically evident in the aural landscape, offering a sound that seems to have no origin
- Integration of the woofer's and melon's outputs was far smoother than previous models
Product Considerations
- High-powered amplifiers capable of delivering ample amounts of current are required due to its insensitivity (around 80dB)
- Placement can be tricky, needing more space away from room boundaries than some rooms can provide
- The biggest problem has always been the audible lack of seamless integration between the bass box and the stack of omnis atop it
- A 'chesty, compressed, almost grainy midbass coloration' can be exhibited if placement and other factors are not optimized
Takeaway: The MBL Radialstrahler 101 E MkII loudspeaker offers a distinctive and immersive listening experience thanks to its unique omnidirectional design. It can fill the room with a natural and balanced sound, creating a captivating musical soundscape for the listener.
Video review
About the brand
MBL is a German maker of omnidirectional Radialstrahler speakers and electronics. The company's story starts in Berlin in the mid-1970s, with a young electronics engineer named Meletzky wanting speakers that send sound in all directions, as instruments do in a concert hall. Radialstrahler drivers use petal-like segments that flex in a bending mode to radiate sound through 360 degrees, so listeners can move around the room. MBL makes its drivers in-house in Germany. The 126 suits small and medium rooms, and the 101 X-Treme MKII is the four-tower flagship for large spaces.
101 E MKII
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MBL
101 X-Treme MKII
346328
/
1
Reviews
The crown jewel of MBL's legendary product line, the 101 X-Treme system never fails to astonish – in looks or sound. Our flagship transducer is comprised of two six-foot tall towers that each house a pair of MBL's iconic Radialstrahler omni systems, flanked by another pair of six-foot subwoofer towers to create an extreme four tower system.
MBL is a German maker of omnidirectional Radialstrahler speakers and electronics. The company's story starts in Berlin in the mid-1970s, with a young electronics engineer named Meletzky wanting speakers that send sound in all directions, as instruments do in a concert hall. Radialstrahler drivers use petal-like segments that flex in a bending mode to radiate sound through 360 degrees, so listeners can move around the room. MBL makes its drivers in-house in Germany. The 126 suits small and medium rooms, and the 101 X-Treme MKII is the four-tower flagship for large spaces.
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What reviewers think
Product Strengths
- Reproduction of the very bottom octave (below 20Hz to 30Hz) with power, color, clarity, and completeness
- Reproduction of 16Hz at the same level as 1kHz
- Creation of a wall-to-wall-to-ceiling-to-floor soundfield with layered depth and uniform ambience, merging the listening room with the recorded space
- Images instruments with lifelike timbre, power, and dimensionality, creating near-visible 3-D images
- Gestalt shift comes as part of the package with magical three-dimensionality of image and stage with every recording
Product Considerations
- Images at centerstage aren't as sharp-edged as direct-radiating loudspeakers, being larger and more rounded
- The Radialstrahler sections are tough to drive, requiring two amplifiers per speaker side
- While they work well in any size room, they need to 'see' walls to function as designed
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Versus Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX, Kharma Exquisite Extreme Grand Signature, AlsyVox Michelangelo, Stenheim Reference Ultime Three, or an Estelon Extreme Mk II, it plays in roughly the same ballpark
- Versus Magico M6, Rockport Lyra, Magneplanar 30.7, Sound Lab Ultimate-1, it can be obtained for considerably less money
Takeaway: The MBL 101 X-Treme MKII offers unparalleled low-bass response and creates an immersive, three-dimensional soundstage that blends the recording space with the listening room. It's a top-tier system for audiophiles seeking a lifelike and engaging listening experience.
Video review
About the brand
MBL is a German maker of omnidirectional Radialstrahler speakers and electronics. The company's story starts in Berlin in the mid-1970s, with a young electronics engineer named Meletzky wanting speakers that send sound in all directions, as instruments do in a concert hall. Radialstrahler drivers use petal-like segments that flex in a bending mode to radiate sound through 360 degrees, so listeners can move around the room. MBL makes its drivers in-house in Germany. The 126 suits small and medium rooms, and the 101 X-Treme MKII is the four-tower flagship for large spaces.
101 X-Treme MKII
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Alsyvox
Raffaelo
505651
/
0
Reviews
Our RAFFAELLO model is very exclusive and is made on request only. It is a symmetrical design with double midtweeter and double woofer at the sides of the central supertweer. This is making a total width of 0.85m (33.5″) each channel with a total height of 2.03m (80″), a weight of 180Kg (400lb) per channel excluding crossovers and a total woofer surface of about 1.7 sqm (19sqft) on the two channels.
Alsyvox is a Spanish maker of full-range ribbon loudspeakers, designed by an Italian aerospace engineer and an Italian interior designer. Thin ribbon and ribbon-planar diaphragms radiate from both sides as a dipole line source, with no cone woofer and no box. A patented ribbon-planar woofer matches the sensitivity of the ribbon mid-tweeter, and every driver shares the same height and diaphragm material. Sensitivity of 93dB or more suits almost any amplifier. The Botticelli suits rooms of 25 to 100 square meters, and the four-way Caravaggio adds a ribbon midrange for larger rooms.
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What reviewers think
Video review
About the brand
Alsyvox is a Spanish maker of full-range ribbon loudspeakers, designed by an Italian aerospace engineer and an Italian interior designer. Thin ribbon and ribbon-planar diaphragms radiate from both sides as a dipole line source, with no cone woofer and no box. A patented ribbon-planar woofer matches the sensitivity of the ribbon mid-tweeter, and every driver shares the same height and diaphragm material. Sensitivity of 93dB or more suits almost any amplifier. The Botticelli suits rooms of 25 to 100 square meters, and the four-way Caravaggio adds a ribbon midrange for larger rooms.
Raffaelo
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Alsyvox
Caravaggio
221421
/
2
Reviews
Our CARAVAGGIO model is very exclusive and is made on request only. It is a 4 ways design, 1 more compared to smaller models (ribbon- planar woofer, NEW ribbon midrange, ribbon tweeter and ribbon super-tweeter) on one panel per channel.
Alsyvox is a Spanish maker of full-range ribbon loudspeakers, designed by an Italian aerospace engineer and an Italian interior designer. Thin ribbon and ribbon-planar diaphragms radiate from both sides as a dipole line source, with no cone woofer and no box. A patented ribbon-planar woofer matches the sensitivity of the ribbon mid-tweeter, and every driver shares the same height and diaphragm material. Sensitivity of 93dB or more suits almost any amplifier. The Botticelli suits rooms of 25 to 100 square meters, and the four-way Caravaggio adds a ribbon midrange for larger rooms.
Expand Details
What reviewers think
Product Strengths
- Vivid and lifelike realism in timbre, imaging, transient speed, resolution, physical energy, and dynamics make it sound closer to live music
- Presents a kind of physicality to the sound, not just in bottom-end weight—but in tangibility and presence of instrumental and vocal images
- Extraordinary vividness and tangibility of instrumental and vocal images, with a very present, immediate, and upfront spatial presentation
- Remarkably easy to drive, it will play loudly, and delivers fabulous bass weight and low-end dynamic authority
- Presents a uniform voice, tonally and dynamically, from the bass to the top treble, with zero discontinuity between drivers
Product Considerations
- To realize its full potential, you need to position the speakers away from the backwall, which can be a challenge in many homes
- Moving the speakers back toward the wall behind them slightly diminished the depth and feeling of the soundstage having no boundaries
- Removing the speakers from the flight cases and assembling the base and feet is a delicate and time-consuming process
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The Rhapsody room in Dallas was built to house both AlsyVox and the Magico M9
Takeaway: The AlsyVox Caravaggio is a high-end loudspeaker that delivers a thrilling and realistic music experience, unlike any other. If you want amazing sound, this could be the speaker for you
Video review
About the brand
Alsyvox is a Spanish maker of full-range ribbon loudspeakers, designed by an Italian aerospace engineer and an Italian interior designer. Thin ribbon and ribbon-planar diaphragms radiate from both sides as a dipole line source, with no cone woofer and no box. A patented ribbon-planar woofer matches the sensitivity of the ribbon mid-tweeter, and every driver shares the same height and diaphragm material. Sensitivity of 93dB or more suits almost any amplifier. The Botticelli suits rooms of 25 to 100 square meters, and the four-way Caravaggio adds a ribbon midrange for larger rooms.
Caravaggio
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Alta Audio
Reference Tower
/
0
Reviews
The Reference Tower by Alta Audio is the ultimate expression of our design capabilities, commitment to sonic accuracy, and of course, aesthetic beauty. The speaker is a tall, slender column narrowing at the center with rounded sides and top, with a stunning high gloss finish that is built to order in virtually any color. A thing of beauty, the Reference Tower's physical design is a work of sonic achievement, as well—designed to defeat diffraction distortion.
Alta Audio is an American loudspeaker maker founded by Michael Levy. Levy, who had helped bring CD, DVD, HDTV and surround sound technologies to market, spent nights at New York performance spaces with friends from recording and the audio press, studying live sound. The speakers are voiced to match. XTL extended transmission line loading gives deep, controlled bass from compact cabinets built of DampHard, a multi-layer, multi-density material that limits cabinet vibration. The ribbon tweeters and woofers are heavily modified. The Alyssa stands 14.5 inches tall and suits small to medium rooms.
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What reviewers think
Video review
About the brand
Alta Audio is an American loudspeaker maker founded by Michael Levy. Levy, who had helped bring CD, DVD, HDTV and surround sound technologies to market, spent nights at New York performance spaces with friends from recording and the audio press, studying live sound. The speakers are voiced to match. XTL extended transmission line loading gives deep, controlled bass from compact cabinets built of DampHard, a multi-layer, multi-density material that limits cabinet vibration. The ribbon tweeters and woofers are heavily modified. The Alyssa stands 14.5 inches tall and suits small to medium rooms.
Reference Tower
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Clarisys
Atrium
/
0
Reviews
The Clarisys Audio Atrium was designed with meticulous attention to both form and function; the Atrium offers not only breathtaking sound quality but also a statement piece in any listening space, embodying a refined aesthetic appeal. These speakers represent the zenith of clarity and precision, ideal for discerning audiophiles and professionals who seek the best in high-fidelity sound reproduction.
Clarisys Audio is a Swiss maker of ribbon loudspeakers. Its speakers use a double-sided ribbon driver held in a metal exoskeleton frame, and neodymium magnets raise their sensitivity, which makes them a natural match for tube amplifiers. The company supports its owners with community forums, a parts library and a certified pre-owned marketplace on its website. The Minuet is on our All Planar and Electrostatic Speakers list, and Clarisys also makes the Auditorium.
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What reviewers think
Video review
About the brand
Clarisys Audio is a Swiss maker of ribbon loudspeakers. Its speakers use a double-sided ribbon driver held in a metal exoskeleton frame, and neodymium magnets raise their sensitivity, which makes them a natural match for tube amplifiers. The company supports its owners with community forums, a parts library and a certified pre-owned marketplace on its website. The Minuet is on our All Planar and Electrostatic Speakers list, and Clarisys also makes the Auditorium.
Atrium
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Borresen
M3
283975
/
6
Reviews
The M3 speakers are the perfect blend of form and function, which reflects the excellent and highly productive partnership between two great minds in the audio industry – Michael Børresen and Flemming Erik Rasmussen. The sleek and elegant design of these speakers, combined with their outstanding audio performance, makes them a testament to Audio Group Denmark's commitment to audio excellence.
Børresen is a Danish loudspeaker maker known for iron-free magnet systems in its drivers, which reduce inductance and improve control and linearity. The speakers pair those drivers with Børresen's own ribbon tweeter, and the company makes its own capacitors, voice coils and baskets. The X series is the place to start, with spread-tow carbon membranes and a copper-capped motor. The 0 and M series use more advanced motors and materials. Cryo Edition versions of the Z1 and Z5 add cryogenically treated parts, and the X3 is on our Best Floorstanding Speakers list.
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What reviewers think
Product Strengths
- The M3 presents music with an unprecedented degree of individuality and specificity, without sacrificing tonality, texture, or body
- Remarkable level of resolution
- Astonishing transparency and is resolute
- Accurate tonality and represents timbre faithfully
- Exceptional high-frequency detail and speed due to a planar tweeter
- Accepts only banana terminations
Product Considerations
- The planar tweeter misses the very last measure of extension, shimmer, and effortlessness accomplished by the very best available today
- Low-frequency extension was limited to the high 20 Hz, low 30 Hz range
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to Magico M9, the M3 has recalibrated the resolution yardstick by which all other loudspeakers must be measured and compared
- Compared to Von Schweikert Audio ULTRA 9s, the M3 has recalibrated the resolution yardstick by which all other loudspeakers must be measured and compared
Takeaway: The Børresen M3 loudspeakers boldly represent the realization of striking potential in audio and push known boundaries. People who choose the M3 will enjoy a specific level of playback that is unavailable from other loudspeakers.
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About the brand
Børresen is a Danish loudspeaker maker known for iron-free magnet systems in its drivers, which reduce inductance and improve control and linearity. The speakers pair those drivers with Børresen's own ribbon tweeter, and the company makes its own capacitors, voice coils and baskets. The X series is the place to start, with spread-tow carbon membranes and a copper-capped motor. The 0 and M series use more advanced motors and materials. Cryo Edition versions of the Z1 and Z5 add cryogenically treated parts, and the X3 is on our Best Floorstanding Speakers list.
M3
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Borresen
M6
534632
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0
Reviews
The Børresen M6 loudspeakers are an impressive example of Audio Group Denmark's commitment to creating aesthetic design that enhances musical performance. The M6 design is inspired by the M1 loudspeaker and are a logical extension of design elements that have proven to be not only aesthetically pleasing, but also effective in terms of audio performance.
Børresen is a Danish loudspeaker maker known for iron-free magnet systems in its drivers, which reduce inductance and improve control and linearity. The speakers pair those drivers with Børresen's own ribbon tweeter, and the company makes its own capacitors, voice coils and baskets. The X series is the place to start, with spread-tow carbon membranes and a copper-capped motor. The 0 and M series use more advanced motors and materials. Cryo Edition versions of the Z1 and Z5 add cryogenically treated parts, and the X3 is on our Best Floorstanding Speakers list.
Expand Details
What reviewers think
Video review
About the brand
Børresen is a Danish loudspeaker maker known for iron-free magnet systems in its drivers, which reduce inductance and improve control and linearity. The speakers pair those drivers with Børresen's own ribbon tweeter, and the company makes its own capacitors, voice coils and baskets. The X series is the place to start, with spread-tow carbon membranes and a copper-capped motor. The 0 and M series use more advanced motors and materials. Cryo Edition versions of the Z1 and Z5 add cryogenically treated parts, and the X3 is on our Best Floorstanding Speakers list.
M6
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