Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
All
100 RO
reviews
Manufacturer details
- Maximum Power: 60W
- Installation Depth: 63mm
- Woofer: 10cm Kevlar
- Frequency Range: 80-20KHz
- Sensitivity: 84dB
- Impedance: 8 Ohm
- In-wall Size: 171mm (D)
- Mounting Hole: 143mm (D)
- Weight: 0.8kg (per piece)
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- Davis Acoustics leverages in-house driver design and manufacturing, a legacy dating back to 1986, to offer unique driver combinations like Kevlar mids and carbon fiber woofers, tailored for balanced sound.
- They are known for meticulous attention to cabinet design, often employing features like reinforced MDF, internal bracing, rounded edges, and strategically placed vents to minimize unwanted resonances and optimize acoustic performance.
- A key element of the Davis Acoustics sound signature is a focus on delivering a natural and detailed midrange, frequently utilizing Kevlar drivers to achieve richness, texture, and clarity in vocal and instrumental reproduction.
Select products
Olympia One Master 35
- Positioning: Entry-level floorstanding speaker reissued for accessible performance in smaller spaces.
- Description: Offers a compact two-driver design with moderate power and simplified connectivity, making it a practical choice for smaller rooms and budget-oriented systems. Compared to the more robust Ariane 9 and other premium models, it provides basic functionality without advanced low-end impact, ideal for users with modest budget and space needs.
Ariane 9
- Positioning: Mid-range floorstanding speaker aimed at larger listening rooms with balanced sound.
- Description: Features a four-driver configuration that enhances bass descent and refines high frequencies with a new tweeter, delivering a wide and realistic sound scene. Compared to the entry-level Olympia One Master 35, it offers improved dynamics, yet remains less complex than the Krypton 10 and Stellar.
Courbet N°8
- Positioning: Mid-to-high range three-way speaker designed for large rooms needing defined and musical sound reproduction.
- Description: Integrates a fabric dome tweeter, a midrange taken from a higher model, and a fast carbon woofer to achieve an extended bandwidth and clarity. In contrast with the simpler Ariane 9 and Olympia One Master 35, its advanced design serves users with higher technical expectations while still being more approachable than the top-tier Krypton 10 and Stellar.
Krypton 10
- Positioning: High-end speaker engineered for large living spaces with a focus on powerful and authoritative bass.
- Description: Uses dual 21 cm bass drivers in parallel with a laminar port to deliver strong low-end performance while preserving detailed midrange and treble. Compared to the mid-range Ariane 9 and Courbet N°8, it targets users seeking enhanced bass and robust sound performance, though it sits just below the flagship level of the Stellar series.
Stellar
- Positioning: Flagship floorstanding speaker crafted for the most demanding audio systems in expansive environments.
- Description: Uses a refined three-driver setup with premium materials for membranes, motors, and cabling to ensure precise detail and an expansive soundstage. While it outclasses the advanced features of the Krypton 10 and is pricier than the Ariane 9, Courbet N°8, and Olympia One Master 35, it represents the pinnacle of the lineup's technological capabilities.
Our take on the brand
Look inside the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
What's your approach to customer support?
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
What other products pair best with yours?
What if you spend more?
The Ariane 2 is the big sister of the Ariane 1. With a 17 cm(6.5″) diameter boomer (instead of 13(5″)) and a tweeter a little bit thinner and more detailed (coil diameter 19 mm), it provides a wider bandwidth on both sides of the audible spectrum. It brings more bass and more extreme treble, making the listening more realistic.
This compact speaker, easy to power, shows a beautiful sound opening and a sufficient output to be associated with many electronics. The DAVIS laboratory has worked to obtain a very linear sensitivity curve, in order to avoid emphasizing one part of the frequencies to the benefit of another. This ensures long hours of listening without auditory fatigue.
The speaker is equipped with non-slip pads, which slightly tilt the speaker towards the back. In addition to an aesthetic effect, this allows the start of the coils of the two drivers to be aligned in the vertical plane. The propagation of sound is then improved.
From an aesthetic point of view, the model is available in three different versions : Walnut (white front and walnut sides), light oak (with black front) and the more discreet black finish (6 black sides). The protective covers are rounded for a modern aesthetic effect.
Ariane 2 is an enclosure with a bass reflex charge, its decompression to the rear. Also, it is advisable to leave a distance of about 30 cm from the wall.
.svg)
Our summary
Product Strengths
- Good soundstage and imaging, providing a wide sonic panorama
- Mid-range holds its ground with a neutral, linear delivery
- Vocals and instruments retain an airy quality
- Solid build quality
Product Considerations
- Treble is overly pronounced and dry, leading to an artificial tonality
- Bass reproduction lacks desired depth and impact, leading to tonal imbalance
- Visible screws and hook grille attachment could be modernized
- Front plate and driver bezels appear somewhat plasticky
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The ELAC Debut Reference B6 offers a slightly more accurate rendition
Takeaway: The Ariane 2 speakers offer a wide soundstage and pleasant mid-range for an enjoyable listening experience. These are worth considering for speakers that have quality and sound good.
Video review
Our take on the brand
The ARIANE 5 column speaker is the technical evolution of the MAYA model, a reference at DAVIS Acoustics, which has been awarded several times by the specialized press. This last OPUS improves the listening result, by using a new woofer that allows a better descent in the bass. The sound stage becomes wider and more realistic. The high frequencies are now transcribed using a new tweeter, thin and particularly detailed.
The ARIANE 5 is equipped with 3 speakers:
– a woofer of 16.5 cm diameter, made of treated and cushioned cellulose pulp, topped by a powerful magnetic motor. Core 37 mm diameter, decompressed. For a fast and authoritative grave.
– a 16.5 cm diameter braided fiberglass medium, which guarantees a beautiful opening and detailed and precise voices.
– a flexible dome tweeter made of cellulose pulp with a 20 mm diameter coil, which allows the extension in the extreme treble, without ever becoming aggressive.
We recommend a distance of at least 3 meters between the speakers, to obtain a very wide sound stage. Position your speakers without sticking them to the wall (at about 30cm). The vent, located at the front of the speaker, allows a level of bass to be achieved that is approximately constant regardless of the position in the room.
Available in three finishes: Black, Walnut and Light Oak.
Our summary
Product Strengths
- Sounds unique, good, and tempting
- Bass is particularly strong and hits hard
- Offers a lively soundstage with a fine-tuned balance between analysis and the joy of music
- Can be positioned up to ten centimeters from the rear wall due to the forward-facing bass reflex port
- Beautiful wood grain finish that doesn't look cheap
Product Considerations
- The front grille doesn't attach elegantly with magnets, using dowels instead
- The single-wiring terminal is a bit outdated
- The enjoyment factor diminishes with low-powered tube amplifiers
- Distortion gently increases from mid to low frequencies from 95 dB SPL
Takeaway: The Davis Acoustics Ariane 5 speakers offer a unique and enjoyable listening experience with strong bass and a lively soundstage, making them a tempting option. They are a good choice for those who want detailed sound and musical enjoyment.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our summary
Product Strengths
- Superb value for money in terms of looks, build quality, and sound quality
- Full bass and overall full and bassy sound, impressive for its size and price
- Clear and precise soundstage with good width
- Impressive detail and a coherent, unforced presentation
- Excellent tonal balance with both upper and lower frequencies in sync
Product Considerations
- Mid-range may not deliver a sound to match the bass, with some softening of certain notes or vocals
- Soundstage doesn't rise very high above the physical speakers
- Not the prettiest speaker, with unusual proportions that may not be aesthetically pleasing
- Limitations can be revealed when driven hard
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Bowers & Wilkins 606: The 3030i sounds more substantial in its bass
- Vs Q Acoustics 3020i: The 3030i offers a sense of space and air around the soundstage, and bass weight is more substantial
- Vs Martin Logan 15i: The 15i speakers provide an impressive precision that the 3030i speakers couldn't match, but the bass did travel a tad further downwards than the 15i speakers could fall
Takeaway: The Q Acoustics 3030i offers amazing quality at a low price point, making it a terrific value and a perfect first hifi speaker. It is an easy-going speaker that is easy to set up and is very undemanding for a new user on their system quality and setup.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Product Strengths
- The GoldenEar BRX is a compact speaker that delivers a large, high-quality sound
- The HVFR tweeter contributes to a bright, airy, and detailed presentation
- Authoritative and accurate bass response, even at higher volumes, is achieved thanks to its passive radiators
- It images precisely and soundstages well
- The BRX exhibits a smoothish midrange and relative lack of harshness
- Exceptional engineering, design, and quality control
- The BRX reproduces the timbral and harmonic complexities and spatial qualities of real acoustic settings
- The tweeter is agile, airily transparent, and non-fatiguing, and the critical sibilance range is smooth and natural
Product Considerations
- At lower volumes, the bass can be less pronounced, leading to a leaner tonal balance
- Some reviewers noted a flatter soundstage with less depth and spaciousness compared to more expensive speakers
- The tweeter's output drops significantly when not listening on-axis, requiring careful positioning and stand height
- The BRX requires a fair amount of power to sound confident and alive—needing a more muscular amp
- May sound slightly soft and polite in the high frequencies
- Passive radiators look awkward with the grilles removed
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Magnepan .7: The BRX has more bite and sparkle in sitar plucks and harmonics, while the .7s sound slightly muffled, and the .7s have a bigger and more solid sound in the 50Hz-500Hz range, reproducing the Carnegie stage floor better
- Vs KEF LS50: The BRX specializes in reproducing luster and harmonically charged atmospherics, unlike the drier, more precise LS50, and the LS50's notes seem tight and slightly hardened compared to the supple-sounding BRX
- Vs Falcon Acoustics LS3/5a: The BRX goes much louder and deeper than the LS3/5a
- Vs Focal Chora 806: The BRX has punchier, faster bass, and cleaner sound in the complex chorus sections than the Chora 806
- Vs Revel M126Be: The BRX is close to the Revel M126Be in overall sound, particularly in tonal balance, but the Revels go deeper in bass and retrieve a bit more detail
Takeaway: The GoldenEar BRX is an affordable speaker with a well-rounded performance, particularly excelling in clarity, imaging, and bass for its size. For listeners seeking high-end sound without a huge speaker, these could be a suitable choice.
Video review
Our take on the brand
What competes at this price?
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Considered an excellent entry-level model from the French company DAVIS Acoustics
- Offers good sound quality for the price
- Features a Kevlar woofer, a material not commonly found in budget speakers
- The speaker design allows for placement on a desk or shelf, and even for wall-mounting
- Well-made given its affordable price point
Product Considerations
- The output connectors for the speakers are really close together
- The rear asolina (small loop for hanging) may not be the best way to use it, it is better to put the speakers on a table
- Stock electrolytic capacitor on the tweeter can be upgraded for better performance
- Needs good amplification to reveal their true quality
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The Ariane 1 speakers were tested with both a budget SMSL amplifier and a high-end Copland amplifier, demonstrating that they can perform well with different levels of equipment
Takeaway: The Ariane 1 speakers are a great value for their price, offering a good listening experience that can grow with the user as their audio setup improves. Their flexible design makes them a good choice for many different setups.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Effortlessly detailed and balanced sound
- Excellent stereo imaging and dynamics
- High-quality Bluetooth streaming
- Simple setup and control
- Multiple connection options, including subwoofer output, digital input for TV, and analog inputs
Product Considerations
- No HDMI ARC for seamless control with TV remote
- No dedicated app for adjusting settings
- Bass output may be lacking for some listeners, potentially requiring a subwoofer
- Grilles are non-removable
- Speakers power down after 20 minutes at rest, requiring manual Bluetooth pairing each time
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2, the Q Acoustics M20 sounds fuller, louder and less compressed
Takeaway: The Q Acoustics M20 HD speakers offer detailed, balanced sound and are easy to set up with various devices. They're a versatile audio solution for upgrading sound, whether for music, movies, or gaming.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Open, airy, lively midrange that was smooth yet rich, and with inviting tonality
- Imaging prowess and transparency were evident, with every nuance of the sounds of plucked strings untainted by any speaker-cabinet colorations
- The tweeter is designed to make high frequencies less directional, thus improving off-axis performance
- Positions every tone with precision, creating a good soundstage width
Product Considerations
- Treble can be bright, requiring careful matching with other equipment to avoid excessive brightness
- A lack of midrange was noticed, giving a mellow sound rather than a warm one
- One reviewer found inconsistent sound and technical flaws, like resonances, breakups, and other problems that make the midrange sound recessed compared to the higher frequencies
- Bass extension and fullness were a bit underwhelming for a ported minimonitor of this size
- The speaker's sound has a definite character with a little bit of emphasis in the midrange and the top of the treble
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Q Acoustics 3030i: The Borea BR03 is more engaging and forward-sounding, with more punch and a livelier sound overall—but probably needs more care with pairing
- Vs Klipsch RP-600M: The RP-600M can create an even wider soundstage and equals Triangle when it comes to dynamics, but the Borea BR03 is better when it comes to imaging and layering
- Vs ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2: The Elac is tonally more balanced and its frequency spectrum is more coherent, while the Triangle Borea BR03 offers bassline authority, dynamics, speed, resolution, and overall engagement that Elac simply can't match
- Vs Bowers & Wilkins 685 S1: The Borea BR03 presented a more spacious, detailed, and airy midrange, and better high-frequency extension
Takeaway: The Triangle Borea BR03 is an engaging speaker that offers a lively sound, especially in the midrange and treble frequencies. With its detailed sound and good imaging, it can bring a lot of enjoyment to listening sessions.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Good ability to get loud, clean sound without distortion or compression issues above 80 Hz when paired with a subwoofer
- Really good build quality cabinet
- Very clear, immediate, vivid sounding speaker
- Ultra-focused sounding, clean, and nicely balanced vocals
- A lot of treble liveliness combined with quality clarity and crispness
Product Considerations
- Treble is a little bit bright
- Not the most neutral speaker
- Leaner sound in terms of bass delivery
- Very tight, tuneful, and on-point bass, but the perceived amount of bass is less substantial than other speakers reviewed
- Some port noise or chuffing can be heard when setting the speakers to deliver as much bass as the Klipsch RP600M
Takeaway: The SVS Prime bookshelf is a sweet little speaker that delivers clear and vivid sound and has great build quality. It's also versatile, as it can be used in a stereo setup or as part of a home theater system.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Detailed yet easy-going sound with a smooth and balanced tonal nature
- Good build quality with a solid and well-constructed cabinet designed to control resonances
- Impressive bass performance for its size and price, exceeding expectations
- Vocals are clear, never lost, and have a balanced presentation
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio, offering great value for the money
Product Considerations
- Slight softening of the upper mid frequencies
- Treble may be a bit rolled-off or mellow, lacking some sparkle or edge for some listeners
- Bass lacks precision and focus and can sound 'bouncy' with certain music genres, leading to slight 'chuffing' or port noise at times
- Requires a good amplifier with sufficient power (50-60W) to fully open up and avoid sounding strained
- Vertical directivity issues can impact sound if listener is not positioned at the correct height
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to the ELAC Debut B5.2/B6.2, the ELAC offers more transparency in the midrange and a greater rhythmic snap—better dynamics, while the Diamond 12.1 counters with a less analytical, more easy-going nature
- Compared to the Q Acoustics 3030i, the Q Acoustics 3030i has a larger overall sound presentation with more bass but less clarity, organization, and balance than the Diamond 12.1
- Compared to the Wharfedale EVO 4.2, the EVO 4.2 provides a larger sound with more clarity but at more than twice the price of the Diamond 12.1
- Compared to the DALI Oberon 1, the Diamond 12.1 has a more homogeneous and comfortable soundscape, while the Oberon 1 offers a more accurate perspective but can be a bit slim
- Compared to the Triangle Borea BR03, the Triangle Borea BR03 gives a tad more insight
Takeaway: The Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 speakers offer great sound for the price, with clear sound and strong build. They are a good choice for listeners wanting speakers that are easy to enjoy and won't cost too much.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Questions? Ask the brand's dealers.
How to buy
Speakers
Search all hifi products
Explore our database of 10,000+ new and 25,000+ used hifi products.
