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BUYING GUIDE & REVIEWS - LOUDSPEAKERS - UNDER £300
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PRICES SHOWN ARE THOSE AT THE TIME OF REVIEW
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| Loudspeakers |
£
|
Year
|
Verdict
|
| Acoustic Energy AE100 |
£200 |
Jan 96 |
Reasonably neutral but ultimately lacklustre. Control of treble and
mid-range poor. |
| Acoustic Energy Aegis One |
£150 |
Sep 99 |
Weighty, powerful performers with plenty of character. Exceptional
value for money. |
| Acoustic Energy Aegis Two |
£250 |
Mar 00 |
A highly engaging sound that grabs the attention to great effect. They
can suffer from a slightly thin sound with some recordings. |
Acoustic Energy
Aesprit 300c |
£275 |
Feb 02 |
Plenty of life and verve with a fast sound. A cracking little design. |
| Acoustic Energy Evo 1 |
£180 |
Sep 02 |
Well built and engineered, the Evo's are detailed and enjoyable, if
a tad heavy handed in the bass at times. |
Acoustic Research
Status 10 |
£140 |
Aug 00 |
The S10's are smooth and exciting. a well defined bass and good control
is present with any music. |
Acoustic Research
Status 30 |
£249 |
Feb 00 |
Good value. The 30's have a warm, generous sound, but they can lack
bite with upbeat music. |
| Audio Gem Opals |
£240 |
Dec 97 |
Partner the Opals with warm ancillaries and you get an involving sound.
Avoid bright amps and sources. |
| ALR/Jordan Entry S |
£180 |
Jan 00 |
Small, beautiful, and they have bass to boot. The ALR/Jordans have
a lot to boast about. (also reviewed Sep 01) |
| Aura LSB-627M |
£230 |
Aug 98 |
Energetic, bold and highly detailed, the Aura is one to consider for
the budget-conscious |
| Aura LST-627 |
£299 |
Oct 98 |
Like Auraís matching stand mounters, the 627Ms are lucid and controlled.
Treble is brightish. |
| B&W 601 |
£200 |
Jan 96 |
Unrestricted and clean sound with satisfying musicality. An engaging
subtlety not common at the price. |
| B&W DM302 |
£130 |
Apr 96 |
Clear open and detailed sound but balance too forward and weak bass. |
| B&W DM602 |
£250 |
Nov 96 |
Excel with taut hard-hitting bass with dynamic and uncoloured
midrange. Metal dome tweeter bleaches out the treble. |
| Boston CR6 |
£150 |
Sep 98 |
With simple music, the CR6s work well, but not quite as well as the
best of the competition. |
| Boton CR75 |
£200 |
Feb 02 |
A big full and smooth sound but one that ultimately doesn't involve.
Not the most attractive design. |
| Castle Isis |
£230 |
Jan 96 |
A lively little animal, well worth the money. |
| Castel Richmond |
£249 |
Apr 00 |
An engaging sound with well integrated drivers. Fundamentally accurate,
but sound staging could be more spacious. |
| Celestion 12i |
£119 |
Feb 98 |
The 12is' powerful, confident sound belies a rather poor measured performance |
| Celestion Impact 15 |
£200 |
Jan 96 |
Big presentation but a rather distant quality. Could sound boomy and
confined. |
| Celestion Impact 23 |
£299 |
Nov 96 |
Sterling performance in the bass with speed and control. Good midrange
projection. |
| Chario Hiper 1000 |
£299 |
Feb 99 |
Quality construction and sound marry to produce a very capable 'speaker.
Open treble and firm bass for the size |
| Eltax Liberty 1+ |
£99 |
May 00 |
An astonishing natural sound for the money. Well balanced in all directions. |
| Eltax Liberty 3+ |
£150 |
Jan 98 |
A lot of loudspeaker for the money. Punch and slam in the bass but
sometimes thin in the treble. |
| Eltax Liberty 5+ |
£200 |
Sep 99 |
Immediate 'hi-fi' sound with little subtlety or finesse. Bass inclined
to boom, although mass-loading helps |
| Eltax Symphony 6 |
£240 |
Nov 96 |
Although bright, the Symphony 6s score for clarity and power. Bass
is fast and accurate. |
| Gale 2i |
£140 |
Feb 97 |
Smooth, balanced performers that do a good job on any genre. Free from
the nasties that afflict many at the price. |
| Gale Mini Monitor |
£50 |
Apr 97 |
Not the last word in midrange or bass clarity, but gives real hi-fi
results for a paltry £50. |
| GLL ICT100 |
£170 |
Nov 95 |
For their size and price they offer some super qualities, especially
stable imaging |
| Heybrook Heylette |
£199 |
Sep 99 |
Better suited to Classical than Rock or Heavy Metal. Smooth and refined
sound will appeal to many. |
| Heybrook Optima |
£259 |
Oct 98 |
Capable all-rounders, the Optimas combine smoothness, insight and control
to great effect. |
| Heybrook HB1 S3 |
£269 |
Nov 96 |
Excellent imaging with clear treble and midrange. Bass slightly dry
and boxy but would suit a smaller room. |
| Heybrook HB1 |
£179 |
Aug 00 |
Good bass response and keen dynamics. Not the last word in detail but
very involving. |
| Jamo CS5 Actives |
£200 |
Oct 98 |
In spite of a few colorations, the Jamos are fine examples of budget
active operation. |
| JM Lab Chorus 706 |
£229 |
Feb 02 |
A big and dynamic sound with a smooth treble. Strain a bit when pushed
but overall fine 'speakers. |
| JPW 210 |
£150 |
Apr 02 |
A fine little 'speaker with plenty of bite and rhythm. Not quite as
accomplished as the best cheaper competition, however, if size matters,
though, they could be for you. |
| JPW ML510 |
£130 |
Jan 98 |
With greater transparency and a bit more get-up-and-go, the 510s could
be leaders of the budget pack. |
| JPW ML510i |
£149 |
Aug 00 |
Plenty of kick but they're not subtle. There's better value for money
around. |
| Kef 60S |
£200 |
May 96 |
The 60S is open and detailed but coloured too. |
| Kef Coda 7 |
£129 |
Apr 95 |
Rhythmic push and tuneful bass are the plus points of these small standmounts. |
| Kef Coda 8 |
£200 |
Jan 96 |
Breezy presence, good dynamics and a sense of fullness. Not the utmost
in clarity, some box colouration. |
| Kef Coda 9 |
£299 |
Jul 96 |
Strong bass can get out of control, as can treble. This tends to overpower
the midrange. |
| Kef Cresta 1 |
£99 |
May 00 |
A civilised sound that excels with vocals and phrasing. Some could
find them a little laid back. |
| Kef Cresta 2 |
£150 |
Oct 99 |
A highly entertaining bi-wire budget mini. The only slight let-down
is sound staging |
| Kef Cresta 3 |
£249 |
Mar 01 |
Big tuneful bass, easy clarity and good dynamics together give an entertaining
performance. Some blemishes but still great fun. |
| Kef Q1 |
£250 |
Aug 02 |
Superb sound quality with excellent detail that's easily up there with
the best at the price. |
| Kef Q15 |
£199 |
Feb 97 |
Impressive bass and a sweet clarity make the Q15s íspeakers thatíll
put a smile on any audiophileís face. |
| Kenwood LS90UK |
£129 |
Jul 98 |
The LS90UKs have dry bass and limited tonal colour, but staging and
imaging are superb |
| Klipsch KSB 2.1 |
£295 |
Feb 00 |
High sensitivity and easy to drive with exciting and involving sound.
Well controlled bass can boom slightly. |
| Linn Sekrit |
£298 |
Apr 96 |
Well-behaved and with a decent tonal quality. |
| Magnat Vintage 105 |
£120 |
Feb 02 |
Not half bad for the money, the Vintage 105s are fast and exciting,
but also a tad too forward sounding. |
| Mission 700 |
£130 |
May 98 |
The 700s are easily outclassed by Missionís own superb 731 Pros at
a £10 premium |
| Mission 702e |
£199 |
Sep 99 |
Well constructed and engineered but top-heavy balance lets the side
down with its lack of subtlety. |
| Mission 731 |
£129 |
Apr 95 |
An initially impressive, up front sound but ultimately a little uninvolving. |
| Mission 731 Pro |
£139 |
Jul 97 |
Music makers with a clean,punchy sound. Real value for money. |
| Mission 731i |
£130 |
Nov 96 |
Missionís babies are a truly worthwhile improvement on the original
731s. |
| Mission 731LE |
£150 |
Nov 95 |
Excellent sound puts the competitors in the shade. Well built and pretty
too! |
| Mission 732i |
£200 |
Aug 97 |
If you've got £200 with 'loudspeaker' written on it, then the
732i should be on youíre shopping list. |
| Mission 771 |
£170 |
Jul 98 |
Superb stand mounters of real refinement and musicality. A touch
bass light. |
| Mission 772 |
£230 |
Apr 99 |
Civilised standmounters which lack nothing in control, finesse or transparency. |
| Mission m70 |
£110 |
Jul 02 |
Great imaging as usual, with good projection and staging but the m70s
don't do justice to 'big' recordings and bass can be a bit wobbly. |
| Mission m71 |
£129 |
Feb 01 |
Impressive imaging, with a big sound full of life and detail.
A slight dry, glassy hard quality doesn't favour strings and may emphasis
sibilance on bright CDs. (also reviewed Feb 02) |
| Mission m72 |
£160 |
Aug 01 |
Fine imaging and vocal presence that kicks dirt in the faces of rivals.
Good, out of the box sound but the bass may need some home tweaking to
control it. |
| Mission m73 |
£199 |
Jun 01 |
An exceptionally detailed, smooth and rich sound. Weak bass impact
and a little boxiness without sand filling, but spectacular in this area
when filled. |
| MJ Acoustics Pro 50 |
£299 |
Jun 02 |
The Pro 50 sub-woofer is a fine performer in both movies and music.
Real depth and perspective, adds depth and clarity, really demonstrating
its quality. |
| Monsoon MM-1000 |
£200 |
May 99 |
A novel multi-media two-satellites-and-sub which nevertheless demands
to be taken quite seriously. |
| Mordaunt-Short MS20i |
£200 |
Jan 96 |
Very tight bass and an all-round big sound. Some sharpness in the treble
but assertive and clear. |
| NAD 801 |
£100 |
Jun 97 |
Impressive bass with midrange clarity are pluses. Prominent treble
stops the 801 from challenging the best |
| NHT Super One |
£250 |
Nov 00 |
Excellent value for money, offering high-end quality at a low-end price |
| Paradigm Mini Monitors |
£230 |
Aug 97 |
The Paradigms have a generally enjoyable sound but treble is sharp
and midrange recessed |
| Philips DSS 330 |
£63 |
May 00 |
Not exactly hi-fidelity but a sound product that's good value for money
when used as a computer application. |
| QLN 122 |
£270 |
Jun 96 |
Solid bottom end will drive a large room well, but theyíre a bit bright
too |
| RDL RA Labs Mini Ref |
£99 |
Jul 95 |
Engineering is not tip-top, but with a smooth system they will produce
a clear and open, if bright, sound. |
| Revolver Purdey |
£200 |
Jan 96 |
Rather small sound for a big cabinet. Absence of deep bass hard to
forgive |
| Richard Allen Minette 3 |
£159 |
Sep 99 |
Very individualistic loudspeakers will need careful auditioning to
ensure that theyíre right for you. |
| Rogers LS1 |
£149 |
Feb 96 |
Clear, bright and open but with weak bass. Best used close to or against
a wall. |
| Rogers LS33 |
£250 |
Nov 96 |
Detailed and clear with a forward midrange. Could be a little rough
on vocals; bass extension is limited. |
| Soundpax |
£30 |
Jun 02 |
Surprisingly musical, ultra lightweight cardboard 'speakers using NXT
panel speakers. Cheap & cheerful way of getting music into the garage,
garden shed or patio. |
| System Audio 1005 |
£299 |
Aug 96 |
Excellent all-rounder that provides a real open window into almost
every genre of music. |
| Tangent Monitor 11 |
£200 |
Nov 97 |
The Tangents' bass has attractive speed and impact, matched with smooth
treble and open midband. |
| Tangent Monitor 2 |
£60 |
Jul 96 |
Good imaging as well as control. Tweets a bit too much but more than
fine for the money. |
| Tannoy Mercury m1 |
£120 |
Jun 98 |
The best at the price and capable of embarrassing many more expensive
íspeakers. |
| Tannoy Mercury m2 |
£140 |
May 97 |
For £140, you get a íspeaker with transparency and enjoyability
unmatched at the price. |
| Tannoy Mercury m2.5 |
£160 |
Sep 99 |
A little brittle in the upper midrange but the virtues outweigh the
faults many times over. Budget bargain. |
| Tannoy Mercury m3 |
£240 |
Nov 97 |
Even overall balance and taut secure bass, if not the deepest ever.
Slightly lightweight and uninvolving. |
| Tannoy Mercury mX1 |
£119 |
Aug 00 |
Detailed and controlled with a great midband. Can be a bit lack lustre
but are good value. |
| Tannoy Mercury mX2 |
£130 |
Jul 00 |
Strong and shouty contender in the popular bookshelf market. Lacks
the subtlety for classical but fine for rock. |
| Tannoy Mercury mX3 |
£230 |
Dec 00 |
These new Tannoys are well balanced and full sounding through and through,
making them fantastic value for money. |
| Tannoy R1 |
£199 |
Nov 98 |
Worth an audition if you need to balance a bright source and amp, but
treble lacks clarity. |
| TDK S80 |
£89 |
Sep 02 |
Incredible sound for the money - brilliantly implemented NXT panels
give a delightfully smooth yet fast and musical sound |
| TDL NFM 1 |
£120 |
May 97 |
Bright treble is partially balanced by taut , well integrated bass,
but outclassed by the competition. |
| TDL Nucleus 1 |
£60 |
Apr 97 |
Clean, incisive, detailed and revealing, especially in the bass |
| TDL Nucleus 3 |
£200 |
Sep 99 |
The more you listen, the more you appreciate them. Best with smaller
scale music - not for headbangers. |
| Videologic Sirocco Spirit |
£140 |
May 00 |
Placement sensitive, but a superb package that's excellent value for
money. |
Wharfedale
Active Diamond |
£180 |
Mar 99 |
Great value introduction to active. The sound is deep and powerful
but could be a little coloured for some. |
Whafedale Diamond
Anniversary 7.2 |
£150 |
Sep 99 |
Honest reproduction, but with a suspicion of bass boom. Lacking in
finesse; little dated now. |
| Wharfedale Diamond 8.1 |
£120 |
May 01 |
Unexpectedly clean, smooth, open and engaging sound makes them a modern
hi-fi classic. Superb value for money, but classy ancillaries are a must.
(updated review Feb 02) |
| Wharfedale Diamond 8.2 |
£149 |
Oct 01 |
Great value 'speakers that are detailed and smooth. Simply a steal
at the price. |
| Whafedale Diamond 8.3 |
£199 |
Feb 01 |
A touch more cohesive and sophisticated than rivals, with a very revealing
treble. Some may wish for deeper bass but the 8.3s are up there with the
best at the price. |
| Wharfedale Pi-10 |
£250 |
Sep 01 |
A fine 'speaker with solid build and deep bass, but can sound a bit
sluggish at times and there is also a treble peak. |
Wharfedale
Valdus 300 |
£150 |
Jul 96 |
Can work well if partnered to give weighty bass and smooth treble |
| Yamaha NS-200 |
£200 |
Dec 00 |
Notwithstanding slight problems at either end of the frequency spectrum,
the NS-200s dish up a detailed and persuasive sound. Well worth a listen. |
