Sound Quality The first thing I noticed with the Dynaudio Special Forty is how clean and composed they sound when the music gets busy. I never felt like I was fighting the speakers for detail; they just sort of opened a window and let me hear into the mix without turning everything into a forensic […]
Sound Quality: Clean, Controlled, and a Little More Serious Than Most Wireless Bookshelves What I noticed first with the Xeo 2 is how composed they sound when the room gets busy. They don’t smear everything together the way a lot of compact wireless speakers can, and that makes them easy to live with for long […]
Sound Quality The first thing I noticed with the R1280DB is that they sound bigger than they look, which is really the main reason to buy a pair like this. They don’t try to fake being studio monitors, and they don’t have that thin, plasticky “computer speaker” thing going on either. For casual listening, they’re […]
Sound Quality The first thing I noticed with the Edifier R1280T is that they sound way bigger than they look. I wouldn’t call them audiophile speakers, but for a small desk, bedroom, or casual living room setup, they have a pleasingly full sound that makes everyday listening easy to enjoy. The midrange is the part […]
Sound Quality The first thing I noticed with the Edifier R1700BT is that they sound bigger than they look. For a compact pair of powered speakers, they throw out a surprisingly full, easygoing sound that works really well for casual listening. I wouldn’t call them ultra-detailed or hyper-analytical, but that’s not really the point here. […]
Sound Quality The first thing I noticed with the S1000DB was that they sound bigger than they look. I didn’t get that thin, boxed-in bookshelf-speaker thing you sometimes hear at this size; instead, they throw a pretty full, confident sound that makes records feel a little less like they’re coming from two little cabinets on […]
Sound Quality The first thing I noticed with the Debut 2.0 B5.2 was how unforced they sound. I never got that “look at me” hi-fi presentation where the treble jumps out and the bass tries to impress you for the first five minutes, then wears you out later. Instead, they just settle in and play […]
Sound and overall character The first thing I noticed with the Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 is that they sound bigger than they look, which is really the whole point of this speaker. I got a solid sense of scale right away, with vocals and guitars sitting confidently in the room instead of being pinned to […]
Sound Quality What stood out to me most with the XPS-1 was how little it got in the way. It doesn’t try to hype the bass or add a glossy top end; it just lets the cartridge and record do their thing, which is exactly what I want from a phono preamp at this level. […]
Sound Quality and Everyday Listening The first thing I noticed with the BasX TA-100 was that it doesn’t try to sound flashy or hyped. It just gets out of the way and lets records, radio, and digital sources come through with a clean, steady presentation that’s easy to live with for long listening sessions. I […]