Speakers

The most affordable route into Bowers & Wilkins passive loudspeaker ownership could quite easily prove the gateway drug into a lifelong habit… Pros + Spacious, refined and entertaining sound + Celebrates all genres of music + Good standard of build and finish Cons – Requires some system-matching – Expensive by ‘entry level’ standards – Worthwhile […]

Looking backwards in order to move forwards is a bold and dangerous policy – but with the Studio 89, Monitor Audio has managed to combine a mildly retro aesthetic with some thoroughly modern engineering to create a speaker that both sounds great and will never be mistaken for any other speaker out there. Pros +

When it comes to wireless connectivity, Audio Pro’s growing line of standalone (or multi-room friendly) speakers was no slouch before the C20. Even so, with the turntable friendly, HDMI ARC-toting, sub-out sporting, RCA hook-up-able new C20, the Swedish audio specialist has outdone itself in terms of wired options too – and the sound is simply splendid.

‘Bigger’ is not the same as ‘big’, as the Q Acoustics M40 HD demonstrates – but it also illustrates that ‘bigger’ is quite often ‘better’. Pros + Big, informative and energetic sound + Usefully compact dimensions + Good standard of build and finish Cons – No wi-fi connectivity – No control app – Low-frequency response

Sonus faber’s Duetto wireless speakers are as gorgeous to listen to as they are to gaze upon. They’re painstakingly crafted for equal parts style and substance, and loaded with streaming and input options, from Chromecast and AirPlay 2 to a built-in phono pre and HDMI ARC/eARC. They’re also incredibly expensive, with some underlying tech and

PSB’s handsome Alpha iQs deliver highly accurate sound – no surprise from this well-established Canadian maker – and a wide range of streaming features. The competition among active streaming speakers in this range is stiff, and the PSB’s excellent sonics are offset by the absence of any room EQ features and no dedicated remote control,