Tagged: loudspeakers

Bits are bits, but the analogue stage after the DAC chip in your streamer still colours what your speakers do. Here's what actually matters.

A speaker's sensitivity spec and an amp's watts-per-channel number look simple but rarely tell you what you think. Here's how to actually match them.

Your standmount speakers are only as good as what they sit on. Hannah Reid explains how stand height, mass, coupling and decoupling change what you actually hear.

Speakers or amplifier — it's the oldest argument in hi-fi. Hannah Reid breaks down where each dollar genuinely moves the needle, and when the room is the real answer.

Sensitivity specs look simple until your new standmounts clip the amp at moderate volume. Marcus Vale explains what the numbers really mean and how to use them.

At statement-system budgets, bigger isn't always better. Sofia Laurent on when a standmount outperforms a floorstander — and how to make the call honestly.

Spending more doesn't always get you more. Sofia Laurent maps exactly where the law of diminishing returns bites hardest — and where it still doesn't apply.

When your speaker budget sits between $800 and $3,000, the choice between a used standmount and a new floorstander isn't obvious. Here's how to think through it.

Spending more on speakers rarely solves the problem you actually have. Hannah Reid maps where every dollar earns its keep — and where it quietly disappears.

Sensitivity ratings, impedance curves and amplifier power interact in ways most buyers never check. Here's how to read the numbers before you buy.

B&W's fifth-generation 801 D5 debuts at $65,000/pair, unveiled at High End Vienna on 4 June 2026. Here's why it matters for serious Australian listeners.

JBL unveiled the 237kg, US$159,990 Summit Everest at High End Vienna 2026, completing its Summit Series on the brand's 80th anniversary.

KEF's revived Coda W packs 12th-gen Uni-Q, 100W Class D per side and a full input suite into an active standmount at US$999/pair. Is this the giant-killer the market needed?

ProAc has revived the classic DB1 as the Response DB1R — its smallest ribbon-tweeter standmount yet — unveiled at Bristol 2026. Here's what Australian buyers need to know.

The Dali Sonik 1 costs AU$849/pair and delivers a level of refinement that embarrasses plenty of speakers at twice the price. Dave Okafor puts them to the test.

Cambridge Audio debuts its first active wireless speaker range at CES 2026 — three models, serious specs and a flagship that challenges KEF on its own turf.

JBL's range-topping Summit Ama standmount brings horn-loaded compression-driver engineering to the high-end bookshelf. But does it justify its $20,000 asking price?

The 805 D5 arrives as the entry point to B&W's new 800 Series Diamond D5 range, with a refined Diamond Dome tweeter, Continuum cone and a $15,000/pair AU price tag.

REL's new Planar series breaks from the box format with two slim, wall-mountable subwoofers just 5.7 inches deep. Here's what it means for AU buyers.

Klipsch marked its 80th year at CES 2026 with Project Apollo, a flagship horn-loaded tower concept that hints at a serious push into high-end audio.

Melbourne's Synergy Audio Visual is now the official Australian distributor for ATC's hi-fi range, unifying AU and NZ coverage under one roof.

Samsung's HARMAN completed its $350M acquisition of Sound United in late 2025, reshaping premium audio and raising hard questions for serious listeners.

MBL filed for insolvency in May 2025. By October, a Chinese luxury conglomerate had taken over. Here's what it means for the brand, the industry, and AU buyers.

CES 2026 saw no new passive speaker debut — a genuine first. Hannah Reid asks whether giving up your separate amplifier is finally the smart move.

WiSA Technologies launched a three-module WiSA E ecosystem at CES 2026. Here's what it means for wireless home theatre in Australia.