Loudspeakers

System Audio expects its speakers to appeal to the spatially challenged, and this is emphasised by a recommended placement of just 15-35cm from the rear wall – in fact, it suggests the Legend 40 is suited to close-to-boundary placement, another string in its living room-friendly bow. The modest 19.5kg weight and manageable dimensions also mean that experimenting with positioning and toe-in is pain-free.

Sound Of Speed
The use of lightweight driver materials in the pursuit of 'speed' is repeatedly in evidence when listening to the Legend 40s. They seem to relish the rhythms of music and quick-fire instrumentation, resulting in a clear, dynamic presentation. And the slim form doesn't equate to a lightweight sound. Bass extension is pleasingly deep and tracks that demand soundstage width and depth are well-served.

Load up 'Cream', from Prince's 1991 album Diamonds And Pearls [Warner 7599-25379-2; 44kHz/16-bit download] and the Legend 40s quickly gets into the funk/pop groove. There's appreciable snap and clarity to bass and drums, and you get the sense that the speakers' driver quartets are operating in total harmony. This piece calls for space between the instruments, and these floorstanders oblige. The stop/start ability of the woofer and midrange drivers leaves bass notes and wah-wah guitar sounding wonderfully tight, and works wonders with the staccato vocal.

Razor Sharp
It's such a dextrous performance that I dug out Machine Head's 'This Is The End' [Unto The Locust; Roadrunner Records RR7702-2], which rampages at a furious pace and underpins razor-sharp thrash guitar riffs with 16th note kick-drums. It doesn't so much tumble from the Legend 40s as march out like a well-oiled regiment.

Norah Jones' jazz-tinged debut album Come Away With Me [Parlophone; Tidal Master] offered a change in pace. The title track's softened composition makes little use of the Legend 40s' rhythmic attributes but, instead, showcases their ability to resolve subtle detail. The reproduction of Jones' vocal, in particular, makes that £2900 look like money well spent.

Her midrange is soft but well-rounded, her voice cracking gently as she ventures higher. She's put firmly in the spotlight, close-mic'd but with a very slight reverb, while soft percussive brushing is as eloquently conveyed as the piano accompaniment. These speakers seem neither overly warm nor unduly bright – just clean, incisive and typically able to get the best from high-quality recordings.

From Jones' acoustic double-bass to the synthetic low-end of Hans Zimmer's original soundtrack recording for Blade Runner 2049 [Epic 19075803092]. The Legend 40s put in a commendable effort with the dramatic low-frequency rumbles of the opening instrumental, finding textural details and conveying scale. Yet they fall short of unearthing the ominous, almost terrifying depth that beefier loudspeakers can, reaching the limits of their driver design and cabinet volume.

That said, this System Audio pairing has the knack of sounding bigger than you might imagine, and can image precise details as well as creating a fluid, forward-feeling wall of sound. AC/DC's 'Hell's Bells' [Back In Black; Columbia 510765 2] sits in the former camp, with a relatively sparse mix that places its twin guitars left and right, cymbal crashes mid-right and a kick-drum emanating dead centre. Brian Johnson's tobacco-torn vocal then pushes through from behind. However, with the double whammy of Pink Floyd's 'Breathe (In The Air)' and 'On The Run' [Dark Side Of The Moon; Tidal Master], the Legend 40s have to become more involved to capture the dreamy nature of the first recording, sending flange guitars soaring and giving body to organ notes, and then integrate seamlessly to hold 'On The Run's signature stereo pans in check. It's a thrillingly evocative performance.

Thumbs Up
With their entirely unfatiguing sound, my listening began to resemble a kid at the pick and mix counter, and regardless of track I always found an attribute that made me sit up and pay attention, be it Adele's mesmeric vocal in 'Hello', the foot-tapping rhythm of The Hollies' 'Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress', or the sweet but raspy harmonica in Bruce Springsteen's 'Nebraska'. And while the clean, revealing nature of the Legend 40s means they deserve a diet of pristine recordings, even a low-fi Spotify stream of Johnny Winter's rough-and-ready 'Self-Destructive Blues' warranted a thumbs up, with its blues solo given authentic crunch and bite.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
The Legend 40s are an impressive landing into the UK market for System Audio. From slender, non-descript cabinets comes a performance that's always descriptive of the music, whether it calls for delicate, detailed highs, a midband capable of softness and steel, or nuanced, unflustered bass. If you seek rhythm, control and slick imaging from cabinets that won't dominate a room, this is a fine place to start.