Loudspeakers

It can be easy to think of domestic loudspeakers falling into two clear camps – floorstanders and standmounts – but System Audio's saxo 40 is one of a number of models that takes the design of the former to challenge the appeal of the latter. Buyers get the small footprint they desire without needing to budget extra for stands, plus a more visually elegant solution. Manufacturers, meanwhile, can use the additional cabinet volume to accommodate more or larger drivers, improve bass response and sensitivity.

Fellow compact floorstanders include Scansonic's 935mm-tall M20 [HFN Sep '21], Cambridge Audio's 950mm SX80 [HFN Apr '21] and B&W's 985mm 603 S2 Anniversary Edition [HFN Jan '21], all models that take the basic tower speaker form factor but slim it down for easier installation. UK company Neat Acoustics, with its Iota Alpha and Explorer [HFN Oct '16 and Jul '18], has instead upgraded its Iota standmount to 'mini' floorstander status. Both feature a bass/mid driver and AMT tweeter on an angled baffle to 'lift' the output to typical ear height, even while the cabinets (sans spikes) reach a mere 450mm and 740mm, respectively. Down-firing bass drivers – plus isobaric loading with a second driver on the larger model – are on hand to deliver a full-range performance.