Loudspeakers

Every now and then a speaker manufacturer appears to get ‘on a roll’, with new models launched, older ones discontinued, and product catalogues reconfigured in a flurry of activity. It’s often the arrival of a new flagship that leads to this upheaval, and that’s certainly the case for DALI, as the Danish marque has been very busy since it debuted its innovative KORE floorstander four years ago [HFN Dec ’22].

It was only a decade ago that greys and whites were all the rage in interior design, which consequently led to a surge in minimalist, monochrome speaker finishes. However, just as avocado bathroom suites are apparently mounting a comeback, so too are loudspeakers in dark wood colourways. And Bowers & Wilkins knows this, choosing to dress its new 707 S3 Prestige standmount model in a luxurious-looking Santos Gloss.

Acoustic Energy's flagship Corinium floorstander stands out from the rest of the manufacturer's range, and not simply in the matter of its pricing. In place of AE's familiar numerical system (AE500, AE300, etc), there's that one-of-a-kind title – Corinium being the Roman name for Cirencester, Gloucestershire, where the brand is based. There are new colourways too, plus a freshly curved cabinet design. And if that wasn't enough, AE claims the loudspeaker was three years in development.The result is a three-way, four-driver floorstander intended to act as a calling card for the company.

At the risk of making an inappropriate statement, size really does matter, at least in the realm of the loudspeaker. Being an owner of the smaller DeVore Fidelity O/93 [HFN Mar ’23], I learned this again after listening to the manufacturer’s larger DeVore O/Bronze (£28,998). It was a similar situation to hearing Quad’s newly launched ESL 2912X [HFN Feb ’26] right after spending time with its slightly shorter grandfather, the otherwise similar ESL63. But more about this aspect in a moment.

If you thought bespoke cabinet details and custom colourways were the preserve of the very high-end loudspeaker market, maybe it’s time to think again. AudioSolutions, hailing from Vilnius in Lithuania, offers an extensive customisation programme for its mid-level Figaro series – so extensive, in fact, that there are apparently over 500,000 possible configurations for the M2 floorstander auditioned here. Despite that, pricing begins at £9750. Not pocket change, of course, but hardly outrageous either..

Apocryphal it may be, but one of the lingering mysteries about Quad was why MD and chief designer Peter Walker never went ‘high-end’ with bigger amps or speakers. His answer was always that his amplifiers and speakers were ‘adequate for most needs’. While that’s true, one cannot deny the efforts of others to make Quad’s inaugural ESL go louder and deeper. So while the ESL 2912X may not be the cost-no-object/size-no-object electrostatic that some devotees of the brand might dream of, I wonder what Peter Walker would have made of the not inconsiderable £12,999 asking price?

With its three new Summit series loudspeakers, JBL is continuing its journey through the Himalayas. The Makalu and Pumori floorstanders, plus the standmount Ama auditioned here, join its existing ‘Project’ Everest DD67000 [HFN Aug ’14] and K2 S9900 [HFN Aug ’10] flagships in taking their name from the world’s highest peaks. Like those two models, they also come with prices that demand a head for heights, even if the Summit Ama – at £14,998 – can be said to be relatively affordable when compared to the Everest at £79,998.