Loudspeakers

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Review: Andrew Everard, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Apr 10, 2026  |  First Published: May 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingAudio Group Denmark’s most affordable speaker series has just received a price cut, lopping £2k off its X3 floorstander

All things are relative, I guess, but in the realm of high-end audio, the Børresen X3 looks like a lot of loudspeaker for the money. Moreover, a recent price cut – just about unheard of in the modern hi-fi market – has brought the speaker down from £10,000 to £8000 a pair. Described as an ‘entry-level into the Børresen universe’, the X3 draws on technology created for the Danish company’s higher-end models [HFN Sep ’25], from the drivers to the enclosures.

Review: Mark Craven, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Apr 10, 2026  |  First Published: May 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingLatest addition to B&W’s 700 series, the new 707 S3 Prestige Edition is the brand’s ‘ultimate bookshelf loudspeaker’ with a high-gloss Santos wood finish to match

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.

Review: Jamie Biesemans, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Mar 12, 2026  |  First Published: Apr 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingThe most compact floorstander in the Danish brand’s premium range is a statement speaker in its own right...

When DALI launched its flagship KORE speaker [HFN Dec ’22], followed by the Epikore 11 [HFN Feb ’25], the Danish company clearly wanted to turn heads in a higher-end segment. Which worked out fine, but both speakers have a ‘downside’: they are colossal. Applying trickle-down technologies from the £85k KORE and £40k Epikore 11, the smaller £20k Epikore 7 floorstander might just be the more sensible choice for typical living rooms.

Review: Mark Craven, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Mar 11, 2026  |  First Published: Apr 01, 2026
hfncommendedSeen here in its new pearlescent Midnight Silver finish, AE’s flagship floorstander aims at a sub/sat system in a single box

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.

Review: Andrew Everard, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Mar 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingOffered in limited edition 25th anniversary and standard guises, the X2t is Raidho’s entry-level X series floorstander

Getting big bass from a loudspeaker, many think, requires huge drivers able to shift a lot of air. However, big drivers mean big cabinets to house them, and both skill in their tuning as well as capacity on the part of the amplifier. The former, at least, is something Danish company Raidho has clearly got under control with its X2t, although these £12,500-per-pair floorstanders opt for 135mm bass drivers – one covering bass/mid up to 3.5kHz, the other purely bass to 140Hz – for a slender form factor. The cabinet is just 143mm wide, and the whole speaker only 300mm wide including its aluminium outrigger feet, of which more later.

Review: Ken Kessler, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Feb 19, 2026  |  First Published: Mar 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingDeVore’s ‘Orangutan’ loudspeaker range has a new sibling, based on the established O/96 but hosting bronze-chassis drivers and ports inspired by the flagship O/Referencer

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.

Review: Ken Kessler, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Feb 05, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingAs old as Hi-Fi News itself, Quad’s iconic full-range electrostatic stays fresh courtesy of new upgrades

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?

Review: Jamie Biesemans, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Feb 03, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingFrom the Danish loudspeaker brand that brought us the £85k KORE flagship comes this colourful pint pot with an arrow aimed straight at the heart of the budget scene

Over the past few years, DALI has established a firm presence in the premium loudspeaker market with impressive feats of engineering realised in its KORE flagship [HFN Dec ’23] and Epikore [HFN Feb ’25] ranges. However, the company that 40 years ago started as a budget brand for Scandinavia’s HiFi Klubben chain is making something of a return to its affordable roots with the Kupid. At £299 a pair, these pint-sized ‘bookshelf’ speakers are a universe away from the £85,000 KORE, but both are said to be built according to DALI’s ‘core’ design principles.

Review: Mark Craven, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Feb 03, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfncommendedNew to the UK is this Lithuanian speaker brand with an artisanal approach. We hear its mid-level floorstander

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..

Review: Mark Craven, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Jan 07, 2026  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingJBL’s iconic Project Everest and K2 are joined by three new ‘Summits’ – the Makalu, Pumori and Ama

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.

Review: Mark Craven, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Jan 05, 2026  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingSome 40 years after its debut standmount was conceived – but before the brand was officially launched – Acoustic Energy has reimagined an ’80s icon and produced a classic

If you’re looking at the legend on the tweeter surround of Acoustic Energy’s new loudspeaker and wondering how a brand that was established in 1987 can launch a 40th Anniversary Edition model in 2025, the answer is simple. When Acoustic Energy founder Phil Jones began work on his original AE1 design [HFN Jan ’89], seeking an ‘accurate monitor’ for his recording studio, he certainly wasn’t intending to launch a consumer audio company. But the speaker, a compact two-way that was groundbreaking in its use of metal diaphragms for both bass/mid and treble drive units, caught the eye and ear of audiophiles. And now it’s back...

Review: Andrew Everard, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Dec 09, 2025  |  First Published: Dec 01, 2025
hfnoutstandingEye-catching, certainly, but what’s going on within is even more unusual. We unravel the riddle of the Sphinx...

Sometimes, sitting in front of a product for review, a degree of puzzlement sets in. Yes, the style of the £40,000 Sphinx Audio Element 3 speakers, which made their debut at the UK Hi-Fi Show Live in Ascot in Sep ’25, is entirely in accord with the name of the brand. The stone-effect outer panels, harp-like side profile and sphinx-like head housing the tweeter are all redolent of the 1920s Art Deco Egyptian revival, following the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in November 1922.

Review: Mark Craven, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Dec 07, 2025  |  First Published: Dec 01, 2025
hfnoutstandingThe American manufacturer’s flagship floorstander adds two dedicated woofers, and ABRs, to its concentric driver array. Is this the bang-for-your-buck loudspeaker to beat?

When we first saw MoFi Electronics’ SourcePoint 888 floorstander [HFN Jan ’25], its sheer size, at the £5599 price, raised an eyebrow. But designer Andrew Jones (ex-ELAC, TAD, KEF) hasn’t stopped there. Selling for £8800, the company’s new flagship takes the style and shape of the ’888 and scales it up, resulting in cabinets measuring 1239x394x505mm (hwd) and weighing 72.6kg.

Review: Mark Craven  |  Nov 14, 2025  |  First Published: Nov 01, 2025
hfnoutstandingLaunched upon the audio world a decade ago, the Phantom was, and remains, the ‘demonstrator’ of all Devialet’s technologies. Ten years on, its promise is finally realised

Although the Paris-based audio brand, Devialet, debuted with its groundbreaking D Premier integrated amplifier in 2010 [HFN Apr ’10], it’s arguable that its most well-known release has been the Phantom [HFN Feb ’15]. Launched in 2015, this almost spherical-shaped active, wireless speaker leveraged the brand’s electronics knowhow and eye for a smart aesthetic to shake up the compact hi-fi market. Upgraded models have appeared in the decade since, but only now does the manufacturer feel confident in launching a new ‘Ultimate’ edition.

Review: Andrew Everard, Lab: Paul Miller  |  Nov 10, 2025  |  First Published: Nov 01, 2025
hfnoutstandingIn time for its 99th anniversary, ELAC launches a new flagship speaker with room-friendly, ‘steerable’ sound

Only when I recently started driving a German-made car – a Mini built in Leipzig, actually – did I grasp the concept of that country’s approach to over-engineering: the thing has four ways of opening the boot, two of them remotely, for heaven’s sake, and three of putting it into its raciest engine/transmission/noise mode.

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