Have you ever ever had 4 non secular experiences in a weekend? OK, that is likely to be hyperbole, however in the event you had the weekend I simply had at Audio Recommendation Reside in Raleigh, then you may relate. Disregarding audiophiles’ obvious love of Steely Dan, I used to be enthralled and impressed time after time at what I used to be listening to.
Nearly each audiophile adjoining model (and a few extra finances pleasant fanatic ones) was there displaying off its best stereo speakers. Bowers & Wilkins showcased its flagship 801 D5 , Focal had its all-in-one lively Diva Alta Utopia, Klipsch went again to one among its authentic speaker designs with the Klipschorn, and JBL had its new Summit Sequence on show together with the just about flagship Okay-2 (the flagship Everest mannequin didn’t make it to the present).
All in all, it was an thrilling time to get acquainted with these audio system. After all, a few of them price the equal of a small home within the Midwest, however that’s the deal when a staff of audio engineers put their greatest ear ahead.
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1. Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5
Although the corporate’s authentic model of the Diamond Sequence (what the D stands for) got here out in 1979, loads has modified since then. Particularly, 2026 brings with it the Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5, an replace that doesn’t look a lot totally different to the D4 however positive sounds it.
The mannequin retains the identical design rules in that each driver has its personal casing, however comes with numerous enhancements. Externally, there are three noticeable modifications from the 801 D4: the extra open tweeter grille design launched on the 801 D4 Signature, the stronger and stiffer aluminum backbone that’s absolutely integrated into the cupboard, and an upgraded plinth that reduces vibrations by way of tuned mass and constrained layer damping.
Extra importantly, the inner matrix bracing has been fully redesigned in order that the 801 D5’s cupboard is as stiff as may be. Because of this the sign is much less affected by inside vibrations and reflections.
All of those modifications end in a speaker that sounds extremely detailed but heat, with a decision worthy of a studio. They mainly disappear so that you just’re simply targeted on the music and reveal stuff you’ve by no means heard in your favourite tracks. The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5 may probably be the very best pair of audio system I’ve heard. Simply be able to drop $65,000 (£43,000, or round AU$81,900) on a pair…
2. Focal Diva Alta Utopia
Going into this occasion, I used to be excited to listen to the Focal Diva Alta Utopia, the most recent iteration in Focal’s first lively speaker sequence. I virtually didn’t get to listen to them. Held hostage in customs throughout the first half of Audio Recommendation Reside, their fashionably late entrance solely made me need to hear them extra. And oh, had been they definitely worth the wait.
There’s loads happening right here. The Focal Diva Alta Utopia audio system use Adapt, a DSP expertise that may modify listening place for imperfect rooms or placement. It additionally provides a further driver per cupboard over the Focal Diva Mezza Utopia (the earlier era of this speaker line), making it a four-way speaker. And Focal added a further Class A/B amp per cupboard for a complete 5 per 600 watts per cupboard or 1200 watts complete.
The Focal Diva Alta Utopia additionally options the corporate’s new PRISM tweeter that’s solely accessible on this mannequin and the corporate’s Scala Utopia Evo M. This tweeter is basically a carbon-coated composite materials that provides extra element and extra aural flexibility over the beryllium drivers that the corporate has leaned on beforehand.
Seems are necessary too, so Focal has made the accent panels detachable, so you may change out the colour of the audio system in the event you get uninterested in a colorway by ordering extra ones in a special end.
Once I obtained to hear to those, the very first thing I wrote down was “energetic.” These audio system, which retail for a cool $210,000 (£165,000, or round AU$296,800 and FYI, I don’t assume you may take a mortgage out to finance these) are in your face in one of the best ways. Room-filling with loads of mid-bass, they provide that flagship audiophile expertise without having any extra amps or streamers. That is pretty much as good because it will get in the case of lively audio system.
3. Klipsch Klipschorn eightieth Anniversary Restricted Version
Folks love vinyl for that analog sound. And if there’s something that the majority resembles the texture of vinyl in speaker type, it’s the Klipsch Klipschorn, particularly the eightieth Anniversary Restricted Version. Primarily based on Paul Wilbur Klipsch’s authentic design from 1946, it comes with a couple of updates to convey it into the trendy period.
Since solely 280 of the eightieth Anniversary Restricted Editions can be constructed, Klipsch has pulled out all of the stops visually. From its tigerwood veneer to the brass inlay adorning the entrance of the cupboard meant to emulate the folding that’s occurring inside the cupboard, it’s beautiful in a really mid-century trendy kind-of manner.
So far as its precise design, it has an lively crossover and a two-way speaker design, composed of the Okay-5-Okay high-frequency horn with a 2-inch throat and four-way compression driver that takes care of all the things above 350Hz and a 15-inch woofer hidden behind these brass inlays accountable all the things underneath.
The ensuing sound is one which’s a bit of softer across the edges than the opposite audio system I’ve talked about right here (therefore the vinyl comparability). This makes them much less ultimate for reference-level use, but they nonetheless work splendidly with all types of music.
When it comes to flagship audio system, the Klipsch Klipschorn eightieth Anniversary Restricted Version are downright affordable, a phrase I by no means would have anticipated to make use of for a pair of audio system costing $24,998 (so round £18,485 or AU$35,329).
4. JBL Summit Sequence Okay-2
When you’re not aware of JBL’s venture sequence, let me provide you with a short definition. A venture sequence for JBL is one wherein the lead engineers have been given a no-expense-spared, carte-blanche method to creating the very best speaker they probably can.
There have been 5 of those sequence because the firm’s inception, and the Summit Sequence is the most recent. Not solely are they named after a sequence of mountains which have struck worry in lots of an expeditioner’s coronary heart, however they’ve 12 US patents which have come about simply from the creation of this sequence.
The penultimate of this sequence is the JBL Summit Sequence Okay-2 ($99,990 per pair, or £71,998, which is roughly AU$141,300), that includes a single 15-inch woofer, a 10-inch woofer, and three 1-½-inch dual-diaphragm, dual-motor compression drivers going right into a 3-into-1 enlargement manifold. That manifold has been designed in a manner that requires it to be 3D printed as a substitute of a extra conventional building methodology. The woofers themselves additionally use a inflexible carbon fiber (HC4) materials.
Additionally worthy of point out is the truth that they’ve decoupled isoacoustic isolation ft and include the power to tri-wire /tri-amp – a characteristic that solely the dearer Everest can do. The remainder of the road can bi-amp.
Once I had the chance to take heed to the Okay-2s, it was in a big corridor, larger than any of the opposite areas, but these audio system stuffed out the area with seemingly loads of headroom to spare. Regardless of the massive room, these audio system had one of many cleanest sounds I heard over the weekend. And that 15-inch woofer kicked like a mule.
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Honorable Mentions
Whereas I used to be most impressed with this set of audio system, there have been fairly a couple of different towers of energy that impressed me greater than sufficient to be value a fast point out. The three-way ported Sonus Faber Olympica V, powered by McIntosh amps, sounded virtually pretty much as good because the audio system listed above, as they need to since they’re about $30k a pair.
Wharfedale impressed with its Elysian R and might be probably the greatest representations of a speaker utilizing an AMT speaker. And the brand new previous child on the block, French model Cabasse (the corporate is definitely 77 years previous), simply beginning to make inroads into the US is one to be careful for. Cabasse makes some actually distinctive wanting and functioning lively audio system, but additionally some great-sounding floorstanders. This time subsequent yr, you is likely to be a set of Cabasse audio system with the identical quantity of curiosity and deliberation as any of the opposite manufacturers talked about right here.
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One of the best stereo audio system all budgets
