ATC SCM100SE big active ATCs Special Edition

The SCM100SE has both and is very well put together.

 The active SCM100SE is an example of  ATC. It’s  almost price no object, albeit in the context of other high end speakers of this size the price is cheap. That’s before you get into the whole discussion about the merits of active filtering, and with each drive unit being powered by an amp optimized for its task. Those drive units are very much what the SCM100SE is all about. Remove the flush fitting grilles and they are revealed, standing proud of the main cabinet in their own matt black baffle.

The look is very much a functional one, accentuated by the gap between ‘brow’ and baffle  the speaker looks more ‘of a piece’ with its grille in place, but then you lose that studio aesthetic. 

Fyne Audio F301 bookshelf loudspeaker

 Perfect for smaller listening rooms, the F301 is a compact

Two other ranges fill the gap between top and bottom. There’s an F500 lineup, running from the compact F500 itself, a single-driver design with an unusual BassTrax loading system, of which more in a moment, this design being echoed in the larger F501 and F502 floor standers. Above that sits the single-model F700 series, the F702 basically having the same driver configuration as the F502 but in a classier cabinet. Backup is provided by the three-strong range of active F3 subwoofers, their model designations provided by the size of the driver used, from 8in/20cm upwards. 

Copland CSA 100 and Cyrus Audio i7-XR POWER AMPLIFIER

 Copland CSA 100

 Combining a preamp that utilizes a valve circuit with a solid-state power amp, this supreme hybrid integrated rarely fails to delight across its many inputs and a very broad spectrum of music. With a sublime performance, excellent spec and rock-solid build, it’s a must-audition at the price.

Falcon Acoustics RAM Studio 20 and Fyne Audio F1-8 Spec

 Falcon Acoustics RAM Studio 20

 The RAM Studio 20 clearly favors amps with plenty of grip, especially in the bass. It might not offer forensic levels of detail with which to dissect a recording, but as a wide-bandwidth, high-performance stand mount that sounds easy, natural and is dripping with musical finesse, it takes some beating. The RAM Studio 20 is a speaker named with such unwavering conviction that you’d hope it was being deadly serious. 

ELAC Vela BS 403 Bookshelf Speakers

 

ELAC Vela BS 403

 The Vela BS 403 splits the atom, generating serious power from a tiny package. And rarely does so much dynamism come with such refinement. It’s like a BBC LS3/5aon steroids with an extra high and low octave thrown in. If you’ve ever felt the need for subwoofers and super tweeters, the ELAC covers those bases.

Bowers & Wilkins 606 s2 formula and improves balanced sound from a pair of speakers

 A Fine example is B&W’s new 606 S2 Anniversary Edition stand mount. If ever there was a product that didn’t need Fixing, the 606 was surely it. 

Back to the 606. There are changes to the cosmetics and inside, but first let’s remind ourselves what made it so good to begin with. By no means alone in trickling down tech from its pricier and more prestigious models, the practice is a recognizable B&W modus operandi and one that the company is particularly good at. The big news for the 600 series was adoption of the Continuum cone, B&W’s most advanced diaphragm material, bestowed from on high by its flagship 800 series. Continuum’s recipe is still a KFC-level secret, safe to say that it’s woven in the same way as B&W’s previously favored Kevlar with the aim of stamping out the undesirable effects of a conventional cone’s transition from pistonic to break-up modes.

JBL turns back for inspiration for the Studio Monitor series, another retro classic.

The first thing to note about the 4349 is its size real big.

 Though it’s ironically described by JBL as a ‘compact monitor’, at 74cm tall it couldn’t be less compact if it tried and weighing in at 38kg it’s not the sort of thing you’ll be wanting to stick up on a shelf – unless of course you have a desire to hear it come crashing down again in the middle of the night. All of which makes investment in dedicated stands pretty much a necessity. JBL of course provides a solution in the shape of the open-frame JS-120, which tilts the cabinet back towards the listener.

Kudos cardea c20 and c10 brings the full, vivid detail of your music to life

Kudos Audio has confirmed the release of its improved Cardea C10 and C20 loudspeakers. The new models are precision manufactured from balanced veneered High-Density Fiber board (HDF) and both use a custom 180mm mid/bass driver with a die-cast chassis with large open areas and a coated paper cone. There’s a 39mm voice coil in the C10 stand mount and a 26mm voice coil for the C20 floor stander, both having a phase plug to aid directivity.

The new 3000 Micro Subwoofer Worthy of the Name SVS.

 ALL THE WAY from Youngstown, Ohio, SVS is bringing its new 3000 Micro subwoofer . Measuring a nifty little (WxHxD) 297 x 278 x 271mm,  the 3000 Micro features innovations from the SVS 16-Ultra subwoofers married to active and opposing 205mm drivers and an 800W RMS/2,500W Peak Sledge STA-800D2 amplifier with discrete MOSFET output, and also features the SVS smartphone app for advanced system tuning.