Standmount loudspeakers
The ultimate sound requires the ultimate loudspeakers — and on these pages you can see those that have impressed us above all others to win our Sound+Image awards. Standmounters are not only for small spaces: they often achieve a tighter cleaner sound that some prefer to floorstanders, whatever the room. Budget for proper speaker stands if you can.
Q ACOUSTICS 3010i
W2020 ∕ $549 / www.busisoft.com.au
If you’re seeking a dinky bookshelf speaker which delivers, these smaller standmounts of two in the 3000i range from Q Acoustics sound precise, coherent and spacious beyond their price.
BOWERS & WILKINS 707 S2
W2018 ∕ $1499 ∕ bowerswilkins.com/en-au
Small, yet as lovely to hear as they are to behold, the 707 S2 speakers are mini marvels of high fidelity, just 28cm high, in white or gloss black as well as this rosenut. They love high quality power.
KRIX ESOTERIX ALTUM
W2018 ∕ $6995 ∕ www.krix.com.au
South Australia’s Krix knows a thing or two about horns, and the waveguide on their stereo standmounts delivers outstanding imaging and high-end performance also giving an impressively extended bass.
DALI OBERON 1
HC2020 ∕ $859 ∕ www.ambertech.com.au
At 27cm high the Oberon 1 is one of the smallest speakers that Danish DALI has ever made, but its 133mm mid-bass driver and rear port support decent bass plus an overall dynamic and balanced sound.
DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY DEMAND D9
W2019 ∕ $1799 ∕ www.westan.com.au
The Demand D9 knocked us out with its sound at the price plus solid build and neat tech, unusual in having a large passive bass radiator on the top, delivering bass which supports brilliant imaging here.
JBL L100 CLASSIC
W2019 ∕ $8499 ∕ www.convoy.com.au
A standmounter that’s too big for a bookshelf, JBL’s modern reinvention of its classic L100 is a taste of the golden age of hi-fi, with the classic JBL tone and that Quadrex foam grille to nail the look.
RICHTER MERLIN S6
W2020 ∕ $1100 ∕ www.richter.com.au
Richter’s new standmounts are better than ever — more efficient, more user-friendly, and sounding fine indeed, a tribute to the Australian design team delivering the new Richter Series 6.
CHARIO CONSTELLATION DELPHINUS
W2020 ∕ $2599 ∕ www.audiodynamics.com.au
A longstanding Italian brand, though they were new to us, and knocked out their rivals in this year’s awards with fine and pure-sounding performance with sweet treble and impressive bass.
YAMAHA NS-5000
W2018 ∕ $19,999 ∕ au.yamaha.com
Another large standmount whch summons up the classic hi-fi era in an all-new design, Yamaha’s NS5000 heralded the company’s twochannel revival with fine performance.