Introduction In the sprit of doing everything better for less money, I introduce to you the Paradigm Signature S8 v.2 loudspeaker system. Competing with the likes of Wilson, MartinLogan, B&W and Revel at half (or less) the retail price, it will come as no surprise that Paradigm has set out to build and design a speaker system that attacks the industry high-end loudspeaker value proposition. Upon first glance, even the untrained eye can see the S8s are in every facet top-notch floor-standing loudspeakers. But it’s like drooling over a Ferrari in a parking lot – you have to test the S8s out to really see what they can do, so that is just what I did. It took a few months following the 2006 CEDIA tradeshow before my review pair of Signature S8 v.2s was ready. They were worth the wait. The Signature S8 v.2s arrived at my home right as I finished the ...

Introduction As much as I love high-end gear and the brands associated with it, I have a special place in my heart for the little guys. While you can hardly call a brand such as Aperion “little,” they don’t quite have the brand equity of, say, Paradigm, Definitive Technology or B&W. Still, Aperion has made a name for itself over the years by producing well-regarded and very good-sounding speakers at surprisingly affordable prices, which they sell direct to the consumer, with a 30-day money-back trial period, via their website. While Web-based consumer electronic sales are nothing new, Aperion’s website stands apart from some of the competition, in that it doesn’t appear to be homegrown. Aperion’s website, www.aperionaudio.com is nicely designed, extremely informative and has a stylistic flair to it equal to some of the biggest names in the business. But don’t think all this design flash is meant to distract you from a substandard product. ...

Introduction RBH Sound is a rapidly growing, ultra-high-performance speaker manufacturer, celebrating their 30-year anniversary with the release of their most ambitious speaker to date, the T-30LSE. The T-30LSE is a limited edition flagship model with only 100 pairs being made. At $15,000, the T-30LSEs are a serious investment, but upon closer scrutiny, they are quite reasonably priced when compared to the physically large flagship models of some other high-end loudspeaker brands. When I look at the T-30LSE, it brings to mind Revel’s new Salons, Wilson’s MAXX and B&W’s 802d loudspeakers, all of which come with a far larger price tag. I have long appreciated the innovation and craftsmanship I have seen in RBH Sound’s products. For more information on RBH’s history, I refer you to my article on RBH’s T-2P speaker system, which is at first glance similar to the T-30LSEs reviewed here. Both models are large, full-range speakers with similar driver arrangements. However, that is where ...

Introduction Definitive Technology has built one of the single most impressive brands in the highly competitive world of loudspeakers. Definitive has built a name where they are a “call brand” loudspeaker that consumers demand with the likes of Bose, Boston Acoustics, B&W, Paradigm, Klipsch and a handful of the other biggest manufacturers. While Definitive Technology’s ads and mighty distribution certainly have aided the company’s growth, it is more the bang for the buck performance that keeps consumers asking for them and dealers pushing. Whether you are looking for wafer-thin speakers for your new 63-inch HDTV or you need no-holds-barred audiophile floor-standing speakers, Definitive has a solution for you. In the case of this review, the Super Towers are in the latter class – they are ultimate floor-standing speakers, a statement without question in terms of sound as well as value. The BP7000SCs arrived at my house right on the heels of some of audiophiles’ most touted ...

Introduction One of the most lauded speakers in the history of audiophilia, the Magneplanar 3.6 might seem like an odd subject of review for a publication that is more focused on cutting-edge 1080p video displays than propping up exotic, mercury-filled speaker cables on the floor on some oddball, sawhorse-like stands. Yet in a world where 1.5 million relatively flat HDTVs get sold every month in this country, it has become time to take a critical look and an even more critical listen to one of the more famous flat speakers ever made, the Magnepan 3.6. And this time, I broke a vinyl copy of Jazz at the Pawnshop over my knee and scratched a CD copy of Steely Dan’s Aja before I started my listening as if to flip the proverbial bird to the audiophile gods before I even started the project. As the Magnepan 3.6 has been reviewed in all of the old-school ...