Introduction Are you insane for investing $6,590 for a center speaker and speaker stand? The unenlightened might say "yes," but now more than ever, a timbre-matched center speaker is of the highest importance. You've likely heard that that as much as 80 percent of a movie's dialogue comes from the center speaker. That's great, but does it require a $6,500 investment? It depends on your system and how you use it, of course. If you've got Wilson MAXX or Grand SLAMM loudspeakers and/or a very serious big-gun video system, then the answer could be "yes." Realistically, most Wilson clients, current and potential, are looking at investing in Wilson CUB IIs or WATT Puppies v6.0s for front speakers, which are priced between $10,000 and $20,000 per pair. How can these clients justify building up their system with WATCH peripheral loudspeakers for center and/or rear channels? These are the requirements of DVD-Audio. While Wilson loudspeakers have long ...

Introduction The NHT VT2.4 Towers ($2,000 a pair) are deceptive in their slim appearance. The eight-inch cabinet width is a result of a side-firing woofer configuration, offering a small footprint speaker with a bass response rated down to 25Hz. The upper-range drivers are housed in a separately sealed enclosure, isolated from the 10-inch woofer driver, which is sealed in its portion of the cabinet. The VT-2.4 Tower is a three-way vented design speaker system. The upper portion of the tower is video-shielded and contains two five-and-a-quarter-inch midranges and one one-inch aluminum dome tweeter. A separate pair of five-way binding posts is included for biamplification of the subwoofer. (NHT does have two amplifier models specifically designed for bi-amping its speakers.) The towers are shipped with straps connecting the binding post terminals of the upper section drivers to those of the lower section subwoofer. Like other NHT video towers, the VT 2.4’s incorporate the Audio/Video mode toggle switch, ...

Introduction Even the most staid AV manufacturers have realized that modern clients demand not only high performance from their components, but also highly polished aesthetics. Simply look at architecturally friendly Bang and Olufsen. Although their AV gear is far from the highest performance on the market, it’s the sexiest. Each year, Bang and Olufsen out-sells practically every other "high end" manufacturer combined. B&W’s LM1 leisure monitor is a speaker designed for style, versatility and sound. Priced at $350 a pair, the LM1 comes in five colors, including burgundy red, pearl white, silver, turquoise and black. The speakers are diminutive in size, at 11 inches tall, 5.5 inches wide and 7.5 inches deep. As a two-way fourth order vented box design, the LM1 extends as far down as 75 Hz and as high as 22 kHz. B&W’s leisure monitors also come pre-designed with adjustable brackets that allow you to swivel the speakers for any placement, ...

Introduction The EgglestonWorks Rosa, some may say, is the little brother to the now famous Andra. It is quite similar in design and execution with the major difference being in the driver complement and crossover points. The Rosa relies on the same excellent Esotar tweeter from Dynaudio and uses 4, 6 inch drivers positioned in a vented vertical array. The footprint is deeper than it is narrow and the front baffle has a natural slope to aid in imaging. The enclosure itself is an exercise on how speaker enclosures should be built with rigidity beyond belief and serious internal bracing. The exterior finish is one of absolute beauty with black lacquer covering the front, trapezoidal top and rear of the enclosure, while beveled, polished slabs of black Italian granite adorns the sides of each speaker. The entire ensemble, weighs the $9,900 a pair Rosa's, in at a hefty 210 pounds each. The Sound I spent ...

Introduction Wilson Audio is a name that needs little formal introduction. In business for over 20 years, creator of the WATT/Puppy - AudioRevolution.com’s 1999 Speaker and Product of the Year - Wilson Audio is the company behind the new entry-level CUB II loudspeaker. Few companies over the decades have sustained Wilson Audio’s high measure of success and respect within the audio industry. At first glance, the Wilson CUB’s look is pretty darn basic. They resemble fairly typical mini-monitors. That is, of course, if you are looking at them from across a room. The finish on the CUBs, as with all Wilson loudspeakers, is second to none. Wilson calls this their WilsonGloss finish. For those who haven’t seen WilsonGloss at close range, we’re talking pure art. This article and the photos here couldn’t begin to do justice to the finish on the CUBs. I recently had the opportunity to visit the Wilson factory in Provo, Utah, and ...