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Favourites: recommended floorstanding loudspeakers

Our favourites, plus the dealer picks

By AudioEnz staff

June 2004

The AudioEnz writing team have chosen a number of floorstanding loudspeakers that they can happily recommend. Following our recommendations are the choices of five of New Zealand's top hi-fi dealers.

Rega Jura $1675

It may look unfashionably dumpy, but the Rega Jura is a firm favourite of several AudioEnz writers. The wider than fashionable cabinet allows a bigger 200mm woofer than the more common 165mm or 130mm woofers used today.

This helps the Jura to produce a meaty, powerful sound that gets the foot tapping. Unlike a lot of speakers today, the Jura will happily go loud without strain.

Image 414 $2200

“In many ways  the 414 represents the state of the art for a floorstander at its price point,” declared reviewer Brent Burmester. It’s a view shared by many New Zealanders, as the 414 is easily the best selling model in the Image range and a consistent favourite in the hi-fi stores.

A big hearted speaker, the 414 produces a large scale sound and easily fills a room. Brent Burmester found the bass superb in his lounge, but the speaker can boom in some rooms. The 414 now comes packed with foam bungs if the bass gets too much in your home. The 414’s exhibit a well-resolved  midrange and a smooth, detailed treble. These speakers are something of a bargain. Image 414 review

Magneplanar MG 1.6 $4299

“Boxless sound” may be hard to comprehend until you hear it. All of a sudden the sounds of conventional speakers – sqawks and tizz from the cones and domes, and boxiness from the cabinet – disappear.

With the Maggies, you hear a cohesive, seamless sound that speaks with one voice. The articulate portrayal of vocal and instrumental inflections makes for a realistic and enjoyable musical performance.

Some people think that panel bass is anemic. The 1.6 is anything but. There’s plenty of weight and power but, more importantly, resolution and articulation in the bass that can amaze. The Maggies need plenty of space around them (dipole speakers always do) and deserve an amplifier with a meaty power supply.

Sonus faber Grand Piano Home $5499

“A speaker of consequence” is how Sonus Faber describe their Grand Piano loudspeaker. And, for once, the manufacturer’s description is not hyperbole.

A superb loudspeaker, both in sound and appearance, the Grand Piano makes a positive contribution to an audiophile’s home.

Particularly good with acoustic music, this speaker is articulate and dynamic, while retaining a realistic tonal balance. Soundstaging is superb.

The Grand Piano needs lots of space around it and a decent amplifier, but meet those conditions and you’re in heaven. Sonus faber Grand Piano Home review

What the dealers say

We asked five of New Zealand's top hi-fi dealers for their picks and the reasons why they can recommend them.

John Vivian, Shore Hi-Fi, Auckland

Rega Jura $1675

The primary reason for choosing the Rega Jura loudspeakers is there are very few loudspeakers available that combine adequate amounts of bass, speed and dynamics in a very compact, articulate and affordable floorstander.

Incorporating a 200mm Bass driver from famous German speaker manufacturer Klotz, and 25mm tweeter from Morel in Israel, the Jura requires modest amplification (30 Watts), to produce real world volume levels. And being compact (830mm high), the Jura’s are easy to place in the room and do not dominate.

Most importantly is the fast and very open presentation the speakers deliver; also they have the ability to cope convincingly with all types of music genres.

Image 416 $2600

Proudly made in New Zealand, the Image 416 can be made using a wide variety of exotic New Zealand and overseas hardwoods. So if you are trying to custom match, say, Rimu cabinetry in your home, the Image speakers can be built to match. No imported product offers this service.

Superbly made, these speakers are tall (955mm), and narrow (185mm), with side firing woofers. Versatility is the key to the 416, being able to work inside a high quality two channel system, delivering a surprisingly fast (note, she’s a big speaker) integrated sound.

Introduce them into a home theatre system and you have one of the best all-round speaker systems available. They’re hugely dynamic. Definitely a best buy!

Naim Allae $6995

The Naim Allae (pronounced al-eye) is my personal favorite, also one of the most exciting speakers we stock. The Allae incorporates a 25mm Scan tweeter (Denmark), and totally built in-house 200mm bass driver.

The Allae is unique in that sonically they paint a completely “black” background. This quality creates an “air” around performers without the so common veiled feeling associated with other products. Easy to drive, the Allae takes no prisoners but demands the best in partnering equipment.

If you like goosebumps when listening to music here is the answer. Be prepared to be taken to places other speakers fear to tread.

The Listening Post, Christchurch

Paradigm Monitor 7 v.3 $1599

A favourite pair of floorstanders are the Paradigm Monitor 7’s. People expect a lot for their money these days and quite simply the Monitor 7’s offer the most ‘bang for your buck’ in our shop. They are very much at home with either music or home theatre and for home theatre enthusiasts there are matching rears and centre channels available.

While some speakers look very fashionable today with their lavish coats of silver garb to match everything else in silver, Paradigm take a different approach and a more timeless one. These speakers won’t scream “early 2000’s” at you in a few years time.

Second to last but not least... the sound. Being Canadian designed and built they have a generous, big boned presentation well suited to the larger open plan living spaces that New Zealanders tend to favour. Good strong bass underpins a neutral midrange and is topped off with a crisp yet unaggressive treble. Finally, if value for money is key in your purchasing decisions and you’d quite fancy owning a pair of speakers that could keep up with your mates flash ‘English mades’ for half the price... try some Monitor 7’s.

Magneplanar MG12 $2,999

In listening to the MG12 speakers, they had something that most other speakers don’t have at the same price point: an air about them, open, with a sense of depth that live music brings.

Many mid-level speakers can sound clean and clear, yet still lack that “live, in the room feeling.” The MG12s were not “in your face” or “veiled” but just “there”. They didn’t even sound that exciting or thrilling at first. They sounded life-like with no sense of the sound being compressed (like the sound is coming from a box, with a tweeter you could point to with your eyes closed). They might leave you feeling like I was listening to speakers in a higher price bracket, causing you to wonder “can it get any better”? The answer of course is yes, but…

Because of their design the MG12’s work well for hi-fi as well as home theatre - yes you can get centre and rear speakers to match. These speakers make sense when it comes to merging hi-fi and home theatre. Imagine spacious, detailed surround sound in action movies, thrillers and all kinds of music. Jazz music on CD’s came alive, with the grand piano and double bass sounded like they look, big and full of sound. A subwoofer lifts them to another level again, as most speakers need that “extra bottom end” to make the frequency range full and complete.  A Rel sub put the icing on the cake.

The only limitation for these speakers would be the audio gear driving them. Magneplanar MG12 review

Proac Studio 125 $3750

Whilst the rest of the audio world marches forward (pun intended) chasing those five star awards and hoping to have their speakers described as “full of attack” or  “exciting & punchy”, the Studio 125’s stand defiantly in the “traditional British warmth” camp.

Musical to the core, these two way’s take a soothing, relaxed approach to making music. A smooth glass of red amongst an ever increasing field of zesty young whites.

Proac know how to make a speaker sound good and they know how to make them look good too. Finished in a choice of real wood veneers, they will enrich any décor. You may, however, have some bother finding a sofa to match the shade of green your friends will turn when they hear your new Proacs.

Strawberry Sound, Dunedin

Mission M-34 $1199

One look at the Missions replacement to the entry level 70 series begs the question ‘has there been a price rise?’ The rounded styling and the sheer good looks of this speaker alone make me wonder if it isn’t worth $1999!

 A first listen to this speaker reassures that it would be very difficult to beat this speaker on a value-for-money basis. The M-34s will compliment any amplifier due to their good sensitivity and power handling which produce a full, pleasant sound right across the range. The clean-but-not-harsh highs especially impress as the volume is turned up past normal listening level.

The bottom of the cabinets are a ble to be filled with sand, and bi-wired these speakers really do set the benchmark for anything in the entry-level market.

Energy Connoisseur C-9 $3499

My first glimpse of the C-9 had me worried about the way speakers are headed. Why are the bass drivers so small I ask myself? What happened to the good old days of a solid 10 or 12-inch driver? But driver technology has come along way and these Energy’s undoubtedly prove this.

 Canadian manufacturer Energy has made an amazing speaker with the Connoisseur C-9’s. These three-way speakers are recommended for amps up to 250 watts but are efficient enough (94dB) to be driven by a small, high current amplifier. The bass response is stunning, removing the need to have a sub-woofer present, while the aluminium dome tweeters incorporate the same technology used in Energy’s flagship speaker, the Veritas. Front porting makes it possible to push the speakers right up against the wall without muffling the sound. Magnetic grill attachments support the spiked feet in preventing vibration.

  The C-9’s are a magnificent full range speaker, well worth listening to, however if you do find them a little on the bulky side I recommend testing out the smaller version, the C-5’s.  

Linn Ninka $4295

A pair of speakers handmade by one of the worlds leading high-end audio manufacturers doesn’t necessarily come with a ridiculously high price tag.  

 Linn’s Ninka loudspeakers are at home with even the most demanding 2 channel and multi channel requirements. The versatility of the wiring alone is impressive. Single wire, bi-wire, bi-amped, or tri-amped, these speakers represent the very best of anything under $5k. From a wild Jimmy Page guitar solo to the smooth violin of Stephan Grapelli, Ninka keeps a rich, full sound throughout the range. The most impressive thing about these speakers is that even at very loud volume there are no harsh sounds.

 Ninka brings us world-renowned quality and a sound that leaves your stereo on all day. What more could you ask for? Linn Ninka review

Dave Williams, Avid, Auckland

Sonus Faber Grand Piano $5,499

These beautifully crafted floor standing speakers are almost a musical instrument themselves.  Trust the Italians to have fashioned the most real sounding speakers under $10,000 that we have ever heard. 

The family owned Sonus Faber company was founded by an ex-lute maker which explains their attention to detail.  The Grand Pianos are all about the music – all types of music.  They come alive with John Lee Hooker and hook you in with Mozart.  The sound is precise and exciting. 

To top it all off they look beautiful.  They are the jewel in AVID’s crown. Customers fall in love with these speakers. Sonus faber Grand Piano review

Energy Connoisseur 5 $1,999

Energy Connoisseur speakers look funky and modern with their clean lines and crisp colour options (black with silver front baffle and black grill, or Canadian maple with silver front baffle and silver grill). Their innovative ‘one piece’ front baffle and speaker basket design, allows the speaker cone to disperse sound in a more accurate fashion than normal plus adds rigidity to the overall cabinet design.

They deliver a big, rich sound without fatiguing the listener over long periods of listening.  For people who want a big, quality sounding home theatre system, but also want a kick-ass stereo system, these speakers deliver all that and much more! Customers like these because they are versatile and give a big, rich sound while being great value for money, plus they look great in most homes.

Mission V62 $1,699  

In typical Mission style, these speakers have an easy going sound with a sparkling and vibrant top end.  For a ‘smallish’ floor standing speaker they also deliver surprising bass response and punch well above their weight!

The V62’s are also a beautiful piece of furniture, which makes them quite appealing to women, and with three colour options to choose from, you will most certainly find one to match most decors.

Customers like these because they produce a big speaker sound while being a compact floorstanding speaker.

Willie Jenson, Image Audio, Palmerston North

Image 414 $2200

The Image 414 occupies the middle of the Image range at $2200 and represents great value for money. The 414’s have an outstanding tight and punchy bass while still retaining their clean and clear top end. The soft dome tweeter and twin mid-woofers use massive magnets, which seem capable of handling any genre of music. But to really hear them at their best throw on some classic Floyd such as The Wall and be amazed by their punch. The cabinetry is the icing on the cake.

The exquisitely matched rimu cabinets really complete a great package. All around, a very musical speaker which represents great value for money. Image 414 review

Castle Howard S.3 $5995

The Howard’s are one of Image Audio’s favourites, but need a lot of current to make them spring to life. The upward facing drivers paint an expansive picture, creating a huge soundstage.

They fill the room with sound, making the Howard’s sound equally as good no matter where you are in the room. This makes the Howard a very good performer in acoustically awkward rooms.

The cabinetry of the Howard is equally as classy as the sound. With a real wood veneer finish, these are not just a loudspeaker but also a piece of fine furniture. Priced at $5995, the Howard represents the middle to higher end of the market.

B&W 802 $20,000

Priced at $20,000, the B&W 802 is built for the serious punter. They also need some serious amplification – we drive ours with a Plinius SA250.

Once powered up what a towering, joyous, beautifully balanced sound they reproduce. The bass response is thunderous and as tight and punchy as I’ve heard from just about any loudspeaker. The mids are flawless in their presentation of both instruments and vocals, while the top frequencies spill out around the room effortlessly.

The imaging the 802s produce is nothing short of impressive. With little imagination they sit you in the centre of the concert.

Weighing in at 70kgs each speaker, the 802’s definitely make a statement.