Loudspeakers

It's not hard to see why the arrival of the 800 D5 series is a Big Thing. While the 800 range has not been around since Bowers & Wilkins' formation 60 years ago, the launch of the first 801 model in 1979 served as a wake-up call for the entire loudspeaker industry. Over the years it has demonstrated what can be achieved by designing speakers based on a 'scientific', R&D-driven approach.

With new loudspeaker brands seemingly springing up every week, it is astonishing how Radiant Acoustics has managed to capture the imagination of the hi-fi press and enthusiasts alike, and that in just a few years and with only two products. Make that three now, as the Denmark-based company has finally presented its first floorstanding model, the £6998 Clarity 66.

Entrusted with the legacy of his father-in-law, the late Franco Serblin, Massimiliano Favella has stuck rigidly to the design precepts which established Sonus faber, and which were the basis for Franco Serblin, the company. Favella inherited Serblin’s notes and concepts, which have ensured that the eponymous brand would have a steady flow of new models and ideas for years to come. This treasure trove, and the success of the Accordo family, has resulted in a new flagship speaker for the range, the Accordo Unica.

Every now and then a speaker manufacturer appears to get ‘on a roll’, with new models launched, older ones discontinued, and product catalogues reconfigured in a flurry of activity. It’s often the arrival of a new flagship that leads to this upheaval, and that’s certainly the case for DALI, as the Danish marque has been very busy since it debuted its innovative KORE floorstander four years ago [HFN Dec ’22].

It was only a decade ago that greys and whites were all the rage in interior design, which consequently led to a surge in minimalist, monochrome speaker finishes. However, just as avocado bathroom suites are apparently mounting a comeback, so too are loudspeakers in dark wood colourways. And Bowers & Wilkins knows this, choosing to dress its new 707 S3 Prestige standmount model in a luxurious-looking Santos Gloss.

Acoustic Energy's flagship Corinium floorstander stands out from the rest of the manufacturer's range, and not simply in the matter of its pricing. In place of AE's familiar numerical system (AE500, AE300, etc), there's that one-of-a-kind title – Corinium being the Roman name for Cirencester, Gloucestershire, where the brand is based. There are new colourways too, plus a freshly curved cabinet design. And if that wasn't enough, AE claims the loudspeaker was three years in development.The result is a three-way, four-driver floorstander intended to act as a calling card for the company.