Loudspeakers

Sometimes, sitting in front of a product for review, a degree of puzzlement sets in. Yes, the style of the £40,000 Sphinx Audio Element 3 speakers, which made their debut at the UK Hi-Fi Show Live in Ascot in Sep ’25, is entirely in accord with the name of the brand. The stone-effect outer panels, harp-like side profile and sphinx-like head housing the tweeter are all redolent of the 1920s Art Deco Egyptian revival, following the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in November 1922.

Recent releases from Monitor Audio, including the floorstanding Hyphn flagship [HFN Jul ’23] and retro-inspired Studio 89 standmount [HFN Nov ’24], have found the UK speaker marque moving into new markets and evolving its ‘brand proposition’. However, proof – if needed – that the manufacturer hasn’t completely up-ended its approach comes in the form of the Bronze 50 7G speaker seen here.

Although the Paris-based audio brand, Devialet, debuted with its groundbreaking D Premier integrated amplifier in 2010 [HFN Apr ’10], it’s arguable that its most well-known release has been the Phantom [HFN Feb ’15]. Launched in 2015, this almost spherical-shaped active, wireless speaker leveraged the brand’s electronics knowhow and eye for a smart aesthetic to shake up the compact hi-fi market. Upgraded models have appeared in the decade since, but only now does the manufacturer feel confident in launching a new ‘Ultimate’ edition.

Everywhere, from the alphabet to Roman numerals, V comes before X, so you might expect Wilson Audio’s Sabrina V to be a lesser version of the SabrinaX model [HFN Dec ’20], which was an upgrade of the original Sabrina [HFN Aug ’15]. Not so: the Sabrina V is a redesigned and rethought version of the X, with changed and improved components, sharpened up styling, and a significant price increase.

'Where meticulous engineering meets creative artistry', says Audio Group Denmark of its Børresen loudspeakers. This is a not unfamiliar claim, but there’s no denying that the tall-yet-slender C1 looks suitably distinctive. Available in black or white piano lacquer finishes at £15,000 a pair, they stand just under 43cm tall, or a little over 112cm with the supplied stands, while the enclosure itself is a mere 20.4cm wide.

Dynaudio’s collection of passive loudspeakers is substantial. You begin with the Emit series and move through its Evoke line, various Contour models [HFN May ’25], and the Heritage and Special Forty one-offs, before you get to the flagship Confidence range [HFN Jan ’25]. On the other hand, active options are more limited, with – until recently – just the three-strong Focus series appealing to cable-cutters. Now, though, the Danish brand has added the Confidence 20A, priced £17,000.

Just as the American audio manufacturer Perlisten sells a varied range of loudspeakers [HFN Apr/Jun/Aug ’22 and [HFN May ’25], it also features an equally expansive line of active subwoofers. They don’t quite come in all shapes and sizes – the shapes never vary beyond flavours of cuboid – but there’s a broad sweep of price and specification to match different room sizes. Towards the top of the lineup is the £5500 D15s, reviewed here.