News

Acoustic Energy

AE 103 £550

Bowers & Wilkins

684 S2 £800

Cambridge Audio

Aeromax 6 £900

Dali

Zensor 7 £730

PSB Speakers

Imagine X1T £750

Roth

OLi RA4 £400

This well-executed

British-designed

floorstander has a build 

quality that’s well above

its price point and a

specification that

partners nicely done

anodised aluminium

cones with a soft fabric

dome tweeter.

The second incarnation

of the 684 is thinner than

it’s predecessor thanks to

the use of smaller drive

units still utilising the

brand’s characteristic

woven Kevlar cones. But

how does the heavily

tweaked S2 design fare

against price rivals here?

Just 18 month’s after the

launch of its Aero range

comes the revamped

Aeromax, complete with

shiny cabinets, improved

internal bracing and

driver enhancements. It’s

the most costly model

here, but will that be

enough to take the spoils?

One of Denmark’s most

respected loudspeaker

makers, Dali should

always be on your

audition list. The Zensor

range has been around

for a few years, and the 7

is its range topper with 7in

mid/bass drivers, making

it the largest model here.

It’s the first time we’ve

seen a model from PSB

Speakers participate in

one of our roundups, but

this slim model from the

Canadian-based brand’s

Imagine series looks

ideally placed to do

well against these

similarly priced rivals.

Roth is perhaps better

known for its desktop

speakers, surround

packages and DAB radios,

but joins the hi-fi ranks

here with what is arguably

the group’s most stylish

model. How does it

perform alongside more

established hi-fi brands?