Loudspeakers

Piega's slender, sweet-sounding loudspeakers want to sneak into Mark Craven's movie room

The AV industry once happily threw around the term Wife Acceptance Factor (or WAF for short). This was applied to any bit of gear that looked as if it had been styled for the home, not a pro-grade studio – in other words, it looked nice, and wasn't huge. I was reminded of this by Piega's Ace 50 floorstander.

You know the famous George Lucas quote: when it comes to movie-watching, ‘sound is half the experience.’ And in your home cinema setup, it’s quite likely you’ve spent more than half your budget on everything that goes towards creating that experience – speakers, subwoofer(s), an AV receiver or processor/amplifier combo.

Of course, buying the equipment is only one part of the journey. To get the best from your multichannel setup, consideration of speaker placement is key, before you get into system EQ and the effects of your room environment. Spend time getting it right (or as right as you can), and you'll be on the path toward a sound performance that perhaps Mr Lucas would be proud of...

The fan-fave AV bundle returns with a new look, new drivers and a new Atmos toy. Mark Craven reports

Considering its position as both a hi-fi and home cinema speaker brand, and the sizable catalogue of models that it's typically offered, Monitor Audio has been rather slow to step into the Dolby Atmos arena. Now, however, it's selling an upfiring module for 3D audio lovers, and keeping the price low too.

Mark Craven assembles a 5.1.2 package from the Norwegian brand's multi-talented new speaker series

Norwegian brand Arendal Sound is relatively new – it launched in 2015 – and as such its product range isn't extensive. But in adding the new 1961 Series to the existing flagship 1723 fleet (which comes in full-size and S-for-small variants), it's adding two elements that will appeal to cinema system builders – its first height model, and lower price points. The full 1961 Series (named in honour of the year the Tromøy Bridge was completed in Arendal, Norway, we're told) is nothing if not comprehensive, comprising floorstander, monitor and bookshelf models, plus a centre channel, 'TriAxial' surround speaker, and the aforementioned height option.

Klipsch muscles in on the sub/sat market with a compact reimagining of its Reference range. Mark Craven reports

The idea behind Klipsch's Reference Theatre Pack is simple: bringing the US speaker brand's house sound, beloved by owners of its floorstanding models, to those with small rooms/budgets.

Steve Withers reckons this more affordable M&K package sounds familiar. And that's a good thing

In an ideal world you'd want to experience movies with the same speakers used to craft their soundtracks. M&K Sound has been making professional studio monitors for decades, and its S150 is about as iconic as you can get. But what if you fancy a similar level of performance from a speaker that's a bit cheaper and a bit more… normal looking?

Mark Craven takes this revamped, 5.1 sub/sat style system for a spin. Literally

Home cinema speakers come in different flavours, all with a target audience in mind. You only have to look at Cabasse's new Eole 4 system, with its diminutive satellite enclosures, slim-line subwoofer and its white finish (black is an alternative) to know it's intended for living room systems where discretion is vital.