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Loudspeakers come in all shapes and sizes, and flicking through the pages of this month’s issue with its numerous models is a testament to this burgeoning sector of the audio market. From traditional floorstanders that range from models so large they block out the sun – step forward DALI’s Opticon 8 – to more elegant and less visually demanding designs, the Group Test starting on page 24 looks at six speakers priced £2,000 and under that tread a more conventional path in philosophy and construction that reaches right back to the dawn of domestic hi-fi itself. Compare these bulky, angular, passive floorstanders to Devialet’s extraordinary Gold Phantom reviewed on page 16, and the suggestion of the possible direction for the evolution of the loudspeaker and, indeed, high-performance hi-fi is small, self-powered, wireless, well-connected, insanely loud and more or less ball-shaped. Whether it turns out to be a trailblazer or a tangent too far, it surely demonstrates the pinnacle of today’s modular music system, one that can grow into a multi-room setup for music around the home.

EXCLUSIVE first look at Sota's Pyxi Phonostage, AVID Accent integrated amp, ELAC Debut ConneX DCB41 wireless powered speaker, Living Voice R80 floorstanding speaker, BBC LS3/5a-inspired standmount Group Test, Record Store Day Black Friday drop and much, much more

Rotel's CD11 and A11 Tribute CD player/integrated amp combo, Auralic's Aries G2.1 streaming wireless transport, Sonus faber's Lumina III floorstanding loudspeakers, phono stage Group Test and much more...

Inside December’s issue: Rega’s flawless Planar 10 turntable fitted with Apheta 3 cartridge, Naim’s Supernait 3 amplifier, Leema Acoustics’ Stream IV CD and network audio player, plus six wireless speakers with hi-fi cred and much, much more...

Rotel's CD11 and A11 Tribute CD player/integrated amp combo, Auralic's Aries G2.1 streaming wireless transport, Sonus faber's Lumina III floorstanding loudspeakers, phono stage Group Test and much more...

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