Hi-Fi Choice

Formula One motor racing and loudspeaker design might seem worlds apart, but a clear understanding of aerodynamics and the effects of air turbulence and drag is one of the key considerations in the design of PMC's Advanced Transmission Line bass loading, found in its new twenty5 series of loudspeakers. PMC's headof design, Oliver Thomas, has some experience in the motor sport, and has used his knowledge to develop an aerodynamic Advanced Transmission Line (ATL) bass loading Laminair vent that's employed in the five-strong loudspeaker series to reduce resistance and increase efficiency. Additional innovations incorporated throughout the new series include a new long-throw mid/bass driver with woven glass fibre cones, as well as refinements to its established Sonolex fabric dome tweeter to improve dispersion for a wider soundstage, says PMC. As with previous speakers from the company, the new series has slopping front and rear baffles.

When it comes to choosing how to listen to your favourite music there area number of different options available. You can go with a traditional loudspeaker hooked up to your system via cables, you can go down the wi-fi route with a digital music system, you can stream your sounds to a Bluetooth speaker or you can lose yourself in a world of your own and put on a pair of headphones. This month, the kind folk at KEF offer up a prize for each of these eventualities, meaning that no matter what way you choose to listen, you can be sure of great sound quality. The first prize in our bumper giveaway is the rather gorgeous LS50 standmount loudspeaker.

Trickle down. An expensive, cutting-edge product lends key aspects of its design and tech to a much more modest, affordably constructed and priced item, raising its performance/price ratio and gifting the brochure copywriter some useful ammo to spin-up a nice little cachet halo. It’s certainly an efficient and logical way of doing business and routine practice for many loudspeaker manufacturers. But with its new premium Reva range, Wharfedale seems to have turned the whole idea on its head.

Acoustic Energy has began the final production run of its iconic AE1 Classic loudspeaker as some of the bespoke parts that go into it are no longer being made available to it. To celebrate the end of an era, the company is unveiling a limited edition version of the standmfamed ount. The production run will be limited to just 100 numbered pairs of the AE1 Classic Limited Editionfor worldwide distribution. In addition to the Piano gloss finish, each unit will boast gold or silver plated bolts and feature a matching gold/silver-plated Limited Edition plaque with serial and edition numbers on the back of each speaker.