Recommended Components

A (RESTRICTED EXTREME LF):

Dynaudio Focus 10: $5500/pair (stands necessary)
Class A rating is as a Complete Audio System; class B (Restricted LF) as a regular loudspeaker. See Loudspeaker Systems. (Vol.46 Nos.2 & 11 WWW)

JBL 4329P: $4500/pair (stands necessary)
Class A rating is as a Complete Audio System; class B (Restricted LF) as a regular loudspeaker. See Loudspeaker Systems. (Vol.46 No.10 WWW)

Klipsch The Nines: $1499/pair (stands necessary) $$$
Class A rating is as a Complete Audio System; class B (Restricted LF) as a regular loudspeaker. See Loudspeaker Systems. (Vol.47 No.2 WWW)

B:

Naim Mu-so 2nd Generation: $1299 with standard grille fabric $$$ ★
This slim, all-in-one, Roon Ready networked music system has a tweeter, a midrange unit, and an oval-shaped woofer for each channel, all powered by direct-digital, class-D amplification. The integral DSP offers three room compensation settings. There is also an alarm and a sleep timer. The major digital streaming services, including Spotify, Tidal, and Qobuz, are handled natively, and the Mu-so also offers AirPlay 2 (iTunes and Apple Music) and Chromecast. There are analog, S/PDIF, USB, Bluetooth, HDMI ARC, and wired and Wi-Fi network inputs, though other than the USB port, the physical inputs are inconveniently placed on the bottom of the chassis. The Mu-so can be controlled by a remote control, by its own touch controls, and by the Naim app for Apple iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android devices. JMu was well-impressed by this app. She was also impressed by the sound, writing "a few sonic characteristics stood out: crisp clarity with more detail and dynamic output than I expected. Subjective impressions of bass extension seemed to exceed what's possible from small drivers within a smallish box." How did JMu conclude her review? "The musical Mu-so 2nd Generation offers serious sound and engineering from a respected maker, but it's also built for fun. I wanted to keep on listening, and that speaks volumes." Additional grille color options add $90 to price. (Vol.43 No.10 WWW)

Sonus Faber Omnia: $1999
RvB was impressed by the sound of this single-box, Bluetooth- and Wi-Fi–enabled, DSP-optimized, active stereo loudspeaker system. It uses a single 6.5" woofer, two 0.75" silk-dome tweeters, a pair of 3" midrange drivers, and two 1.75" drivers that fire to the sides to widen the soundstage. The Omnia includes an analog line input, a MM-compatible phono input, an HDMI ARC input, and an Ethernet port. While there is a remote control, the Omnia can also be controlled by a web page or by Roon. As you might expect from a 6.5" woofer in a small enclosure, the lowest octaves were restricted, though RvB found that definition and timbre were still quite good. "Most music I played had a proper foundation, with enough bass weight to satisfy, even seduce," he wrote. His conclusion: "The Omnia wireless speaker is beautifully designed, well built, and sonically gifted." (Vol.45 No.8 WWW)

Sony SA-Z1 desktop speaker system: $7999.99
This unique active desktop system is intended to be listened to in the nearfield, with the close-spaced boundaries reinforcing the lower midrange and bass. Back-to-back 4" anodized-aluminum woofers minimize enclosure vibrations, and the primary tweeter is flanked by two smaller tweeters, one above and one below. The three tweeters use soft domes sputtered with titanium and are mounted on a gantry in front of the front-firing woofer. All five drive-units are powered by PWM amplifier modules featuring gallium nitride (GaN) transistors. The SA-Z1 makes abundant use of DSP to optimize its sound quality. The system has balanced and single-ended analog inputs and USB and TosLink digital inputs. According to Sony, the digital inputs are preferred. Several DSP functions can be applied with the digital inputs, including adjusting the crossover between the front and rear woofers, changing the time alignment of the flanking tweeters, and upsampling to PCM or DSD. Setup is crucial, JVS advised, but once he was satisfied with the placement and had replaced his large computer monitor between the speakers with his smaller-screened laptop, he noted (using the USB input) that despite the small woofers' inability to reach as low as a mighty organ can go, "bass was otherwise tight and convincing, the midrange was warm, and highs were as rousing as one might wish for. Images weren't gigantic, but the way the soundstage expanded beyond and through the speakers was awe-inspiring." He concluded, "the SA-Z1 is capable of opening up entire new realms of personal listening." (Vol.44 No.3 WWW)

Deletions
Andover One, not reviewed in a long time.