Speakers and Radios.com

Speakers and Radios dot com is your ticket to great sound. Since I started writing my nationally-published newspaper column in 2002, I’ve made a special effort to tell readers that buying good speakers is of the utmost importance. Far more than anything else, the speakers you choose determine the sound quality and character of your sound system.

Over the years I’ve evaluated dozens of speakers to find and recommend the best at every price point, all with great success and lots of happy readers. This website is the next step, where you’ll find easy-to-understand reviews with lots of clear, original pictures- the next best thing to hearing and touching the speakers yourself. The premium table radio segment has shown tremendous growth and accordingly, I’ll be reviewing many radios and single-piece sound systems.

I’ll be working hard to help you find speakers and table radios that bring your music and movies to life, whether you have $50 or $50,000 to spend. When I find deals I’ll be posting them here, so stop by often!

Be sure to visit my other websites:

soundadviceblog.com - the online companion to Sound Advice, my syndicated newspaper column,

avglossary.com - the world’s largest audio, video, and photography glossary

Thanks for visiting. Good sound has been a passion of mine since my college days and it is a pleasure to share it- I want EVERYONE to get as much enjoyment from it as I do. If you have any questions, send me an email and I’ll try and help.

-Don Lindich

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Acculine Home Theater Speaker System

Pros

• Unbeatable price/performance ratio and affordable to most anyone, even at regular prices
• Exotic planar tweeters create stunning detail, definition, and clarity
• 30-day satisfaction guarantee from The Audio Insider
• ASub subwoofer is a standout performer

Cons

• Only one choice of finish- black ash vinyl with black cloth grill
• 4-ohm impedance makes the A2 and A3 ill-suited to lower quality receivers
• Midrange somewhat recessed on non-r models
• Leaf tweeters are directional and stereo sounds best in the “sweet spot”

Acculine is a line of speakers sold exclusively by online retailer The Audio Insider, which has made a name with audiophiles for their high-value line of Swan speakers. All Acculine speakers are made in the Far East and use Radia leaf tweeter technology.  Planar-magnetic leaf tweeters are an exotic design that suspends a near-weightless thermoplastic leaf in an intense magnetic field.  These  tweeters have typically only been found in the most expensive, exotic speakers and when properly designed and implemented, they create extremely transparent sound with breathtaking detail. As you shall see, the leaf tweeter is the key to the Acculine speakers’ unique qualities and tremendous performance, which up until now has been unheard of at their price points. (That’s a very unsubtle hint- this is a great product and this will be a very positive review.)  At the time of this review’s publication (October 10, 2008)  The Audio Insider is having a 20% and 35% off sale until  the end of the month, making these an outrageous bargain for anyone in the market for music or home theater speakers.  A complete 5.1 surround speaker system that uses exotic technology to create breathlessly transparent, stellar sound along with a super subwoofer for $676 ????  That’s what a complete Acculine system goes for at the moment.  If you can find a better system for the money, please let me know ASAP so I can tell the world about it!

Acculine has recently introduced the A1r, A2r and A3Rr versions of the speakers.  The r models have been tweaked for better midrange reproduction.  I will comment on the A3r at the end of this review.

Product Tour and Overview

Acculine A1 Bookshelf Speakers with Grills

Acculine A1 Bookshelf Speaker

$249.00 per pair (MSRP $349 per pair)

Two-way bookshelf speaker with 135mm (5.3 inch) aluminum woofer and 3 inch planar-magnetic leaf tweeter. Magnetically shielded for use near CRT TVs.

Read the rest of this entry »

Paradigm is one of the most respected names in audio and has won continual acclaim from consumer and trade publications for their outstanding products, dedication to good sound, and service to the dealers and end users who serve as their customers.  Among major manufacturers they are also rather unique in this day of designing at home and outsourcing  the manufacturing to the Far East.  Paradigm manufactures their speakers right here in North America, in a sprawling factory outside of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

When offered a factory tour by Paradigm’s PR firm I was quick to jump on the opportunity, and to say I was impressed by what I saw is an understatement.  I thought perhaps some of the speaker parts were made overseas and just assembled here, but to say I was way off base in that assumption is yet another understatement.  With very few exceptions all of the speaker drivers and their component parts are made under a single roof, almost completely by hand in most cases.  In fact, many of the machines used to create the speakers are manufactured by Paradigm as well, because there is nothing commercially available that met their needs or could produce parts to the demanding tolerances they insist upon.  When you get a look at how some raw materials get turned into a finished speaker it is really eye-opening, and one thing that was readily apparent is Paradigm could do things much more cheaply if they wanted to and people would  probably never notice.  The attention to detail and precise engineering and manufacturing down to the smallest detail make it obvious that this enterprise is a labor of love for Paradigm’s owners and investors.  Apparently this approach works for them because a tour of the plant tells you this company is financially successful, as well.  Looks like doing things right pays off for those who care to do so!  

Paradigm’s Marketing Manager Mark Aling was a great host and a great guide and I came away with a lot from the experience.  I took a great many pictures and there is much to show you, so my tour will be posted over time in several parts.  So without further ado…

 A vintage Paradigm system provides music for the reception area.  As a lover of vintage gear, it was nice to see!

Read the rest of this entry »

During September The Audio Insider is offering 20% off of  Acculine A1r, A2r, and A3r speakers and 35% off the original Acculine A1, A2, and A3. Get a pair ofA3 tower speakers providing stunning sound from exotic leaf tweeters for only $319! For more info, read the post at soundadviceblog.com.

Axiom Audio Algonquin Outdoor Speaker, Spiced Rum Finish

Axiom Audio Algonquin Outdoor Speakers

Two-way Outdoor Bookshelf Speakers

$330/pair

Pros

• True hi-fi soud
• Choice of four finishes
• Effective weather and bird-proofing
• Full sound even when used in open outdoor spaces
• Excellent service and support from Axiom Audio
• Money-back satisfaction guarantee

Cons

• Some cabinet resonances that can be detected when used indoors

Canadian speaker manufacturer Axiom Audio has become well-known by music and home theater buffs for its excellent-sounding products, personal service, and very high performance for the price.

Read the rest of this entry »

Canton Movie 80 CX Home Theater Speaker System

Short Take Review By Nick Katsafanas (Original photographs coming soon)

5 piece Sub-Sat System 

MSRP: $699

Pros

• Excellent sound from truly tiny satellite speakers
• Two-way satellites with coaxial tweeters for superior treble reproduction
• Wall brackets included
• Easy to set up
• Premium construction and finish, top-of-the-line in its class
• Luxury touches like you would expect if buying a Rolex or BMW
• Blows Bose away at the exact same $699 price!

Canton makes a very broad range of speakers. From their $30,000+ “Reference” to the CD series selling for less than $300, the 36 year-old company produces pretty much every imaginable consumer speaker in between. They are a major proponent of “trickle-down” technology, and their great product offerings show it. The 80CX hails from Canton’s bang-for-the-buck “Movie” series of magnetically shielded systems. Read the rest of this entry »

The Speaker Company TSBL Bookshelf Speakers

The Speaker Company TSBL, TC2, and TSS Home Theater Speaker System

Pros

• Fantastic price/performance equation
• Superior sound quality and construction compared to competing speakers from big-box stores
• Clean, natural sound with no glaring faults, no listening fatigue
• Dipolar surround speakers for superior surround effects, extremely rare at the price point
• Money back guarantee with free shipping both ways make these a true zero-risk purchase

Cons

• TSBL speakers are boomy on occasion when used without a subwoofer
• Center channel speaker is 18″ deep- check TV stand/shelf dimensions before ordering
• Only one choice of finish- black ash vinyl with black cloth grill
• Surround speakers only come in white- they may match the walls, but not the other speakers
• Lacks some magic and sparkle compared to more expensive competitors

The Speaker Company (TSC) has recently introduced their new T-Series speakers to expand their product line and provide speakers with a higher level of performance than their P5/P6/RC1 speakers.  I recently tested the TSAT1000 system and was quite impressed with the finish, sound quality, and the value for the money… a winner in every way.  How will the rest of the T-Series measure up?  Read on and find out! Read the rest of this entry »

Magnepan MMG Planar-Magnetic Speakers

Review By Nick Katsafanas

Photography and edit by Don Lindich

From the Magnepan website:

“Have you ever noticed that instruments projected from small boxes sitting on the floor sound like they are coming out of boxes on the floor? This problem can be partially corrected by placing the box speakers on tall speaker stands. However, the sound still seems to be coming out of a box, because that’s precisely what it is doing…. The patented Magneplanar principle eliminates these problems by a fundamentally different approach to sound propagation.” Read the rest of this entry »

Polk RM-10 Surround Speaker System

Online retailer J&R Music and Computer World has a great deal on the Polk Audio RM-10 5-piece surround speaker system, composed of the front speakers, center speaker, and surround speakers- all for $199, a savings of $424.96 from the original price. Longtime readers know I greatly favor bookshelf speakers over tiny, teacup-sized speakers, even when used for surround-sound setups. If your room (or wife) won’t let you use bookshelf speakers and you must use small home theater speakers, this is a good small speaker system and a great buy. Add a subwoofer and you are ready to go! Some good inexpensive subwoofers (and you won’t be spending a fortune on the sub when buying a system this cheaply, right?) are the Dayton 10″ Powered Subwoofer from Parts Express for $131.80 (+ shipping) and ASub 10 from The Speaker Company for $149 (shipping included.)

Polk RM-10 for $199 at jr.com

P6 bookshelf speaker (left) with RC1 center channel and P5 bookshelf speaker

The Speaker Company is a new direct-sales company offering a wide variety of speakers from in-wall and ceiling speakers to surround systems such as the subject of this review. You can read my initial impressions of their products here. Offering “Quality Loudspeakers at Half the Price” they source their products from the same Chinese factories producing speakers for the name brands sold at big-box stores. I was excited to review these speakers as they promised to deliver a complete system at a very affordable cost, while backing it with a 5-year parts and labor warranty. What’s more, shipping is free with your order and if you aren’t satisfied, when you return them for a refund The Speaker Company will even pay for the return shipping! With that no-lose proposition in mind, let’s move on to my review of The Speaker Company and their P6, P5, and RC1 speakers. Read the rest of this entry »