Top Picks

Speakers

PSB Imagine T3 Speaker System
(September) Paul Barton’s flagship Imagine T3 tower, at $7,498 a pair, is a near-perfect, utterly uncolored, and wide-bandwidth loudspeaker that actually represents a bargain in today’s ultra-priced high-end audio market. $11,855, psbspeakers.com

GoldenEar Triton Two+ Speaker System. (February/March 2016 issue, watch for our review.)
(February/March 2016) One of two new Tritons to hit the market last year (both made our list, see below), the Triton Two+ tower with its integrated powered sub ($1,750 each) is an update to the Triton Two that launched GoldenEar in 2011, and draws on advances in 2014’s Triton One flagship. It was tested in a nine-channel Atmos system with GoldenEar center, in-wall, and ceiling speakers. $7,750, goldenear.com

Paradigm Prestige 15B Speaker System
(June) The Prestige line fills a gap between Paradigm’s top-end Signature Series and the popular Studio models, and utilizes high-tech aluminum drivers for refined, transparent sound and a space-age aesthetic. Our 5.1-channel test system was based on the 15B bookshelf ($799 each). $6,145, paradigm.com

Triad InRoom Bronze LR-H Speaker System
(September) This 9.4.4 Atmos system based on the compact Atmos-enabled InRoom Bronze LR-H ($1,000 each) proved to us that bouncing Atmos height channels off the ceiling really works—and works well, when the basic speaker design is as solid as this. $11,050, triadspeakers.com

MartinLogan Motion 60XT Speaker System
(November) The MartinLogan Motion 60XT tower ($3,000/pair) and the matching ensemble in our 5.1-channel test rig delivered uncanny midrange and high-frequency clarity thanks to the company’s Folded Motion XT magnetic planar tweeter. $6,695, martinlogan.com

GoldenEar Triton Five
(May) The GoldenEar Triton Five ($999 each), which we tested as a stereo pair, is a fully passive tower that steps up in size and bass output from 2013’s value-conscious Triton Seven while staying true to the open and engaging sonic character for which all the Tritons are known. $2,000, goldenear.com

Origin Acoustics Director D108 In-Ceiling Speaker System
(November) We tested an impressive nine-channel Atmos system based around the Director D108 in-ceiling speaker ($1,600 each), which features a clever design that squeezes a bass-rich 10-inch woofer into the cutout typically required for an 8-inch speaker. $14,400, originacoustics.com

NEAR IG 6 Outdoor Speaker System
(July/August) The beehive-shaped IG 6 ($779 each) in-ground speaker and matching IGS 12 in-ground sub, mated with NEAR’s 6XL amp, proved to be an amazingly detailed and powerful backyard speaker system. $4,656, nearspeakers.com