Top Picks

Speakers

Top Pick of the Year: GoldenEar Technology Triton One.R Loudspeaker
(February/March 2019) GoldenEar Tech's scaled-down version of its Triton Reference loudspeaker manages to deliver a sizeable percentage of that flagship model's performance at an equally scaled-down price. Not just a Top Pick, but an exceptional value. $5,998/pair, goldenear.com

Klipsch Reference Theater Pack speaker system
(April) This affordable full 5.1 speaker package impressed us with its excellent overall performance. Added bonus: it comes with a wireless kit for connecting the system's 8-inch powered subwoofer. $999, klipsch.com

GoldenEar Technology Invisa Signature Point Source in-wall speaker system
(May) In-wall speakers tend to get a bad rap among audio enthusiasts, but here GoldenEar Tech has managed to, in the words of reviewer Darryl Wilkinson, “build an attractive, non-intrusive in-wall loudspeaker offering performance that rivals (and, in some cases, surpasses) that of an equivalently priced in-room speaker.” $7,250 (10-piece system as reviewed), goldenear.com

KEF Q Series Q350 speaker system
(June) This high-value 5.1.4-channel KEF surround speaker package admirably handled Dolby Atmos duties when we tested it, delivering a generous soundfield and plenty of bass impact from its compact subwoofer. $3,150, kef.com

ELAC Adante AS-61 Loudspeaker
(September) This step-up standmounted speaker from ELAC represents yet another hit for designer Andrew Jones. On its own, the AS-61 delivered gobs of detail and a clear midrange that made it especially compelling with vocal recordings. When the SUB3070 Subwoofer was added to the mix, the full-range sound the system produced “could easily challenge far pricier speakers,” said reviewer Thomas J. Norton. $2,500/pair, elac.com

M&K Sound S150/S150T THX Ultra speaker system
(October/November) These revamped versions of M&K Sound's classic THX speakers deliver audibly better performance than the original. The performance of our review system, which consisted of three S150s for the front channels four S150T surrounds, was characterized by precise, pinpoint imaging across the front soundstage and exceptional dialogue clarity. $10,595 (7-piece system as reviewed), mksound.com

Tekton Design Impact Monitor speaker system
(October/November) This curious, somewhat industrial-looking system has a unique design that uses arrays of small drivers matched to specific frequency ranges in place of a typical midrange speaker cone. But the results, as always, are in the listening, and the Impact system offered up efficient, dynamic, and transparent sound. $5,350, tektondesign.com

Paradigm Premier 700F speaker system
(February/March 2019) This mid-range system from Paradigm based around the company's 700F tower speakers impressed us most with its crisp, dynamic handling of both movie soundtracks and music, the latter notably benefiting from the company's app-controlled Defiance X12 subwoofer. Review coming soon to soundandvision.com. $4,700, paradigm.com

Jamo S 809 Speaker System (See Top Value)

Q Acoustics 3000i Series Speaker System (See Top Value)