I view running Audio Emporium like being the GM of a baseball team. We have categories to fill and I try very hard to “beat” other teams with our sage selection, or MIX.
When evaluating STAND MOUNT speakers, there are specific considerations. It’s a fun challenge. Let’s dive in!
I’m not interested in what’s built in China. Screw ‘em. During Covid, N American and Euro companies reduced production to a trickle as they honored CDC guidelines. The Chinese just passed out masks and kept PUMPING out products. A few job houses were making HUNDREDS of brands under contract. The quality was mundane as they slapped different badges on speakers.
Think of making golf shirts, perhaps with a different collar or sleeve style, with a myriad of different logos on them. That… is what Chinese job houses were doing with speakers (& electronics). As their production roared, they dominated the US and world markets. They’re smart. They realized what was happening and became opportunistic, cranking up prices as much as a third within 18 months of March 2020, when Covid hit hard.
I didn’t like the generic basis of the product.
I didn’t like the price gouging.
I didn’t like sending our dollars to these people, while our N American and Euro vendors were playing fairly- and SUFFERING in the process.
When the N American and Euro audio companies got back up to speed in the spring of 2022, I swore off the Chinese exploiters. When it comes to our audio gear, save a few necessary entry level products where we have no option, I’m not selling Chinese products.
All of the speakers below are made in N America or Europe. They are in fact BETTER than what the mass production from Asia can provide.
Atohm GT-1 $4500 Per Pair
{13h, 7.87w, 10.43d, 27 lbs, 89 dB SPL, 6 ohms}
Atohm speakers are made in France with a 7 year warranty. I’ve chosen Atohm and GT-1 specifically for its unusual performance characteristics. By the way, they’re absolutely gorgeous in gloss Walnut, Black or White.
Euro “minis” come in a couple of basic form factors.
Form Factor #1: Despite saying B&W, Kef, Monitor Audio & Polk (for example) on the box, their affordable models are made in China. They’re relatively lightweight and ultimately generic, hoping to capitalize on their Euro name and heritage.
Form Factor #2: The few models they actually make in the UK are CRAZY money for what you get. They’re quite limited in their bass and volume capabilities. Atohm’s GT-1 will still be going strong while the B&W 805d4 ($11k with stands) will have its tweeter blown to dust while Atohm is still rockin’. Atohms are unique among Euro speakers in that they can play loudly and deliver best in category bass response. Atohm imaging and 3D presentation are flat out astonishing.
With GT-1, you get the smoothness and great imaging you expect from a Euro mini. But you also get the horse power and thunder. GT-1 isn’t a big dog either. It’ll fit in your game plan.
Bryston Mini T $4990 Per Pair
{22.5h, 10.5w, 10d, 42 lbs, 87 dB SPL, 4 ohms}
Brystons are made in Canada with a 20 year warranty! While Mini T has the word mini in its name, it isn’t a mini. It’s a large stand mount weighing in at 42 pounds. It’s an 8” 3-way and produces even bigger bass and volume than GT-1. This comes at a bigger size and cost.
We have some customers whose wives say, they don’t care about the price, so long as the speakers fit on that etagere over there, AOK. Mini T might be just the ticket, though it will sound more clear on a stand. I can’t emphasize enough how Mini T sounds as powerful as a floor stander. It’s really quite the phenomenon… to hear this stand mount sound like a monster.
Bryston Mini A $1665 Per Pair
{15.5h, 8.5w, 8.25d, 12 lbs, 87 dB SPL, 4 ohms}
Mini A is a 6.5” 3-way with decidedly better midrange definition than virtually any similarly priced 2-way. While any stand mount sounds best on stands, Mini A often lands on a shelving unit. If you want smooth timbre with tight bass, Mini A is an excellent consideration. It won’t go as deep or play as loudly as the two models above, but maybe you don’t need that and would like to save a few buxx. Mini A is an exceptional speaker that will appeal to champagne tastes at a beer level budget. All the Brystons come in Black Ash, Boston Cherry (red tint), Walnut or Expresso Walnut.
Bryston Tiny A $990 Per Pair
{13.5h, 8.5w, 8..25d, 90 dB SPL, 8 ohms}
Tiny A is a very manageable 6.5” 2-way. It has distinctly better power capabilities compared to all the Chinese imports that will land at this price point. Of course Mini A is better with deeper bass and a dedicated midrange.
Axiom M3 $760 Per Pair
(13.5h, 8.5w, 8.25d, 90 dB SPL, 8 ohms}
Axiom is basically Bryston Light, with a 5 year warranty. M3 sounds competitive with Bryston’s Tiny A, without quite the power capabilities and 20 year warranty. If you listen to M3 compared to the Chinese imports, you’ll find they have better bass and are smoother.
Over the years we’ve had the Klipsch and Elac bookshelf models which are solid for Chinese offerings. Yet compared to M3, they sound hollow and won’t go as deep.
Virtually every speaker on the market at this price point is pumped out of a Chinese job house. Please support Bryston/Axiom vs one of the innumerable Asian imports.
Axiom M2 $700 Per Pair
{11.5h, 7.5w, 8.5d, 89 dB SPL, 8 ohms}
M2 is indeed a mini size. Sometimes you have to go small. M2 gets you there with the same Bryston family sound quality, sans the muscular bass. But if you can swing M3, it’s well worth the extra money.