I don’t use the term STATE OF THE ART much. There are many companies that are trying to shoot the moon as they hunt for elephants. With them in the mix, companies that make great gear that people can actually afford… might not qualify for the elitist term SOTA. Atoll appeals to audiophiles who want to get a dollar’s worth of performance…

Atohm GT-1 Stand Mount Speakers, $4500 per, pair (13h, 7.87w, 10.43d, 27 lbs, 89dB SPL, 6 ohms) 6” 2-way in Gloss Walnut, Gloss Piano Black, Gloss Piano White Made in France: 7 year warranty! Atohm speakers are indeed, actually MADE in France. Designer Thierry Comte has created a line of speakers that check some very special boxes. Let’s start here with GT-1,…

I heard this system at Jensen Audio In Singapore with T10 Speakers and Bryston amplification. The Bryston speakers are indeed INCREDIBLE !!! This is the only system I have heard so far that sounds complete, accurate, and life-like… like being at the event where the song was recorded. It has the most lifelike realistic bass I ever heard.

Two grand per pair is a popular price point for speakers. My favorite speakers in that range are the Axiom M60 towers. They’re built like a tank in Canada. In early 2024 I decided to boot out all of our Chinese speakers, along with almost all of our Chinese electronics. There are a few low price points in electronics where we have…

Axiom M-50 Tower, $1400 Per Pair {35.5h, 9.25w, 13d, 39 lbs, 94 dB SPL, 8 ohms, 10-200 w/ch} Two 6.5” Aluminum Woofers, One Titanium Tweeter Bryston contracted Axiom to build its speakers over a decade ago. The project was a tremendous success and the companies merged. The resulting company is simply called Bryston. Bryston is using the Axiom banner to bring speakers…

Atoll PR200 Stereo Preamp, $1500 Before diving into reading about the over performing PR200, please take a moment to read about Atoll’s perspicacious AM200 power amp Product Highlight. PR200 was its mate throughout our testing and is a perfect match. It’s our favorite affordable preamp because it does so much, so well. For many years the snooty audio mags have been complaining…

Atoll AM200 Power Amp, $2200, 120×2 Atoll power amplifiers are simply remarkable. They mate big power with class busting warmth. Whether you’re a fan of Tchaikovsky or Led Zeppelin, there’s an Atoll power amp with your name on it. Despite being in the audio biz since the early 70s, I’ve never seen this stellar combination of talents at these price points. It’s…

Just a note to say that the new Bryston T10 series speakers are brilliant. We’ve so far received the Trim T10 and Middle T10 and they are an absolute joy. Driven by our 7B Cubed mono’s … the T10s image with precision, hit the bass notes with the vigor of an iron fist and are very poised on the top end. Also the fit and finish radiates excellence and high value. We’re having lots of fun with these beauties!

Atoll of France makes my favorite affordable integrated amps and CD players. They make them in France, not China, with a three year warranty! This entry is to highlight two price busting products from Atoll’s 80s menu. IN80 Integrated Amp, $1700 (80×2) IN80, like all Atoll amps, uses a dual mono power supply. To hit this price point IN80 runs a single…

Atoll of France makes my favorite affordable integrated amps and CD players. They make them in France, not China, with a three year warranty! This entry is to highlight what I think is the best integrated amp at anywhere near a grand, along with a GREAT companion silver disc player. IN50 Integrated Amp, $1200 (50×2) A thousand bucks in an integrated amp…

Atoll MD100 CD Player, $900 {3 1/4h, 12 5/8w, 8 1/8d, Black or Silver} I’m an unabashed proponent of the CD format. I’m happy to tell you that you can get a warm sounding player, a true cut above the masses, for under $1k. I like having a CD in my hand. The sound of CD is more tactile and intimate than…

Magnepan MG .7, $2000 Per Pair {54.25h, 15.25w, 1.25d, 86dB SPL, 4 ohms} The most interesting man in the world may drink Dos Equis, but the most interesting speakers in the world come from White Bear Lake, Mn. Before getting specifically to the Maggie MG .7 speakers, permit me to lay some important ground work. Magneplanar Vs Quasi Technology Magnepan of Minnesota…

Two Pans Magnepan of Minnesota makes some of the most innovative speakers on the planet. They do so many things, so well, that if you’re a fan of singers and acoustic instruments, you owe it to yourself to give them a listen. You may find they bring you closer to the music you cherish. Magneplanar technology started in 1968. Skinny piano wires…

Atohm GT-2 Speakers, $7500 Per Pair {42.7h, 7.87w, 10.43d, 58 lbs, 90dB SPL, 6 ohms} Atohm of France makes GORGEOUS, smallish speakers that do what the Europeans do well, and yet surpass the Euros in what they DON’T typically do well. Since the 1970s there have been dozens and dozens of Euro speakers, designed for Euro spaces, that sound musical and inoffensive….

At Audio Emporium we have loads of great speakers. We cover all the bases from small to tall. We have have speakers of enormous power. Yet everyone doesn’t need those. This entry will be about smallish (not tiny) stand mount speakers. If you don’t need big and bombastic, consider one of these transducers to float your musical boat. I’ll start by saying…

Let’s start this great music system with $3k per box. For MY music system, I want to build around a fabulous source, and run into a commensurately incredible integrated amp. A resolving music system needs to pay attention to the BAR GRAPH. If your source is a 10, and your integrated amp is a 10, your speakers will be guaranteed to perform…