LATEST ADDITIONS

Performance
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Living room friendly, audiophile quality
Enveloping 3D soundstage
Tight and articulate
Center channel has tremendous clarity
Beautiful

Minus
Pricier than non-Signature versions

THE VERDICT
700 S3 Signature offers slick looks and a superbly smooth sound.

Here's the deal: I set up a 5.1 system aiming for both quality and aesthetic appeal without taking over the entire living room. The setup includes the Bowers & Wilkins 705 Signature bookshelf speakers for the front left and right, the HTM71 S3 Signature—the first Signature center channel from Bowers & Wilkins—for the center, regular 705 S3 bookshelf speakers for the rear channels, and a DB4S subwoofer. The electronics come courtesy of Marantz, specifically the Cinema 10 and Amp 10 combo.

Performance
Build Quality
Value

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent audio fidelity
Attractive
Easy to assemble

Minus
Expensive relative to capability
No Atmos speakers or dedicated surrounds
Center channel model is a 2-way

THE VERDICT
The Focal Aria Evo X No. 2 towers blend stunning design with powerful, detailed sound, making them a standout in high-end audio.

Focal, the French audio manufacturer with roots in professional and consumer speaker design, has seamlessly blended technical prowess with stylish aesthetics in its products. Their Aria Evo X series continues this tradition, featuring an organic Moss Green finish and flax drivers that not only perform exceptionally but also offer a unique, natural look.

Synchronicity is the album that vaulted the blended British/American trio The Police into the megaplatinum global-phenomenon stratosphere, itself a 10-track master class of envelope-pushing pop songwriting, clever and sometimes challenging song arrangements, and truly elite musicianship. To properly fete the band’s studio swan song, A&M/Polydor/Universal Music Recordings has issued several expanded multiformat editions of Synchronicity, including an 84-track 6CD box set and a more abbreviated 43-track 4LP box set. Read Mike Mettler’s review of both super deluxe editions to see if you should add either, or both, to your collection and listening rotation accordingly. . .