Audio Video News

Monitor Audio Bronze 200 Surround Speaker System: $4,010 (as tested)

For more than four decades, England’s Monitor Audio has been building and constantly refining high-quality speakers, while becoming a leader in metal-dome driver technology. A perfect example is the entry-level Bronze Series, introduced in 2006 and now in its sixth generation. Fifteen years later, the mix-and-match line is still going strong as evidenced by the remarkably full and detailed sound delivered by the 5.4.2 surround system we put together — an 11-piece setup comprising a pair of Bronze 200 towers outfitted with Dolby Atmos-enabled Bronze AMS height modules plus two additional AMS speakers for the rear of the room, a Bronze 150 center speaker, a pair of wedge-shaped Bronze FX surround speakers, featuring selectable bipole or dipole operation, and two Bronze W10 subwoofers.

Monitor’s longstanding focus and dedication paid off with music and movies. For reviewer Tom Norton, Jean Guillou's organ transcription of Pictures at an Exhibition (Dorian Recordings) was a stand out with the 200 tower/W10 subwoofer duo handling the recording’s deep organ notes with ease and helping the W10 earn Top Pick status on its own. Likewise, he described the lively soundtrack of Blade Runner 2049 as “consistently involving with no sense of strain” and called the opening musical crescendo in Oblivion stunning, adding: “As Jack fired up his bubble-copter, and later as he circled the ruined stadium just before landing, the performance of the two small Bronze subwoofers was gripping.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Affordable price
Detailed overall sound
Good envelopment with Atmos soundtracks
Minus
Towers have limited deep bass
Ordinary cosmetics

Full Review Here

NAD Masters M28 Seven-Channel Power Amplifier: $4,999

The latest entry in NAD’s prestigious Masters Series, the impeccably built M28 is one of the first power amplifiers to employ the super-efficient and highly regarded Eigentakt Class D modules from Denmark’s Purifi, a distinction shared by its Top Pick of the Year sibling — the M33 streaming integrated amp. The M28 is a unique product intended to compete sonically with some of the best amplifiers in the world. And compete it does, delivering 200 watts into each of its seven channels at 8 ohms or a foreboding 340 watts per channel in 4 ohms and offering the choice of balanced or unbalanced inputs.

The NAD powerhouse was adept at handling the subtle and no-so-subtle intricacies of two-channel music — including the aggressive bottom end on the organ transcription of Pictures at an Exhibition — and had no trouble driving seven speakers in a 5.2.4 movie setup. “The most jaw-dropping sound with the NAD M28-powered system came from Blade Runner 2049,” observed reviewer Tom Norton. “Watching it, I heard deep, hard-hitting deep bass and remarkable ambience that enhanced every scene.” Simply put, the NAD Masters M28 is an exceptional amplifier.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Exceptional performance
Exceptional build quality
Dimmable power indicator light
Minus
Pricey

Full Review Here

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