Audio Video News

Elac Uni-Fi Reference UBR62 Surround Speaker System: $3,100 (as tested)

Germany’s Elac made a brilliant return to the U.S. market in 2016 with a series of excellent speakers designed by the Andrew Jones, who had previously worked for Pioneer and its one-time high-end speaker division TAD (Technical Audio Devices Laboratories). As it turns out, the Uni-Fi Reference UBR62 surround speaker system is the last system Jones designed before leaving the company last summer, following a highly successful run. Once again, Jones has left his mark.

The five-piece system we reviewed comprises four UBR62 bookshelf speakers and a matching UCR-52 center-channel speaker — all built around a coincident midrange-tweeter that positions a 1-inch soft-dome tweeter at the apex of a 5.25-inch midrange driver where the dust cap usually sits. Two UBR62 speakers would make for a nice stereo setup but in a multichannel theater setting you’ll want to add a subwoofer to this ensemble, which is why we tested the quintet with a pair of SVS PB-3000 subwoofers. In both cases, the results were impressive.

With stereo music, the ease and sweetness of the Elac speakers “invited extended listening,” observed reviewer Tom Norton, while the subwoofer-supported sound from a pair of UBR62’s was “consistently open, natural, and detailed.” Sonics were even more impressive with multichannel music on Blu-ray. When playing movies in a 5.1 configuration with the two subwoofers in play, the system did a stellar job handling Blade Runner 2049’s detailed soundtrack and brilliant Hans Zimmer score. As Norton put it, “The Elac speakers blended in perfectly with the SVS subs to produce a unified, organic whole.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Clean-sounding dialogue
Silky detail
Big, open presentation
Minus
Limited deep bass (without sub)

Full Review Here (posted 3/23/22)

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless Smart Speaker: $799

If you follow England’s Bowers & Wilkins there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Zeppelin, not the iconic rock band but the all-in-one, retro-modern speaker system the company introduced 15 or so years ago, back when the iPod was still king. No question, it’s an unusual product for B&W but one with immense staying power. Now in its fourth generation, the new Zeppelin looks almost identical to the original model, except for the iPod docking arm, and delivers the caliber of sound you expect from a brand that provides speakers to London’s Abbey Road Studios.

The updated system has been rejiggered to enhance bass output and is now a bona fide smart speaker with built-in microphones for summoning Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant and controlling the system with voice commands. The Zeppelin also supports hi-res (24/96) streaming through an app that provides quick access to Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, TuneIn internet radio, and other services. You can also stream via AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and the newer aptX Adaptive version of Bluetooth, which supports 24-bit/48kHz streaming.

Revisiting the blimp-like speaker a decade after reviewing the iPod-based Zeppelin Air, former S&V editor Rob Sabin remained impressed with the big soundstage and palpable imaging it delivers. “The physical design puts the drivers so close to the edges of the baffle that you get uncanny separation that seems impossible for a speaker whose tweeters are less than two feet apart,” he wrote, noting that the sonic payoff also comes in the form of solid dynamics and outstanding timbre: Instruments and vocals sounded natural and open, even if the system is a little bass-shy. Listening to Eddie Holman’s 1969 hit “Hey There Lonely Girl,” Sabin heard detail in the familiar recording he’d never noticed before — quite the compliment for such a compact system. The Zeppelin isn’t cheap but it is an extraordinary system that brings music to life in an impactful and engaging way.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Impressive Imaging
Excellent timbre
Well-controlled dynamics
Alexa voice-control
Minus
Limited deep bass output
No wired inputs

Full Review Here (posted 3/30/22)

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