Ultimate Ears Miniroll: Two-minute review

Parties in 2024 are about to get a bit bassier with the new Ultimate Ears Miniroll, a small-form Bluetooth speaker that wants to find its way onto our list of the best party speaker by virtue of the fact that it’s much smaller than all of its rivals.

A revival of the UE Roll from 2015 and UE Roll 2 from a year later, this is now Ultimate Ear’s smallest speaker by a country mile (and also a good few inches). It sits alongside the sonically superior, but much less totable, Wonderboom 4, as well as UE’s more pricy alternatives. Yes, that’s right, it’s not just small but it’s affordable too.

You only have to pay $79 / £69 / AU$99 for the UE Miniroll so it undercuts most of the competition, although a few other major audio brands also have lightweight party speakers like this for roughly the same (or less).

‘Miniroll’ is a funny name – the new UE speaker is bigger than the Roll and Roll 2, and probably doesn’t have any link to the sponge treat manufactured by former chocolate company (and now faux-chocolate company) Cadbury’s.

But while Cadbury’s has sadly gone downhill in the eyes of many, Ultimate Ears has only improved on the formula of its older speakers. The sound offers loads of bass, marking a notable improvement in audio capabilities over the previous two Rolls. The use of a USB-C port and a longer battery life also make this a more tempting option for people who may consider buying older tech.

Some of the best features of the Roll are here too. I found the carry strap incredibly handy, as I could attach the Miniroll to bags, pieces of furniture or even body parts (well, my wrist) to make it easy to carry around. 

The speaker isn’t perfect though, as there’s no smartphone app to bring extra features or offer customization. There’s no equalizer either, something many rival party speakers offer, which will likely put off people who’d find the bass just a little 'too much'. I also wished there was a way to skip or rewind songs, as many other speakers offer, to stop me having to use my phone for these tasks.

Some may also find the max volume a little too low for ‘parties’, especially since bass doesn’t carry as well as treble, though I guess ‘intimate social gathering speaker’ doesn’t have the same ring as ‘party speaker’. I can see this being a great pick for hikers or picnickers who want some tunes, or group runners who blast music to get everyone through that pre-breakfast 5k, rather than for traditional house parties or gatherings.

Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Price and release date

• Released in September 2024
• Costs $79 / £69 / AU$99

The Ultimate Ears Miniroll was unveiled and released in mid-September 2024, ready for an outdoor party speaker to be almost obsolete in the wintery northern hemisphere.

The price of the Ultimate Ears Miniroll is $79 / £69 / AU$99, so it’s the cheapest wireless speaker currently offered by UE, and is one of the more affordable options on the market. It also undercuts the two UE Roll models which went for $99 / £99 / AU$149.  The Wonderboom is the closest sibling in price at $99 / £89 / AU$149.

In fact, if you’re looking for a party speaker as compact as the Miniroll, the market’s not burgeoning with good-quality options. Your best alternative is the even cheaper (but not quite as chic, and a little older now) Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 (now available for $59 / £59 or around AU$85) followed by the JBL Clip 5, which sells for $79 / £59 / AU$89, so both are actually a bit cheaper in most regions.

Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Specs

Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Features

• Can link up to other Minirolls
• No equalizer or app
• 12 hour battery life

The Ultimate Ears Miniroll struggles most in the features department because… well, there barely are any.

Unlike with some other UE speakers, the Miniroll doesn’t have a smartphone app, so it doesn’t let you utilize features of some of its rivals. There’s no equaliser, for example, or even different EQ presets for you to toggle between. You can’t change audio codec, fiddle with Bluetooth options or use a ‘find my speaker’ function.

There’s no outdoor mode either, which in other UE devices (it's the 'tree button' on the underside of the Wonderboom 4) strips bass in favor of treble to make the speaker easier to hear over distance. Of all the missing features this is the one I would have liked to see most – as with any bassy speaker, quality (and audibility) quickly drops off if you walk away from the Miniroll.

One thing you can do is connect the Miniroll to its siblings, in order to sync up multiple speakers. However unlike many other UE devices (but like the Wonderboom), you can only pair it to others of its make – ie, other Minirolls. So while your Boom, Megaboom, Everboom, Epicboom and Hyperbooms might all be having their own little party, the Minirolls will have to form their own shindig. According to UE the Miniroll can pair to an unlimited number of other Minirolls though, as long as your budget is equally infinite.

The battery life stretches to 12 hours on a single charge, which is longer than most parties I get invited to. Its a lasting power which positions the Miniroll as a handy device for people going on hikes or camping, as does its design.

Charging is done via USB-C, with a little port just above the strap.

• Features score: 3/5

Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Design

• Small compact body
• Incredibly handy carry strap
• IP67 protected, survives up to 1.2m drop

The key selling point of the Ultimate Ears Miniroll is its design – it’s mini and feels lovely in your hand. A little pebble of a gadget, it weighs only slightly more than a smartphone at 279g, and measures 122 x 105 x 48 mm so it’s incredibly slender.

If you don’t trust measurements, trust me: it’s really easy to carry around whether it’s in the hand, strapped to a bag, inside said bag, or even slipped into a pocket (yes, it fits in my pockets, although that really muffles the audio).

Strapping it to a bag comes thanks to a rubbery strap, which is locked to the Miniroll at one end and is hooked and removable at the other. This gives you lots of versatility in how you attach the Miniroll to things, especially with a gap in the strap letting you hang it from objects. This was my preferred way of using the speaker, hanging it from doorknobs or cupboards – the multitude of ways to position the speaker is great for positioning it in rooms or attaching it to various rucksacks. Ultimate Ear's promotional material even shows someone attaching it to a dog.

One annoying element of the design comes into play here though, in combination with the speaker’s heavy bass (more on that later). Sometimes when on certain objects, the natural vibrations from the bass would cause the speaker to wobble, and it fell off boxes I put it on several times. Likewise when I hung it up, it’d sometimes shudder from the bass and start to sway – I can’t put it on my bedroom door because the bass makes it repeatedly knock into the wood panel. It’s an odd situation and I had to always think about where I placed the Miniroll.

On the top of the Miniroll are a volume up and volume down button, which should surprise no-one given that the buttons are a giant + and -. The edge of the speaker has the power button as well as the play/pause one, which can also be held to enable pairing with other Minirolls (more on that later). There’s no button to skip or restart tracks so you’ll have to rely on your phone for that.

If you’re worried about damage, the speaker is IP67 rated – that means it’s totally protected from dust particles and can be immersed in water for a depth of a meter for up to half an hour. It’s drop-proof but only up to 1.2 meters, which is something else to bear in mind when placing the speaker – my rucksack is higher than that off the floor and so are most of the tables I’d put it on.

As you can see from the pictures, I tested the pink Miniroll – Calming Pink, as UE calls it – and there’s also black (Gentle Black), blue (Majestic Blue) and white (Revive Gray).

• Design score: 4/5

Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Sound quality

• (No need to) turn up the bass
• Volume not suitable for large parties
• Lack of equalizer limits appeal

I’ve referred to the Ultimate Ears Miniroll as a ‘party speaker’, but I should qualify that ‘party’ part of the phrase – this isn’t for big gatherings in Beverly Hills mansions or beach parties with hundreds of people. Think ‘D&D party’ size – this isn’t the loudest speaker in the world and it will best suit medium- to small-sized groups.

In my (very studious) tests, the Miniroll sounded decent at up to 5 meters distance, but when I got to 10m it was hard to hear parts of the song (partly from the volume, but partly from other sounds being more prominent). I found the Miniroll great for playing music in my bedroom, but unlike some other speakers I’ve tested, its sound didn’t carry through my entire (two-person) flat. If you’re going on a trip with this attached to your bag, you’d better keep your friends close if they want to hear music.

The UE Miniroll isn’t so quiet that it’s going to disappoint you, but you need to temper your expectations in keeping with its size – UE does have bigger speakers if you want to entertain a large number of listeners.

In terms of the audio itself, the Miniroll is a bassy little creature, and I was pretty surprised by just how much bass the thing eked out. I’ve already written about how it literally vibrates from what it’s putting out!

The bass is admittedly a little muddy, and the sheer nature of physics means it doesn’t carry that far (thanks, physics), but bass-heads near to the speaker will really pick up what it’s putting down.

As with any bass-heavy speaker, treble and mids suffer the consequences of this heavy lean, and both lack an extra ounce of detail – they also distort a little at higher volumes. However, balanced treble and audiophile-quality mids aren’t something it'd be truly fair to demand from party speakers at this price. It’s certainly not necessary for the Macarena.

• Sound quality: 3.5/5

Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Value

• Form factor makes it appealing for portable music
• Some users might prefer other speakers

The Ultimate Ears Miniroll fits its niche really well: it’s cheaper and more portable than many other Bluetooth speakers, with a decent battery life, sufficient protection from life’s bumps and a really handy strap. With that in mind it’s hard to argue that the Miniroll isn’t good value – it’s much better for a certain type of user than other options in the market.

However, if you’re just looking for an affordable Bluetooth speaker for your house or garden, you can find options with better audio and a couple of extra features for a similar price. They just lose portability as a trade-off.

• Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Ultimate Ears Miniroll?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Ultimate Ears Miniroll review: Also consider

How I tested the Ultimate Ears Miniroll

• Tested for two weeks
• Tested at home and on some trips

I tested the Ultimate Ears Miniroll for over two weeks, during which time I used them alongside my Android smartphone.

Most of the testing was done at home but I also took it on a few day trips and picnics to see how well it works outdoors. Mostly I used the speaker for music streaming but I also tested it with spoken word podcasts a little bit as well.

I've been reviewing audio products at TechRadar for 5 years, including other Ultimate Ears products.

• First reviewed in October 2024

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3: Two-minute review

Time flies, doesn’t it? This is now the eighth generation of Bowers & Wilkins’ entry-level 600 Series of loudspeakers, and the 607 S3 is the smallest and most affordable member of the range. It’s also the most expensive cheap loudspeaker the company has ever made.

A glance at the specification (25mm double-dome tweeter, 130mm Continuum mid/bass driver, and a whole stack of upgrades both where crossover and cabinet construction are concerned) and at the standard of build and finish lets you know where that money has gone, though – and goes some of the way to explaining why they'll enter our best stereo speakers roundup very soon. 

It’s always been possible to buy less expensive loudspeakers than Bowers & Wilkins, but if you bite the bullet and spend the money, it won’t take long for your investment to seem very wise indeed.

By the standards of a compact standmounter, the 607 S3 produce a remarkably open and assertive sound. They have scale and rigorous soundstaging on their side, frankly unlikely dynamic headroom and an excellent facility for detail retrieval. They seem to like every single genre of music, too - and not just in an analytical, “here’s every shred of information” kind of way. They’re an energetic and entertaining listen that seem fully aware that the business of listening to music is meant to be as enjoyable and emotionally rewarding as possible.

So yes, you can spend your money on a bigger, louder loudspeaker than this - of course you can. But if you’re not trying to fill a great big space with sound, and if you want to put your foot on the ownership ladder of one of the biggest names in the business, the 607 S3 absolutely demand your attention.

Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 review: Price & release date

• Released September 3, 2023
• Priced $899 / £549 / AU$1,149 (approx)

The Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 standmount speakers were unveiled in September 2023 alongside three other S3-suffixed 600-series models, and in the United Kingdom they’re routinely available at £549 per pair. In the United States they go for $899 tops, while in Australia they sell for AU$1149 or something very like it.

So while this is the most affordable way to acquire a new pair of Bowers & Wilkins passive stereo loudspeakers, you’ll never mistake the 607 S3 for being especially cheap – profoundly credible alternatives from profoundly credible brands like Dali (see the five-strong Dali Rubikore range), Monitor Audio (check out our Monitor Audio Studio 89 review) and Q Acoustics (see the M40 HD for starters) many of which can be had for less money than this. So what makes the 607 S3 so special?  

Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 review: Features

• 25mm titanium double-dome tweeter
• 130mm Continuum mid/bass driver
• Rear-firing bass reflex port

Yes, the 607 S3 is the junior member of the most affordable Bowers & Wilkins passive loudspeaker line-up. But don’t imagine that status means that it’s had less attention paid to its features than all of its other, more expensive, siblings.

The tweeter arrangement, for example, is now built mostly from titanium (rather than of aluminium as it has been in previous 600-series models). It’s a 25mm decoupled double-dome design, using a thin (25µm) dome reinforced by a 30µm ring, and the switch to titanium allows (according to Bowers & Wilkins) for greater refinement and detail at the top of the frequency range. 

The tube-loading assembly in which the tweeter sits is longer than previously (in an effort to minimise the rearward standing waves that result from the twitter’s activity), and the tweeter itself is protected by a grille the design of which is derived from the company’s flagship 800 Signature series of speakers. This, too, is deployed in an effort to create greater space and refinement in the tweeter’s output.

The tweeter sits closer to the mid/bass driver beneath it than previous – the 130mm Continuum assembly is mostly carried over from the previous 600 Signature series, but now it features a beefed up motor assembly derived from the 700 S3 range. And the eagle-eyed will notice it’s a little higher up in the cabinet and a little closer to the tweeter as a result - Bowers & Wilkins reckons it improves integration between the drivers and allows the mid/bass unit to generate a little more energy.

At the rear of the cabinet there’s a bass reflex port positioned above some newly upgraded speaker cable terminals (they’re intended to offer a cleaner signal path). And on the inside, the cabinet bracing is upgraded – so rigidity is improved. The crossover components have been upgraded too, in an effort to bring even greater transparency to the sound.  

• Features score: 5/5

Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 review: Sound quality

• Refinement and entertainment in fairly equal measure
• Dynamic and detailed in every circumstance
• Careless system-matching will be exposed

‘Zest’ is an underused word in hi-fi, I think, so let’s start there. No matter the sort of music you like to listen to, the Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 deliver it with zest. Oh, they can do the ‘insight’ and ‘analysis’ things with the best of their price-comparable rivals, but what sets them apart from those alternative designs is the zest and enthusiasm of their delivery. There’s nothing feral about these loudspeakers, but there’s an energy and a desire to entertain that is a fair bit more difficult to come by.

So it doesn’t matter if you try out a nice big hi-res file of David Bowie’s Hallo Spaceboy or a CD-standard file of Anastasia Coope’s Woke Up and No Feet, the results are – broadly speaking – the same. Low-frequency activity is given decent depth and notable speed, along with plenty of variation; the 607 S3 have no difficulty expressing rhythms in a convincing manner. The midrange is open and eloquent, so these two profoundly idiosyncratic vocalists have their character and attitude made apparent. Midrange projection is good too, so there’s always a pocket of space for a singer to operate in – even though they’re always nicely integrated into the overall presentation, rather than sounding remote or removed.

There’s plenty of dynamic headroom available, so the Bowie tune gets its changes in attack and intensity described faithfully. Detail levels are very high in every respect, so the smaller harmonic variations and changes in emphasis in the recording are paid attention to as well. And thanks to a soundstage that’s bigger than the physical size of the speakers might seem capable of creating, it’s easy to follow these fluctuations no matter where they occur. 

They’re an upfront and fairly assertive listen, the 607 S3. And in almost every way, these are welcome and actually quite valuable traits – it generally translates into a vivacious, spirited and engaging presentation. But it also means that a moment’s care with system-matching is in order, because the Bowers & Wilkins have high-frequency characteristics that are not beyond provocation. 

The treble sound the 607 S3 produce is just as detailed, just as convincing and just as nicely tonally balanced as all of the information below it. But in a system with treble-forward amplification, being fed by a source player with similar characteristics, the result can easily become rather too much of a good thing. The Bowers & Wilkins are quite assertive enough at the top of the frequency range without being goaded.

But in every other respect, feel free to throw caution to the wind. The 607 S3 are musical and entertaining, poised and attentive, dynamic and detailed in equal measure, and seem to enjoy every single one of your favourite styles of music. They may not have the out-and-out scale of the bigger speakers this sort of money can buy – how could they? – but when it comes to musicality, energy and, yes, zest, it’s hard to know how your money could be any more wisely spent.        

• Sound quality score: 5/5

Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 review: Design

• 300 x 165 x 207mm (HxWxD)
• Choice of three finishes
• 4.65kg

You can’t really expect much by way of ‘design’ to happen where (relatively) affordable standmounting speakers are concerned – and, sure enough, not much has happened here. That’s not to say the 607 S3 aren’t harmonious lookers, or aren’t built and finished to a very high standard – they are. It’s just that they look exactly as you’d expect.

At 300 x 165 x 207mm (HxWxD) they’re the smallest stereo speakers in all of Bowers & Wilkins-land, and at 4.65kg they aren’t going to put any kind of pressure on your shelves or wall-brackets if that’s how you decide to position them.

Equally, a choice of black, white or light(ish) oak vinyl-wrap finishes isn’t going to startle anyone. The oak finish comes with a contrasting white front baffle, which is about as close to a design flourish as the 607 S3 get. 

• Design score: 5/5

Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 review: Value

You can buy bigger, more imposing loudspeakers for this sort of money – and I mean both physically and sonically. But if you’re in the market for a compact, high-achieving standmounter at this kind of price, it’s hard to know how to better spend your cash. Add in the excellent standard of build and finish, along with the ‘if you know, you know’ brand logo, and the 607 S3 represent very good value indeed.

Should I buy the Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3 review: Also consider

If the size of these cabinets is a big attraction, then the only-slightly-larger and similarly priced Dali Oberon 3 are well worth a listen – they don’t have quite the vim of the 607 S3. That said, the splendid Monitor Audio Studio 89 do – although they're quite a bit more expensive. 

Want something smaller, wireless, and slightly cheaper? The Ruark MR1 MkII Bluetooth stereo speakers are worth a look. 

But if you’re after a physical representation of the money you’ve spent (and you have an appropriately sized space in which to put them) the Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 have plenty to recommend them beyond how very large they are. 

Monitor Audio Studio 89: Two minute review

Back in the day, ‘Studio’ was Monitor Audio’s most expensive, most aspirational range of loudspeakers. And now the name is back, with an ‘89’ attached for good measure, in a loudspeaker the company reckons is more ‘Formula 1’ than ‘sports car’.

It’s a distinctive looker, that’s for sure – whether or not you find the proportions attractive is one thing, but there’s no denying the gloss-black cabinet with its vertical, copper-colored driver array is dramatic. Bolt the speakers to the matching stands (if you don’t mind the extra outlay) and the look is coherent and, to me at least, striking.

Using driver and crossover technology originally developed for a loudspeaker that costs $92K / £70K per pair is pretty promising, too – and the way it’s been deployed shows similarly little inclination to compromise. Heck, even the speaker terminals on the rear of the cabinets are rhodium-plated and quite extravagantly shaped. 

How does this more affordable option stack up against the best stereo speakers on the market? Well, the star-rating above is a good start isn't it? But let's delve into the nuts and bolts of the thing – and also, of course, the sound. 

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Price and release date

• Released July 1, 2024
• $2,500 / £2,000 / AU$4,000

The Monitor Audio Studio 89 are available now, and in the United Kingdom they’re yours for £2,000 a pair. In the United States they go for $2,500, while in Australia the asking price is AU$4,000. 

When you consider that Monitor Audio is perhaps most-noted of late for releasing a $92K Hyphn proposition (once called the Concept 50, initially unveiled at High End Munich 2022), it's affordable territory.

That’s just for the speakers though, you understand – if you fancy the bespoke stands too (and they have a lot to recommend them beyond a harmonious aesthetic) you’re looking at an additional $625 / £500 / AU$1,000.

The majority of this test is conducted with the Studio 89 bolted to their matching stands – but not entirely. I also positioned the speakers on my reference Atacama Moseco 6 stands, where they are perfectly happy (although don’t look quite as swish). This review, then, is purely an appraisal of the loudspeakers and the loudspeakers only.  

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Features

• MPD III tweeter; 2 x 108mm RDT III mid/bass driver
• Rear-facing bass reflex slots
• 48Hz - 60kHz frequency response

These are passive loudspeakers, of course, and consequently ‘features’ are fairly thin on the ground. What features the Studio 89 have, though, are thoroughly researched and thoughtfully applied.

The front baffle of the speaker, for instance, is a slice of aluminium that’s isolated from the main body of the cabinet by a dense layer of foam. The baffle and the drive units it houses are then secured using ‘through-both’ technology running from the rear of the drivers to the rear of the cabinet. The intention is to create a very rigid cabinet structure in which the drive units can operate in isolation – and consequently offer cleaner and less coloured sound. The fact that this methodology means there are no visible fixings or screw-heads doesn’t do the look of the Studio 89 any harm, either.

The drive units themselves are arranged vertically – a couple of 108mm RDT III mid/bass drivers are positioned with an MPD III tweeter between them. This ‘MTM’ (mid/tweeter/mid) arrangement, says Monitor Audio, offers the advantage of large sound dispersion thanks to its ‘vertical symmetry’.

The RDT III mid/bass drivers are the latest refinement of the ‘C-CAM’ technology Monitor Audio has been enamoured of for years now. A combination of three very thin layers of ceramic-coated aluminium/magnesium, carbon weave and Nomex honeycomb core combine to produce a light, responsive driver that’s positioned ahead of a powerful motor system that uses a magnet that’s larger than the cone itself. 

The MPD III tweeter, meanwhile, uses its low-mass diaphragm pleats a bit like an accordion for smooth and rapid high-frequency response. Its square radiating area is designed for equal directivity both horizontally and vertically. Its carefully designed waveguide contributes to its directivity and soundstaging abilities, too – and the fact that it looks quite dramatic doesn’t do any harm, either.

Underpinning this driver array, sonically speaking, are a couple of narrow velocity ports positioned at the top and the bottom of the rear of each cabinet. The relatively large port area keeps both internal pressure and airflow within the cabinet balanced, and reduces turbulences – with the result, says Monitor Audio, that airflow is smooth and bass response is significant.

Elsewhere, the crossover that delivers the electrical signals to the drivers is a careful new design that uses polypropylene and polyester capacitors. Along with air-core and low-loss laminated steel-core inductors, the design is intended for optimal signal transfer and minimal distortion. Chunky rhodium-plated, precision-machined speaker terminals complete the impression of some thoroughly uncompromised engineering.      

Features score: 5/5

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Sound quality

• Poised and informative sound
• Detail and dynamism in equal measure
• Express rhythms expertly

There are plenty of loudspeakers that can peer deep into a mix and return with every scrap of information that’s in there. There are plenty of loudspeakers that can entertain with the vigorous nature of their presentation. Loudspeaker that can do both, though, are in rather more short supply. So it’s nice to be able to add the Studio 89 to the list.

What’s perhaps most immediately enjoyable about the way the Monitor Audio sound is how much they seem to be enjoying themselves. When playing an uncomplicatedly good-time recording like You! Me! Dancing! By Los Campesinos! there’s proper energy and vitality to the presentation, a sense of engagement that’s by no means a given no matter how much you spend on your speakers.

But this is not at the expense of insight. The Studio 89 create a large, well-organised soundstage that allows even a rather compressed and hazy mix like this one to stretch out and give each individual element a bt of space in which to operate. Detail levels are high at every turn, and the Monitor Audio manage to put even the most fleeting, transient occurrences into convincing context. Without making any part of the recording sound remote or estranged, the Studio 89 makes it easy to identify individual stands - yet the unity and togetherness of its presentation gives a genuine sensation of ‘performance’.

Something a bit less headrush-y and a bit more considered – Bad Kingdom by Moderat, say – allows the Studio 89 to demonstrate a nicely neutral tonal balance and extremely smooth integration of the frequency range. The handover between drivers is imperceptible, and no part of the frequency range is unduly underplayed or overstated. Low frequencies are deep, properly varied and textured, and controlled to the extent that rhythmic expression is never in doubt and momentum levels are always high. The opposite end of the scale is bright and substantial, so treble sounds shine without veering anywhere near hardness. And in between, the midrange is open and eloquent to the point that vocalists of all types, all techniques, all characters and all emotional states, are able to communicate fully.

Dynamic headroom is considerable, so big shifts in volume and/or intensity are tracked faithfully. And the less obvious, but no less crucial, dynamics of harmonic variation are given just the right amount of emphasis too. No matter how spare or how complex a recording, the Monitor Audio exercise authority over it.

About the only area in which the Syudio 89 might conceivably be described as ‘deficient’ is where simple attack is concerned. There’s nothing matter-of-fact about the way these speakers deliver a recording, you understand – but there are some alternative designs that have greater bite and assertiveness. But the more I think about it, the more I’d describe this as a ‘trait’ rather than a ‘deficiency’. If you’re one of those listeners who likes maximum drive and attack, you may find the judicious and balanced nature of the presentation here to be just slightly on the tentative side. The rest of us, though, will just admire what a thoroughly convincing sound is available.   

Sound quality score: 5/5

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Design

• Gloss black finish
• 340 x 157 x 361mm (HxWxD)
• 7.6kg (each)

There’s a disproportionately tall, thin elephant in the room where the design of the Monitor Audio Studio 89 is concerned – so I may as well get right to it. At 340 x 157 x 361mm (HxWxD) these are, without doubt, quite strangely proportioned loudspeakers. Seen from dead ahead they look quite tall and thin, because they are. But move around them and you realise they’re even deeper than they are tall. It’s an unusual effect, and it makes the bespoke stands Monitor Audio has developed for use with these speakers seem more like an essential than an option.

Rather gawky proportions aside, though, these are beautifully finished and quite good-looking speakers. The driver arrangement in the aluminium front baffle somehow makes them look rather startled, but the gloss black finish (your only option) is lustrous and deep – and it contrasts nicely with the copper/bronze color of the mid/bass drivers. The little badges that wrap around the bottom of each speaker, with their none-more-80s Ford Sierra typeface, are nicely judged too.

Design score: 4.5/5

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Value

The usual caveats apply here, of course – you should really only consider the Studio 89 if you’re going to use them in a similarly expensive and capable system, and you are almost certain to have to find the money for the matching stands. But as long as you can live with these Ts & Cs, there’s no denying the value for money these speakers represent both as objects and, most importantly, where the sound they make is concerned.

Value score: 5/5 

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Should you buy them?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: Also consider

You have a lot of choice, from a lot of very well-regarded manufacturers, if you have this sort of money to spend on a pair of compact passive loudspeakers. 

The R3 Meta by KEF, for instance, are maybe $120 cheaper than the Studio 89 – and while they don’t look as dramatic, they certainly have plenty to recommend them where sound quality is concerned. 

Or you may decide to chuck even more money at it and check out the 705 S3 by Bowers & Wilkins – there’s nothing retro about they way they look, and the stands will cost you even more money than the Monitor Audio equivalent – but if you’ve the readies, these speakers are among the most rewarding around. 

(And if you've not? It's perhaps worth giving the B&W 600 Series a look). 

Monitor Audio Studio 89 review: How I tested

• Using the extra-cost stands – and using my stands
• Connected to a Naim Uniti Nova, listening to Qobuz and Tidal tracks
• Also hooked up a Rega Apollo for CDs; Cambridge Audio/Clearaudio for vinyl

My time listening to the Monitor Audio Studio 89 was split pretty much 50/50 between their being bolted to their bespoke, quite expensive, stands and sitting on more affordable (but eminently capable) Atacama Moseco 6 alternatives. 

They were powered by a Naim Uniti Nova streamer/amplifier capable of twisting out 70 watts of power per channel. As it’s a streamer as well as an amplifier, I used the Naim for listening to Qobuz and TIDAL. 

I used a Rega Apollo for listening to compact discs, and both Cambridge Audio Alva TT v2 and Clearaudio Concept turntables for vinyl listening. 

The speakers stayed in my listening space for the entirety of the test – the space is nothing esoteric, it’s fairly ordinary (although not especially reflective) room that works very well for my purposes. And I listened to a great many different recordings via these different sources, of a great many genres and from a wide range of eras.  

• First reviewed July 2024
• Read more about how we test

Q Acoustics M40 HD: Two minute review

Understandably emboldened by the success of its wireless-system-in-a-pair-of-speakers M20 HD, Q Acoustics is back with a bigger, floorstanding version. But everything’s relative, of course – and while the M40 HD is a wireless-system-in-a-pair-of-floorstanding-speakers, (so not exactly unlike some of the best wireless speakers we've tested, but not altogether the same either) it’s a lot more compact than you might be expecting. This means it’s ideal for those customers who either don’t have much space to spare, or are unwilling to fill their spare space with great big speakers and h-fi separates.

Specification, with one or two exceptions, is very good – there are wired and wireless connectivity options, and hi-res audio capability through both the digital optical and USB-B inputs. 200 watts of power should be more than enough for most people (and most neighbours). The M40 HD represents the most affordable product so far to feature the new Q Acoustics Continuous Curved Cone (C3) driver. And aptX HD and aptX Adaptive are always welcome where Bluetooth connectivity is concerned. So while some users might hanker after some wi-fi action or a control app, there’s more than enough here to be getting on with.

As far as sound quality is concerned, there is plenty to enjoy here. The M40 HD is a perky, punchy and articulate listen, and as long as you don’t position it too close to a rear surface it’s nicely balanced too. Its sound is consistent no matter which of its inputs you use, and there doesn’t seem to be a type or source of music it doesn’t get along with. So if it’s a big sound from a less-than-big system you’re after, you need to give this Q Acoustics a listen pronto. 

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Price and release date

• Released February 15, 2024
• $999 / £749 / AU$1,999

The Q Acoustics M40 HD wireless music streaming system is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it’s priced at £749. In the United States you should expect to pay $999, while in Australia the going rate is AU$1999.

That Q Acoustics knows exactly what it’s doing where products like this are concerned isn’t really up for question. But then neither is the fact that the M40 HD faces well-regarded competition – the likes of KEF, Klipsch and Triangle (to name but three) have fairly similar systems with which to tempt you. Q Acoustics, though, has a fairly obvious point of difference…

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Features

• 2 x 100W of power
• Wired and wireless connectivity
• 24-bit/192kHz hi-res compatibility

Each M40 HD loudspeaker features a decoupled tweeter positioned above two Continuous Curved Cone (C³) mid/bass drivers of the type first encountered in the company’s more expensive (and lately award-winning) 5000 series. Each has a bass reflex port towards the bottom of the rear of the cabinet, to help with low-frequency presence and punch. After that, though, they become slightly different.

In the case of the ‘secondary speaker’, the only other feature is a pair of speaker-cable binding posts just beneath that reflex port. The ‘primary’ speaker, by way of contrast, has plenty more going on.

As well as speaker binding posts, the ‘primary’ speaker has an output for mains power on its rear plate. It also has a pair of stereo RCA analogue inputs, a 3.5mm auxiliary sockets, and inputs for digital optical and USB-B - these last two are able to digital with incoming digital audio files of up to 24bit/192kHz resolution. There’s a switch to let the speaker know if it’s occupying the left or right position in the set-up, and whether it’s in free space, against a wall or in a corner. And there’s a pre-out for a subwoofer for the truly antisocial among us.

Wireless connectivity, meanwhile, is strictly via Bluetooth. It’s the 5.0 variation, with SBC, AAC, aptX HD and Low Latency codec compatibility. Some wi-fi connectivity would be nice, sure, but it seems safe to assume that Q Acoustics has balanced the feature-set against the eventual price and come up with a balance it’s pleased with.

The ‘primary’ speaker also takes care of amplifying both speakers (these are 'powered', rather than truly 'active' beasts). It features two Class D blocks of amplification, each of 100 watts. The M40 HD is supplied with a length of cable to connect the two speakers together – this, along with a connection to mains power, is the only wiring this wireless system requires.

Features score: 4.5/5

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Sound quality

• Energy and dynamism to spare 
• Strikes a nice balance between ‘insight’ and ‘entertainment’ 
• A moment’s care with positioning is required

It becomes apparent after next-to-no listening that the Q Acoustics M40 HD prefer to be out in just a little open space, not hard against a rear wall, and toed in just a little towards your listening position. They don’t throw in the towel if some or all of this is not possible in your space, you understand – but like all of us, they have their preferences.

And when they’re positioned just so, and are connected via Bluetooth to a Samsung Galaxy S23 smartphone using the aptX HD codec, and are playing a TIDAL-derived file of Grace Jones’ Pull Up to the Bumper, they’re an uncomplicatedly enjoyable listen. There are plenty of specific areas of music-making that are deserving of mention, but what’s most immediately evident is how engaging and upfront a listen the M40 HD is. This system sounds very much like it enjoys your favourite music almost as much as you do.

At every point in the frequency range, detail levels are impressively high and integration is smooth. The low frequencies are deep, nicely textured and enjoy proper control at the attack of notes or hits – and this straight-edged lead-in means the rhythm of the Grace Jones tunes is expressed confidently and positively. All the momentum the recording needs is available. And at the opposite end of the frequency range, there’s an enjoyable amount of bite and attack – but although treble sounds have plenty of shine, they’re also substantial. Which means the top end never gets out of hand, even if you decide to deploy every one of those 200 watts of Class D power that are available.

In between, there’s a stack of space in which La Jones can operate, a pocket in which the vocal is delivered with all of its attitude and character intact. Despite the spacious nature of the M40 HD presentation, though, each element of the recording is tightly integrated - so there’s never a suggestion of remoteness or isolation. The Q Acoustics system gives a good impression of ‘performance’, providing a great sensation of commonality and unity even if it’s playing very complex, element-heavy recordings.

Switching to a 24bit/192kHz Qobuz file of Curtis Mayfield’s (Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below, We’re All Going to Go served to the M40 HD via its USB-B socket allows the system to demonstrate its prowess where soundstaging and dynamics are concerned. The presentation is wide and deep, with more than enough room for each strand of the recording to do its thing without being impacted on from elsewhere - and when Curtis and his band turn the wick up, the Q Acoustics tracks changes in intensity (as well as simple volume) faithfully. It’s an expressive, open listen overall, with a stack of pertinent observations to make - but most of all, it’s an energetic and entertaining listen.

In ultimate terms its tonality is on the warm-ish side of neutral, but that’s a trait rather than an outright flaw. And it’s safe to say the system doesn’t need all that much encouragement to overstate the lowest frequencies a little - so not only should you be reasonably careful about positioning, you might want to think about deploying the port bungs that are supplied. Other than this, though, it’s hard to find fault with the M40 HD’s presentation.   

Sound quality score: 5/5

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Design

• 710 x 250 x 296mm (HxWxD)
• Point-to-point cabinet bracing
• Choice of three finishes

It may not be immediately apparent from the pictures, but each M40 HD speaker is 710 x 250 x 296mm (HxWxD) including the little stabilisers at the back of the cabinet – and, as such, is to my knowledge unique in the current marketplace. Floorstanding speakers, whether passive or powered, are without exception quite a bit taller than this and so Q Acoustics has a unique offering here. Whether that’s ‘unique in a good way’ or not entirely depends on you – personally, I can easily imagine that a speaker of these dimensions will find favour with any number of customers who fancy some full-on audio performance without full-on speakers delivering it.  

Other than the rather startling dimensions, it’s Q Acoustics design business as usual here – which is, broadly speaking, a good thing. The cabinet is vinyl-wrapped MDF (available in white or black in addition to the walnut of my review sample), and features the established and extremely successful point-to-point bracing technology that Q Acoustics has been perfecting for a while now. Each cabinet also has a Helmholtz Pressure Equaliser to reduce internal pressure and further reduce unwanted internal vibrations. 

As with the M20 HD, each grille is fixed and cannot be removed. That’s a bit of a pity in aesthetic terms, if for no other reason that the C³ driver is quite a good-looking piece of technology (as long as you bear in mind that everything’s relative). Q Acoustics, though, makes a strong argument that fixing the grille in place allows its structure, particularly around the drivers, to be minimised – which reduces sonic reflections. And given that I can’t take the grilles off and find out for myself, I’m not really in any position to argue.  

Design score: 5/5

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Usability and setup

• Remote control handset
• A few simple controls
• Simple and quick to set up

On the top of the ‘primary’ speaker there are three little buttons. There’s a ‘volume up’ and a ‘volume down’ button, and the third takes care of ‘power on/off’, input selection and Bluetooth pairing. 

These functions are duplicated on the remote control handset that’s supplied with the M40 HD. In addition, you get a ‘mute’ button and the ability to skip forwards or backwards through your streamed content. Apart from the fact that the volume adjustment is a slightly blunt instrument, it’s a perfectly serviceable little device.

Setting up the M40 HD couldn’t really be much simpler. There are stabilisers and spikes to be attached to the bottom of each speaker, and they must be connected using the supplied length of speaker cable. After that, plug the ‘primary’ speaker into the mains, and once you’ve told it what’s what as regards its position in your room, you’re good to go. 

Usability and setup score: 5/5 

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Value

Whether or not these speakers are the right sort of size for your environment, there’s no denying the quality of their construction and finish. Add in specification that’s well up to snuff and sound quality that justifies the outlay every time, and the Q Acoustics M40 HD represents unarguable value for money.

Value score: 5/5 

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Should you buy it?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: Also consider

Where their configuration is concerned, the Q Acoustics M40 HD are currently number one in a field of one – almost every price- and function-comparable alternative is a pair of standmounting speakers. So while the more expensive KEF LSX II LT is better-specified in some ways, it doesn’t have a hope of delivering the sheer scale of sound the M40 HD can muster – and neither can the similarly talented (but similarly bijou) KEF LS50 Wireless II. But if everything except the price is appealing about the M40 HD, then check out their smaller, more affordable but similarly high-achieving Q Acoustics M20 HD siblings. 

Q Acoustics M40 HD review: How I tested

• Standing in free(ish) space
• Using every available input
• Lots of music over a fair amount of time

The only connection I didn’t use was the subwoofer pre-out – because, quite frankly, the M40 HD sounds hefty enough by itself (especially if you position it too close to a rear surface, where the reflex ports can get a bit pushy). But the analogue inputs accommodate a pre-amplified turntable, the digital optical was used for a CD player, the USB-B connected the system to a laptop… and, of course, Bluetooth was handy for use with a smartphone. And then it was really just a case of listening to lots of familiar music, at a variety of volume levels, for as long as I thought I could get away with it… 

• First reviewed February 2024
• Read more about how we test