Reach The Parts Other Hi-Fi Speakers Cannot

FOR Energetic sound; good detail; compact size

AGAINST Nothing at this size and price

Our current favourite budget speakers are Dali’s Spektor 2s. For £200, you get a dynamic and involving sound that puts most rivals to shame when it comes to getting to the core of the music.

But what if the Spektor 2s’ 29cm tall physique is too big, or if that price is just a stretch too far? In either case, you might want to consider the babies of the range, the Spektor 1s, instead. These deliver pretty much all the good points of their bigger brothers, just in a scaled-down form.

The 1s are almost toy-like. At just shy of 24cm, they’re about twice as tall as a CD case and not much wider. These speakers will fit into all sorts of shelves and spaces most serious hi-fi speakers wouldn’t. We see them as an ideal partner for a micro system or part of a starter separates set-up – or even either side of a TV.

Far and wide