Now, Kralk Audio:
For me, probably the best sound of the show (depending on the music being played), based on delivering the highest SPPV. The speakers on demo simply had no right to sound that good, considering their modest cost!
I spoke to the chap who made them (built them in his garage) and told him that they were too cheap! He could easily add a grand onto the price, and they'd still be competitive.
Don't get me wrong though, they don't set any new standards for sound reproduction, and aspects of their presentation lacked a little subtlety, namely at the top-end, where with some material the tweeters used could be a little insistent' and slightly nasal sounding, but then when the retail price is £1300, not £13,000, you can't afford to buy the absolute best quality drive units. What's there though, does the job nicely.
These speakers are clearly about the SUM of the parts, not about the 'greatness', or otherwise, of any boutique components, and have been voiced, first and foremost (I suspect mostly by ear), by someone who loves music. At the end of the day, it's a music lover's speaker, not a tool for analysing test tones or wallowing in superficial 'hi-fi effects'.
In that respect, the Kralks never failed to sound nicely open and communicative, especially when reproducing acoustic instruments, such as sax and piano. Vocals were also rendered convincingly and with natural clarity, although perhaps the midrange lacked the beguiling 'hear-through' quality and forensic levels of insight one gets with the very best loudspeakers.
Low-frequencies were tight, tuneful and nicely extended, and as such, bass-driven/rhythmic music bopped along with an infectious elan, producing that all-important 'fun factor', which promotes extended listening sessions, and if one is so inclined, boogying around the room!
The Kralks may not be your first choice as a truly neutral monitor, or for in-depth analysis into the minutiae of musical mixes, but for anyone with a budget of around £1500, who wants a decent sized stand-mounted speaker, beautifully built and finished too I may add, and likes their favourite tunes to put a smile on their face, with a design that possess no small measure of musical ability, then the Kralks are the 'fun listen' you've been looking for!
For the money, I really can't recommend them highly enough. My advice? If you're in the market for speakers like this, then grab them NOW before the manufacturer realises he's giving them away, and the price goes up accordingly!!
I would be very happy to see these fantastic speakers promoted and sold on AoS: Details here:
http://kralkaudio.com/
Marco.