Audiovector R3 Arreté Floorstanding Speakers

By high-end standards, the R3 Arretés are something of a left-field choice. They’re relatively small, and are obviously related to cheaper products. But Audiovector has done a superb job here, adding a smorgasbord of ingredients that turn the basic R3 recipe into one that can take on the best even at this elevated level. These Arretés should be seen as more than just tweaked R3s - they’re brilliant speakers in their own right.

Timbral accuracy is unassailable. Make a playlist of the jazz and pop voices you like best—that’s what I did—and you’ll hear them represented with complete faithfulness to the recorded essence of their distinctive vocal instruments. Sinatra, Tormé, Billie, Ella, James Taylor, Rickie Lee Jones—every one had me hanging on his or her every word. The same goes for actual instruments. The Audiovectors readily differentiate Stradivarius from Guarneri, Telecaster from Stratocaster, trumpet from cornet from flugelhorn.

In the Audiovector R 3 Arreté, Mads and the team have created a hugely able yet relatively compact high-end loudspeaker. Its innovative design means that not only can it hold its own amongst the best of the rest at the price, but it's room-friendly in both sonic and aesthetic respects too.