ProAc Response D28 review

They may not look anything special, but once you hear these ProAcs you'll understand why they're so good Tested at £3250.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Another excellent product from ProAc: partnered well, these might be all the speakers you need

Pros

  • +

    Sweet, transparent and insightful sound

  • +

    excellent bass

  • +

    build

  • +

    great refinement

Cons

  • -

    Look ordinary

  • -

    need a decent amount of space to work well

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

These ProAcs look ordinary. There's nothing in the D28's appearance or specifications that suggests these are anything more than a grand's worth of floorstander.

The build is solid, and the wood veneer is of good quality, but have no doubt that the similarly priced B&W 804s stomp all over them for static appeal, due to the latter's higher driver count, elegantly curved cabinets, and ProAc-beating appearance. And that's without delving deep into B&Ws extensive armoury of proprietary technology.

Proof is in the sonic perfection
Game over for the Proacs, then? Well, the proof is – as always – in the listening. Do that, and it's the D28's rivals that start to look on shaky ground.

Spin Nitin Sawhney's Prophesy, and the bass performance is special. Shostakovich's String Quartet No 8 is a haunting piece, and the ProAcs get straight to the heart of it. In no time, you're ignoring the hi-fi and concentrating on the music.

We've heard speakers that go louder, deeper, and have more attack for the money, but nothing that does so many things so well. Audition these D28s.

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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