Excuse the dust, but we've had to consult the famous What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision archives. And we could barely believe our eyes: we first reviewed the B&W MT-30 package in September 2005.
Little has changed – even the price remains the same. Yet it is still a staggeringly accomplished performer and – spoiler alert – still the best system at this price level.
Five M-1 satellites are joined by the legendary, multi-Award-winning PV1 subwoofer, the star of B&W's AV range and the most revolutionary sub we've come across. The system looks as lustrous as ever, the black finish ensuring there's no hint of the style having dated over the years.
Small speaker terminals will require bare wire rather than terminated speaker cable in order to connect them, after which you'll be able to integrate your cable, stand and speaker snugly into a tidy package.
PV1 subwoofer is star of the show
That curvaceous subwoofer is the star of the show. Muscular, agile and tight bass lines are soon forthcoming, with the Blu-ray disc of Saving Private Ryan again coming to our rescue when an all-out surround sound barrage of the senses is required. The power and weight never dominates either, the PV1 doing fine work without a fanfare.
This speed and power underpins the B&W sound and gives the system the base on which to build real dynamic excitement and tension.
The M-1 satellites take up the baton and deliver a sound with scale and space that's unrivalled here, sounds comfortably filling our large listening room.
We do advise a modicum of caution when choosing your partnering electronics, as bright-sounding kit could send this system over the edge at times. Otherwise, it's full steam ahead for the MT-30 system. In this price sector it is – still – the system to beat.
