Wilson Benesch Curve review

Great-sounding, good-looking speakers, and come closer to being all things to all people than any rival we’ve heard Tested at £5200.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Not perfect, but as close as we’ve heard at this level

Pros

  • +

    Superb projection

  • +

    speakers almost seem to vanish

Cons

  • -

    Not cheap

  • -

    can be a little bright and lack some solidity

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What do you expect from a pair of speakers costing over five grand? That they should sound good is a given. We suspect most will also want something that's compact, good-looking, and built to a fabulously high standard. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome Wilson Benesch's new babies, the Curves.

Now it must be said, they aren't flawless. They are a touch bright at high frequencies, and lack the kind of rock-solid presentation some rivals deliver with ease. However, these negatives pale against the Curve's formidable array of strengths: they project sound better than almost anything else we've heard at this price.

Controlled resonance
The controlled resonance of the cabinets must take credit for this, as the sound is almost independent of the speakers themselves. Close your eyes and it's almost impossible to locate the speakers within the room.

Despite their compact dimensions, these towers aren't afraid of pounding out a heavy beat when the music demands. The 17cm middle drive unit looks after everything from the midrange down, while the lower driver only delivers very low bass only.

Voices are pure and have superb levels of articulation. Test them with Holst's Jupiter and the Curves deliver a sound that combines finesse with muscle in staggeringly good style. These are great-sounding, good-looking speakers, and come closer to being all things to all people than any rival we've heard.

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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