Telling it like it is: Eclipse 307 iPod speakers

Eclipse makes speakers like Rolls Royce make jet engines, and we don't just mean both companies are at the top of their fields, these speakers actually look like jet engines. Though the iPod speakers (pictured) are baby versions of Eclipse's £1200 high-end monsters, they use the same basic principle: reproduce the original sound wave as accurately as possible.

You might think that your hi-fi speakers are playing back what was recorded in the studio, but most cabinets and drivers add 'character' to the sound -- for better or worse. The Eclipse range is designed to be acoustically transparent, reproducing only what was present in the original recording. Traditionally this type of neutral speaker has appealed mainly to audio engineers, but as mainstream taste becomes more refined, we may all end up wanting more from our hi-fi.

Crave listened to the Eclipse TD510s yesterday at Abbey Road Studios, and despite the lack of appealing reference songs, the speakers were gorgeous to behold. The one recording we did recognise, Oscar Peterson, sounded supernaturally crisp. You could hear the wooden hammers against steel as Peterson's chubby fingers danced on the higher notes of the piano. We also heard the occasional hurried breath as he played a particuarly complex run. Audiophiles will go nuts for these, while dilettantes will cringe at the £400 price tag. -CS