Pioneer S71

Pioneer S71 Package review

Pioneer's efforts as a speaker manufacturer can often be overlooked in favour of its more widely recognised efforts in electronics and the great – if doomed – Kuro plasma project. Despite this, the Japanese giant has produced a number of interesting designs over the years and, in both construction and performance, its high-end TAD models are on par with most rival high-end speakers. Some of this thinking has been making its way down to less rarefied price points and more than a bit of it can be found inside the S-71 series tested here. Back to Black This sextet comprises a pair of the S-71 floorstanders, another pair of S-71B standmounts as surrounds, the S-71C centre speaker and the S-71W subwoofer. All arrived for review finished in satin black, which appears to be making some headway over gloss in being 'the new black', but when covering something as large as the S-71 centre, can be slightly austere. In a modern apartment these speakers will look superb, but they can dominate more traditional surroundings. Fit and finish is absolutely top notch, however. Rapping your knuckles on the cabinets will result in little in the way of resonance. You can spend a lot more money for less solid construction than this.