High End 2013

Neat Acoustics’ shocking pink Motive SX2 was easily the most diverting pair of affordable speakers in Munich. It’s a pity there were two of them; the caption "Bob’s little pink thing" would have been good! Bob Surgeoner is Neat, and the Motive SX range replaces the eight-year-old Motive models. These come in at £1000/pair for the SX3 bookshelf, £1500/pair for the SX2, and £2000/pair for the larger SX1 floorstander (pink finish comes at a premium, however). The main difference between the Motive and Motive SX ranges is a new anodized-aluminum tweeter that replaces a titanium type and is designed for today’s streaming and hi-res sources. The sweeter treble of high-res digital sources compared to CD means you can use a more revealing tweeter, according to Bob. There have also been changes to cabinet bracing and the inclusion of upgraded crossover components.