The depth of it’s musical insight and the ability to maximise it so readily is what sets the Alumine 5-SX apart from its more affordable siblings: that ability to fasten on not just the musical performance but on the purpose and intent behind it. To do so with such clarity is impressive indeed. The SX ticks all the sonic and audiophile boxes, but it is the coherence, intelligibility and musical literacy of its performance as a whole that makes it genuinely special. The clear road map to achieving those results, both in terms of system and set-up, is just the icing on the cake.
The Alumine 5 has always been a long-term partner, a speaker that you live with rather than a stepping-stone to bigger and better things. It’s a sure mark of its musical coherence and communicative qualities. The A5-SX hasn’t just improved the breed, it has elevated its performance to a completely new level. As I said in the separate commentary on the SX base as an upgrade, it’s hard to credit that what is essentially an inert lump of metal, can bring such energising vitality and human agency to a loudspeaker. The Alumine 5 and its SE version were speakers that could and would grow with your system and your musical ambitions. The A5-SX takes that further still. This is a speaker whose sheer musical insight won’t just grow with you, it will help you grow, expanding your access and your horizons. Perhaps it’s just as well that the Alumine 5-SX looks so different and distinctive: its performance certainly is!
Price and availability
Stenheim Alumine 5-SX loudspeakers –
$89,500 USD (plus local sales tax)/pair
€81,100 (plus local sales tax)/pair
Manufacturer:
Stenheim Switzerland SA
Net. www.stenheim.com
