ProAc K3

Floorstanding speakers

£12,360

“ That degree of low-end emphasis doesn’t stop basslines from sounding articulate and well integrated”

If you judge speakers on their technological content, then we doubt ProAc’s K3 would grab your attention. There are no space-age materials or any sort of engineering masterclass that will have rivals scratching their heads to figure out what the speaker company has done.

These are reasonably large two-way floorstanders with a rectangular wooden cabinet and downward-firing reflex port. Sure, they use a Kevlar cone in their mid/bass drivers and have a ribbon tweeter, but such things are pretty common even at lower price points. To truly appreciate the K3’s design, you have to look to the details and also recognise that this company, more than most, has a long tradition of turning out excellent speakers with what, initially, look like fairly humble ingredients.

The wooden cabinet, for example, is a straightforward 107cm tall rectangular box, with not a hint of curves or rounding of edges. However, it is made of HDF (High Density Fibreboard) rather than the usual MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) for greater rigidity, and carefully damped with bitumen panels to control resonances. The result is a rigid but well-controlled foundation for the drive units to work from. Not flashy, but highly effective. Then there is the wide range of lovely, high-quality finishes. ProAc offers five standard real wood veneer options and a White Silk alternative. Should those not appeal, alternative choices are available at extra cost. Regardless of finish, these speakers look understated but ever so classy. Despite the use of three drive units, the ProAc K3 is a two-way design. The dual 16.5cm Kevlar mid/bass drivers work in parallel and are tuned by a downward-facing port. The port fires directly onto the speaker’s plinth, and the resultant low-frequency soundwave spreads evenly into the room. Using such a port design rather than the more typical rear-firing variety makes the K3 less fussy about their proximity to a wall, and so allows them to be a little easier to place.