Floorstanding loudspeakers — Audio Pro A48

The A48 is a pair of active floorstanding speakers from the Swedish brand Audio Pro, designed as a stereo setup for a television and for streaming music around the home. All electronics are inside the cabinets, so the pair replaces a soundbar, amplifier and streamer in one purchase. It was listed in the UK at GBP 960 and is offered in white or black, with removable magnetic grilles on the front.

Key specs that matter

The built-in amplification totals 320 W, split into 2 x 130 W and 2 x 30 W channels. Each speaker combines twin 5.25 inch woofers with a 2 inch BMR driver handling the upper range. The quoted frequency range spans 30 Hz to 25 kHz, and the streaming section handles high resolution files of up to 24 bit and 96 kHz. Each cabinet stands 870 mm tall, 215 mm wide and 265 mm deep and weighs 10.5 kg. Wired inputs comprise HDMI ARC, optical TOSLINK and an analogue RCA line input. Wireless connections are dual band WiFi at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, plus Bluetooth.

Engineering and use context

A BMR, or balanced mode radiator, is a flat panel driver that works in pistonic motion at lower frequencies and in bending modes higher up, which lets one unit cover a wider band than a conventional dome tweeter. Pairing it with two woofers per side and separate amplifier channels means each driver group has its own amplifier channel rather than sharing a single passive crossover load. The HDMI ARC connection lets the television control power and volume, which is how Audio Pro presents the A48 as an alternative to a soundbar. Three multiroom methods are supported - Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast built-in and the Audio Pro multiroom system - so the pair can be grouped with speakers from other brands or with other Audio Pro models. Audio Pro lists power consumption at 5.2 W in operation at idle and 1.85 W in networked standby.

Pairing

A television with HDMI ARC is the main intended source, with a phone, tablet or computer handling streaming through the app or through Cast and AirPlay. The optical socket suits a games console or an older TV, and a disc player, or a record deck connected through a phono preamplifier, can use the RCA line input. For listeners who want extra low end in a 20 m2 space, an Audio Pro SW-10 powered subwoofer is available from the same brand and connects by a single cable.

Alternatives

The Audio Pro A38 W is the smaller floorstanding pair in the range, using 2 x 75 W Class D amplification and 4.5 inch woofers.