Floorstanding loudspeakers — Wilson Benesch Horizon

The Horizon is a compact 2.5-way floorstanding loudspeaker from Wilson Benesch, hand-built in Sheffield, England, and launched at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show in February 2025 at GBP 25,995 per pair. It is the seventh model in the Fibonacci Series, and Wilson Benesch describes it as the most compact floorstander in its reference line and the entry point to the series. Its siblings include the Eminence, Omnium, A.C.T. 3zero, Resolution 3zero, Endeavour 3zero and Discovery 3zero.

Key specs that matter

The driver set is a 25 mm Fibonacci Hybrid Silk-Carbon tweeter and two 170 mm Tactic 3.0 drivers, one working as a midrange and the other as a bass unit. The midrange driver connects directly to the amplifier without a filter, the tweeter is rolled in below 5 kHz with a second-order slope, and the bass driver uses a first-order filter. Frequency response is 35 Hz to 30 kHz, sensitivity is 89 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, and impedance is 6 ohm nominal with a minimum of 4 ohm. The Horizon is 1015 mm tall, with a 194 mm wide baffle, a maximum width of 340 mm and a depth of 360 mm including spikes. Each speaker weighs 38 kg and stands on four M14 spikes with a 1.5 mm thread pitch.

Engineering and use context

In a 2.5-way design two drivers of the same size share the lower range, one running up to the tweeter and the other rolled off earlier to add bass. Leaving the midrange driver without any crossover component takes filter parts out of the path across the midrange band, and the first-order bass filter keeps phase shift between the two Tactic drivers low. The enclosure is the A.C.T. 3zero advanced biocomposite monocoque, which blends a poly-alloy with bio-based composites and was developed through the EU SSUCHY research project. Its curved form stiffens the walls, and because they can be thinner than in a flat-panel box, the cabinet gains internal volume for the same outside size. The mid and bass section vents through a reflex port fitted with a Laminar Flow Guide, while the tweeter sits in its own sealed labyrinth. Bi-wirable terminals are placed at ground level to keep cables out of sight. The standard finish is textured black, and options include burr walnut, ebonised walnut and natural walnut veneers as well as automotive paints such as Senna volcanic orange and Huracan Verde.

Pairing

Its moderate sensitivity and benign impedance make the Horizon an easy load for most solid-state and valve amplifiers of moderate power. Its compact footprint suits rooms of about 20 m2, and the bi-wire terminals allow separate cables for the bass and upper sections.

Alternatives

The Wilson Benesch Resolution 3zero is a larger floorstanding sibling in the same Fibonacci Series.