Floorstanding loudspeakers — System Audio SA saxo 60

The SA saxo 60 is a passive floorstander in the SA saxo family made by System Audio A/S, a Danish loudspeaker firm founded in 1984 by Ole Witthøft. The family also includes the saxo 1 and saxo 5 compact models, the saxo 10 centre, the saxo 40 floorstander and the saxo 50. Unlike the other pairs in the range, the saxo 60 ships as a single speaker, packed with one front grille and four rubber pads, and it was listed at EUR 1,599.

Key specs that matter

The slim baffle holds four drivers. A 1 inch T25DXT titanium tweeter is mounted above three 5.25 inch SA W1408 woofers, and the enclosure is tuned by a reflex port that opens on the back panel. System Audio quotes a frequency range of 40 Hz to 25,000 Hz within 3 dB, a sensitivity of 88 dB measured at 2.83 V and 1 m in half space, and an impedance of 4 to 8 ohm. Power handling reaches 170 W, and the maker gives 50 W as the minimum amplifier output. The enclosure is 16.5 cm wide, 96 cm tall and 26 cm deep. The cabinet is painted matt white or matt black, each version with a magnetic fabric grille in the cabinet colour, and single-wire screw terminals take the speaker cable.

Engineering and use context

The DXT lens mounted around the tweeter is a patented System Audio design, intended to spread high frequencies more widely across the room. The saxo woofers have a long stroke, and the manual asks owners to run the speakers at a reasonable level for several days as a break-in period. For floor placement the maker suggests 20 to 40 cm from the rear wall, a greater distance to the side walls than to the back, a listening distance of 2.5 to 3 m and a toe-in of 15 degrees. Rubber pads are supplied for hard floors, and optional spikes are sold separately for carpet, to be fitted after break-in and levelled with counter nuts so the weight rests evenly on all four. The serial number is printed on a label on the back of each cabinet. The manual also advises removing the fabric grille during listening. Registration on the maker website activates a 7-year warranty on drivers and crossover filters beyond the basic 2-year cover.

Pairing

Given its minimum amplifier rating and power handling, the saxo 60 calls for a mid-power amplifier comfortable with low impedance loads. A matching saxo 10 centre, which also works horizontally with its own grille, and compact saxo models can extend it into a home cinema layout.

Alternatives

The SA saxo 40 is a shorter passive tower in the same System Audio saxo line, sold as a pair with front grilles and rubber pads.