Neat Acoustics Elite Classic Floorstanding Speakers

Neat Acoustics builds loudspeakers by hand in Barnard Castle, County Durham. Bob Surgeoner founded the company in 1989 and has designed for it since. Measurements inform the process; the final judgement is always made by ear.

The Elite Classic is the tallest of the three current Classic models at 90 cm, on a footprint of 20 by 18 cm. It is a two-way floorstander, tuned by ear, and Neat quotes a frequency response of 25 Hz to 22 kHz — the deepest reach in the Classic range.

Impedance is 8 ohms average with a 5 ohm minimum, and the recommended amplifier range is 25 to 150 watts. Each pair is matched by hand before it leaves the workshop, so the two cabinets behave as one instrument rather than as two speakers that happen to be the same model.

The design brief is scale and authority beyond what the footprint suggests. A 20 by 18 cm base is a small floorstander by any measure. Against the Mystique Classic it stands 12 cm taller and Neat quotes it 5 Hz lower. The tuning goes into poise and flow — how the speaker holds a three-dimensional space and lets instruments separate within it — rather than into any single part of the frequency range.

Hand-built in the north of England.

Four finishes: Black Oak, Natural Oak, American Walnut and Satin White. Priced per pair.

Configuration: Two-way floorstander

Frequency Response: 25 Hz – 22 kHz

Impedance: 8 ohms average; 5 ohms minimum

Recommended Amplifier Power: 25 – 150 watts

Dimensions (H × W × D): 90 × 20 × 18 cm

Finishes: Black Oak, Natural Oak, American Walnut, Satin White

Pairs matched by hand.

Hand-built in the north of England.