Quadral Signo 5.1 speakers

Quadral’s German engineers know how to have fun with extruded aluminium shapes and flattened drive units. But at least their strange predilections mean that we’re getting to see some extraordinary all-metal home cinema speakers. The latest is the Signo series, which boasts some of the slimmest and most rigid cabinets on the market.

And, with all the brushed aluminium, wooden panels and glass pedestals, they’re some of the funkiest-looking speakers on the scene too. To make sure the Signos don’t clash with your décor, each speaker has interchangeable side cheeks. You can buy these wooden columns separately, choosing from beach, cherry, silver or black finishes. The base plates come in metal and glass options, too.

Anyone eager to assemble a Signo system would be wise not to be seduced by the cheaper 5.0 option and skip on the subwoofer. The Sub 250 DV is essential in this setup as the other five speakers are a little bass-shy.

Clarity is the key ingredient of the rear and centre channels in an average movie mix and the Signo 200 and Signo 200 Base (the centre speaker) can deliver. The .1 LFE channel can then be handled exclusively by the sub. When given a subtle Dolby TrueHD surround soundtrack, like that of The Fountain on Blu-ray, the rear speakers do a fine job of picking out fine atmospheric detail like creaking doors.

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