But I would also contend that there’s a more rarely acknowledged flip side to this compound coin. And it’s that aluminium, titanium and magnesium-based drivers can prove every bit as true to the source too. Try to hear a pair of Thiel 3.7 reproducing a well-recorded drum kit for example and tell me you have ever heard any non-metallic design come close to matching their aluminium woofers in terms of sheer almost shocking realism and seamless energy transfer. And it’s testament to the comparatively tiny GX100 Ltd that they successfully brought this classic design to mind. In fact, even in regard to the more papery qualities extolled by Srajan—timbral & harmonic complexity etc—Fostex’s newer implementation of magnesium actually represent a noteworthy step up from my own Esoterics. My MG10 did indeed sound drier in comparison, the Fostex a bit dewier particularly toward the higher frequencies. In terms of both overall scale and broadband imaging, the Esoteric held sway but remember that they did cost almost double the sticker, £3.5K, as well as boasting twice the internal cabinet volume.

Fin. I liked the GX100 Ltd straight off the bat even during the initial (blessedly short) running in period when hooked up to a well-worn Arcam Alpha CD player and 30wpc Kenwood KA-3020 integrated amp. And my admiration only continued to grow. Beautifully assembled, featuring cutting-edge tech and refreshingly unfussy about partnering equipment despite the on-paper efficiency figures, they even emerged victorious in the face of the all-conquering KEFs. Well, sort of.

That price differential—a whopping £1'200 here in the UK—was very much the 900lb gorilla in the listening room. Of course here in dear old Blighty, the home-grown champs have a distinct advantage at the checkout but the comparison did bring the issue of cost very much to a head. Now, we are all aware that double the price almost never means double the fun but the KEFs deserve huge praise for entailing that the law of diminishing returns now bites earlier and harder than ever. And consequently their USP is as obvious as it is tempting: real good old-fashioned value for money. The GX’s USP on the other hand is more elusive to pin down since their appeal lies more in an amalgam of small victories that successfully add up to more than the sum of the parts. Would I personally be prepared to hand over the plastic to access the extra degree of sophistication they have over the LS50? Well yes, because the same law that entails the KEFs offering very stiff competition cuts both ways - meaning in turn that the GX too knock hard on the door of designs costing a lot more, designs such as my own Esoteric MG10. In a final reckoning I would, predictably I suppose, line up all three on the grid in order of price but as we’ve seen, this doesn’t in itself tell the full story. So, although the asking price will prove a hurdle for some, the Fostex GX100 Ltd come with less ‘ifs’ & ‘buts’ than any similarly sized model I’ve ever heard. If you are short on real estate but still crave a fully formed and cultured sound, here is your solution.

Fostex global website

Fostex UK distributor's website