British hi-fi manufacturer Monitor Audio has announced that "access to greater economies" has allowed it to cut the cost of its S300 system and five-star ASB-2 soundbar.
The company didn't go into specifics about the nature of the economies, suffice to say the ASB-2 now costs just £800 – down from £1000 – and there's a £100 saving on the S300 (£250).
MORE: Read all our all-in-one system reviews
Last year's Awards saw the ASB-2 named Best Soundbar £800+ after we had declared that it was "well worth the investment" at £1000 – so a £200 saving can only be good.
Monitor Audio conceived the product as the "ultimate audio hub" for your home, and it offers Apple AirPlay, DLNA and UPnP connections to desktop and portable devices alike.
It boasts three HDMI inputs and a HDMI output for 1080p/3D video pass-through, as well as digital S/PDIF optical and coaxial inputs and stereo analogue RCAs.
Under the cover, five discrete power amp stages direct a total of 160W to six proprietary C-CAM drivers and it will achieve a frequency response between 20Hz and 20kHz.
MORE: Monitor Audio ASB-2 review
Meanwhile, the S300 music system is designed for "audio fans looking for high-tech audio design features and easy-to-use wireless technology" contained in a single unit.
You will be able to hook up your wi-fi network and stream music from iTunes, Spotify and apps installed on your smartphone, tablet or PC.
The S300 offers a frequency response of 55Hz-30kHz and incorporates a two-way system that comprises four DSP-controlled amplifiers driving four C-CAM speakers.
Both the ASB-2 and the S300 are now available at their revised prices.
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by Pete Hayman
