ProAc D20R review

While we at What Hi-Fi? pride ourselves on covering all the latest products, the ProAc D20R isn’t one of them. In fact, this model has been on the market since 2014 and somehow managed to avoid being on our radar. Given the number of new products launched every year, important components can sometimes fall through the cracks despite our best efforts. Better late than never, as the saying goes, and we finally have a pair of these ProAc floorstanding speakers in our test room. We are glad we have, as they prove charmers of the highest order. The sales figures back this up, with these floorstanders at the core of the company’s output worldwide and its best-seller in the UK home market.

Build

Those looking for high-tech highlights are in for a disappointment here. ProAc’s products, as good as they have been in our experience, are rarely on the cutting edge of technology. But, in a sector as mature as the speaker market, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The company has always been about blending great quality, well-proven ingredients and sensible engineering to produce something that, quite often, sounds exceptional.

Take the D20R out of their well-thought-out packaging and it is easy to understand their appeal. At just short of 98cm tall they are unlikely to dominate in the kind of modestly proportioned rooms that are so common in the UK, and they are styled in a functional and unobtrusive way. Build quality is excellent, with the slim cabinet exhibiting crisp edges and great attention to details such as veneer-matching and high-quality speaker terminals. They have recently gained magnetically held grilles, which just makes the front look a bit cleaner. We wish that the supplied spikes had proper nuts so a spanner could be used to lock them into place rather than rely on finger grip strength, but beyond that, there is little to complain about.

There is a good choice of finishes with six standard options (black ash, mahogany, oak, cherry, walnut and white silk) and a number of more exotic alternatives available for a modest (around 12 per cent) premium.

Design & engineering

The technical highlight here is the use of ProAc’s well-proven ribbon tweeter. This 10 x 60mm design has long been used to good effect in the company’s premium Response range. It has a damped chamber behind the diaphragm to help with dynamics and clarity, and unusually uses an Alnico magnet-based motor system rather than the more fashionable Neodymium alternative on performance grounds. The company makes a slightly cheaper version of this speaker with a capable soft dome tweeter, but in our experience, its ribbon models tend to produce clearer and more insightful results, though they prove more exacting in terms of angling towards the listening position.

The D20R’s 16.5cm mid/bass unit is almost as impressive as the tweeter. It has a woven glass fibre cone, a generous motor system mounted to a rigid chassis and an unusual acrylic phase plug to help even out the response at the top end of its operating frequency range. The mid/bass is tuned by a downward firing port that exits in the gap between the base of the cabinet and the plinth. Such a design is claimed to make the speaker’s bass performance more consistent across a wider range of placements in a room, and that proves true in use, though these floorstanders still need space around them to shine. ProAc claims an impressive 28Hz low-end extension, but doesn’t quote the output level limit at that frequency.

Compatibility

ProAc’s speakers tend to be easy to drive and the D20R continues that tradition. Its sensitivity is rated at (a very precise) 88.5dB/W/m and nominal impedance is conventional at 8 ohms. We partner these speakers with a range of amplification, from the relatively modest Arcam A15 and PMC Cor high-end integrated to our reference Burmester 088/911 Mk III combination and don’t have an issue.

Unfussy as the D20R may be in terms of electrical matching, they are still transparent enough to demand good quality partnering equipment. We would look to the level of the Rega Planar 8 turntable, Cyrus 40 ST music steamer and the Naim Nait XS3 integrated amplifier as good starting points, while acknowledging that these towers have enough sonic stretch to accommodate more ambitious products. Avoid bright or aggressive-sounding products as these will make the D20R sound a little edgy and hard.

When it comes to positioning, we end up with them around 70cm out from the rear wall in our 3 x 7 x 5m test room and well away from the sides to get a good tonal balance and make the most of their excellent stereo imaging capabilities. It pays to take a bit of time to fine-tune the toe-in angle towards the listening position, but once that’s done, these speakers deliver an expansive soundstage; one that’s impressively broad and deep while retaining an excellent degree of focus.

Sound

As we listen to Hymn To The Fallen by John Williams, the D20R does a great job of laying out the orchestra in front of us. The presentation extends well beyond the other edges of the speakers and displays a lovely sense of depth. It is easy to pinpoint the precise location of instruments and enjoy the stability of the stereo image as this emotionally charged piece builds.

These ProAcs dig up a good amount of detail but it is the cohesive way all that information is organised that sets them apart from all but the very best of the competition. There is admirable composure when the music gets demanding and an ability to allow the listener to move focus between various instrumental stands without losing track of the piece as a whole.

If you are looking for tonal neutrality we think that the current Award-winners in this price sector, the Spendor A7, deliver more even results than the D20R. There is a mild degree of tailoring to this speaker’s frequency response, call it character if you like, that puts a little bit more emphasis on both frequency extremes. But this is by no means excessive and is subtle enough to just add a bit of sparkle to the presentation.

What a sound it is, being engaging, punchy and agile while delivering all the insight and sophistication we would expect from a speaker at this level. Large-scale dynamic shifts are delivered with a surprising degree of heft given the D20R’s modest size and there is a generally pleasing degree of muscularity.

We haven’t even got to the ProAc’s superpower yet. Switching to Beyoncé’s Just for Fun track from the Cowboy Carter album reveals a wonderfully fluid and expressive midrange that just captivates the listener’s attention. These ProAcs are masters at communicating the passion in her voice, and do so with quite stunning nuance and flair. More specifically, the midrange is articulate, exhibiting a degree of sweetness and natural warmth that is hard to resist.

They are good rhythmically too, showing a pleasing amount of verve and drive with songs such as Texas Hold ’Em. If you are looking for speakers that appeal to the head, heart and feet then these floorstanders fit the bill superbly.

Verdict

It is some testament to ProAc that a decade-old design can still compete with the very best at its price. The D20R are excellent speakers. They are compact, well made, beautifully finished and have a sound, when matched with care, that just grabs the listener's heartstrings and never lets go. We can’t do anything other than highly recommend these towers.

First reviewed: February 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 4

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