Wharfedale DS-2 Black (Pair)

Based on the now-discontinued DS-1, a similarly diminutive pair of Bluetooth speakers widely acknowledged as the best available under £200 – “petite little desktop speakers that sound fantastic for the money,” said What Hi-Fi? whilst presenting them with an Award in 2015.

In contrast to most Bluetooth speakers, the DS-2 is a pair of proper two-way hi-fi speakers shrunk to desktop size, standing just 190mm high, 120mm wide and 140mm deep.

The mid/bass driver’s cone is fashioned from woven polypropylene, chosen for its ideal combination of lightness, strength and low coloration. Both drive units are protected by specially designed metal grilles, while a rear-firing port augments low-frequency performance to provide bass that’s surprisingly deep and punchy for the speakers’ size.

Inside the master speaker nestles new-generation, high-performance digital amplification outputting 2x15W continuous and 2x30W peak. This drives the treble and mid/bass units via a high-quality crossover network containing select audio-grade.

Bluetooth provides simple wireless pairing with smartphones, tablets, PCs and Macs, complete with support for the sonically superior aptX codec. Flexibility is further enhanced by a 3.5mm analogue stereo input and supplied cable.