Test bench

Atlantis Lab AT16 review by LeBeauSon

Atlantis Lab AT16: a compactness that hides some very beautiful things

The AT16 speaker is a compact floorstanding speaker with features full of promise, as well as surprises. A two-way speaker, it nevertheless has three drivers. The high section is handled by a 1-inch compression driver, decoupled from the front for even more transparency, and the mid-bass is handled by a pair of 13cm drivers, one on the front... and the other, not conventionally, at the rear. This last point is important for the placement of the speaker, relatively close to the wall. The efficiency is striking for a speaker of this size: almost 95dB/1w/1m. It generously handles 160 Watts nominal and almost double that at peak. All this allows it to be combined with practically any electronics. Finally, the bandwidth is wide with a bass that goes surprisingly low without false marketing (40Hz at -1dB). The latter is adjusted by means of an adjustable vent. This simple but precise step is recommended to get even more from the AT16 beyond the factory presets, depending on your listening room.

Beautiful in every way

The aesthetics are neat. Slim, slender, slightly pyramidal… it easily finds a place in the living room thanks to its extremely reasonable footprint: the size of a small bookshelf speaker stand (24 x 29 cm). The imitation leather upholstery is successful: the grain is visible but light, the tension is perfect, and the ash-brown or white colors are particularly timeless and happy. The cheeks are made of oak worked with several bevels and grooves to provide additional rigidity and suppression of standing waves and parasitic resonances. The single terminal block at the rear was made in France to exclusive specifications. It is of very fine craftsmanship, made of a high-conductivity copper alloy. The tightening is firm and easy. Bananas and bare wire are accepted. The compression on the front offers a beautiful aluminum collar for a touch of modernity and to emphasize the almost sporty performance of the beauty. The whole is well executed and a great success, able to blend into very varied studios or living rooms, ranging from contemporary to more rustic.

Atlantis Lab AT16: truly impressive listening

The listening experience, finally, lives up to our expectations. Transparency, liveliness, airiness... It has everything a great one would call a famous advertiser. We quickly let ourselves listen to the entire track, then another... The music takes precedence over the rest, and this, in our opinion, is the first proof! Here and there we hear details previously unknown on speakers in this range. The soundstage is vast, precise; the bass is fast and ample; the treble is fine without harshness or projection. The compression is well controlled. The music fills the entire room as if it were obvious, which was not a given given the very reasonable dimensions of the AT16. In fact, nothing is missing... and the compliment is relatively rare. We can clearly see the imprint of Atlantis Lab here, and its quest for neutrality and monitoring. But this quest has not resulted in the detriment of listening pleasure as is sometimes seen in the range. Beyond a nice surprise, this AT16 constitutes a very serious audiophile alternative for almost any living room.