SIZE MATTERS Why?
Simply because subwoofers are like what used to be said of little children. They should be seen and not heard. Or not seen and not heard. Tiny satellite speakers means a limited frequency coverage in the bass, which inevitably means asking the subwoofer to perform across a frequency range that it is simply incapable of covering without unwanted side effects. Yet sub/sat systems have become increasingly popular over the last few years, leading to only one conclusion, namely that those who buy them have never heard home cinema done right.
This leads in to the subject of this test, which is yet another sub/sat system. What makes this one different? Well, various things, but first I should say that it does not provide a complete answer to the problems of sub/sat design. If you can put up with larger satellite speakers, or move house so that you can do so, then that is the preferred solution. But the Oreus system does at least manage the difficulties better than most. And it certainly is good looking. Correction, the satellite speakers in particular are uncommonly good looking. The long narrow tapered shape is flared directly into the floor standing pedestal (an optional extra) that in our book looks absolutely right as well as being genuinely stylish. It makes most other compact satellites look clumsy. One of the reasons for this is obvious if you look at the drive unit complement, which instead of the usual bass/mid unit plus tweeter consists of a tweeter flanked by two bass/mid units, each of which can afford to be smaller without sacrificing overall radiating area. It is this measure, along with the internal volume of the enclosure and, to a lesser extent, system sensitivity that are the principal factors that determine how far the bass response extends.

The stands are optional, as noted above, but the speakers can be mounted using supplied hardware and placed in portrait or landscape orientation. Or they can be attached to a wall. The arrangement of drive units also suggests that system directivity is focused into a plane (horizontal when the speakers are oriented vertically). This helps generate a wider image, with less reflected energy bounced from the ceiling and floor. The Oreus satellites are also beautifully screwed together. The drive unit diaphragms are made from a proprietary ceramic and aluminium sandwich material called CMMD, which is stiff, light and extremely well damped – ideal for the task. The enclosures are made from well finished aluminium alloy extrusions. The baffle covers are also metallic, a finely perforated mesh. The stands are designed with tilt adjustment to allow the speakers to be directed with precision towards the listener. Unusually, this even applies to the floor pedestals, which have a tilt adjustment built into the base. They also provide full cable management, so that any trailing cables are at ground level and are unlikely to cause the speakers to tip over if caught by an errant foot. In contrast to quite a few other sub/sat systems, the Oreus system is available with five, six or seven satellites, for standard, 6.1- and 7.1- channel ES/EX systems.

BRING ON THE SUB
After the superbly designed satellites, the subwoofer looks almost like an afterthought. But the narrow shape allows it to be hidden away easily. A moderately low satellite system impedance (6Ω) helps buoy sensitivity so that power demands on the satellite Speaker System are not extortionate. But you’ll still need about twice as much power as most full-size speakers for the same volume level and the maximum volume will not be as high. But the Oreus system goes louder than most comparable sub/sat systems, and the satellites have an impressive bass reach of around 100-110Hz before the sub takes over (the optimum crossover frequency is almost always higher than the specified low frequency limit).

CLEAR WINNER
With a slightly dry tone overall when everything has been tuned to perfection, the most obvious quality of the system is that its clarity and unusually good control. The treble is refined and detailed, without the edge of grain and aggression that you often find with other satellites. The same goes for the rest of the band covered by the satellites. Perhaps the use of similar cone and dome materials in both types of drive unit is responsible for this very well matched voicing. This is an excellent system with movies. A little too self controlled for some more flamboyant soundtracks, the loud sequences in U571for example, it is ideal for busy, complex ones that require control and definition and some subtlety– Shrek and Fellowship of the Ring spring to mind. But perhaps the greatest praise that can be given to this talented system is that it works well with exacting stereo and multi channel music recordings without sounding small scale or dynamically compressed.