This is a love letter from a proud owner of our SBS.1 active speaker system. We're humbled and grateful that we can help bring joy and passion for music into people's lives like this! If you are curious about Sigberg Audio speakers, reading this is a great introduction to the experience of owning a pair! 😍 

The hunt for a system that could play rock and "non-hifi" music

"I have always dreamed about a system where I can play any kind of music, and it will sound great no matter what. Now I have it, and I almost have to pinch myself to believe it's true. But let me start from the beginning.

I used to wish I enjoyed typical 'hifi music'. It would certainly make life easier.  Sure, jazz and acoustic music could sound impressive. However, I quickly got bored and switched to what I really wanted to listen to. But then it didn't sound so impressive anymore. It just didn't feel the same with metal or electronic music. And hard rock from the '80s? Forget about it.

I had to compromise. I hunted for speakers with a warm sound because I couldn't bear the thought of guitar riffs becoming unbearable at higher volumes. At the same time I wanted detail and clarity, but it seemed impossible to have it all. Then I discovered SBS.1 from Sigberg Audio.

Constantly swapping equipment without getting closer to the goal

'Too expensive' was my first thought when I caught a glimpse of the new speakers from Sigberg Audio on Hifisentralen (Norwegian Audio forum). Nevertheless, there was something about them that intrigued me. These speakers were not 'mercilessly revealing.' Could this be what I had been dreaming of?

High-end sound that allows for air guitars? 

The idea of SBS.1's features stuck with me, and I was also tired of constantly swapping equipment. When I thought about how much my equipment swapping had cost me, it didn't seem terribly expensive to consider buying an SBS.1 setup from Sigberg Audio.

I had to learn more. The development thread for SBS.1 on Hifisentralen was a good resource. I started from the beginning of the thread to gather all the information I could about these speakers. It didn't take long before I got excited. A dedicated driver for midbass! Could that be part of what I was missing? Why my system often sounded thin and unengaging? The fact that the speakers were designed to play with a subwoofer was a stroke of genius. Almost all speakers, no matter how big they are, need a subwoofer to sound really great. I also liked the idea of small stand-mount speakers that could be placed close to the wall, and the fact that this was a complete system. Plug and play! But was it too good to be true? Could it really be this easy to get the sound I wanted?

Making the decision to buy

As I began to read listening impressions from experienced hifi enthusiasts who were used to large and heavy setups, all doubt disappeared. It took something special to impress these seasoned enthusiasts, but one after another, they shared shocking and eye-opening experiences after hearing the sound of SBS.1 paired with Sigberg Audio subwoofers. And they played Rammstein and Rage Against the Machine! Incredible! It was settled. I decided to buy a pair of SBS.1 and an Inkognito 10 subwoofer.

Listening impressions

Although Sigberg Audio is often associated with dynamic range and capacity, it was something entirely different that caught my attention the first time I heard the SBS.1 speakers in my living room. I had just connected them, and was only testing to see if I had sound with a random song. I hadn't intended to listen to music. The speakers were still far from being properly set up on the floor, and the subwoofer wasn't adjusted. But something caught my attention. I was astonished to find myself listening much longer than I had planned. This sounded like real instruments! Nothing stood out, and there was no typical 'sound signature' as I was used to from other speakers. Just authentic, live music. It was almost surreal to have such an experience from a stereo system.

Since then, I've spent many hours in front of SBS.1 and Inkognito 10. While I still don't listen much to typical 'hifi music,' I enjoy a wide range of other genres. I can play any kind of music, and it sounds great regardless. It's absolutely mind-blowing when I play impactful metal or electronic music. And the '80s hard rock has truly made a comeback; old albums from Accept and Scorpions that I had given up on are now flourishing like never before. Even classical music is a completely different experience to listen to. There's nothing hermetic about the reproduction, and it feels like the symphony orchestra has taken a seat in my living room. Real instruments! Even alternative music like deathrock, darkwave, and post-punk sounds absolutely fantastic. Not genres known for having sound quality as the primary focus..

I used to think it was impossible for the same speakers to convincingly reproduce death metal, baroque, techno, and gritty punk in a way that made you feel like the speakers were made for that exact genre. Now, I have speakers from Sigberg Audio."

-Ivar Teigland

Want the same experience as Ivar? Check out the Sigberg Audio SBS.1 active speaker system!