If personal circumstances dictate that you need a really small but high-quality loudspeaker, look no further! The resident genius boffins at Neat Acoustics have once again moved the goalposts and produced a tiny loudspeaker that delivers a big sound, packed with character, swagger and groove. Read on to discover a little more about the stunning new Iota II.

Balance and Flow

Hand-built in the North of England and voiced by ear, these diminutive beauties have had no expense spared when it comes to their design and build quality.

A 100 mm polypropylene mid/bass driver combines with a 50 mm vertical planar magnetic tweeter, housed within a compact 2.6-litre, rear-ported cabinet that has been carefully tuned for balance and flow.

close up of that secret weapon planar magnetic tweeter

The drive units are fed by a carefully conceived, ear-tuned, three-element crossover network that employs low-loss air-core inductors and high-grade polypropylene capacitors. This crossover has been refined through careful auditioning, helping the Iota II capture not only precision and balance, but also the emotion that makes music feel alive.

The speakers are available in satin black and satin white finishes.

A Space Opera

So, I hear you ask... what do they sound like?

I will simply say that listening to them play the prog-rock epic Into the Electric Castle by Ayreon was almost a religious experience.

Nimble and Hefty

The open, airy sweetness of the planar magnetic tweeter was the gateway into a clean, wide-open soundstage. Combined with that nimble yet hefty bass driver, it allowed me to listen deep into the mix with ease.

The vocal interplay, featuring Fish, Sharon den Adel, Anneke van Giersbergen and Damian Wilson, amongst others, was addictively engaging and transparent. I was especially struck by how easy it was to follow every word, without any annoying intrusion from overblown midrange or bass.

The first ten minutes or so of this album have been a permanent fixture on my list of demonstration tracks for years. Played through the Neats, this opening section sounded totally immense as time and space collided!

Clarity, Rhythm and Life

Every time I listen to these mini marvels, I am amazed by their ability to produce an almost holographic, three-dimensional stereo image filled with clarity, rhythm and life.

This is partly because there is very little front baffle surrounding the drive units, and very little cabinet around or behind them to resonate or introduce colouration of any kind.

Genius!

nice chunky binding posts and a bass port

An Ending of Sorts

Summing up, I have to say that the Neat Iota II are compelling and, above all, great fun to listen to.

Small enough to fit pretty much anywhere, the Iota II perform beautifully on shelves, sideboards or dedicated stands. They also make excellent little desktop monitors. Wherever they are placed, they fill the room with a sound that feels open, engaging and alive.

Compact, confident and unmistakably Neat, the Iota II bring the full spirit of music to almost any space.

They are especially well suited to the current crop of all-in-one streaming systems, from which a very high level of sound quality can be achieved, particularly where space may be at a premium.