These Elacs are designed by Andrew Jones, the same guy who designed the Pioneer home theater system that I use with my other TV. Both systems are great. The Pioneers are "brighter" than the Elacs. This means more zing with symbols, acoustic guitar plucking, etc. However, the pioneers can be overly sibilant, meaning a harshness with the "S" sound, or poorer-quality recordings of '60s music, etc. The Elac speakers do not have this harshness. I would recommend the Elacs to anyone wanting great sound at a modest price.