"These speakers don't shout at you. They just gently open your ears to a whole new world of appreciation. At the beginning of many sounds there is a brief burst of activity before the sound settles down. Our microphones, mixing consoles and tape machines pick it up, but our traditional loudspeakers do not react quickly enough to reproduce it. As a result, much of the colour that is being shaped in the studio is not being faithfully recreated in our homes. These speakers, however, are so responsive this lost detail has at last started to be revealed. As a consequence I find that their reproduction of certain instruments is the best I've ever heard."

Simon Rhodes Biography

Simon Rhodes joined Abbey Road Studios in 1987 after completing an honours Degree in Physics and Music. As Senior Recording Engineer, Simon is internationally respected for his versatility and exemplary standards throughout the film and music industries.

Simon has a wealth of classical experience and has engineered many major Hollywood film scores as well as co-producing many soundtrack albums. He has long-standing association with many film composers including James Horner, John Williams, Trevor Jones and John Debney and has recorded the music for such films as A Beautiful Mind (2001), The Mask of Zorro (1998), Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Notting Hill (1999), Thirteen Days (2000) Cut Throat Island (1995), The Passion (2004) and Phantom of the Opera (2004).

Simon has also made many memorable classical recordings including Berlioz's Les Troyens in 2001 with the Colin Davis and the LSO which picked up many accolades and awards and Puccini's Tosca with Antonio Pappano, Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna for EMI Classics in 2002.

The 44th Grammy Awards (2001)

+ Best Classical Album

Title of the Work: Berlioz: Les Troyens GRAMMY Winner: Artists: Ben Heppner, Kenneth Tarver, Michelle DeYoung, Peter Mattei, Petra Lang, Sara Mingardo & Stephen Milling Conductor: Colin Davis Producer: James Mallinson Chorus: London Symphony Chorus Engineer: Simon Rhodes Orchestras: London Symphony Orchestra & London Symphony Orchestra

+ Best Opera Recording

Title of the Work: Berlioz: Les Troyens GRAMMY Winner: Artists: Ben Heppner, Kenneth Tarver, Michelle DeYoung, Peter Mattei, Petra Lang, Sara Mingardo & Stephen Milling Conductor: Colin Davis Producer: James Mallinson Chorus: Royal Opera House Chorus - Covent Garden Engineer: Simon Rhodes Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra