Review The UK is slowly trudging its way through an economic crisis and belts are being tightened across the country, so what better time to announce a new set of speakers with a price tag of £25,000?

Waterfall's Niagaras: cascade of sound?
Yes, that’s right, for a smidgen less than what many people earn in a year, you can pick up a set of Niagara speakers from French manufacturer Waterfall – the amp, CD player and luxury mansion to sit them in must all be purchased separately.
A little uneasy about sending out review samples, I was instead offered a trip down to retailer WiFi HiFi’s showroom located in sunny Eastbourne on the south coast. Of course, reviewing products on the basis of a demo in a showroom is never ideal, but given the subject matter an exception was made.
At this point, it’s probably also best that I stress I’m not your typical audiophile, but I really was curious as to exactly what 25 grand’s worth of speaker actually sounded like.

Philip Glass's favourite speakers?
Waterfall doesn’t have a warehouse full of these speakers awaiting purchasers. Instead, each set is built to order, with roughly a six-week wait. The cabinet is cut from a single slab of diamond crystal glass, and no expense is spared inside, with the mid-range drivers encased in Nappa leather - the colour of which can be specified upon order.