TEAC LS-H265-B: A Whimsical On-Order Review (Part Two)

Part One｜Part Two

Whether recent domestically made speakers available for around ¥10,000 a pair can genuinely hold up to the demands of a serious Hi-Fi enthusiast — not just the TEAC LS-H625, but across the board — is, honestly, still a somewhat grey area. In terms of objective quality, I think they probably sit in that “above bundled mini-component speakers, below proper Hi-Fi” territory — but for someone who has only ever known the sound of a cheap mini-system or an all-in-one boombox, the LS-H265’s clear, distortion-free sound and generous sense of resonance will surely come as quite a surprise.

That such a clear, unbroken sound can be achieved at such a bargain price is entirely down to the manufacturer’s efforts in design and production — perhaps a testament to a distinctly Japanese kind of conscientiousness.

How Does It Compare to Other Popular Entry-Level Speakers?

This ultimately comes down to personal preference, but assuming you are pairing with something other than TEAC equipment, and if the budget allows, the author would still recommend the DALI ZENSOR1. Or if you are looking at current models, the DALI SPEKTOR1 would be even more the recommendation.

Also, if you find yourself taken with the sound of the LS-H265, upgrading to the company’s coaxial speaker, the S-300NEO, naturally comes into view as a next step. If you have already tried TEAC’s budget amplifiers, USB-DACs, or CD players and liked them, the TEAC LS-301 and TEAC LS-H70A are also fine options, but ideally the S-300NEO should be your first-choice candidate from the outset — that is really the proper way to go about it. ← (In terms of how you allocate your budget, DACs and cables and the like can wait — but this is the one area where you really should not scrimp.) The TEAC S-300NEO has a design that one might describe as being in the realm of Japanese artistic craftsmanship, and the tonal character has both personality and flavour. As an entry point into the rabbit hole of Hi-Fi, it lets you experience both the difficulty of high-quality reproduction — where things you never heard before suddenly become audible — and the depth that draws you ever deeper into the music itself.

More than fifteen years ago, before budget AV surround speakers from domestic manufacturers flooded the market, if you asked whether you could buy a decent speaker for ¥10,000, there were almost no options to speak of. But then if you turn that around and ask whether the TEAC LS-H265 is on a level with the imported speakers that were sold as entry-level gear back then — the ones retailing for ¥30,000 to ¥50,000 — well, saying that would honestly be stretching it a bit too far. It is genuinely pleasing that there are now all manner of surprisingly good-sounding, well-balanced budget speakers available at prices even a student’s pocket money might stretch to, yet at the same time, the thought that some of those who buy them may remain satisfied at that level, spending years never discovering the deeper layers of sound that higher-grade speakers can reveal — that, in a musical sense, might amount to something of a loss, mightn’t it — and I cannot quite shake a certain quiet unease about that.

This is not only about the listener’s own life experience, but also about whether the expression and passion the performer wished to convey is being transmitted fully — it works in both directions, really. But what is it, exactly? When the floor of sonic performance is raised to the point where obvious flaws become hard to find, more and more people are likely to feel that what they have is quite enough already. And yet, for the pursuit of genuine richness of spirit, even if there are flaws one cannot quite overlook, a speaker that can reach into the inner life of the music rather than merely presenting a polished surface — one with that extra degree of musicality — is, I think, what is truly desirable.

And so, in these times when deflation and cost-cutting have thoroughly permeated everything — a kind of “fast fashion” approach to… well, shall we call it “fast music?” — I find myself feeling rather conflicted. But this is not something that can be laid at the door of any individual listener, nor of any audio manufacturer; it is one of those currents of the world — of the age — that none of us can resist.

The closest rival to the LS-H265 would have to be the YAMAHA NS-BP200.

That aside, as I have written a number of times before, I do believe that Japanese dialogue and Japanese music in general are most naturally rendered by speakers designed by Japanese engineers. Conversely, Western music tends to feel more at home through European speakers. Among all Hi-Fi components, it is in the speaker’s voicing that the instinctive differences in vocal production and intonation make themselves felt most keenly. As an entry-level domestic speaker that conveys the Japanese voice most naturally, with the TEAC LS-H265 leading the way,

And so on — with such a rich selection available at street prices of around ¥10,000 a pair, there is no shortage of choices, and the whole thing carries genuine significance in terms of widening the audience for music as an entry point into Hi-Fi. So I do hope that each manufacturer will continue to excite us further with wallet-friendly budget Hi-Fi for years to come.

Who the TEAC LS-H265 Is Recommended For

· Those who want a reasonable level of sound quality but simply cannot — or do not wish to — spend money on Hi-Fi.

· Those who have already purchased and taken a liking to TEAC’s entry-level full-size integrated amplifier, the A-R630MK2, or the Reference 01 series, its successor the Reference 301, or the higher-end Reference 501 — any of the compact system components in that range.

· As a replacement for the dry, murky, uninspiring speakers that tend to come with mini-systems.

· Those who enjoy a gentle tonal character and a sense of being enveloped in sound, or those simply looking for a good background music speaker.

· Those who want a generous sense of low-end weight and soundstage below 100Hz, of the enveloping kind — it produces bass that punches well above its class.

· Genres that suit it particularly well: understated Japanese music through to instrumental, laid-back fusion and smooth jazz; for classical, early music or small ensembles with older recordings. Cello and timpani. Classical guitar solos. It is better suited to the reproduction of acoustic instruments than tight electronic music.

Who It Is Less Recommended For

· Those with a speaker budget of ¥20,000 or more. (There are plenty of better speakers available at that level. Within the TEAC range, the aforementioned S-300NEO is the more refined choice.)

· Those who want powerful energy, density, and punchy, well-controlled dynamics from their sound.

· Those who prefer a dry, high-resolution sound.

· Those who actively want to enjoy high-resolution Hi-Res audio sources.

· As the voicing relies heavily on the rear bass reflex port, it is not recommended where less than 10 cm of clearance behind the speaker is available.

· Near-field listening environments — the cabinet is rather large, which means the titanium dome tweeter ends up rather too close to the ears, and I do not think that is particularly good for one’s health. This speaker performs far better balanced when listened to from a reasonable distance.

Part One｜Part Two

Category: Speakers
Category: TEAC / ESOTERIC

TEAC LS-H265 Quoted Specifications

The LS-H265 is designed with an emphasis on matching the Reference series. It is a full-featured bookshelf 2-way speaker system equipped with a 20mm titanium dome tweeter offering excellent transient speed and high resolution, together with a 133mm paper cone woofer with large centre cap. The combination of tight, effortless bass even at low volumes and the refreshing high frequencies characteristic of a titanium dome tweeter achieves a soundstage reproduction that belies its size.

■ Titanium Dome Tweeter for Uniform High-Frequency Dispersion
A 20mm titanium dome tweeter with excellent transient speed and high resolution is fitted. This achieves high-frequency characteristics with minimal coloration. It renders the texture of a performance with rich presence, while also maintaining stable characteristics during continuous high-power drive. The waveguide on the front baffle contributes to improved presence characteristics, and is an important element in enriching the expression of depth and soundstage. It also serves to protect the drive unit, which handles the most delicate frequency range.

■ Woofer Unit with Large Centre Cap
A 133mm woofer unit fitted with a large centre cap is employed. The centre cap effectively attenuates unwanted high-frequency energy, achieving a natural transition between woofer and tweeter.

■ Rear Bass Reflex for Rich Low-Frequency Reproduction
The rear-mounted bass reflex port achieves a richer and more extended low-frequency reproduction.

■ Additional Features
Gold-plated input terminals, banana plug compatible input terminals, magnetically shielded design

Type: 2-way, 2-speaker, bass reflex (magnetically shielded)
Drive Units:
Low frequency: 133mm paper cone
High frequency: 20mm titanium dome
Frequency Response: 55Hz–30kHz
Maximum Input Power: 50W
Impedance: 8Ω
Sensitivity: 86dB/W/m
Crossover Frequency: 1.7kHz
Cabinet Volume: 8.0 litres
Dimensions: 174mm × 268mm × 246mm (including grille and terminal protrusion)
Weight: 3.6kg per unit
Accessories: Speaker cable (2m) × 2, owner’s manual, warranty card

Manufacturer’s Website