Choosing the Right Loudspeakers for Your Space
TPI TYPE. HF1 Loudspeaker - the high-end speaker that pro-studio engineers need to hear!
Published on
1st July 2025
Integrating loudspeakers into your pro-studio or home listening space
Whether you're setting up a professional studio or creating the perfect listening room at home, choosing the right speakers makes all the difference. I've worked with countless engineers, producers, and music lovers who understand that the speakers you choose will significantly impact everything else about your acoustic treatment.
In mastering and mixing rooms, you need monitors that reveal the truth and reproduce music with a high degree of accuracy. For home listening, you want that magic where the music comes alive, and you get an emotional connection. In post-production work, especially with surround sound, imaging must be spot-on—otherwise, you'll never get the mix right.
I've seen great results with ATC in critical listening environments, Wilson Audio for those serious two-channel setups, and PMC, Harbeth or TPI when you need something that works across different applications. The key is understanding that your speaker choice isn't separate from your room treatment—they work together.
Listening back to a mix on the TPI TYPE. HF1s
Learning from the Masters: Matt Colton chooses ATC
Matt Colton, the MPG Mastering Engineer of the Year Award-winner, knows a thing or two about choosing the right monitors. He's considered one of the best in the business and has mastered & remastered albums for the likes of Sabres of Paradise, James Blake, Arctic Monkeys, Fontaines D.C. and Jamie XX. When he set up his room at Alchemy Mastering in West London, he chose ATC SCM150ASL PRO speakers for good reason.
As Matt puts it: "If the mix sounds good, then it sounds good here; if it doesn't, then it doesn't. There's no flattery on the part of the speakers, though they're wonderful to listen to when you get it right." That's exactly what you want in a mastering environment—speakers that reveal the truth about your mix without sugar-coating anything.
Matt Colton, Mastering Engineer, with the ATC 150SCM ASL Pro Loudspeakers
ATC 150SCM Loudspeaker
What convinced Matt about the ATC SCM150ASL PRO was their ability to reproduce deep sub-bass accurately, even in challenging acoustic environments.
"I did a lecture at Westminster University in Harrow to over 100 people in a really big lecture hall with a massive ceiling height of 50 feet or so. Ben Lilly of ATC brought along a pair of SCM150s and I played some James Blake records with really low sub-bass — down at around 35Hz, and they just sounded glorious. It was a wonderful experience to hear those records played in that room only on a pair of speakers. So, on that basis, I've got the 150s in my mastering room — sadly, not quite as big as that lecture hall!"
As he explains, "We all react to what's coming out of the speakers, and we make our judgments based on how that sounds in the room." For mastering work, where every decision affects how the final product will translate to different playback systems, that kind of honesty and consistency is everything.
ATC SCM 150 Loudspeakers - the professional’s choice
Why I'm Excited About the TPI TYPE.HF1
I first heard the TYPE.HF1 at the TPI factory up in Leicester and was completely blown away by them. The guys at TPI share the same musical tastes, so we were listening to Boards of Canada and Autechre, and the music coming out of these speakers seemed to exist in 3D space. The HF1s are built using composite materials you'd find in aerospace applications, and the attention to detail in their construction is remarkable.
What sets them apart is the cabinet design—it's completely inert, so you're not hearing any cabinet resonances colouring the sound. The crossover is engineered for phase accuracy, which means everything stays locked in time. They have an elliptical tweeter paired with custom 6.5-inch woofers that deliver incredible clarity with virtually no distortion.
Also, like ATC loudspeakers, each unit is tested in an anechoic chamber before it leaves the factory. That means when you're working across multiple rooms or locations, you know your monitors will behave exactly the same way every time.
TPI TYPE. HF1 in the demo room
Working with High-Fidelity Brands That Deliver
Over the years, we've built relationships with the leading UK speaker manufacturers who understand what acoustic consultants and integrators need. It's not just about having impressive specs—it's about consistency, reliability, and knowing the speakers will perform in treated environments and sound amazing.
We can help you choose loudspeakers for:
Mastering and mixing studios that need to prioritise phase accuracy and tonal neutrality
High-end home listening spaces where nuance and musical expression matter
Post-production and multi-channel systems that require accurate imaging and clarity
I'm always happy to chat through options based on what you're trying to achieve and your budget. Every project is different, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Whether you're updating or building a mastering suite, designing a high-end home system, or tackling a complex commercial installation, I'll help you find the right match.
Want to Hear Them Yourself?
The best way to choose speakers is to listen to them in person. So give Deano a call for a personal demo—we've got one of the best listening rooms in London, and I've detailed technical documentation on everything we stock. You need to trust what you're hearing, and that starts with choosing the right speakers for your space.
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