Teufel Ultima 25 Active speakers: stereo versatility for modern times

In the last decade we have seen the invasion of the living room and the home by two audio products that have been iterated ad nauseam: sound bars and portable bluetooth speakers. Of course they fulfil their more compact role in specific situations, but this has been to the detriment of more traditional, and always better, solutions in the case of listening to music, playing video games or watching films, such as surround system speaker sets... or something as essential as stereo speaker pairs.

Now German Teufel is setting itself apart in the market with the Ultima 25 Active, a new entry to their line-up that could be defined as a hybrid. The veteran manufacturer has assembled a pair of active loudspeakers (with built-in amplifier) with a classic look and feel, but at the same time has provided them with multiple connectivity options for today's times.

In small living rooms you can place them on either side of your TV to multiply the sound quality of games, films and series a hundredfold, and if you have more space or are up for it, you can then expand the set with peripheral effects speakers and a subwoofer. You can also use them to listen to music with decent power and quality in the living room or other rooms, but these are no studio monitors.

All this, and more, we at Gamereactor have done over the last few weeks to put the Teufel Ultima 25 Active to the test in various scenarios. The result is interesting to say the least, because while they might not be the best solution for any of these situations, they do perform well above average in mixed use. In other words, you should consider them if their great versatility covers several of your needs.

But before we get into the details, there is one more thing to note. As versatile as they are, don't think of the Ultima 25 Active as simply larger portable bluetooth speakers. First, because they're quite heavy given their size and the built-in amp. Second, because their soundscape is not meant to fill a room in all directions, but rather for listening at static angles. That is to say, from the sofa, from a desk, standing if they're high up on stands.... If you move in and out of their sweet field, you will notice too much variation.

The power of the 100 W RMS pair is considerable for a living room of 20 square metres or less. You will read in some reviews that they lack bass, that you should pair them with a subwoofer. This may be true to some extent for cinema, but the 165 mm mid-bass drivers in stereo are more than decent for everyday use (supported by a robust 25 mm tweeter), both for audio-visual content and music.

At home cinema level they cannot logically be compared to a full set, although they can be expanded, as I noted earlier. I am surprised, however, that the expansion options include wired or wireless effects speakers and subwoofer as well, but no centre speaker, which is always, always the most necessary when you start adding units to your surround system (and one of the reasons why the bars are so successful). The Teufel Ultima 25 Active sound slightly louder and more present in stereo than my passive Jamo S 803s connected to a Yamaha RX-V6A receiver, which was the most direct comparison I could make given the similarity in size you can see in the photos, but logically my full 5.1.2 set-up surrounds you much better in terms of richness and space by bringing into the equation the sub, satellites and ceiling effects for Dolby Atmos (a certification, as well as DTS:X that these Teufel lack).

A more peculiar use I've made of the pair taking advantage of the bluetooth connection is, instead of relying on the main screen in the living room, to use a mobile phone or tablet on a separate table so that the speakers, at the ideal distance and angle, guarantee me very good cinematic stereo without headphones, as you see in The Mandalorian's photos. It's in these creative uses that the Ultima 25 Active give more options than their rivals.

For music I've tried casual direct playback, close monitoring and background music. As, I repeat, they're not studio monitors, I wasn't expecting the definition across the frequency range and the separation needed to produce and mix tracks, though they pack some punch and response well enough to have a fun time, for example DJing some bangers in medium-sized rooms. That said, be careful not to reach distortion at very high volumes. Outdoors, however, they lose quite a bit given their original purpose and directionality.

They are of above average power and quality, considerably good for the price of the self-powered pair (around 500 euros) in multi-purpose. But that multi-purpose deserves some more words. First, they have a built-in DAB+ and FM radio. It sounds archaic, but this medium has more audience than ever, is a great companion and a direct connection is appreciated. Second, Bluetooth with AAC works particularly well, unlike other wireless speakers. Thirdly, you can not only plug in devices via HDMI ARC or USB-C: it also has RCA input (for example for a turntable or for that mixing controller) and, beware, optical input, sadly destined to disappear in many systems but always welcomed.

Not enough? Well, the left speaker, which is the default receiver (you can switch it to the right position), also has a small screen for all the basic A/V receiver info and a touch strip to control volume and playback on the top surface, if you happen to be passing by and don't want to use the included remote control... or another remote control in your living room.

Also, although it's very subjective, I think the design is phenomenal. Discreet but not too minimalist, with that retro touch and the personality we expect from Teufel, and with lines that fit in many environments, because if you are a posh clinician you can opt for the white model and cover the membranes with the grille.

So, with an excellent price-performance ratio, and with the only apparent drawback that the amplifier can only be upgraded to 4.1, the truth is that the Teufel Ultima 25 Active surprised me as a really functional mid-range stereo pair. They don't excel in very specific uses, but they work chameleon-like for a variety of purposes. One of the best options for "let's start with a stereo pair and then we'll see" in those households that never got past the lacklustre sound of the TV, the low-end bar, or the small wireless speakers.