[Listening Test] Xavian UNICA Loudspeakers

Product name: Xavian Unica - bookshelf loudspeakers
Manufacturer: Xavian - Czech Republic
Cost: €999 per pair (Currency conversion) - (YMMV)
Reviewer: Graeme Budd - TNT-Audio France
Reviewed: March, 2026

Over the years there have been many attempts to create small standmount speakers that deliver. From the old classic BBC defined LS3/5a, through Linn Kans, Acoustic Energy AE1s and even my brother's dodgy old set of Rega Kytes they've always been present whether the market has been in floorstander or larger standmount mode depending on what is currently in fashion.

And there's a certain logic to the continued popularity. A small standmount takes up less visual space and is more interior friendly and in the case of some of them they are designed to be used close to walls making them more domestically acceptable. The other argument is that by having a small loudspeaker that does 80% of things well (physics dictates that there will always be an issue or two in the low bass department) a great deal of musically coherent enjoyment can be derived.

The Unicas that are the object of this review are Xavian's take on the small standmount speaker and were introduced late 2025. Originally priced at 1500€ a pair, Xavian has decided to sell them under the 1k€ mark making them look like really good value and in reach of smaller budgets. A quick look at the Xavian website (which, by the way, the dreaded MS Bing doesn't find so use another search engine if you want to explore things further) highlights the following things you get for your €999:

- custom-made Audio Barletta drivers
- solid oak wood with 23 mm thickness for perfect enclosure rigidity
- handcrafted enclosures with modern touch
- carefully selected Jantzen components for crossover
- comfortable and organic sound tuning
- parameters tuned so Unica can easily play with any amplifier

Which all sounds rather promising and when you unpack them the certainly deliver in the build quality department - the natural oak looks fabulous and will easily integrate into any home both modern or traditional. You're going to need a set of stands though. I have a set of 60 cm high tables which I often use either side of the TV for small speakers. They're equipped with Lehmann 3S feet so I thought they would be a good starting point. I brought the setup about 60cm out into the room and set the speakers with the tweeters on the inside. First impressions - not bad with some precise imaging but bass was more hinted at that actually being there. Around that time Roberto from Xavian contacted me to get some feedback and over the course of the conversation I realised I'd got everything wrong. So no change there then.

The correct solution is 20-30cm from the wall, tweeters on the outside and 70cm stands (which I didn't have). So I made some TNT Audio Stubby stands. And very nice they are too - I'll publish a follow up on this as I used some easily obtainable off the shelf components to limit the woodwork. See below for how they look in situ. I'm really rather proud of them if I'm honest!

And Roberto was right - what image depth was lost was more than compensated by everything else so the remainder of this review is in this configuration. In terms of partnering equipment I used either the Audio Note (UK) Oto SE, Canary Audio CA608LV or newly arrived Fosi Audio BT20A MAX. Sources were either the Linn Axis/Supatrac Blackbird/GSP Accession for analogue or the Volumio Primo Plus running Qobuz for digital. The Xavians are single wired so I ran the Hitachi LC OFC cables I have with their built in jumpers doubled up.

Listening

One of the most interesting things about the Unicas is their ability to work with different amps. This is in the design brief in the website extract above but it appears Xavian has really worked on this parameter. They'd been working well with the Canary 608LV and the Fosi BT20A Max turned up. Whereas this amp just doesn't gel with my usual Living Voice IBX-RW3s leading to quite a bit of frustration, the Unicas just take the amp change in their stride and revel in the oomph the Fosi develops. Swap the Fosi for the Audio Note Oto SE and well - you'll have to read until the end as the amp bit is further down the page...

But let's talk about some specifics of what the Unicas do and what you'll get if you buy a pair. Well, firstly they can certainly create a large soundstage over the whole of the wall they're installed in front of and pretty much disappear. If there's instruments outside or forward (or both) of the speaker plane they'll be precise in space extending several feet forward where required (Madonna's Vogue being a case in point). The close to wall placing limits absolute image depth behind the speaker plane but is necessary to get the bass working and frankly any trade ins here are more than worth it.

Which brings us nicely onto the bass performance which is really rather good especially when the size of the Unicas is taken into account. No they won't create the ultra low level acoustic detail necessary for real scale but they will follow a tune and go low enough for even for electronic music. Feed them some Noisia and with the help of some room drive they remain composed and go loud enough in my 25m² room for some serious partying or just some involved and enjoyable listening.

Similarly they made a good attempt at Saint Saens Danse Macabre with Eiji Oue at the helm. Again a bit of scale was missing compared to my usual setup but in the real world of real priced hifi I'd defy anyone not to be impressed. The bass drum sounds realistic with appropriate attack and position in space. Likewise the double basses have realistic tone and space even if they don't plumb the depths. They also go from quiet to loud pretty darn quick but lose out on absolute reaction speed and dynamics when compared to bigger models.

If we go up the frequency range any sins are of subtle omission rather than downright issues. They won't reveal the subtleties that higher end speakers will losing out somewhat on the humanity side of things when unfairly compared to much more expensive models. Treble is nicely balanced and not harsh - they won't take your head of or leave you fatigued but strike a pleasant balance that encourages long listening sessions. As I mentioned above they'll also react to the amp - the Fosi has a load of drive, the Audio Note is all about flow and musicality and the Canary treads the ground between the two.

Do I have a preference amp wise - well for the price the Fosi and the Xavians is going to be a hard combo to beat. All in for 1350€ including the materials to build some TNT Stubby stands and maybe even some speaker cables - I'd be very interested to hear an amp and speaker partnership that is claimed to be better. And then when you can afford something better (even low powered valves amps work well despite the recommended minimum 30 watts) you can try something like the Audio Note Oto SE and just sit there looking like a Cheshire cat.

As a summary the Xavians don't encourage you to look elsewhere by having any annoying traits - no lumpy or strident treble or murky bass. No excitement at the expense of coherence. Just a well thought through product that gets the basics right and adds enough hifi attributes to raise a few eyebrows and more than a few smiles.

Conclusion

I think Xavian have pulled a blinder with the Unica. They've managed to create a speaker that is amp friendly, room friendly, beautifully finished and at a reasonable price. Those four alone would seal the deal for a lot of people but when you add the fact that they're bloody enjoyable as well than they enter the no brainer category. I ended up thinking a couple of times that if I had to give up my usual Living Voices for space or budgetary constraints then I could happily live with the Xavians. Yes I'd miss the LVs (I mean who wouldn't?) but the Xavian's combination of balanced performance, ease of drive and downright enjoy-ability ultimately make them a success. We don't do stars or globes at TNT-Audio (note to Editor - maybe we could do dynamite sticks?) but if we did the Unicas would be walking away with a good few. I think Roberto from Xavian wouldn't be out of place quoting the inimitable Wayne Campbell “he shoots, he scores”.

DISCLAIMER. TNT-Audio is neither a shop, nor a HiFi company or a repair laboratory for HiFi components. We don't sell anything. It is a 100% independent magazine that neither accepts advertising from companies nor requires readers to register or pay for subscriptions. If you wish, you can support our independent reviews via a PayPal donation. After publication of reviews, the authors do not retain samples other than on long-term loan for further evaluation or comparison with later-received gear. Hence, all contents are written free of any “editorial” or “advertising” influence, and all reviews in this publication, positive or negative, reflect the independent opinions of their respective authors. TNT-Audio will publish all manufacturer responses, subject to the reviewer's right to reply in turn.

Xavian Unica

Stand mount Loudspeakers

Listening

Conclusion