Pitt & Giblin was founded by Jack Pitt and Ross Giblin in Tasmania, Australia. They have been in the audio business for almost two decades, making loudspeakers that are high-performance and cost-effective. When I first saw a Pitt & Giblin loudspeaker, I was blown away by the cabinet design, and I still am in awe of the wood finishes they have on their speakers. I got my hands on the Pitt & Giblin Superwax Mini loudspeakers last month, and I believe these speakers are extremely underrated, and you should too.
Pitt & Giblin Superwax Mini Loudspeakers Review
Price
I feel it is important to get the biggest quirk of the Pitt & Giblin Superwax Mini loudspeakers out of the way immediately. I’m talking about the price, which is an astonishing A$15175 per pair, which equals about US$9693. Hear me out, I was a little skeptical about the price at first, but after my first listen, I didn’t mind the price that much. The price is not justified at all, but the nice design and amazing sound won me over, and I think you should look at these speakers at least once and see what I’m talking about for yourself.
Design
The Pitt & Giblin Superwax Mini is an active two-way loudspeaker, it has a 15-inch woofer on the front and a 1-inch compression driver that is housed in a solid bronze waveguide. The speakers are powered by Hypex nCore amplifiers, which provide 350W of total power per speaker. This internal amplification helps the Superwax Mini get a frequency response of 32 Hz – 25 kHz.
The frequency response is enough for most people, and the Superwax Minis will act as full-range speakers as they do not need a subwoofer. You won’t feel the need for an amplifier either, as these loudspeakers are active speakers.
The loudspeakers are rear-ported, and they have a veneered birch plywood cabinet that is CNC machined. This specific material is stiff and dense, and it offers a stable acoustic environment for low vibration. The Pitt & Giblin Superwax Mini loudspeakers are available in five timber finishes, which are Tasmanian Blackwood, Victorian Blackbutt, American Walnut, American Oak, and Black Japan.
On the back Panel, the Superwax Mini has analogue RCA (unbalanced) and XLR (balanced) inputs, alongside TOSLINK (optical) and S/PDIF (coaxial), with the addition of AES3 (Digital XLR). Inputs can be selected with the remote control, as well as the recall of the three tuning profiles – Natural, Live, and Clean. These features, coupled with auto on off, and of course volume control, mean there is no need for an external preamplifier.
The Pitt & Giblin Superwax Mini loudspeakers were designed with DSP (Digital Signal Processing). This technology optimizes the design of the cabinet, the waveguide, and the drivers to maximize acoustical performance. The results are low distortion at any volume level and consistent in-room performance.
Setting Up The Superwax Mini
When setting up the Pitt & Giblin Superwax Minis, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. While the loudspeakers are identical, the left speaker is the primary speaker, this helps in proper input selection and volume control between the two speakers. If you have digital inputs, there is a coaxial cable included in the box. This cable links the two speakers together and transmits the right channel information to the left. If you are using the analogue inputs, the left output will be connected to the left speaker, and the right output will be connected to the right speaker.
Pitt & Giblin state that all incoming signals will be converted into digital signals by the Hypex amplifiers. These signals will run through the DSP, and then they will be converted back into analogue signals. Keeping this in mind, Pitt & Giblin recommend not using an external DAC, as this will mean an unnecessary conversion in the digital chain.
I wanted HDMI connectivity with the Superwax Minis, and so I connected my Eversolo DMP-A10 streamer. This streamer also has a DAC, and so my audio went through two conversions when I played tracks. I honestly couldn’t hear any difference between the sound that was converted once and the sound that was converted twice. So you’ll be alright if you connect an external streamer that has a DAC, as the added HDMI and streaming features will make up for any unnoticeable sound degradation.
Digital streamers and other players should be connected to the primary loudspeaker using a digital connection for increased integrity and reduced noise. Pitt & Giblin also recommend a phono stage (discrete phono preamp) that has balanced analogue outputs, as active loudspeakers do not utilise long and unnecessarily expensive speaker cables.
As far as loudspeaker placement goes, I followed the instructions in the user manual. The instructions said to position the loudspeakers approximately 2 to 2.5m apart (centre to centre), and approximately the same distance from the main listening position. It was also recommended to keep the listening position a minimum of 1m away from any walls, with a greater distance being preferable. This placement was perfect for me, and I got a better sound performance by tilting the speakers a little towards my listening position.
Listening Impressions
At my first listen, I could tell that the Pitt & Giblin Superwax Mini loudspeakers were something special. The soundstage these speakers produce is immense and well-proportioned, with precise instrument placement that extends well beyond the physical boundaries of the speakers themselves. The imaging is pinpoint accurate, allowing me to close my eyes and point directly to where each instrument was positioned in the virtual space.
Looking at the frequency response graph, we can see why these speakers sound so balanced yet dynamic. The reference angle (gray line) maintains remarkable consistency across most of the frequency spectrum, hovering around the 0dB mark with minimal deviation until the very high frequencies. This translates to a natural, uncolored presentation that doesn’t emphasize any particular range. The listening window (green line) shows a similarly flat response, explaining why the tonal balance remains consistent regardless of where you sit in the room.
Bass performance is nothing short of remarkable for speakers of this size. The in-room response (orange line) shows a well-controlled roll-off below about 50Hz, but maintains substantial output down to the specified 32Hz. This was evident when playing orchestral pieces with deep bass drums or electronic music with subsonic elements – there was weight and authority without any bloat or overhang.
The three DSP profiles offer meaningful variations without dramatic changes to the core character. The “Natural” setting lived up to its name with the most balanced presentation, while “Live” added a subtle presence boost that brought vocals forward and added excitement to rock and jazz recordings. The “Clean” profile seemed to tighten the bass response slightly while emphasizing micro-details, making it ideal for critical listening sessions with well-recorded acoustic material.
What impressed me most was the Superwax Mini’s ability to handle complex dynamic passages without compression or strain. When playing orchestral crescendos or dense rock arrangements, the speakers maintained complete composure and separation between instruments, likely due to the substantial power reserves of the 350W Hypex nCore amplifiers. Even at volumes that would have most speakers in distress, the Superwax Minis maintained their coherent, refined character.
Verdict
The Pitt & Giblin Superwax Mini loudspeakers represent an extraordinary achievement from a relatively young company. While the price tag of A$15,175 will undoubtedly be a barrier for many, these active loudspeakers deliver performance that competes with systems costing significantly more when factoring in the elimination of separate amplifiers, DACs, and expensive cabling. The combination of thoughtful engineering, beautiful craftsmanship, and genuinely musical performance makes these speakers something special in today’s high-end audio landscape. For those with the budget and the desire for a simplified yet uncompromising audio system, the Superwax Minis deserve a place in your speaker system.