Characteristics and sound properties

Just because your sitting-room isn't large enough for big speakers, doesn't mean you have to do without high-quality sound. The VISATON subwoofer satellite system, ALTO GENESIS provides excellent listening pleasure in a very small space.

Separating the subwoofer into two cabinets - left and right channels - means that the assignment to the corresponding satellite speaker is hidden. On the other hand, the two subwoofers can also be placed together as mono subwoofers. The bandpass subwoofer cabinet contains the 13 cm long-stroke woofer W 130 S 8 Ohm. The well-balanced driver, cabinet and frequency parameters enable the subwoofer to be separated off at 110 Hz with a slope rate of 30 dB/octave. That is a level seldom achieved even by active subwoofers. The satellite speakers are also steeply cut off towards the bottom end by means of an optimised crossover unit. This optimised coupling technique means the position of the subwoofer is in reality not determinable.

The small shelf-mounted satellite speakers produce the lively high frequencies and a balanced mid-range and provide the overall spatial qualities required. The tuning frequency cuts in at 110 Hz.

Characteristics and sound properties

The ALTO I is a 2-way shelf-mounted speaker with a cabinet volume of 13 litres. Apart from the 20 mm tweeter cone, the cabinet contains a 17 cm diameter mid-bass cone.

The sound qualities of the ALTO I are "warm" but with crisp, high-range reproduction.

This kit is ideally suited to replacing the more basic speakers often supplied as standard with low-priced hi-fi systems and thus improving the overall standard of the system.

Since the bass ports are at the front, the ALTO I can be hung on the wall or placed in bookshelves, facilitating good bass response even in rooms with difficult acoustics.

Characteristics and sound properties

This 2-way column speaker, ALTO II, designed as a 30 litre vented system, is another suggested application from the Alto series. The same driver arrangement has been selected as for the ALTO I but, here, the lower range octaves benefit from the enlarged cabinet volume and optimum bass frequency to produce powerful, responsive bass.

ALTO II is also well-suited to improving the sound of low-priced compact hi-fi systems.

The ALTO II can be positioned freely anywhere in the room, producing clearly defined spatial sound character.

Characteristics and sound properties

The ALTO LINE is a slim, 2-band column speaker with two 13 cm mid-bass units and one dome tweeter.
Due to its slim design and the correspondingly small footprint, this model is ideal as a free-standing speaker in smaller rooms.

The spatial separation is well handled by the speakers and can, as a result, produce clear sound characteristics even in "normal" living rooms.

The unusually broad range bass spectrum for a speaker of this size, that remains crisp even at higher output levels, is a point worthy of note.

As a result of its balanced, crisp sound characteristics, and the finely detailed, exuberant high-frequency output, the ALTO LINE can be considered a fully-fledged member of the ALTO speaker family.

Characteristics and sound properties

The ARIA is a small-sized 2-band shelf-top speaker system that uses the TI 100 8 Ohm high-end mid-bass unit and the G 20 SC 8 Ohm dome tweeter. The unit is equally well suited to life as a satellite in a straightforward stereo system or for use in a multichannel set-up. It can be combined with larger speakers such as the VOX 200 where it takes over the centre or effect role or a full set of them can be used to cover all channels. The lower limiting frequency is at 75 Hz, i.e. deep-bass should be left to an active subwoofer and the satellites will need protecting with a high-pass section or, in multichannel systems, they should be run in small mode.

If the speakers are positioned right by the wall or in a shelving unit, the bass reflex tube will be partly damped or completely stifled, which can compensate for excessively boosted bass.

Characteristics and sound properties

The ARIA 2 is a small-sized 2-band shelf-top speaker system that uses two TI 100 8 Ohm high-end mid-bass units and the G 20 SC 8 Ohm dome tweeter. The unit is equally well suited to life as a satellite in a straightforward stereo system or for use in a multichannel set-up. It can be combined with larger speakers such as the VOX 200 where it takes over the centre or effect role or a full set of them can be used to cover all channels. The lower limiting frequency is at 75 Hz, i.e. deep-bass should be left to an active subwoofer and the satellites will need protecting with a high-pass section or, in multichannel systems, they should be run in small mode.

If the speakers are positioned right by the wall or in a shelving unit, the bass reflex tube will be partly damped or completely stifled, which can compensate for excessively boosted bass.

Characteristics and sound properties

This variant of the ARIA 2 has been fitted out with the KE 25 SC 8 Ohm as an alternative and the crossover adapted accordingly.

A complete kit for this suggestion is available via www.vc-mailorderservice.de.

Characteristics and sound properties

The ARIA 2 LIGHT is a small-sized 2-band shelf-top speaker system that uses two W 100 S 8 OHM mid-bass units and one G 20 SC 8 OHM dome tweeter. In smaller rooms and if used as a shelf-mounted unit, the system has a considerable bass foundation which means that a separate subwoofer is not required. However, if coupled with a good powered subwoofer, the range of tonality of far larger hi-fi speakers is achieved.

The larger cabinet and the D'Appolito arrangement in the ARIA 2 LIGHT provide a far greater maximum sound pressure in comparison with the smaller ARIA LIGHT.

Characteristics and sound properties

The ARIA 2 MHT CENTER is equipped with the popular combination of drivers consisting of the TI 100 8 Ohm and the MHT 12 8 Ohm. As a result of this choice of drivers and the linear frequency response, it is ideally suited as a complementary centre speaker in conjunction with the VOX 253 MTI or TOPAS, for example, to produce a high-end home theatre system. As already seen in the ARIA 2, the magnetostat is positioned in the middle of the slim-line baffle and is flanked by the two titanium mid-bass units.

In contrast to centre speakers featuring a genuine D'Appolito arrangement, the ARIA 2 MHT CENTER is well suited to horizontal positioning e.g. above or below the television set, because it does not have anything like the same beaming effect. The sophisticated 2.5-band crossover circuitry is responsible for this feature. The crossover separates one of the two mid-bass units at 1800 Hz while the second is not separated until 4500 Hz is reached, to leave the higher frequencies to the magnetostat.
This deliberate individual treatment of the two TI 100 8 Ohm prevents noticeable directivity which, in a vertically placed D'Appolito arrangement, would be intentional but in a horizontally placed centre speaker must be avoided at all costs to ensure that all the seating positions in the home theatre are treated to the same volume levels.

Characteristics and sound properties

The ARIA DIPOL 1 is intended specifically as an effect speaker for the rear channels in multichannel systems. It unites two concepts: It can be used in both dipole and direct modes. By activating the two outer tweeters, something approaching the dipole effect is achieved, i.e. a diffused sound field. At the same time, the centre tweeter is deactivated. This solution cannot achieve the perfect diffused field of a full dipole set-up, which uses twin cones in the bass department as well, but it does represent a good, value-for-money compromise.
ARIA DIPOL 1 speakers can be combined wither with the other members of the ARIA family or with larger speakers such as the VOX 200.

Characteristics and sound properties

This variant of the ARIA has been fitted out with the KE 25 SC 8 Ohm as an alternative and the crossover adapted accordingly.

A complete kit for this suggestion is available via www.vc-mailorderservice.de.

Characteristics and sound properties

The ARIA LIGHT is a small-sized 2-band shelf-top speaker system that uses the W 100 S 8 OHM mid-bass unit and the G 20 SC 8 OHM dome tweeter. In smaller rooms and if used as a shelf-mounted unit, the system has a considerable bass foundation which means that a separate subwoofer is not required. However, if coupled with a good powered subwoofer, the range of tonality of far larger hi-fi speakers is achieved.

Characteristics and sound properties

The ARIA MHT is a variant of the popular smaller ARIA shelf-top speaker. Instead of being fitted with a fabric dome driver, the ARIA MHT has the excellent MHT 12 8 Ohm magnetostat. As a result, the crossover had to be tuned exactly to match the two drivers. Since magnetostats should not be separated at too low a frequency, the transfer frequency was set at 5000 Hz. This results in extremely clear high-frequency output even at high volumes. Getting the crossover to the right level to allow the TI 100 8 Ohm to operate up to 5000 Hz took some effort. This high-end mid-bass unit can produce unusually long cone excursion due to its long voice coil, which means it can generate a bass output level that is surprising considering the compact size. Thanks to the extremely rigid titanium diaphragm, the TI 100 8 Ohm stands out in the mid-range due to excellent overall presence and vocal clarity. In conjunction with the silky smooth treble range for which magnetostats are famous, this combination is a clear contender for the premium high-end loudspeaker league. Although the ARIA MHT produces powerful bass when used as a shelf speaker, it makes sense to add an active subwoofer if you need to emphasise the lowest frequencies.

Characteristics and sound properties

The BIJOU is a compact shelf-top speaker with high-end drivers. The AL 130 8 Ohm, which is responsible for the lower mid-range in the compact, 10-litre cabinet, together with the large bass reflex vent at the front generate powerful, deep bass reproduction. This is magnified still more if the speakers are positioned near a wall.

In the BIJOU speakers, the tweeter is the KE 25 SC 8 Ohm ceramic dome driver which cuts in at 2000 Hz. Due to its low resonant frequency, this driver is ideal for full-range use.

Thanks to its high level-accuracy, this driver produces crystal-clear, distortion free treble whatever the volume level.

It is in part thanks to these high-quality drivers that the sophisticated crossover, which uses only very few components, produces a virtually linear frequency response from this classic 2-band combination. The result is a compact loudspeaker whose balanced and yet fully-developed overall sound quality is totally convincing.

Characteristics and sound properties

The CLOU is a slim-line 2-band column speaker offering real value-for-money as a key feature, as shown in the choice of two WS 17 E 8 Ohm for the low-to-medium frequencies and the SC 10 N 8 Ohm for the higher frequency range. To guarantee balanced overall sound quality using these less-expensive drivers, the two mid-bass units are physically separated from each other and each has its own enclosure. The lower WS 17 E 8 Ohm is mounted in a 36-litre compartment. This produces a uniform increase in the frequency response from 60 Hz up to 600 Hz. The upper WS 17 E 8 Ohm, on the other hand, is mounted in a smaller 16-litre compartment, which causes a slight increase in the range of frequencies between 60 Hz and 150 Hz. However, taken jointly, the two mid-bass units create a harmonious bass foundation which deliberately emphasises the frequencies between 60 Hz and 130 Hz. To ensure a seamless transition between the tweeter and the bass drivers, you need a properly balanced damping circuit to cut out any unwanted peaks and resonance.

The result of this unusual combination of drivers and cabinet is a column speaker that has to be seen and heard to be believed and one which produces a sound quality well above its moderate price range.

Characteristics and sound properties

The COUPLET is a d'Appolito configuration shelf speaker. in the low to mid-range two 13 cm drivers, model AL 130 8 Ohm, take over the work. These high-end speakers can really show what they're capable of in a 25 litre bass reflex cabinet. Their long stroke and low mechanical losses guarantee powerful, rich bass reproduction. This is due to a large extent to the BR 25.50 bass reflex tube, mounted on the back of the cabinet, with its flow-optimised shape.

In the high-frequency range above 4000 Hz, the 20 mm textile domed G 20 SC 8 Ohm demonstrates its very linear frequency response and excellent omnidirectional sound distribution.

The specially designed crossover circuitry optimises the interaction between the mid-bass unit and the tweeter and effectively suppresses unwanted resonance from the aluminium diaphragms before it becomes noticeable. The frequency response in the mid-range is made more linear.

The result is a speaker that maintains its linear characteristics right across the frequency range. Due to the well balanced medium range, the fine details of music reproduction, in particular, comes across particularly clearly. The excellent omnidirectional sound distribution creates a particularly room-filling music reproduction and clear location of each individual instrument or voice. The lowest-range bass comes across equally powerfully. In short, the COUPLET is a speaker that is really good fun.

Characteristics and sound properties

The COUPLET LIGHT is a compact D Appolito configuration shelf speaker. It can be used as a shelf-top speaker or mounted on free-standing supports. In contrast to the original COUPLET, this system uses two W 130 S 8 OHM as woofers. The tweeter and the cabinet design with its flow-optimised BR 25.50 bass reflex tube have been taken over unchanged.

The result is a speaker that maintains its linear characteristics right across the frequency range. Due to the well balanced medium range, the fine details of music reproduction, in particular, comes across particularly clearly. The excellent omnidirectional sound distribution creates a particularly room-filling music reproduction and clear location of each individual instrument or voice. The lowest-range bass comes across equally powerfully. In short, the COUPLET LIGHT is a speaker that is really good fun.

Characteristics and sound properties

The 2-way FONTANA system is a 360° omnidirectional speaker with a highly attractive appearance and is particularly well suited as an effect speaker. The speakers are arranged so that they point upwards and reflect the sound output by means of two specially shaped cones. This results in a uniformly distributed frequency response, that matches your hearing expectations in the room.

The best sound quality is achieved if these omnidirectional speakers are positioned about 50 cm to 1 m from a wall. This produces spatial sound of such tangible quality that it is perceived at any position in the room. Virtual sound sources, such as instruments or voices perceived to be between the speakers, can be clearly located from any seating position in the room, which gives listeners a freedom of movement in the room they have never had before and this holds true even in acoustically difficult rooms. This results in extraordinary diffusion fields for the effects channels in Dolby® Surround and multi-channel systems.

The DT 94 8 Ohm tweeters, ideal for this type of system, working in conjunction with the mid-bass AL 170 8 Ohm and the carefully tuned crossover unit, ensure balanced, neutral sound reproduction. Low-range bass frequencies are boosted by the BR 15.34 tube, which is situated in the bottom of the bass chamber and guarantees clear, powerful bass reproduction.

The omnidirectional FONTANA, tested in an anechoic chamber, achieved a maximum volume of 98 dB. If positioned, as recommended, near a wall, however, the system produces + 6 dB or, in a corner of the room, + 9 dB, making this omnidirectional speaker ideally suited even for larger rooms. If required, two FONTANA's can be installed on each side to produce a full surround field. To do so, position one omnidirectional speaker to the side of the seating arrangement and a second one behind that. The same applies to the other side.

The FONTANA is ideal as a fullrange effects speaker system for high-quality surround sound systems for movies and music, but can just as well be used as the main loudspeaker for hi-fi stereo systems to give you excellent spatial listening pleasure for your favourite music.

Characteristics and sound properties

The FONTANELLA subwoofer satellite system is both visually and accoustically a completely new experience. The drivers in the satellites are arranged to project the sound upwards. Two specially shaped cones reflect the sound according to specific patterns to ensure that the sound is distributed horizontally and uniformly in all directions.

The mid-bass unit is the AL 130 M 8 Ohm, and the tweeter range is covered by the DT 94 8 Ohm.

This diffused sound distribution means that the impressive spatial effect is virtually uniform all round the room. Virtual sound sources, for example the voices or instruments that appear between the speakers, can be clearly and precisely located. The depth of colour of the sound remains the same at any seating position in the whole room. Ideally, the satellites should be positioned 0.5 m to 1 m away from a wall and on a base or stand. The cones should then be at ear level or slightly below.

The passive subwoofer cabinet has been designed to match the satellites and is fitted with the GF 200 2 x 4 Ohm double voice-coil woofer; resulting in powerful, highly dynamic bass reproduction from this high-end driver.

The FONTANELLA system provides a high level of listening pleasure as a hifi stereo system but is also extremely well suited to use as the rear effect channel in home-video systems. In such cases, the subwoofer is not required and the two satellites are used alone.

Characteristics and sound properties

The MB 115/H professional musician's speaker is a compact, excellent value for money vented cabinet. It is equipped with the BGS 40 8 Ohm woofer and the HTH 8.7 8 Ohm mid- to high-range horn. A 2-way combination has the invaluable advantage of simplicity. However, combining a 15" woofer with a tweeter is not completely without its problems, since the cone of the woofer must also produce resonance-free and distortion-free sound in the mid-range. The tweeter, for its part, has to be distortion-free at relatively low frequencies and, at the same time, have good power handling capabilities. We decided on a cut-off frequency of 3000 Hz - a level both speaker drivers can cope with effortlessly.

The rated power output of the speaker is 200 watts. This rating is determined in accordance with the DIN standards using a permanent noise signal. This value is, however, far removed from practice, since music consists of many different impulses and surges. The effective value, that also tells us something about the heating-up of the voice coil, is much lower with music. We have successfully tested the MB 115/H with a professional-quality amplifier up to the clipping limit, so we are safe in saying it has a music rating of 500 watts. At this level, peak outputs of 120 dB are achieved at a distance of one metre.

Characteristics and sound properties

The MB 208/H is a compact, high-output speaker. It is equipped with two high-efficiency 20 cm fullrange BG 20 8 Ohm 's, working in parallel, and the HTH 8.7 8 Ohm tweeter. Apart from being ideal as a monitor speaker for vocals and instruments, in smallish to medium-sized rooms, it is also a good candidate for combining with a good subwoofer (e.g. MB 115/B ) for larger PA events.

As a result of the d Appolito arrangement, less sound is dissipated upwards and downwards. This directional advantage reduces the amount of ceiling and floor reflection in large halls, and will result in better voice transmission and less tendency to feedback. The sound quality of the MB 208/H is extremely high. The sound imbalance often experienced with musicians systems is missing here. In conjunction with the MB 115/B, there is no reason why hi-fi sound quality should not be achieved.

The compact design makes it ideal for transport.

Characteristics and sound properties

NANO, Visaton's magic baby, has been revamped. In this new version, the rear-mounted tweeter has been dispensed with and the crossover unit adapted accordingly. This has enabled improvements in the natural quality of voice reproduction. In addition, the NANO is now far less susceptible to changes in position, especially the distance between the speakers and the wall. It is now possible to integrate them without loss of quality in bookshelves.

If you combine the NANO SAT MK II with the NANO SUB PR, you get a speaker system that is totally living-room friendly consisting of tiny satellites and a compact subwoofer which, all-in-all, sounds like a far larger, uncompromising column speaker set-up.

Characteristics and sound properties

The NoBox BB unites a number of preferences in a single concept: it achieves the directness of a full-range loudspeaker, in particular in the voice range, and also manages to produce powerful, stable bass without having to fill the room with hardware.

The B 200 6 Ohm is used in the NoBox BB together with a 38 cm BGS 40 8 Ohm woofer in an open baffle as a dipole. The electric separation between the two drivers is low enough (250 Hz), which enables the full-range speaker to make full use of its capabilities and the BGS 40 8 Ohm is effectively the supporting woofer. The BGS 40 8 Ohm is a musician's driver with high sensitivity and can, as a result, easily be adapted to the B 200 6 Ohm without giving anything away in terms of mean sound pressure.

Despite the baffle being open, which theoretically causes an acoustic short circuit in the bass range, the system produces a dynamic low bass output down to 32 Hz (-10 dB). One reason for this is that the baffle is cut off from the floor and so no acoustic short circuit can take place in this direction. In addition, the side panels of the cabinet, which are mainly for stability, increase the acoustic distance travelled.

Characteristics and sound properties

Many lovers of music have one problem in common: they want to listen to good music at a high quality of reproduction but they do not have the room to place the loudspeakers they would like to buy or they cannot find the right speakers to blend in with their furnishings and taste. What they need is loudspeakers that do not look like loudspeakers.

And so we developed the PORTRAIT design, which can be hung on the wall and looks like a picture. The objective was to keep the cabinet as flat as possible. The PORTRAIT will be satisfied with only 40 mm in depth. If you take the time to make some more complex cut-outs, you can even reduce this to 34 mm.

This is made possible by the use of particularly slim 13 cm FR 12 8 Ohm loudspeakers as woofers. Combined with the SC 5 8 Ohm tweeter and the specially designed crossover, this produces a sophisticated satellite speaker unit. Due to the small cabinet, low bass cannot be produced by the PORTRAIT. As a result, the bass range below 100 Hz is best covered by a subwoofer (e.g. SUB-W 20.39 ).

This combination with a powerful subwoofer means that the PORTRAIT set-up is a visually appealing and acoustically highly effective system which can, if required, be extended. If the wall space in front of and behind the listening position are free, additional PORTRAIT speakers can be hung to produce a multi-channel system for home theatre and music.

The point about the PORTRAIT is the option of fitting a fabric front to the cabinet which can vary, depending on the surroundings, e.g. single-coloured or brightly coloured silk. Of course, one can always put one's creative skills to work and make one's own silk covers adorned with favourite motifs. There are no limits to your imagination.

Characteristics and sound properties

The SOLITUDE set-up combines the direct, highly precise sound reproduction of the B 200 6 Ohm wide-range speaker with the dynamic bass of two GF 200 2 x 4 Ohm. The B 200 6 Ohm is fitted in a completely enclosed, heavily damped compartment. The two GF 200 2 x 4 Ohm woofers are mounted in a voluminous cabinet with a generously dimensioned bass reflex tube. Owing to the very low-frequency separation, SOLITUDE is, in effect, a wide-range speaker with a subwoofer.

First impressions: fantastic sound! A synthesis of the precision localisation, clarity and analytical precision of the SOLO 100 or SOLO 50 (straight down the axis) and the level accuracy of the CONCORDE MK III. The bass is deep but not heavy, the medium range clearly evident, with no fuzzy fringes. We could not detect a break between the bass and the rest - the sound was more homogeneous and pure than we had ever heard from any other wide-range speakers.

The two sections have to be reverse connected. In so doing, it does not matter whether the bass is connected correctly or not as long as the SOLITUDE is playing on its own. In conjunction with other speakers (e.g. in a multichannel system) the bass must, of course be in sync.

Characteristics and sound properties

TI 100 and MHT 12 are clearly two of the best drivers VISATON has to offer. The Hobby HiFi editors developed the TOPAS model on the basis of these drivers by combining them in a delicate-looking, unusual speaker cabinet and demonstrating that they do, indeed, harmonise together beautifully. Compared with the original Hobby HiFi proposal, we have now slightly modified the crossover in order to achieve a warmer-sounding effect which guarantees long-term, relaxed enjoyment. By modifying the inner damping, it has also been possible to simplify the housing and suppress resonance even more effectively.

It is not only the spatial effects and the accuracy of the separation that are impressive, the frequency response is also unusually broad. The upper limiting frequency is at 40 kHz which is well outside the audible range. The lower 35 Hz limit is remarkably low for a 10 cm woofer. This is achieved by fine-tuning the cabinet in the borderline area between vented bass and transmission line. Obviously, the small-diameter TI 100 can only reproduce such deep bass at a limited volume level. The physical limits are dictated by the surface area of the diaphragm and the length of stroke. The TOPAS is, as a result, not intended for reproducing powerful rock music or action-packed movies. But it is surprising how often visitors say to us, after hearing a demonstration of really large, powerful speakers, "That's all very well. But at home I can hardly turn them up to that sort of volume anyway." The TOPAS has been specially designed for people like that. Small and homely but with bass quality that will have your visitors' eyes roaming the room looking for a hidden subwoofer.

The TOPAS will take loads of 40 / 60 watts measured using standard measuring techniques. This does not mean, however, that the amplifier can not have a higher output level than this. It is possible to use an amp with a far higher output than this provided you take it easy with the volume settings and do not turn up the volume to a level that causes distortion in the sound quality. TOPAS speakers should be kept out of the reach of small children and overtly merry partygoers.

Characteristics and sound properties

There are plenty of transmission line fans among the speaker-building fraternity. HOBBY HiFi recently developed a super-slim speaker with a folded transmission line (TML). The VIB 130 TL cabinet suggestion is based on that idea and uses an AL 130 8 Ohm and a G 20 SC 8 Ohm.

This speaker cabinet works on the basis of an organ pipe. At one end is the driver while the other end is open. Certain frequencies generate resonance which causes particularly powerful sound reproduction at the open end. The longer this tunnel, the lower the frequency.

In order to make use of this principle for low frequencies, a length of several metres would be necessary which is only possible by "folding" the transmission line tunnel twice within the cabinet to achieve convenient dimensions, as integrated in the VIB 130 TL. Apart from the intentional low frequency resonance, TML's also generate interference resonance at higher frequencies. It is only by damping the space very carefully that the desired results can be achieved.

Two internal Helmholtz resonators are in use directly behind the woofer as sound absorbers and, in conjunction with the extremely carefully positioned damping material, will ensure that the frequency response is kept beautifully smooth.

VIB 130 TL solves the problem of reproducing low-frequency bass in small rooms where the speakers have to be positioned close to walls. A distance of 10 cm is perfectly adequate.

Real deep bass is not to be confused with disco bass, which one tends to feel through the stomach rather than hear. Deep bass is soft, smooth yet powerful. However, in order to produce such power with small speakers, there has to be a trade-off with the sound pressure. As a result, the efficiency of the VIB 130 TL is relatively low but still well able to cope with normal conditions. This is counterbalanced to a large extent by the extensive frequency response. The cleanliness of the sound picture produced is remarkable with well-placed spatial locations, especially when positioned near a wall. The 20 mm G 20 SC 8 Ohm tweeter guarantees crystal-clear, lively high-frequency reproduction and provides a smooth upper end to the range.

Characteristics and sound properties

The VIB 170 AL is a slim-line 2-band column speaker using an AL 170 8 Ohm woofer and a 25 mm, G 25 FFL 8 Ohm textile dome tweeter. The 34 litre bass reflex cabinet produces a remarkably deep lower limiting frequency of only 25 Hz, but maintains its powerful, precise bass reproduction. The reason for this is the subwoofer AL 170 8 Ohm with its rear-vented spider and its long cone strokes. The flow-optimised bass reflex tube BR 25.50 is mounted at the rear of the cabinet to present the most ideal optical appearance, but can, if the cabinets are to be set close to a wall (closer than 10 cm), be moved to the front without any loss in quality.

The two 1 µF capacitors in conjunction with the 2.2 mH coil form a blocking circuit that effectively suppresses the resonance in the aluminium diaphragm generated typically by that material.

The VIB 170 AL is a compact speaker with well-balanced sound quality and clean-cut bass and impulse fidelity, providing excellent dynamic properties for a speaker of this size.

Characteristics and sound properties

The VIB 2000 GF is the logical development of one of the most popular column cabinets in the field of D.I.Y. speakers - the VISATON VIB. The concept of the 2-way enclosure in a 45 litre vented cabinet has been retained, but the drivers used are different, and the crossover unit has been reappraised to suit. In the low- to mid-range we have the GF 200 2 x 4 Ohm, whose fibre glass cone can produce a big stroke and thus is good for powerful low-range bass even at higher volume levels. The parallel resonant circuit before the low pass unit compensates for the rise in the mid-range of the 200 mm cone drive and guarantees a linear and coloration-free frequency response until the tweeter takes over at around 2.5 KHz. The 18 dB high-pass section links in the 25 mm G 25 FFL 8 Ohm textile dome unit.

The VIB 2000 GF produces remarkably vivid, precise bass output at the lowest frequencies, linear mid-range sound, spatially separated from the speakers themselves and a smooth, finely sketched high-frequency range.