VIB 170 BP

Extract from Klang & Ton

“We would never have anticipated the quality of sound that we heard – amazingly three-dimensional mid-range sound, both tangible and direct, as one expects from very good full-rangespeakers. The tweeter was even more transparent than we have seen it perform in the past, thanks to the high separating frequency. And what part does material resonance play? This range certainly does not soundunpleasant or intrusive, probably because it fades away so quickly and is within a very narrow bandwidth. Vocal “s” sounds come across completely naturally and at a reasonable volume, but what you notice is that they are very energy-charged without being at all intrusive. This sound is, after all, being radiated by a large cone area rather than being generated by a comparatively tiny diaphragm. Dynamic attacks on guitar strings explode with sound while cymbals acquire real substance. This whole tapestry is founded on a carefully balanced lower frequency range and fantastically deep, taught bass. Up to now, we have never had the pleasure of hearing that from a bandpass cabinet. The drivers complement each other perfectly and the transitions are absolutely seamless. As we have often noticed with other systems based on full-range speakers, the three-dimensional soundstage is very accurate and clearly defined; the low-bass and broad-range treatment allow the listener to concentrate on the musicians. The icing on the cake is the highly surprising level accuracy: when a very large, powerful church organ floods the listening room with deep bass, it is enough to put one in awe. Okay, this does require a fair amount of amplifier power – with a 60 watt symasym amplifier, this Visaton speaker sounds great, but if you want to make it really shine, go for a good 200 watts and more.

Conclusion

The introductory initials of the VIB 170 BP could stand for “very interesting box”, which puts it in very good company if one looks back over its family tree: this VIB really deserves to be bear the title “very interesting”."