Полочная акустика — AudioSolutions Vantage B

The Vantage B is the bookshelf model of the Vantage 5th Anniversary series from AudioSolutions, the Vilnius speaker workshop founded by Gediminas Gaidelis. The anniversary range - Vantage C, B, S, M and L - grew out of the earlier Vantage Classic, with new lines and outlines plus changes in materials and manufacturing methods. Although the brand files it as a bookshelf speaker, the B comes on its own rack and fires its woofer downward, so it cannot actually sit on a shelf.

Key specs that matter

Three drivers make up a full-range system. A 2.5 cm beryllium dome tweeter works above 8,000 Hz, a 17 cm wideband midrange with an Egyptian papyrus cone covers the band from 150 Hz, and a 22 cm paper cone woofer handles everything lower. AudioSolutions lists in-room response of 30 Hz to 30,000 Hz, sensitivity of 90 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m and a nominal impedance of 4.0 ohm, and suggests 30 to 400 W RMS of amplifier power. With its rack the assembly is 1281 mm high, 392 mm wide and 553 mm deep, and it weighs 50 kg per side.

Engineering and use context

What separates it from the Vantage S is the low-frequency section - the S carries an 8 inch subwoofer, while the B has no front-firing woofer at all. The maker explains that this keeps the B much closer to a point source and intends it for rooms where the listening distance is critically short. The tweeter is a customised beryllium unit with an integrated mini horn, which the company uses to lower distortion. Cabinet sidewalls, the curved top and the internal labyrinth are built from Siberian birch plywood, an 18-layer sandwich of thin oriented sheets with HDF in the critical layers, bonded with three glues that cure to different hardness. The top is sealed with a hard-wearing coat of crushed stone powder in polyurethane lacquer, and the rear panels carry black 3D hexa-textured vinyl. The anniversary finish is wet stone grey with outlines in a vivid colour chosen by the customer, and the feet covers are colour-matched in the same hexagonal style. Crossover parts come from Jantzen, and the WBT binding posts are arranged for bi-wiring.

Pairing

Because the suggested power window is so wide, the Vantage B can be driven by a mid-sized integrated or by a high-output stereo power amplifier, provided it is designed for low-impedance speakers. The split terminals let owners use two cable runs per speaker.

Alternatives

The AudioSolutions Virtuoso B is a three-way bookshelf model positioned between the Figaro and Vantage ranges, with a 3 cm silk dome tweeter, a down-firing 19 cm bass driver and 91.5 dB sensitivity.