- Audiovector unveils R 5 Arreté loudspeaker
- Beautiful fin-shaped, hand-crafted wooden design
- Barrage of speakers includes dual bass drivers
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a floorstanding speaker that wasn’t beautiful or exotic in some way, and Audiovector just proved my point by unveiling the new R 5 Arreté.
You’ve already seen this speaker in the picture above, so you already know how good it looks. Each unit is handcrafted in Denmark and you can pick it up in a range of finishes. Above you’re looking at African mahogany, but there’s also Italian walnut, white silk and piano black.
Audiovector is a family business, as we discovered at the launch of the Trapeze Ri, so it makes sense that the emphasis is on the speakers. The cabinets are designed to be narrow to “minimize edge diffraction for a more precise and transparent sound image,” according to the brand.
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This attention extends to the plinth, where the staggered design achieves “a perfectly controlled coupling to the surface below”. As you can see from the quotes from the brand, we haven’t actually tested the R 5 Arreté yet.
You can if you want, because it’s on sale now. But you’ll pay £17,500 (about $23,600, AU$32,860) for the pleasure of doing so.
Have you forgotten the sound?
Okay, okay, the R 5 Arreté isn’t just a nice piece of furniture, it’s a speaker. So what does it pack under the hood?
The three drivers are all 6.5-inch carbon speakers that use the brand’s Accelerated Force Concept to reduce driver inertia. One is a midrange driver, one is a low-mid driver, and another is a bass driver aimed at the lowest frequencies. There is also a tweeter to handle the higher frequencies.
According to Audiovector, the frequency response is 23Hz-53Hz, with an average impedance of 8 ohms and a sensitivity of 90 decibels.
Another selling point for the Arreté is that it is designed to work well with amplifiers due to its “unique three-position damping adjustment”. So you can use your extra accessories to really get the most out of the speaker.
If you’re worried about fitting these things, they measure 11cm high, 22cm wide and 41cm deep with a weight of 32kg.
For many people, such super speakers may be out of the budget. But I was recently at a hi-fi show where I found an affordable hi-fi kit that might fill the Arreté hole in your soul.
The best stereo speakers for all budgets
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