What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Beautiful objects with many sonic plusses, but restricted scale makes them hard to wholeheartedly recommend
Pros
- +
Impressive build and finish
- +
intriguing configuration
- +
focused, purposeful sound
Cons
- -
Never really sound bigger than their physical dimensions
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These Vienna Acoustics are certainly a handsome proposition. Trim, substantial (those front and rear baffles are over 3cm thick) and lustrously finished, they've got some technical headlines, too: the tweeter arrangement consists of a bass reflex port partially plugged by something VA's calling an ‘airflow control wedge', with the silk dome tweeter sited on the front of the wedge, in the throat of the port.
The 15cm mid-bass driver is made using a proprietary material called X3P, and the cone is transparent to afford an exciting glimpse of the innards.
Standing in a little free space, and slightly toed-in, the Haydn Grands deliver Chico Hamilton's For Mods Only with real energy and purpose.
First-rate stereo imaging
Stereo focus and imaging is first-rate, the Viennas establishing a coherent and convincing soundstage.
Low frequencies are extensive, nicely textured, tonally varied and promptly dispatched; midrange information (voices in particular) is smooth and detailed; treble sounds bright and alert without any edginess.
Switching to the widescreen delights of Joni Mitchell's People's Parties exposes some limitations in among all the good work, however.
The Haydn Grands offer just the right amount of glossy sheen to the sound, but their presentation is somewhat limited – at no point does the soundstage threaten to escape the confines of the compact cabinets.
The result is a presentation that's ultimately rather small-scale and a little too dependent on your position relative to the speakers.
So if a small, beautifully designed and finished standmounter with real musicality is what you're after, these Viennas are well worth an audition.
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