Velodyne MicroVee X Review - Subwoofer test
Little Thunder - Even if you don't see it, you'll be astonished if you hear it.
You wouldn't have taken it seriously if it had been the other way around. The MicroVee X subwoofer is extraordinarily small for a subwoofer – it's about the size of an LP on all sides – yet it's packed with features that transform it into a real Velodyne bass virtuoso.
It's adorable! Such remarks are to be expected when analyzing a subwoofer that is scarcely larger than a jumbo Rubik's Cube at 23 x 24 x 27 millimeters. When you work from home, you'll hear them even more frequently because there are more individuals who come into contact with it than in the workplace - notably, extended family and friends.
Furthermore, the device looks absurdly nice and noble, which adds to its modest footprint. It's only available in two colors: friendly black or high-gloss white with gray covers. The MicroVee X also has a remote control and costs roughly 1300 dollars. That is, as every hi-fi aficionado knows, a lot of money, so you should really want it and be serious about using it – but not nearly enough for a nice subwoofer.
The elegantly rounded "X" with a corrugated shape is the third MicroVee generation, with the corresponding experience and heritage built-in, reinforced with the newest findings and fine-tuned refinements. The stated goal of getting the finest possible music and home entertainment experience from a device that is friendly to the environment has not changed. In the process, Velodyne has evolved into a German firm with German development capabilities.
We don't think we can emphasize enough how important a remote control is in the price range of over 1000 dollars. It's the only way to alter the settings without involving a second person. Otherwise, you'd have to go back and forth from the sub's control panel to the seat to hear the effect of a modification. Furthermore, a remote control "eye" included in the package assures that the MicroVee may be operated even while it is hidden; only contact between the remote and the "eye" is required.
The newly built amplifier is a Class AB unit with four 34A/180V MOS-FETs, providing exceptionally good sound quality. It's also fairly powerful, with a stated constant power of 300 watts and a peak power of 800 watts.
Your floor and the efficiency of the inbuilt iso-elastomer dampening feet will determine if the MicroVee X can still bounce around at full force. The closed cabinet's front panel is 52 millimeters thick, and the 16.5 centimeters-driver is a strong, double-vented woofer with a reinforced carbon fiber/polypropylene cone, four-layer 52-mm voice coil, and double magnetic construction, according to the manufacturer.
The spider and heavy-duty connectors, as well as the shape of the specific rubber surround, were all carefully considered. Two extra passive membranes, each with a diameter of 16.5 cm, support the driver on the sides of the housing. Despite the fact that the cabinet is technically closed, these transform it into a "different ports design" with adequate membrane surface for proper thrust. One could call him a powerful dwarf.
Depending on the satellites utilized, the crossover frequencies can be set between 40 and 200 hertz, and the separation is second order, i.e. twelve dB/octave. Signals can be fed to the subwoofer via RCA and speaker cable (high level) – and, of course, directly, bypassing the subwoofer's crossover via A/V amplifier LFE outputs. It makes sense that the RCA inputs are looped through (daisy-chained).
The phase can be changed from 0 to 180 degrees. The remote may also be used to modify the volume, crossover frequency, and phase, with the volume being displayed on the device through LEDs. If desired, the MicroVee can turn on automatically in "Auto" mode when a signal is there and turn off automatically when the signal is no longer present.
The "Digital Drive Control System" (DDCS) used by Velodyne is designed to offer extremely minimal distortion. The MicroVee X, which weighs nearly ten kilos, was not intended to be used with floor-standing speakers the size of telephone booths or with extremely loud low bass orgies.
Let's be honest: everyone likes bass, but you don't want to see a subwoofer to go with it unless it's really required.
The MicroVee X, now in its third generation, is a superb, incredibly ambiance-friendly alternative for assisting a compactly constructed music system or even a small home theater corner to put greater emphasis on the lower registers. It is capable of doing so with incredible authority and sovereignty. It exposes itself to have an incredibly subtle spirit, in contrast to many competitors who function around strong frequencies and are also larger.
The sub also ensures that the sensation of spaciousness can be substantially improved when employing it due to physics. Lower tones do, in fact, imply a much greater space.
That's exactly what we all – and especially the people we live with – desire from a subwoofer: almost imperceptibly simple and yet incredibly musical. Isn't that so? As a result, the MicroVee X is well worth its money. Even more so, because it is a flawless product.
And everyone wants it — even us.
