TEMPTATIONS
Audiovector is a small, specialist speaker manufacturer based in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was founded in 1979 by Ole Klifoth, who remains heavily involved in the company to this day, and now works alongside the current CEO, his son, Mads.
This speaks to a remarkable consistency in the way the company has been run since its inception, making smart but understated premium to high-end speakers, that continues today. This R6 is the third Arreté model we have heard from the brand and follows the similarly range-topping versions of the standmounting R1 and compact floorstanding R3. Of course, there is more scale, authority and bass extension as the speakers get bigger, but in essence they all share a common sonic character that we have always found hugely appealing.
Audiovector is unusual in the way its main product ranges are organised. Each range is based around a core model, called the Signature. Elements of the model such as the drive units, crossover and even the cabinet structure are upgraded for the step-up Avantgarde model, and again to reach range-topping Arreté status. This is the ultimate expression of the company’s engineering and features a host of quite exotic technologies.
Signature or Avantgarde models can be upgraded to the next step up for the difference in retail price, plus a 30 per cent premium to cover shipping and labour costs. Not the cheapest way to climb the rungs, but it protects that initial investment and allows the customer to upgrade in stages. This is a benefit that no other speaker manufacturer offers as far as we know.
COMPLEX ARRANGEMENT
The R6 packs six drive units in a 4½-way configuration. On the front baffle is the company’s best Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeter. It features a coated mylar diaphragm driven by Neodymium magnets and is decoupled from the cabinet to maximise performance. Unusually, the tweeter is open from the back as well as the front, which helps give a more spacious presentation. Below that distinctive high frequency unit sits a pair of 165mm woven aramid composite units. These drivers use titanium voice coils, powerful ceramic ferrite magnets and have rigid magnesium chassis. The drivers don’t work in parallel; the upper unit delivers the midrange, working at 350Hz-3kHz, leaving the lower one to cover a narrower band of 100Hz-350Hz. Below that, the signal is handed over to an isobaric bass arrangement that features 165mm and 200mm drivers, both tucked away inside the cabinet. The larger driver fires downward through a large opening in the plinth.
A small 75mm r
