A home cinema is unthinkable without them, they play an important role in car hi-fi systems, and some fans of high-quality music reproduction also rely on this special category of loudspeaker: the subwoofer. In relation to the frequency spectrum between 30 and 20,000 hertz that we humans can hear, its maximum transmission range, which generally extends up to 200 hertz, accounts for just one per cent. Perhaps this is also the reason why the purchase of a separate bass loudspeaker is out of the question for many people. Added to this is the prejudice that the mostly active subwoofers only deserve to exist for explosions or jogging dinosaurs. So we set out to put this prejudice to the test.

After Audio-Reference Managing Director Mansour Mamaghani has finished with the detailed list of connections on the MiniVee X from Velodyne Acoustics, he briefly adds that the level, phase, subsonic filter, five-band equaliser and high-pass filter settings can also be adjusted via a Bluetooth-connected app. When adding up all the equipment details and comfort solutions and looking at the usual market prices, a price of 3,000 euros would not have been surprising, but this Velodyne actually only costs a third. How is that possible? Certainly not by making savings on the closed, high-gloss lacquered black housing, which is made of MDF and has struts inside to prevent unwanted resonances. This construction alone contributes significantly to the total weight of 15 kilograms.

The front section of the MiniVee X only shows the company logo, but the two side panels are more exciting. A 20-centimetre chassis is installed there, one of which is actively driven and the other acts as a passive radiator. The five centimetre long voice coil with four copper windings is immersed in an oversized magnet. This design effort effectively reduces distortion, avoids compression effects and ensures sufficient cooling. The fact that the excursion of the diaphragm, which is made of a carbon fibre braid and is therefore stiff and light, is above average is also revealed by the bead, which is reminiscent of a bicycle inner tube and keeps it securely on course. None of the chassis' eight screw connections can be seen from the outside, while a cover provides an added aesthetic touch. The fact that the MiniVee X has consistently thought of everything is also evident in its connection panel.