Diapason D’or
Palmares Hi-fi 2012
Diapason - France
The mathematical nomenclature afforded the Vector and its standmount sibling the Vertex pay homage to the fundamental importance of organic, geometrically optimised forms that have been exploited in pursuit of ultimate performance within the company’s reference loudspeaker line, the Geometry Series.
Wilson Benesch invested heavily in new manufacturing technology and the latest 3D CAD/CAM software and tooling to realise a highly optimised product line which surpasses in every respect, the previous reference line, the Odyssey Range. The Geometry Series celebrates the importance of music and its importance within our life.
A 2.5-way design, the Vector features the revolutionary Semisphere Silk-Carbon Hybrid Dome Tweeter and two Tactic II drive units.
Sharing it’s drive technology with the flagship Cardinal loudspeaker, the Vector exists at the cutting edge of loudspeaker design.
Despite a relatively compact form, the Vector creates a formidable presentation of high-end audio. The sound is rich, layered with all the nuances and timbre of the musical performance. Finished with the A.C.T. Carbon Monocoque, an anodised alloy baffle and a range of bespoke high-gloss polymer and natural wood veneers, the Vector has an appearance befitting its reference line status.
F L O O R S T A N D I N G L O U D S P E A K E R
"The Vector enclosure astonished us with it's transparency, it's speed is first class... A revelation, high performance yet very accessible."
Diapason Magazine, 2012
Diapason D’or
Palmares Hi-fi 2012
Diapason - France
The mathematical nomenclature afforded the Vector and its standmount sibling the Vertex pay homage to the fundamental importance of organic, geometrically optimised forms that have been exploited in pursuit of ultimate performance within the company’s reference loudspeaker line, the Geometry Series.
Wilson Benesch invested heavily in new manufacturing technology and the latest 3D CAD/CAM software and tooling to realise a highly optimised product line which surpasses in every respect, the previous reference line, the Odyssey Range. The Geometry Series celebrates the importance of music and its importance within our life.
A 2.5-way design, the Vector features the revolutionary Semisphere Silk-Carbon Hybrid Dome Tweeter and two Tactic II drive units.
Sharing it’s drive technology with the flagship Cardinal loudspeaker, the Vector exists at the cutting edge of loudspeaker design.
Despite a relatively compact form, the Vector creates a formidable presentation of high-end audio. The sound is rich, layered with all the nuances and timbre of the musical performance. Finished with the A.C.T. Carbon Monocoque, an anodised alloy baffle and a range of bespoke high-gloss polymer and natural wood veneers, the Vector has an appearance befitting its reference line status.
Technology
EXPLORE THE FEATURES OF
BY CLICKING THE ICONS
Tactic II driver
S.M.A.R.T. Research funding of £130,000 kick started the Bishop Project in 1999. This Public funding from the UK Government established the company as a manufacturer of novel high performance technologies. Over the last 16 years, on going research and development has enabled Tactic II to be realised. The ultimate loudspeaker demands that every drive unit has completely unique parameters. This exacting science sees 35 precisely defined versions of the Tactic II. Nothing is ordinary about a Wilson Benesch loudspeaker.
Semisphere tweeter
The science of carbon fibre is just one small element of the materials science that has been developed in Sheffield but it is one that has taught us a great deal especially where vibrational energy is concerned. One of the most important lessons has been that strength is nothing without the control of damping. Even the stiffest materials can be excited by sound that is audible or perceptible. From this knowledge came the worlds first hybrid tweeter dome featuring carbon fibre and a soft dome. This is just one element of the radically different and superb sounding Semisphere tweeter. We believe that unlike most tweeters today the Semisphere can be appreciated for hour after hour without any fatigue.
Port tubeS
Like a fine watch the components from which it is manufactured are celebrated rather than hidden in a Wilson Benesch loudspeaker. Precision machined details like the alloy external port tubes bear witness to the engineers attention to detail that the brand is recognised for. It is another novel facet that underlines our perspective of what High End audio is all about the benefits of small improvements in every detail in this case the small benefit enables that little extra air that would normally be robbed from the precious internal air volume of the cabinet. It might appear to be a huge amount of additional work to achieve such a small incremental gain but for Wilson Benesch this is how the difference is realised
A.C.T. monocoque
If the sophisticated A.C.T. monocoque structure was judged by purely engineering function, it would lay claim to being one of the worlds lightest, stiffest and most highly damped structures ever manufactured. In terms of energy damping and therefore signal to noise ratio, it would exceed with consummate ease the traditional conventional materials typically seen in loudspeaker design to date.
"I’m struck by the realisation that these speakers, even at low volume settings, have the ability to convey the musical intent, the very substance of a musical track in a manner that I am unaccustomed to. It’s simply operating at a higher level than I am used to hearing"
Diapason D’or
Palmares Hi-fi 2012
Diapason - France
black titanium
white gloss
regal silver
silk black
oak satin
natural cherry satin
zebrano gloss
walnut gloss
ebonised walnut gloss
red tulip gloss
red birdseye gloss
birdseye maple gloss
burr walnut gloss
Front
Side
Back
SCHematic
VOLUMES
1 x 25mm ( 1") Wilson Benesch Semisphere tweeter
1 x 170mm ( 7") Wilson Benesch Tactic II mid-range drive unit
1 x 170mm ( 7") Wilson Benesch Tactic II bass drive unit
2.5-way floor standing loudspeaker
Impedance: 6Ω nominal / 4Ω minimal
Sensitivity: 89dB at 1 metre on-axis, 2.83V Input
Frequency response: 36Hz - 30KHz +/- 2dB on-axis
Minimum amplification power recommendation: 100 W / channel
Crossover frequency 500Hz / 5kHz
Height: 890mm ( 35")
Width: 230mm ( 9.1")
Depth: 370mm ( 14.6")
Volume: 34L
Weight per channel: 31kg (68.3 lbs)
Anodised black baffle
Silk black spine and foot
High gloss satin weave carbon fibre cabinet
High gloss black acrylic top
Bespoke side cheek options - see FINISHES above
Poly-alloy hybrid construction
High performance carbon composite A.C.T. monocoque
Mid-range ported enclosure
Bass dual ported enclosure
construction
PERFORMANCE
DIMENSIONS
FINISHES
Drivers
Wilson Benesch Ltd | Falcon House | Limestone Cottage Lane | Sheffield | United Kingdom | T +44 (0)114 285 2656
Designed and Built by Wilson Benesch 2019 | All rights reserved
FLOOR STANDING LOUDSPEAKER
TACTIC II DRIVE UNIT
There are no transient delays in nature – when a singer sings, or a drummer strikes you hear the sound almost instantly. But when a drive unit tries to replicate this sound from a recording, the transient response time, although minute, is easily detected by the ear and the brain. When designing a drive unit, it is critical to reduce the transient response time as much as possible. Any delay, informs the brain that what is being listened to is in fact a recording and not a real human voice or instrument.
Wilson Benesch developed the original Tactic drive unit and subsequent Tactic II drive unit around this philosophy. We employed a light cone material, with phenomenally powerful NdFeB Rare Earth Magnets, with a highly evolved motor geometry to optimise flux. The result was a dynamic drive unit that could excurse through the in and out range of its movement during use very quickly and under a high degree of control. The original Tactic design was described as “lightning fast” in the first test reviews.
SEMISPHERE TWEETER
Designed and manufactured in house, the Semisphere has been developed to match the Tactic II Drive Unit, creating seamless integration across the mid-high frequency band. At the heart of the Semisphere is the Silk-Carbon Hybrid Dome. The hybrid dome tweeter, retains the natural sound of a soft dome tweeter, remaining free from sibilance. However the addition of carbon fibre through a proprietary technique, allows the Semisphere to remain flat through the frequency range to 30kHz.
Built around the dome is a combination of highly engineered components, which have been precision machined in house at Wilson Benesch. At the front a curved front plate creates the ideal launch surface for high frequency sound. To the rear of this is a complex motor front and rear plate that hold a ring of six powerful rare earth magnets. The design allows optimal venting and allows the Semisphere to remain cool during extended use.
PORT TUBES
Like a fine watch the components from which it is manufactured are celebrated rather than hidden in a Wilson Benesch loudspeaker. Precision machined details like the alloy external port tubes bear witness to the engineers attention to detail that the brand is recognised for. It is another novel facet that underlines our perspective of what High End audio is all about the benefits of small improvements in every detail in this case the small benefit enables that little extra air that would normally be robbed from the precious internal air volume of the cabinet. It might appear to be a huge amount of additional work to achieve such a small incremental gain but for Wilson Benesch this is how the difference is realised.
A.C.T. MONOCOQUE
A sophisticated three-layer composite structure comprised of carbon fibre, high compression blast core and glass fibre. In terms of energy damping and therefore signal-to-noise ratio, the A.C.T. Monocoque exceeds with consummate ease the materials traditionally used in loudspeaker design.
Wilson Benesch have optimised the A.C.T. Monocoque by creating a curved form. The geometric form of the cabinet negates standing waves by reducing the number of flat surfaces on the loudspeaker surface. Thus any sound waves interacting with the surface of the A.C.T. Monocoque are diffracted across a wide angle and thus diminished. As a result such distortions are impossible for the ear to detect, allowing the loudspeaker to disappear within the listening space; stealth like the loudspeaker creates a wide open and life like soundstage.
CABINET CONSTRUCTION
The Vector, like its Geometry Series counterparts, is a highly engineered construction comprised of both carbon fibre composite and precision CNC machined alloy components.
In terms of the fit and finish, perhaps the most tangible element visually that defines the quality of the design and the attention to detail, is the foot.
This beautifully engineered component sees a flowing sculptured form from front to rear. Finished with Wilson Benesch spikes or the optional upgraded kinematic spike and cups seen in the A.C.T. One Evolution, there is no mistaking that the Vector is the stable mate of its aforementioned bigger brother and other Geometry Series designs.
Housing the A.C.T. Monocoque, side cheeks, bass port tubes and machined alloy baffle the foot is a critical component tying all the design together with unyielding structural integrity.
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Technology
REVIEWS
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Diapason D'or
Palmares Hi-Fi 2012
Diapason - France
FINISHES
TITANIUM
REGAL SILVER
WHITE GLOSS
SILK BLACK
OAK SATIN
NATURAL CHERRY SATIN
ZEBRANO GLOSS
WALNUT GLOSS
EBONISED WALNUT GLOSS
RED TULIP GLOSS
RED BIRDSEYE GLOSS
BIRDSEYE MAPLE GLOSS
BURR WALNUT GLOSS
FRONT
SIDE
BACK
VOLUMES
DRIVERS
CONSTRUCTION
MEASUREMENTS
DIMENSIONS
FINISHES
1 x 25mm ( 1") Wilson Benesch Semisphere tweeter
1 x 170mm ( 7") Wilson Benesch Tactic II mid-range drive unit
1 x 170mm ( 7") Wilson Benesch Tactic II bass drive unit
Poly-alloy hybrid construction
High performance carbon composite A.C.T. monocoque
Mid-range ported enclosure
Bass dual ported enclosur
2.5-way floor standing loudspeaker
Impedance: 6Ω nominal / 4Ω minimal
Sensitivity: 89dB at 1 metre on-axis, 2.83V Input
Frequency response: 36Hz - 30KHz +/- 2dB on-axis
Minimum amplification power recommendation: 100 W / channel
Crossover frequency 500Hz / 5kHz
Height: 890mm ( 35")
Width: 230mm ( 9.1")
Depth: 370mm ( 14.6")
Volume: 34L
Weight per channel: 31kg (68.3 lbs)
Anodised black baffle
Silk black spine and foot
High gloss satin weave carbon fibre cabinet
High gloss black acrylic top
Bespoke side cheek options - see FINISHES above:
Gloss: Piano Black, White, Zebrano, Birds Eye Maple, Red Birds Eye, Red Tulip, Walnut, Burr Walnut and Ebonised Walnut
Satin: Oak and Natural Cherry
SPECIFICATIONS
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Wilson Benesch Ltd | Falcon House | Limestone Cottage Lane | Sheffield | United Kingdom | T +44 (0)114 285 2656
Designed and built by Wilson Benesch 2019 | All rights reserved