Hi-Fi: Velodyne MicroVee Subwoofer Review – 69

Gazza, I need you in early tomorrow morning to pick up a new Velodyne subwoofer,” came the call from the Tone Ed one Tuesday afternoon. A chill immediately ran down my spine as I pondered my weightlifting abilities and general levels of fitness, for I remembered experiencing the awesome 174kg Signature 1812 a few years ago, and the thought of attempting to lug around anything remotely as heavy brought me out in a cold sweat.

Luckily for me the reality was as far from my fears as you can get, for Velodyne’s new MicroVee is quite possibly the tiniest subwoofer of genuine quality I have ever clapped eyes on.

At around 23cm square, the MicroVee is about the size of an average four-slice toaster, and I must admit I felt a fair amount of scepticism when I unpacked it. My second impression was just how well constructed the MicroVee is. The cabinet is a ribbed aluminium extrusion for maximum strength and resonance rejection, with all inputs/outputs on the attached rear panel.

The aluminium extrusion offers tremendous rigidity, and the MicroVee needs as much strength as it can get because of its unusual driver layout. A single long-throw 6.5-inch driver wouldn’t move enough air by itself to produce real bass (laws of physics and all that), but Velodyne has used two passive radiators to augment bass depth and output.

This effectively gives the MicroVee a cone surface of 18 inches, which is in itself quite an achievement considering the Lilliputian cabinet dimensions. Add a 1000W RMS amplifier to the equation and things are starting to look a little serious performance-wise. Connections are comprehensive with two RCA speaker level inputs/outputs, phase circuitry, and just about everything you’d find on a grown-up subwoofer. But the proof is in the pudding, and despite its size, this pudding is no trifle.

The MicroVee developed seriously good bass extension in my theatre room, without the overhanging bass notes or boom you’d expect from inferior subs. What impressed me most, however, was the speed of bass transients. Crisp and immediate, bass notes were delivered in machine gun fashion on hulking tracks such as Stanley Clarke’s ‘Passenger 57 Main Title’ and Dub Syndicate’s ‘Stoned Immaculate’. Movies were just as impressive, with dinosaurs (Jurassic Park), creepy aliens (Aliens) and 19th century ships of the line (Master And Commander) all sounding and feeling realistic through the tiny MicroVee. Only at very high volumes did the subwoofer start to protest, but this was at a level outside my personal comfort zone – and no, I didn’t toast the MicroVee, it just started to compress transients ever so slightly.

Velodyne has done the impossible and produced an almost invisible subwoofer that totally kicks arse. I’m a fan!

Specifications

Velodyne

MicroVee Subwoofer

$1699

DRIVER: Active 6.5-inch forward-firing anodized aluminum cone (5-inch piston diameter), 2 x 6.5-inch side-firing passive radiators with aluminum cones (5-inch piston diameter)

AMPLIFIER (CLASS D): 2000W dynamic power,1000W RMS power

LOW PASS CROSSOVER: 50Hz – 200Hz (adjustable)

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 38 – 120Hz (+/- 3dB)

DIMENSIONS: 22.9 x 22.9 x 24.4cm (W/H/D)

WEIGHT: 9.1kg

Pros

• Tiny form

• Excellent bass quality and speed

Cons

• Slight compression at headbanger volume levels

Verdict

A lot of bass in a little space. 4.5/5

GARY PEARCE