Does the latest VIII-R variant of Quadral’s
Aurum Vulkan loudspeaker offer a sound as striking as its paintwork?
The idea of a company branding its premium
products under a different name from that of the more day-to-day items is not
new and is one that seems to be increasing in popularity. Looking back to the
1970s, most people were well aware that Aurex was to Toshiba, and Optonica was
to Sharp, what Lexus is to Toyota in today’s motor industry. The only real
survivor of this practice that immediately springs to mind is Esoteric, which
is the brand used for the high-end offerings from Teac. It seems that
relatively few people are aware that Aurum has a similar relationship to the
rather better known German loudspeaker manufacturer, Quadral.
Quadral
Aurum Vulkan VIII-R
The Aurum brand represents the pinnacle of
the company’s engineering abilities and the new Vulkan VIII-R sits just one
level down from the top of the range Titan VIII [see HFN, Nov ’12], with which
they share a good deal of technology. Although the name suggests that these
might be the eight iteration of the Vulkan model, they are actually the ninth,
with the appended ‘R’ denoting ‘redesign’, and not ‘Red’ as you might have been
thinking!
This latest variant does not represent
quick makeover, but is a comprehensive reworking. At Mark I the speaker was slim
and sylphlike, gradually growing into a rather Weeble-esque, bottom-heavy shape
by Mk VII, thanks to the need to accommodate the bass driver which had grown to
12in. The Mk VIII restored the sleek profile with the same driver size by
mounting it inside the cabinet at an angle; but a truly balanced look has now
finally been retained by the new model, thanks to the use of two smaller units.
The
Vulkan’s bass drivers are mounted in a pressure chamber configuration with an
array of rubber protection bands in front to deter prying fingers, if not
exactly block them. All three main drivers use Quadral’s ALTIMA cone material
It is actually the bass end of things that
the eye is first drawn to, thanks to the unusual layout with bass drivers
tucked behind the baffle and firing through a cut-out, rather than mounted
flush. Quadral describes this as a ‘pressure chamber’ with the intention that
the pressure that acts on the front of the drivers’ cones is brought closer to
that acting on their rears, due to the cabinet and port.
The result should theoretically be a
tighter low end with less distortion. The two bass drivers are 210mm in
diameter and have a rubber surround supporting Quadral’s ALTIMA cones: a
mixture of aluminium, titanium and magnesium that aims to give an optimum
balance of strength and lightness
Now, Where Did That Go...?
The final element in the bass chain is the
port, which is mounted on the rear and looks big enough to lose something in,
if you were careless. As a precaution, I kept the smaller of the Smith
household’s feline inhabitants well away from the Vulkans during their stay,
just in case she decided to put this to the test...
‘I sat in absolute wonder at the
Quadrals’ low-end performance’
An
alarmingly large port sits above the speaker’s connection panel, the latter
offering four input terminals for bi-wiring and a switch to boost or cut
tweeter output by 2dB
Above the bass chamber is another
170mmALTIMA-based drive unit for midrange duties and, at the top, a new design
of ribbon tweeter taken from the Aurum Titan VIII covers the upper end of the
frequency spectrum. The drivers are all linked by a high quality crossover
network and connected to it using Real Cable wiring. The design allows
bi-wiring or bi-amping and comes complete with short lengths of external cable
to link the terminals if this facility is not required – rather than the more
usual strips of plated brass. Finally, above the inputs is a switch that allows
reducing or boosting the output of the tweeter by 2dB, or setting it to play
flat. This is useful when a ribbon tweeter is used, as such drive units tend to
offer relatively limited dispersion in the vertical plane – as was the case
with the Vulkan VIII-Rs [see Lab Report].It is often said that listeners’ ears should
generally be at tweeter height and this is even more important with ribbon tweeters.
However, as the Vulkans are tall, this may be tricky, especially if you’re
listening seat is of the lounger or recliner kind. In this case, the ability to
add a slight lift to the treble output can be invaluable, and can restore a
touch of sparkle, although it should of course be only used to augment, and not
replace, the proper positioning of the loudspeakers.
As
the Vulkans are tall, this may be tricky, especially if you’re listening seat
is of the lounger or recliner kind
The Vulkan VIII-Rs are superbly built and
very heavy, and those of you rather alarmed by the magnificent red finish of
the review samples – ‘Fire extinguisher not needed’, say Aurum! – will
undoubtedly be relieved to hear that standard finishes are gloss Black and
White, plus Dark Oak, Light Oak or Cherry real wood veneers. However, should
you find even the red a little tame, Quadra will make you a pair in 190of the colors
offered by the standard RAL color chart.
