The original Trapeze holds a special place in Audiovector’s history. That speaker was the company’s first commercially successful product and helped to form the foundations of the brand we know today. It did this in both financial terms and in technical aspects such as simple crossovers and the importance of a linear phase response.
That was 45 years ago. This new version is officially called the Trapeze Reimagined, or Trapeze Ri for short. Audiovector is keen to point out that the new arrival is not a retro design but a cutting-edge modern product that takes inspiration from the past.
- Read our first impressions of the Audiovector Trapeze Reimagined speakers
The Trapeze Ri is a squat three-way floorstander that stands 87.5cm tall and weighs a relatively hefty 50kg per pair. Its cabinet is made of specially chosen HDF (high-density fibreboard) and features a sloped, angled front baffle. This shape reduces the build-up of internal standing waves and improves the time alignment between the drive units. The results, Audiovector claims, should be a cleaner, more focused presentation.
The new Trapeze is available in four standard finish options: Black Ash, Nordic Oak, Italian Walnut and White Silk. You can also get it painted in a wide range of custom colours if you absolutely need to match the speakers to your decor.
All the drive units are new, though they remain consistent with the principles the company has promoted over the years. The tweeter is an AMT (Air Motion Transformer), which works with a folded diaphragm that moves accordion-style to make sound. This approach tends to result in a lighter diaphragm and lower distortion than conventional dome alternatives. Good dispersion characteristics are claimed too. As in previous Audiovector products, this tweeter works in an open arrangement where its rearward output escapes through a port to give the sonic presentation a more spacious feel.
Below the tweeter sits a 13cm impregnated paper-cone midrange, which handles the sound between 500Hz and 3kHz. It has a corrugated surround for greater sonic agility and a vented, neodymium motor system for improved dynamics. Audiovector says great care is taken in the chassis design to optimise rigidity and shape.
Things get even more sophisticated at low frequencies. The Trapeze Reimagined has a forward-facing 30cm paper cone woofer (with corrugated surround) working in tandem with an internal-mounted 20cm ported driver.
This compound configuration is tricky to optimise but Audiovector has a great deal of experience in developing such systems. If done well, such a bass arrangement delivers more low-end weight, extension and control than simpler conventional alternatives such as reflex porting, passive radiators or a sealed box.
It is possible to improve the Trapeze Ri's sound by taking advantage of its optional ‘Freedom Grounding’ feature. You will need to buy the dedicated cable, which isn’t cheap at £625/$750/AU$1150 for a 5m set. There is also the option to fine-tune the speaker's sound by adjusting the 'damping factor' switch. There are three settings and the choice depends on the design of the partnering amplifier and to a large extent, your tastes.
Audiovector aims to make its speakers easy to drive, and the Trapeze Ri are no different. They have a claimed sensitivity of 88dB/W/m and a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. That impedance dips to a minimum of 6.5 ohms at 20kHz, which shouldn’t be an issue for any good quality price comparable amplifier.
The price for all this Danish engineering goodness? The new Audiovector Trapeze Reimagine (or Ri) speakers will cost a hefty £15,500, $19,000 and AU$28,600 per pair and are available to order from 25th April.
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