It’s fairly common to run into one or two new companies each time I cover a major stereo event. What’s unusual, though, is to meet some fresh audio entrepreneurs on their first official day in business.
Yet, that’s just what I encountered at the Los Angeles Audio Show. Kentucky-based Vehement Audio Group was launching not only itself as a brand, but also its debut product, the Brezza Forte loudspeaker.
The Brezza Forte ($15,995 USD/pair) is a contemporary-styled, three-way floor-stander that features a baffle made of a solid-surface product often used for kitchen countertops.
“It’s very dense,” said Justin Reynolds, Vehement’s co-founder and chief technical officer. “Since it’s non-porus, it helps crystallize the soundstage.”
Reynolds and Zachary Bohannon, Vehement’s other co-founder and CEO, began dreaming about building speakers as friends in high school. Fifteen years later, they’ve decided to chase that vision.
The duo collaborated with Vapor Audio’s Ryan Scott and Pete Schumacher to develop the Brezza Forte. They decided on a three-way, transmission-line design that features two 7-inch woofers, a custom 7-inch midrange and a RAAL 70-20XR ribbon tweeter.
Frequency response is 39Hz to 25Khz. Recommended amplifier power is 75 to 150 watts per channel.
Reynolds said Vehement’s goal was to create a speaker capable of creating intimate imaging, while still offering full-range performance.
If my show demo is any indication, the designers have achieved much of what they sought.
Reynolds and Bohannon played me several tracks on a system that included a Jeff Rowland Design Group Continuum S2 integrated amp ($12,000 USD), an Antipodes Audio Edge server ($2,400 USD) and an Exogal DAC ($3,500).
It all was joined together by products from Verastarr’s Grand Illusion line, consisting of speaker wire ($2,099 USD), XLR cable ($1,699 USD) and a PC connection ($1,899).
The first track I requested was Dire Straits’ “Ride Across the River,” perhaps the most overlooked great song Mark Knopfler ever cut. The atmospheric composition includes impressively performed guitar, keyboard and percussion work that portrays a nightmare world of crackling thunder, buzzing insects and ominous drums.
The Brezza Forte did a good job rendering and separating all the musical parts on this selection from the blockbuster Brothers in Arms LP. It also excelled at conjuring the harrowing vibe of the Knopfler/Neil Dorfsman-produced recording.
Next up was Chris Isaak’s “Baby Did a Bad Thing” from his album Forever Blue. The guitar-based number, which finds Isaak in typical retro-Elvis mode, had ample air around the vocals, tight bass and good pace.
Overall, the loudspeaker’s time-aligned ribbon tweeter, solid-surface baffle and imposing 130-pound weight (each) seemed to project a deep soundstage, low distortion and a cohesive aural image.
Reynolds and Bohannon say more speakers are coming, including a smaller model called the Brezza Savant. With their first effort, though, Vehement certainly is off to a good start.
Got something to say?
Why yes, yes I do as a mater of fact. lol.
RE: V.A. “Brezza Forte” loudspeakers: Congratulations to the team for embarking upon such an effort.
Not to point out the BF’s John, but when listening to these loudspeakers, was each and every CD, music-file and/or LP played clearly distinct (tonally, dynamically, leanness/richness) from the other ?
I note this much sought quality (but too infrequently delivered) but it exists and is well worth exploring; namely this most telling ability of an audio component to track the signal with such clear distinction –as presented by the recorded material.
(I recall, back in the late 1980’s, ATI amplifiers were looking for dealers and I was most disappointed to note that the amp’s made everything we played “sound the same” ?
(Music we knew and experienced as very distinct from the other) More recently (circa 2009/10), NAD’s “C-165”? preamplifier also proved highly colored -absolutely everything sounded the same- thick, colored, boring. With that said, the/a complete opposite impression was gathered by 10 Audio review: ( http://www.10audio.com/nad_c165bee.htm )
Regardless of which component is responsible is irrelevant here, simply understand it exists and shop accordingly.
Simply put, the best reproducers have this fantastic quality enabling one/listener to marvel in the tonal distinctions (brightness/darker tonal shades) of each and every bit of music played with alarming (but most welcome) alacrity.
And here comes the issue/problem; what component is serving up such coloration (inability to track a signal faithfully) ?
Anyway, back to the loudspeakers. I was delighted to read that the baffle-board is a high-density material. I would suggest to the company that they reveal the effort and method taken to secure the drivers to the the baffle-board. Many would be surprised that way too many makers (even their expensive models) use, if you can believe this –wood-screws (self-tapping) ! And I’m talking models in the $10-$20K + /pair category ! Simply incomprehensible.
No wiser words can be summoned (for such poor engineering) other than “Caveat emptor” –Let the buyer be aware !
Naturally, this cannot apply to the impressively constructed ‘Brezze Forte’ model reviewed here; some type of advanced fastening system (driver to baffle) must be used –simple, but most welcome threaded “bolts” would be marvelous –and most likely employed.
Wishing V.A.G. great success moving forward …
peter jasz