It has been 17 years since German audio manufacturer Velodyne first introduced the first MicroVee subwoofer. Over the years the company has reissued the compact sub lastly with the MKII version and now we have the third-generation model X. While the subwoofer looks similar to past issues, the X adds new Carbon / Kevlar drivers and arrives with a handy remote control that fine tunes phase and cross over adjustments as well as volume. At first, I thought a remote control for a sub was a bit gimmicky, but there is great value in micro adjusting from your favoured listening position without leaving your seat. Included in the boy is an infared “eye” that allows the sub to be hidden or concealed while still being controlled by the remore without a direct line of sight.
What remains consistent with the MicroVee X from past reissues is the tiny footprint. The X measures 23w X 23h X 25d cm meaning the height of the sub is around the same size as a vinyl album jacket and the total weight of the sub is 9 kg. Velodyne deserves credit for introducing such a small but mighty sub when two decades ago, it was most likely not taken too seriously; come on it’s a subwoofer and bigger is always better, right? Well no; subtlety, balance and bass tonality that has you wondering if there even is a sub accompanying your sound system is always right, and the MicroVee’s diminutive size and side firing sound from The 6.5in active driver with two side-mounted passive radiators of the same size, is the perfect solution for small apartments, smaller living rooms and studies and urban living in general, where extra bass adds value but not at the expense of the neighbours the floor below banging a broomstick on the ceiling for that’s all they hear.
Velodyne’s MicroVee X is powered by what the company calls a Digital Drive Control System or DDCS that balances the sub’s continuous 300 watt power and peak 800-watt Class AB amplification to create low distortion bass reproduction by creating linear cone movements, and while the MicroVee X specs lower in power from previous models, Velodyne states the new sub is 15% louder across the frequency range.
While subs are usually assessed for their brawn and grit, the MicroVee tends to capture words like cute, stylish, and spirited in an over-built corrugated housing available in either matte black or gloss white.
The crossover frequencies can be set between 40 and 200 hertz and phase can be switched between zero and 180 degrees. Connectivity to the sub includes RCA jacks or by high-level (speaker cable )as well as the ability to bypass the sub’s crossover via LFE outputs. The MicroVee can switch itself on automatically in “Auto” mode when a signal is present and off again when inactive.
The MicroVee X offers precise German engineering in a tiny footprint that overdelivers in performance. If you live in a condo or any high-designed living space where you desire the tonality of a strong bass note but perhaps don’t want a typical big square box to overtake your fashion sense, The Velodyne MicroVee checks off all the boxes – small and compact, nice to look at with low end performance down to 32Hz (+/- 3dB). Compact in size but not in performance.
Velodyne is exclusively distributed by Erikson Home. The MicroVee X has an MSRP of $2,499.00