Intro
Contents
Besides beautiful nature and ancient cities like Salzburg and Vienna, Austria is of course also known for its composers Mozart, Schubert and Haydn. No better place to build speakers, the people at Vienna Acoustics must have thought. This author is always pleased when a speaker from the Viennese manufacturer comes along. More so, the limited-edition Haydn Jubilee is a personal favorite. So when Dutch importer Hifi Matters sent over the latest version of the Haydn, expectations were high. Very high. Meet the Vienna Acoustics Haydn SE Signature. Will it live up to the high expectations? Let’s check it out!
Vienna Acoustics is a small company whose no-nonsense philosophy has impressed many customers over the years. The fact that production takes place entirely in Vienna also plays a role for many. Who says Vienna Acoustics, says in in a way Peter Gansterer. He is the man who designs and systematically optimizes all loudspeakers. The range is limited but at the same time versatile. There are only two series, the Concert Grand and the Klimt with additionally the stand-alone Liszt Reference. The Haydn SE Signature belongs to the Concert Grand series and has been in the portfolio for 25 years.
The quality is noticeable even upon opening the box. Our demo models are finished in “Premium Rosewood” and look beautiful. The rosewood veneer is very successful and will look great in just about any interior. However, this version has an additional cost of 500 euros. Ouch.
Other versions include Gloss Black, Gloss White and Cherry. Apart from the bizarre “Kiss,” with its unusual base, the Haydn SE Signature is the only monitor in the collection.Â
Simplicity adorns
The Haydn SE Signature is a compact two-way loudspeaker. It is 36 cm high, 17 cm wide and 26.5 cm deep and weighs a hefty 10 kg. At first glance, it does not look very special. However, those who look more carefully will discover fine touches here and there. For starters, Vienna Acoustics now finally attaches the grilles magnetically so that the cabinets are no longer marred by holes. YES!
And although they are actually rectangular bars, the rounded corners and distinct lines add a playful touch. The silver logo and transparent mid-driver also add that touch of extra drama.
At the back, we see a pair of sturdy speaker clamps and a plaque with the serial number on it. A lot of attention was also paid to the bass port, which really does its thing flawlessly. The paintwork and veneer, as mentioned earlier, is of exceptional quality. All in all, a beautifully made speaker.
The Haydn SE Signature consists of a 2.8 cm silk-dome tweeter and a patented 15 cm XP3 Spidercone mid-driver. This consists mainly of polypropylene and is therefore very light and rigid at the same time. In this Signature version, the mid-driver is even better anchored to the cabinet and the crossover with its copper circuit has also been optimized compared to its predecessor. Furthermore, the Haydn SE Signature is a 4 Ohm loudspeaker with an 88.5 dB sensitivity that in practice does require some power to get up to speed.
