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When we chase our playlist through the speakers for the first time, we hear a speaker that doesn’t intrude and comes across as relaxing. A speaker with the right amount of detail and sparkle but one that never provokes. In addition, the Haydn SE Signature also has a high fun factor that makes popular music sound catchy and we can’t sit still. But he can also sound intimate, small and compelling when the music calls for it and he puts emotion in the voice of the performer.
We received a brand new pair, so we let the speakers settle in for a few weeks. That makes a big difference. We quickly recognize Vienna Acoustics’ “signature” but at first the Haydn SE Signature seems identical to the much cheaper Haydn Jubilee. That is only appearance.
The Haydn SE Signature goes beyond the limited edition. To begin with, the exceptional spread of the music is striking. The stereo image seems to go on endlessly without voices or instruments starting to “dance. Every element gets its place with an ample sweet spot as a bonus. ‘Off Axis’ playback is not an issue at all. The music seems to go behind the speakers with ease and shows a lot of depth.
The subbass goes deep enough and the midrange is better defined and detailed than on the Haydn Jubilee. In our room, the bass rolls through nicely and we don’t really miss a subwoofer in most music. It’s not a “full range” sound of course, many floorstanders don’t achieve this either, but the bass never dominates in our room and feels correct. Tight and controlled. The midrange seemed a bit restrained at first, but after a few weeks the speaker brightened up considerably. The Vienna Acoustics Haydn SE Signature will never be described as analytical or holographic, but intelligibility and detail are excellent.
In addition, the Haydn SE Signature is a fairly fast speaker that reproduces the flow of the music very well. The treble lets a lot of information through but is a tad rounded so lesser recordings always come through a bit friendlier. In many set-ups and rooms a relief. Of course you also want to enjoy lesser audiophile recordings. Balance is the key word in any set up. Always keep this in the back of your mind.
