Vaessen, from Belgium, have carved a niche for themselves for the uniquely styled Aquarius loudspeaker. Several points are relevant - not only is the Aquarius a very visually attractive product, the shape is argueably the optimum one for a loudspeaker (something, of course, which has been known for years, but it's tricky to manufacture). It is also a limited edition product. We know the designer, Koen Vaessen, pretty well, and when he states that only one hundred are being made, we know he means it. After that, the mould, used to make the fibreglass shell, will be completely destroyed, preventing the fabrication of any more. So, exclusivity is assured (unlike some manufacturers, whose definition of Limited Edition seems to come from another dictionary. Mentioning no names, of course).

Vaessen Aquarius (GBP 9995.00)

size (cm): 115h, 60w, 65d
freq resp: 23Hz - 30kHz
sensitivity: 92dB
power handling: 225W nom, 300W peak

Anyone who knows us, will also know we don't give a damn about snobbish concerns like exclusivity. Products stand or fall, in our eyes (or is that ears?) on performance and build quality. The latter is very good, but the audio performance is excellent, these beautiful speakers stand up to any competition around, and above, the price. The sound is very seamless, as you would expect from the clever body shell (not only is fibreglass used, but a new damping compound is also applied internally, and the shell is finished externally using automotive techniques, leading to a very durable high gloss finish). Bass is of the highest standard, tuneful and fast, with none of the boominess that plagues most designs, and the mid and top are clear and very, very, open. Transparency and imaging are also of the highest standard - these speakers are capable of that, all too rare, disappearing act, which sets aside the very top designs.

Vaessen MicroBox (GBP 1195.00) and Box (GBP 2795.00)

For people whose finances (and maybe living space) don't quite stretch to Aquarius levels, the Box and MicroBox are two very modern, refreshingly cleanly styled, speakers. Both models have very thick walled (25cm) MDF cabinets, finished in grey nextel type coating. Metal coned drive units are used, giving tactile and fast sound quality, free from artificial warmth and mushiness. The bigger Box has a removeable protective grille over the tweeter - you choose, child-proofing or ultimate transparency!
The Microbox has the unusual technique of front and rear mounted tweeters, very clever, in that what is a tiny speaker acquires a larger, more spacious feel, than it has any right to. It's not a gimmick, nor does it detract from imaging, it really does work. It also makes the front and rear (below) difficult to tell apart! These are brilliant little speakers, well worth considering for smaller rooms.

MicroBox:
size (cm): 16w, 24d, 26h
freq resp: 65Hz - 30kHz
sensitivity: 85dB
power handling: 100W
impedance: 8 Ohms

The Box is an excellent bigger choice, keeping a lot of the speed and excitement, but adding weight and solidity. It's difficult to think of another speaker of similar size, with the combination of speed and tonal refinement offered by the Box. Only thing to beware, is the combination of relatively low efficiency and 4 Ohm impedance - but we successfully use medium powered valve amps to reasonable SPLs.

Box:
size (cm): 23.5w, 35d, 46h
freq resp: 38Hz - 30kHz
sensitivity: 85dB
power handling: 185W
impedance: 4 Ohms