Monitor Audio Vestra W12 subwoofer
Over the years subwoofers seem to have mirrored the reputation of a well known yeast extract – they are loved or loathed. However, as with many such binary opinions, the truth is often more nuanced. I have been the proud owner of a subwoofer for over a decade and a half now, and it has definitely enhanced my musical enjoyment, especially when I am using small stand-mount loudspeakers.
Monitor Audio is a British company specialising in the design and production of high quality audio products, and has been particularly known for its loudspeakers, the first of which appeared in more than half a century ago in 1972. Their goal from the beginning has been to produce loudspeakers that will bring the listener as close as possible to hearing what the performer intended. With the advances in technology and manufacturing techniques over those decades the company’s product line has been kept at the forefront of loudspeaker design. When I came into audio retail in 2009 I quickly came to appreciate the sound quality and value that made it a pleasure to demonstrate and sell Monitor Audio products.
Unboxing the Vestra W12 when it arrived at Kelly Towers having donned my usual white gloves, I was immediately impressed with the weight (18.3kg) but relatively compact dimensions (38.5cm/15 inches high) of this a sealed box design. The finish was an impeccable matte white, with a circular black grille covering the 12” (305mm) forward firing drive unit. The Vestra W12 It sits on four half dome rubber feet and the back panel reveals the versatility of the design. There is a pair of RCA inputs and a separate single input for connecting the LFE output from an AV amplifier or receiver. There are two rotary controls, one for volume and the other to set the crossover frequency. Then there three switches, the first selects phase at 0 or 180 degrees, the second allows for three bass settings, marked Impact, Music and Movie. The last switch is a power mode switch marked Auto and On. There is also a socket for a 12V trigger if required. Inside the Vestra W12 there is a 500W high efficiency Class D amplifier. The quoted frequency response is 17-200 Hz. As we shall see, this was more than adequate for my listening room, which is typical British lounge of about 14 x12 feet.
I connected the Vestra W12 to the dedicated subwoofer outlets on my Primaluna EVO 300 Hybrid integrated amplifier, using the same cable arrangement that goes to my own subwoofer. This is a pair of RCA interconnects that go through a Y shaped configuration to a single RCA plug. I connected the other end to the right (red) unbalanced RCA input on the Vestra W12. This configuration is one of several options suggested in the PDF product manual.
Other initial setting were phase at 0, bass set for music (the middle setting) and mode to on. Initial setting for both volume and crossover were set with the rotary dials at their central positions, which put the crossover at about 80 Hz. I was using my Harbeth C7ESXDii standmount loudspeakers, and the manual suggest setting crossover for this type of loudspeaker between 30 and 80 Hz. The Harbeths have a quoted frequency range of 45Hz-20kHz, so this felt like a suitable first shot. Sources were my own Linn Sondek LP12 and the Vertere Dark Sabre MM cartridge on an Ittok arm, my Gold Note PH10/PSU phono stage, my Yamaha CD-S3000 which did DAC duties for inputs from my Auralic Aries Mini streamer and my television, as well as spinning some SACDs and CDs.
There is often some debate as to the optimum positioning for subwoofers. I was trained in such matters by the brand representative of my own subwoofer when I was new to audio retail, and in the case of that brand, corner placement was the preferred option. I noted that in the Vestra W12 manual corner placement is discouraged as it may cause excessive bass boom. However, in defiance of that I sited the Vestra W12 where my own unit had been standing, partly because there are few other suitable spots available, and I have not experienced bass boom with my subwoofer working in the corner.
Please bear in mind that this review is written from the perspective of a two channel system, with a single pair of main loudspeakers and a stereo amplifier. Much as I would love to have a full blown, multi-channel all singing and dancing AV system and more than one subwoofer, space and domestic harmony make it unrealistic. I shall leave it to others to gauge the Vestra W12 in that sort of environment.
Vestra W12 in action
The Victorians had a saying which would give much offence these days, along the lines of “children should be seen but not heard”. In the world of well-sorted audio, if we substitute “Subwoofer” for “Children” we get close to a very good description of how a bass unit should behave. In my experience, the best subwoofer set up only reveals what the subwoofer has brought to the table when it is switched off, when the sudden absence of that low frequency information becomes immediately apparent. I let the Vestra W12 warm up for a full day before I paid any real attention to what it was doing, and then started to listen properly.
My editor replied to an enquiry about how this review was coming along with this pithy summary: We will both hear from Chris soon I expect, he may have disappeared down a Rolling Stones/Pink Floyd rabbit hole but will have to come up for air at some point!”. I’ll show him I thought. Thus my thought processes regarding this review led me to choosing as much music with really good bass parts that I could think of. As I perused my record shelves my eye lit upon a perfect starting disc. The Easy Star All-Stars Dub Side Of The Moon leapt out at me, uh oh. Armed with this and its companion piece of remixed versions called Dubber Side Of The Moon, I started in on the trial and error task of getting the subwoofer perfectly blended with the main loudspeakers.
Playing the whole of the first side with the Vestra W12 switched off I was once again deeply impressed with the tuneful bass issuing from the Harbeths. This reworking of Pink Floyd’s magnum opus is excellent, and not having played it for some time I was pleased to be reminded of its qualities. I then switched on the subwoofer and played it again. Aye caramba! The difference was not subtle. Of course, the bass felt more powerful but the whole frequency range seemed to have gained more weight, more immediacy. I played both albums through from start to finish, and found myself increasing the volume to a point where had there been anyone else in the room, conversation might have been impossible. I couldn’t sustain listening at that level so backed it off a little, but it was a common theme of the whole review period that I listened at higher volumes than is my normal comfort zone.
What really struck me was the precision – notes started and stopped with no overhang. Pace, rhythm and timing never faltered, no matter what genre of music I was playing at the time. At no time did the lower registers drown out their higher frequency friends, but at the same time the bass players and drummers were not lost in the mix as they sometimes can be.
I played around with volume levels and the crossover point on the Vestra W12 for the first few days but in the end decided that my favourite position for the crossover was at around that 80Hz mark at which I started, but I did advance the volume to just beyond the half way point and left it there.
Just before the Vestra W12 took up its temporary residency, or perhaps even when it was here, the death was announced of the actor Val Kilmer. This prompted Mrs K and I to break out or Blu-ray boxset of the two Top Gun films, which we watched over two consecutive evenings. I remembered to switch the bass response to the movie setting on the subwoofer and off we went. Even with our modest two channel system, the soundscape created was spectacular. The action sequences had real power and when the aircraft were at full throttle it was really impressive. Not only that, but dialogue had an enhanced sense of realism, and the soundtracks sounded as good as I have ever heard them.
In terms of music, yes I did play the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd, and they sounded great. But I also played Bach, Beethoven, the Beatles, The Beach Boys and lots of other artists not beginning with B. I regularly turned the Vestra W12 down to zero volume and then worked the volume back up. It transpired that almost every recording sounded at its absolute best with the subwoofer in the loop. Recordings of the double bass, of which I have more than a few, really benefitted from support from the Vestra W12. Through my Harbeths these recordings always sound very good but with that added subwoofer extension to the very low frequencies there was a real sense of the instrument’s big wooden body, those heavy strings being plucked or bowed.
Conclusion
I am not a newbie when it comes to subwoofers as I have already said, so I am clearly on the love side, and living with the Vestra W12 reignited that love for me. It feels really well made, it looks handsome and it does exactly the job that I wanted from it, which was for me to really notice when it was gone. It was only after I had finished all the listening sessions that I checked on the purchase price. Here in the UK it is retailing for £750, which catapults it straight into absolute audio bargain status. Whether you have a good entry level separates system or something more expensive, and are wondering where your next investment in it should be, please put the Vestra W12 on your list. Go to your nearest Monitor Audio dealer and ask for a demonstration, ideally with a system the same as yours or at least similar.
When you get one at home, don’t be afraid to experiment with positioning and with the various settings. Here in my system the blending in process was not arduous, and the subwoofer became that perfect Victorian child, seen but not heard. Not heard that is until it was switched off, at which point I could clearly hear that things had changed, and not for the better. I missed that low frequency tuneful energy, as well as the extra height and weight of every musician.
I congratulate the design team at Monitor Audio on their achievement with the Vestra W series. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the W12 and have absolutely no hesitation in giving it the highest possible recommendation.