Vertex
Wilson Benesch
The mathematical nomenclature afforded the Vertex and it floorstanding sibling the Vector pay homage to the fundamental importance of organic, geometrically optimised forms that have been exploited in pursuit of ultimate performance within the company’s reference loudspeaker line, the Geometry Series.
Wilson Benesch invested heavily in new manufacturing technology and the latest 3D CAD/CAM software and tooling to realise a highly optimised product line which surpasses in every respect, the previous reference line, the Odyssey Range. The Geometry Series celebrates the importance of music and its importance within our life.
A compact 2-way design, the Vertex features the revolutionary Semisphere Silk-Carbon Hybrid Dome Tweeter and a single Tactic II drive unit. The drive units are secured in an aluminium baffle, precision machined in house from a solid billet. To the rear of the cabinet, the A.C.T. Carbon Monocoque leaves no question, this is a high-performance Geometry Series thoroughbred.
As the entry point into the company’s reference line, the Vertex is a compact high-technology stand mount loudspeaker that represents incredible value for money. Thanks to the common drive technologies shared across the Geometry Series, the Vertex shares a family sound with the companies reference loudspeaker, the Cardinal. But up with a choice of luxurious wood veneers and high-gloss polymer finishes, the Vertex is a powerful statement of high-end audio luxury.
Technology
SEMISPHERE TWEETER
The science of carbon fibre is just one small element of the materials science that has been developed in Sheffield but it is one that has taught us a great deal especially where vibrational energy is concerned. One of the most important lessons has been that strength is nothing without the control of damping. Even the stiffest materials can be excited by sound that is audible or perceptible. From this knowledge came the worlds first hybrid tweeter dome featuring carbon fibre and a soft dome. This is just one element of the radically different and superb sounding Semisphere tweeter. We believe that unlike most tweeters today the Semisphere can be appreciated for hour after hour without any fatigue.
A.C.T. MONOCOQUE
If the sophisticated A.C.T. monocoque structure was judged by purely engineering function, it would lay claim to being one of the worlds lightest, stiffest and most highly damped structures ever manufactured. In terms of energy damping and therefore signal to noise ratio, it would exceed with consummate ease the traditional conventional materials typically seen in loudspeaker design to date.
TACTIC II DRIVER
S.M.A.R.T. Research funding of £130,000 kick started the Bishop Project in 1999. This Public funding from the UK Government established the company as a manufacturer of novel high performance technologies. Over the last 16 years, on going research and development has enabled Tactic II to be realised. The ultimate loudspeaker demands that every drive unit has completely unique parameters. This exacting science sees 35 precisely defined versions of the Tactic II. Nothing is ordinary about a Wilson Benesch loudspeaker.
PORT TUBES
Like a fine watch the components from which it is manufactured are celebrated rather than hidden in a Wilson Benesch loudspeaker. Precision machined details like the alloy external port tubes bear witness to the engineers attention to detail that the brand is recognised for. It is another novel facet that underlines our perspective of what High End audio is all about the benefits of small improvements in every detail in this case the small benefit enables that little extra air that would normally be robbed from the precious internal air volume of the cabinet. It might appear to be a huge amount of additional work to achieve such a small incremental gain but for Wilson Benesch this is how the difference is realised
HIGH INTEGRITY STAND
Speaker stands can be regarded as an integral part of a loudspeaker system since attaching an enclosure to a stand couples the two in terms of energy transfer. As such, the Vertex is built and shipped as a complete system with the upper cabinet bolted to the high-integrity stand. The Vertex stand comprises a y-shaped laser cut steel top, elegantly designed to allow the Vertex ports to exit from the cabinet's underside without obstruction. The top attaches to the stand post, an extruded aluminium construction housing the Vertex wiring and bi-wireable terminal plate. At the base of the stand is a high-mass laser cut steel foot that ensures stability. Three precision machined spikes couple the Vertex stand to the floor, with the two adjustable rear spikes providing pitch and tilt adjustment. For use on hard floors, the stand can be supplied with in-house machined floor protectors.
Specification
| DRIVERS | 1 x 25mm ( 1") Wilson Benesch Semisphere tweeter 1 x 170mm ( 7”) Wilson Benesch Tactic II mid-range drive unit |
| CONSTRUCTION | Poly-alloy hybrid construction, High performance carbon composite A.C.T. monocoque Mid-range dual ported enclosure |
| MEASUREMENTS | 2-way stand mounted monitor Impedance: 6Ω nominal / 4Ω minimal Sensitivity: 89dB at 1 metre on-axis, 2.83V input Frequency response: 44Hz - 30KHz +/- 2dB on-axis Minimum amplification power recommendation: 100 W / channel Crossover frequency: tweeter filtered at 5kHz |
| DIMENSIONS | Height: 1100mm ( 43.3") Width: 230mm ( 9.1") Depth: 370mm ( 14.6") Volume: 12.7L Weight per channel: 23kg (50.7 lbs) |
| FINISHES | Anodised black baffle Silk black stand High gloss satin weave carbon fibre cabinet High gloss black acrylic top and base Bespoke side cheek options |
Featured
- The science of carbon fibre is just one small element of the materials science that has been developed in Sheffield but it is one that has taught us a great deal especially where vibrational energy is concerned. One of the most important lessons has been that strength is nothing without the control of damping. Even the stiffest materials can be excited by sound that is audible or perceptible.
- S.M.A.R.T. Research funding of £130,000 kick started the Bishop Project in 1999. This Public funding from the UK Government established the company as a manufacturer of novel high performance technologies.
- If the sophisticated A.C.T. monocoque structure was judged by purely engineering function, it would lay claim to being one of the worlds lightest, stiffest and most highly damped structures ever manufactured.
- Like a fine watch the components from which it is manufactured are celebrated rather than hidden in a Wilson Benesch loudspeaker. Precision machined details like the alloy external port tubes bear witness to the engineers attention to detail that the brand is recognised for.
