Davis Acoustics Vinci 2 floorstanding speakers test

In 2011, the French company Davis Acoustics celebrated its 25th anniversary. A quarter of a century has passed since the company was founded by engineer and former SIARE technical director Michel Visan, and in the small Davis Acoustics workshop there were just three people dealing with everything at once: assembly, testing and shipment of finished products.

CONSTRUCTION

Since then the company has grown, in the summer of 1998 the production moved to a modern factory in Troyes. Today the range of the company includes 6 series of only home speakers, but there are also the flagships of the company, the Hi-End class Karla speakers, a variety of models of car acoustics and own speakers for sale. The French are known for using high-tech materials like Kevlar, graphite or carbon fiber in the membranes of their midrange/woofer heads for a long time. In its time the author remembered the Mystery and Jubilee speakers, designed in honor of the 10th anniversary of the company and distinguished by a beautiful and natural sound, thanks to the latest know-how at the time – the use of MF/HF drivers with diaphragms made of “velour Kevlar”, so called because of its appearance. These cones were made by impregnating the Kevlar threads with polymer resins and then depositing graphite powder on the surface of the woven structure such “preparation” of the diaphragms noticeably improved their antiresonance properties.

The Vinci 2 models, representing numerous family Lifestyle, continue the long-standing tradition of the French company. These three-way floor-standing units incorporate four drivers. The top position on the speaker front is occupied by a 25mm soft fabric dome squeaker, below it is a 127mm midrange driver with a yellow Kevlar membrane coated with adhesive. Even lower are two identical 165mm bass drivers, complete with paper cones. Woofers run in a separate cabinet compartment and are loaded on a large bass reflex port in the bottom of the faceplate. To assist the midrange driver is dedicated to its own small port, extending to the rear panel. The radiator bands are split at 150Hz and 4kHz, and the crossover uses both 1st and 2nd order filters.

The Vinci 2 cabinet is weighty, made of MDF, the sides are gently curved, and a fairly thick wooden stand is placed in the base of the cabinet, decoupled from the floor with small metal cones removable . Wiring is done via a baffle plate with four terminals a la WBT, paired with flat gold-plated jumpers. A large gold plaque above the panel proudly announces the name and “nationality” of the manufacturer, along with the main characteristics of the loudspeakers.

For the finishing of Vinci 2 the manufacturer uses either black royal lacquer or natural cherry veneer, in both cases the quality of work does not cause the slightest reproach.

SOUND

The Vinci 2 has a perky disposition, sounding assertively both above and below. The powerful bass has a solid depth and energy, bright and juicy top gives the music of French women cheerfulness. The middle part is painted with pleasant warm colors, it is emotional and sometimes even expressive – the speakers do not like and are not very good at restraining feelings. Sad and contemplative lyrics are not their style they prefer a sense of celebration, carnival or a rock concert, with a low-frequency drive and sharp treble. The speaker reproduces the nuances of timbres and arrangements with moderate detail, preferring to work out the spectacular dynamic bursts of sound, rather than bother with the minutiae of the score. The same style is traced in the construction of the music scene: some details are washed out, but the general picture is still painted with confident, broad strokes and big strokes.

The Vinci 2 speakers are designed to put the listener in a good mood and with music to match the moment.

SUMMARY

Davis Acoustics Vinci 2 acoustic systems are the owners of bright, spectacular sound, perfect for performing energetic, rhythmic music. By the way, because of the assertiveness and dynamic reproduction Vinci 2 should become a great “front” in home theater systems.

For help in organizing the test we would like to thank the company “Audiomania”.

64 900 Dollars.

Technical Specifications

Type: Bassreflex floorstanding

Number of Bands: 3

Speakers mm : HF – 25, MF – 127, LF – 2×165

Recommended amp power W : up to 200

Frequency range Hz : 40-20k

Crossover frequencies Hz : 150/4k

Magnetic shielding: no

Sensitivity dB : 92

Impedance Ohm : 4

Two-cable connection: yes

Overall dimensions dimensions HxWxD mm : 1100x210x350

Weight kg : 23