PHASE TECHNOLOGY VELOCITY V-10
but taking into account the affordability Phase
Technology represents here, this system is an
unbeatable value.
— By Tim Tepas
nects, and a separate LFE input. The Velocity
V-10 tower speakers and V-6 center channel
have paintable metal grilles to match any dé-
cor and come in two cabinet finishes: Sun Maple
and Black Rosewood laminate.
Installation/Setup/Ease of Use
The fashionable good looks allow the V-10 sys-
tem to blend in nicely with virtually any setting.
The tower speakers flanked my Mitsubishi
rear projection HDTV quite nicely. They come
with small stands that can be fitted with floor
spikes for an added protection from resonance.
My best option for placement of the center
channel was high on top of my Mitsubishi since
there is no way to mount it below the screen.
The V-6 center channel can be positioned ei-
ther upright or on its side, so I chose to place
it on its side and angled it slightly downward
toward the listening position.
The V-Surround speakers have a small
bracket on the back of each unit for wall mount-
ing and a two-way bipolar/dipolar switch to
change the speaker characteristics. I found my
best results came from simply setting the sur-
rounds on shelves in each rear corner of my
room and selecting the dipolar option. This pro-
vided a more ambient sound.
The HV-1000 powered subwoofer per-
formed ideally in a corner of the room. I used
Monster Cable THX audio interconnects to at-
tach my receiver to the sub’s line level inputs
to measure the crossover performance. An al-
ternative to this method is bypassing the
crossover by joining the two components with
a cable to the Low Frequency Effect (LFE) in-
put. Once everything was set up, I whipped
out my stack of reference material.
Final Take
I tested the V-10 ensemble with
Toy Story 2
through a V-903 DVD player. The opening
scene of Buzz Lightyear rocketing through the
universe puts surround sound systems through
their paces. The V-10 speakers were accurate
with a detailed top end. Lows were deep and
impressive with thunderous jets emanating from
the sub, but with a bit too much depth. I made
some minor adjustments to tone down the
slightly muddy effects. By switching the phase
of the subwoofer 180 degrees, the output
changed relative to the front speakers. This
change, along with bass level and crossover fre-
quency adjustments, improved the middle
ground to near perfection. The array gave a vig-
orous audio representation during playback of
a DTS test disc. During a battle scene in
Pirates
of the Caribbean
, not only were explosions im-
pressively forceful, but the sound of wood splin-
tering and ropes creaking were well embodied.
During
X2
, dialogue was solid, ubiquitous and
natural. The roaring of jet engines coupled with
tornado activity sounded clean with dynamic
special effect sounds. With each movie, the clar-
ity at all listening levels (from soft and faint to
loud and obnoxious) was awe-inspiring.
Moving around the room with other speakers
often yields a problematic off-axis response.
But not with the V-10 ensemble. I was able to
stand up and move about and even change
seating positions without any noticeable change
in soundstage thanks to the Absolute Phase
Crossover. It’s simply amazing.
Switching gears to music playback, I first se-
lected Shania Twain’s
The Woman In Me
.
Female vocals are the hardest to reproduce ac-
curately, so I knew this would give a true test
of the V-10’s capabilities. On “Any Man of Mine”,
Shania’s vocals were negligibly harsh, but the
midrange complimented the energetic bass of-
ten discounted in country music. On “(If You’re
Not In It For Love) I’m Outta Here!”, the guitar
sounded clear and lucid. Transients were pre-
cise and ever-present at all volume levels.
Listening to David Sanborn wail on his sax-
ophone is a pleasure unto itself. Since the days
of 8-track tapes I have studied every note on
his album
Hideaway
. On “Lisa”, Sanborn plays
a wide range of octaves during his perform-
ance. The Velocity speakers did a great job with
the woodwind instrument. The horn bellowed
prominently without distorting and reed ac-
tion was even discernable. I continued the jazz
theme with Al Jarreau’s
Breakin’ Away
album.
His distinct vocals sounded full and rich with a
booming bottom end. After listening to a few
more discs, I had reached my verdict.
The V-10 speaker system is one of the best
overall sounding systems I have had the pleas-
ure of listening to at any price. The excep-
tional performance at all listening levels with
varied media proved to be unrivaled. The sys-
tem’s performance is refined and dazzling. Add
to this a good-looking, elegant exterior and you
have a real winner. The Velocity V-10 system
would be a bargain at three times the price,
Phase Technology Velocity V-10 Premier System
V-10 Tower Speakers
1” soft dome tweeter / 7” VDT driver
35Hz-20kHz frequency response
8 ohms impedance
15-150 watts recommended power
Dimensions: 40.5”H x 8.5”W x 12”D
Weight: 36 lbs. each
V-6 Center Channel
1” soft dome tweeter
5.25”VDT driver / 5.25” bass radiator
56Hz-20kHz frequency response
8 ohms impedance
15-120 watts recommended power
Dimensions: 18”H x 7”W x 8.75”D
Weight: 12 lbs.
V-Surround Speakers
(2) 1” soft dome tweeters / 5.25” VDT driver
70Hz-20kHz frequency response
8 ohms impedance
15-120 watts recommended power
Dimensions: 9”H x 11.75”W x 4.75”D
Weight: 10 lbs. each
HV-1000 Subwoofer
10” mica/graphite polypropylene driver
250-watt amplifier
29Hz-110Hz frequency response
0-180 degree phase switch
24dB octave variable low pass crossover slow
Dimensions: 17”H x 11.75”W x 16”D
Weight: 28 lbs.
10-year warranty / 3-year amplifier warranty
MSRP: $1,925
Phase Technology
888-PHASE TK
www.phasetech.com
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April 2004
