Ole Klifoth has always had a passion for hi-fi. Although he wasn’t actually an engineer, he gradually got to grips with the subject and founded Audiovector in 1979. One of his first professional speakers was the Trapez – a very unusual speaker in many respects, with a large bass and built-in slope. The Dane sold over 25,000 pairs of the Trapez back then – albeit as a kit. 45 years later, Audiovector has long since become a success story with ready-made loudspeakers. Son Mats has taken over the company and significantly rejuvenated it, but the development is still in the hands of the master craftsman – Ole. And for the anniversary, he has redone the Audiovector Trapez according to all the rules of modern art. LowBeats had the chance to listen to it at the company’s headquarters in Copenhagen.
Ole Klifoth: “I learned a lot from the Trapez. It is the blueprint for all future Audiovector loudspeakers – to this day.” Of course, the Trapez 2024 is not just a new edition, but a truly modern loudspeaker with state-of-the-art technology. Klifoth developed the built-in drivers itself and had them built by the surrounding Danish suppliers (they work a lot with Scan Speak). Apart from the AMT tweeter, which is produced in-house by Audiovector.
Like its (very similar) predecessor, the Audiovector Trapez is a 3-way speaker with a massive 30 centimeter bass, a 13 centimeter midrange driver plus the aforementioned AMT. What you can’t see: A 20 centimeter bass is still working inside, making it easier for the visible 12 inch speaker to work against the air volume.
Which is not immediately obvious: Like our reference FinkTeam Borg, the Trapez is equipped with multi-stage damping for perfect adaptation to the connected power amplifier. The Danes have also long since recognized grounding as a problem: Using a special terminal with a filter in front of it, high-frequency waste that accumulates on the metal parts can be discharged via the earthing. And there was another point that impressed me: the base plate is not simply made of metal, but has two layers and both layers are decoupled from each other by metal balls. The Trapez combines virtually all of the Danes’ special and proven technologies – a real performance show.
And indeed, the Trapez sounds like an ultra-modern, really good loudspeaker: incredibly “fast” and open, with a beautiful, deep stage and a thrillingly crisp, clean bass. More after the test, which will hopefully be published soon… In any case, I was really impressed and can only strongly recommend all visitors to the HIGH END 2024 to stop by Audiovector: In Atrium 4.2, F203, the pretty Dane will be officially presented and, of course, demonstrated.
Colors, price and availability
Of course, the shape of the Trapez is more than unusual these days. But this design immediately appeals to me. Especially as it is – as is typical for Audiovector – superbly finished. The Trapez is available in the standard finishes Nordic Oak, Black Ash, Italian Walnut and White Silk and is expected to be on sale from the end of May for 17,850 euros.
Technical data
| Audiovector Trapez | |
|---|---|
| Concept: | 3-way bass reflex |
| Fitting: | HT: 1 x AMT, MT: 1 x 12.5 cm, TT: 1 x 20 cm (inside) and 1 x 30 cm (outside) |
| Transition frequencies: | 500 and 3,000 Hz |
| Impedance (manufacturer’s specification): | 8 Ohm |
| Bandwidth (manufacturer’s specification): | 23-53,000 Hz |
| Efficiency (manufacturer’s specification): | 88 dB SPL at 1m for 2.83Vrms |
| Special features: | variable damping, ground clamp |
| Dimensions (H x W x D): | 87.5 x 42.0 x 43.5 cm |
| Weight: | 9.6 kilos |
| All technical data | |
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