Tower Speaker Reviews

Eventually, I set out to bring the V2.4's midbass forward to match the rest of the presentation with a more-aggressive amp: the Parasound HCA-1205A. It worked, and I was instantly enjoying a more-balanced tonality from top to bottom, with no sacrifice in accuracy or control of the bass. The midrange remained the selling point, with no change whatsoever, and the top end continued to impress me, as well—although I did notice a bit more sibilance with the Parasound. Thus, the ideal amp for the V2.4 seems relatively obvious: punchy and strong through the bass, neutral in the mid-range (the amp should simply stay out of the way), and a smoother, more-mellow top end, especially if you have an inherently bright room. At no point would I call the tweeter's performance in our room bright, but a lively room and a more-aggressive top end from your amp will brighten up any speaker, especially one like the V2.4 that doesn't roll off the upper frequencies.

Music was no less impressive in 5.1 channels than it was in two. Even with the two S10.2 subs engaged, the bass remained mellow and controlled but clearly present (just how I like it). It was immediately clear that the V2.0C center was no less adept with voices than the V2.4s had been, a fact that boded well for soundtrack performance. The front stage was solid, deep, and well balanced. The V2.0R surrounds rounded out the presentation nicely, and it was with multichannel music, of course, that the ability to make them monopolar paid the highest dividends. With classical DVD-Audio and SACD material, I found myself engaging their dipolar characteristics more; however, with everything else, I shut off the side drivers, and the V2.0R behaved like any standard direct-radiator. My newly uncorked SACD copy of Junior Wells' Come on in This House demanded more-pinpoint accuracy and localization from the rears, and it sounded outstanding here. It's obvious that music was not an afterthought in the design of the V2.0R.

I've yet to find a speaker system that does well with music but craps out with movies (although the opposite can often be true), and this system is no exception. As I suspected from the 5.1-channel-music demo, the V2.0C is top-notch with dialogue, as well. There were hints of chestiness at times, but it resisted the hollowness and boxiness that are endemic to smaller centers, which goes a long way in my book. If you require earth-shattering bass to get your kicks, you may want to consider one of Energy's larger subs. You will never get tons of raw SPL from a 10-inch/150-watt sub, especially in a deader room like ours, but you will get sane levels of LFE output coupled with a high degree of accuracy and tonality. The dual-S10.2 setup effectively balanced the room and created an even low-frequency dispersion. Expectedly, I had the V2.0Rs' side drivers cranked up, with a dipolar radiation engaged, and they did nothing to change my opinion that these are among the best-performing—and certainly most versatile—surrounds I've listened to. They made an ever-present contribution without calling unnecessary attention to themselves, and they did an admirable job of creating a large, enveloping ambient soundfield with everything I put through them. The constant din of traveling and exploding projectiles from Saving Private Ryan was all too real, as were the abundant ghostly activities of The Haunting—especially the whipping cables of chapter 19, which unveiled this system's virtually gap-free nature throughout.

For a system that costs $6,250, you should always expect top-shelf performance, but you certainly don't always get it. It's clear to me, though, that those expectations are met here and that this new breed of Veritas speakers will do nothing to diminish the impressive legacy left by their predecessors. Both music and movie performance are clearly a cut above, and the versatility of the V2.0R surrounds gives you a significant advantage in wading your way through the ever-deepening pool of music and soundtrack formats.

Sure, I thought about roughing these speakers up a bit when I first entered the room—maybe giving them a quick face wash and seeing if I couldn't get them to drop the gloves. But, like a good shot or two of Crown Royal, they mellowed me right out and quickly won me over with their cleanliness, accuracy, warmth, dynamics, and solid tonal character from top to bottom. Maybe those on the Olympic-hockey team aren't the only Canadians that should be sporting a gold medal these days.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Top-shelf performance with movies and music
• Highly versatile surround speaker
• Lightweight, easy-to-place subwoofer