DB Dynamics Vega F45

Big in size and value

By Michael Jones

June 2004

DB Dynamics Vega F45 home theatre speaker system. $2099

Australian loudspeaker brand DB Dynamics have specialised in making “high value” loudspeakers since the company’s inception. So what are high value loudspeakers? They are simply speakers that offer a lot of bang for a small amount of bucks.

We’ve covered a few DB Dynamics speakers previously, but this home theatre package is relatively new. The Vega Home Theatre system is the full works – floorstanding front speakers, centre, dipole surrounds and an active subwoofer. And all this comes in at $2099. That’s not a lot for what appears to be a lot of a speaker system.

I have a feeling that the Vega name is really short for Vegas, as in Los Vegas. Although more palatable than the previous Vega system, the new package is hardly the height of discretion in appearance.

All of the speakers are finished in an ultra-glossy “Silver Ash” finish – basically black with a lighter colour throughout in order to emulate a wood finish. The top and bottom of all of the speakers have solid gloss black caps, which add a nice touch. I was a little concerned at how the gloss black would stand up to normal living room use, but the subwoofer’s top is still fine after repeated mountaineering expeditions by one of my cats!

All of the speakers in this system are incredibly solidly built. The front speakers weigh in at some 17kg each and both look and feel incredibly well put together.

If you’ve looked at a few speakers, you’ll quickly realise that just about all of them are rectangular boxes. The simple reason for this is that a rectangular shape is a cheap way of building speaker cabinets.

But the DB Dynamics speakers are not rectangular. They are a convex polygon, being six sided. This shape greatly reduces standing waves within the speaker, making for a cleaner and clearer sound. This is a much more expensive way to build speakers, partially ameliorated no doubt by the speakers being built in China.

The biggest part of this system is the front speakers. At 1130mm high, you know that they’re not trying to be visually discrete! This front speaker (the F45F) is a three-way unit. High on the front baffle is a 25mm tweeter flanked by two 130mm white midrange units.

On the side of the F45F is a 200mm woofer, which helps the speaker meet its 38Hz low-end spec. The presence of the woofer on the side also helps explain why these speakers are 360mm deep while only being a slim 198mm wide. The F45Fs are magnetically shielded and are “handed” – the woofer is on a different side for each loudspeaker.

The centre speaker (the F45C) follows the centre speaker convention in having a tweeter in-between two mid-woofers. The woofers are the same size (130mm) as the front speaker, which should help match the sound between speakers.

A pair of dipole speakers, the F45BS, handles surround duties. Sharing the same 25mm tweeter as thefront and centre speakers, the dipole uses two 100mm mid-woofers.

The subwoofer uses a 200mm (10 inch) woofer, with an 150 watt amplifier. Like the other speakers it features a six-sided cabinet.

Midrange thinking

Many people immediately think of bass when it comes to home theatre. That’s understandable in a way, as many home theatre demonstrations use loud, deep bass to impress.

But most movie and music sound is in the midrange. It is this middle range, where voices and most instruments lie, that make a speaker enjoyable long term.

The cheaper end of the speaker market traditionally includes plenty of speakers that squawk and sound quite unpleasant throughout the midrange. Building bigger speakers (like these DB Dynamics) generally just makes things worse, as more of the small budget gets transferred from the drivers to the cabinet.

I’m not sure how they managed it, but DB Dynamics have produced a home theatre speaker package that actually sounds pretty good. Add in the price factor, and you have a speaker system that offers extremely good value.

The broader midrange of the front and centre speakers is without the honks and squawks that bedevil many affordable packages. The mids aren’t as open as I’d like – some will hear this as recessed – but that’s about all. The tweeter seems a little on the hot side, but fortunately this doesn’t appear to add any sibilance or sizzle to voices.

The broader bass is deep and solid, helped along a little by the active subwoofer.

The Vega F45 isn’t a system for everyone. The large size of the front speakers will no doubt appeal to some people while repealing others – they are very big by today’s standards. But for someone who wants a big home theatre system on a low budget, the DB Dynamics are well worth a look.

For your nearest DB Dynamics dealer