“It’s all about the music” — we’ll forgive Colorado’s YG Acoustics for trotting out the mother of all audio clichés* at the end of the Vantage Live’s introductory video because this is a major slice of high-end Future-Fi that deserves further dissemination.
The Vantage Live is an activated version of the Colorado manufacturer’s passive Vantage platform where a pair of active 3-way loudspeakers receive digital input via ST optical-fibre from an outboard control box that offers AES/EBU, BNC, TOSLINK, USB and Ethernet hook-ups plus a pair of line-level RCA inputs, one with MM/MC phono stage capabilities. Ethernet brings Roon Readiness and ‘SEEK’ app coverage of Tidal and Qobuz to the table.
Once inside the speaker, the DSP code designed by Cambridge Acoustic Sciences executes the crossover and phase correction and splits it three ways for each driver’s DAC and 700 Watt Bel Canto Class D amplifier chain to handle.
Stitched together in the Vantage Live are a ‘ForgeCore’ tweeter, an 18.5cm ‘BilletCore’ midrange driver and a 22cm ‘BilletCore’ bass driver. According to YG Acoustics, this digitally active floorstanding loudspeaker offers ‘usable’ bass down to 25Hz.
How much? Expect to pay US$49,800 for the Vantage Live in its standard Anodized finish. ChromALure and high gloss paint finishes come with an (unknown) upcharge.
*Footnote #1: If hi-fi really was ‘all’ about the music, we’d be quite content listening to portable Bluetooth loudspeakers and $5 earbuds.
John currently lives in Berlin where he creates videos and podcasts and pens written pieces for Darko.Audio. He has previously contributed to 6moons, TONEAudio, AudioStream and Stereophile.
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