It's only fair to say that the qualities baked into the upper Alberich² boxes and my Vox monitors largely overlapped. Although Voxativ was a touch leaner and the shinier of the two, it wouldn't have been had I an even more suitable companion amp. The Swiss monitors used as near-field types also had a slight edge on that spatially enveloping sound I enjoy so much. Their Raal ribbons extend the brilliance region a notch and reveal more transient-related cues. While these offsets registered, their magnitude was minor and certainly beyond where Alberich² had its sweet revenge. Should we posit that typical floorstanders can't conjure up monitoresque imaging precision whilst monitors won't compete on bass, dynamic range and overall scale, today's sleek German performer did the unthinkable. It made just the kind of sound we'd want from a full-blooded specialist monitor with a very posh driver primed for unfiltered work. Then its bass proved far more accomplished than most floorstanders I tackled over the years. That was quite insane. Alberich² boasts not only the best monitor strengths but down low will beat most full-sized speakers at their own game with disturbing ease. Let that sink in.

For many years already the sound|kaos Vox monitors have been my favorite speakers. Since their arrival I honestly haven't lusted after anything serious enough to even contemplate much less instigate a change. These Swiss beauties simply work too well in my current room to bother. That this space won't grow is the other reason. Whilst I've gotten used to their bass, it is monitor-like so limited. Voxativ's Alberich² is very similar from the midrange upwards so as accomplished yet on bass reach and power feels completely unlimited. It actually would easily make many far larger floorstanders blush and be envious on that score. Most importantly, a speaker this compact and visually attractive that avoids the largest monitor weakness, incorporates rare RiPol bass and embeds filterless widebander virtues… well, it currently doesn't exist outside the Voxativ line. It makes Alberich² a bona fide one-off without real alternatives. As such it also represents value that goes beyond money. Aficionados cognizant of the unorthodox means it combines may resonate with my enthusiasm. Cube Audio's Nenuphar reviewed in 2019 was the last floorstander I awarded with our red badge. To properly demonstrate how enthusiastic I am about Voxativ's Alberich², it now receives the same mark as a full-sized bigger speaker but represents even higher-tiered sonic competence. Congratulations to Marie Adler & Co. for creating this sharply dressed, smartly executed and gloriously voiced stunner. Oh dear, I'll have to contradict Srajan's findings some other time¹.

¹ Publisher's comments. For these pages it's long been overdue that someone other than myself experience RiPol bass and share their impressions. As Dawid explained, it really is different in a very fundamental way. Its inventor called it a velocity converter not pressure generator. Therein lies the distinction. Unlike the mid and higher frequencies, omni-radiating box bass creates in-room pressurization with side effects we all accept as normal even desirable because it's all we know. To recognize these side effects does require subtraction. It's only by having the 'without' experience that we finally identify the heavy imprint of room resonance and temporal blur we call normal. Its ubiquity does indeed make it normal but hearing an alternative shows that it needn't be tolerated as unavoidable. More accurate bass of superior stoppage and far reduced room ringing is possible. Two, with Dawid now having had two consecutive exposures to active bass from semi-active speakers, his understanding of what's actually possible in his smaller room has irrevocably changed. We don't know what we don't know until an encounter of a different kind shows us. As has been my contention—active bass beats passive bass—Dawid now shares it. Perhaps timely then is Voxativ having just launched their Z-Bass². It's a 500-watt self-amplified standalone RiPol subwoofer with custom woofer specifically designed for H-frame applications. It's housed in a squat cab of 60mm panel thickness with an internal 10mm steel frame. For those wanting to investigate RiPol bass with their existing speakers, this new Voxativ sub could just be tailormade? – Ed.