Vifa has been producing what they like to call ‘loudspeakers’ (not to be mistaken with megaphones) since 2012, and in true Nordic style they look sleek, clean and stylish. The Helsinki is absolutely no different!
The gorgeous speaker comes in four attractively muted colours: Sandstone Grey, Dusty Rose, Misty Blue and Willow Green, any of which will complement the over-sized cable knit jumper and copper wire stags head of a Hygge designed room. This tactile speaker has a carefully woven front and rear panel created by leading Danish textile designer Kvadrat. This specifically created piece lets the sound pass through the woollen threads, the solid aluminium frame is moulded in one piece to avoid any assembly marks or frail spots, and the leather strap has been selected and crafted by Swedish leather manufacturer Tärnsjö Garveri. Altogether, it looks like a very high-end product that will only look better with age.
Although the Helsinki is wireless, it isn’t the most portable at 156mm x 210mm x 70mm and 1.4 kg; there are smaller and certainly lighter products on the market. It is best suited for keeping indoors and moving around the house. You can connect via Bluetooth 4.0, AUX 3.5mm mini-jack or NFC. It has a built-in rechargeable Lithium battery - we were getting about 7-8 hours life for 3-4 hours charge time. The Helsinki features 2 x 50mm Vifa drivers with aluminium cone and neodymium magnet and 2 x 60mm Woofer units with flat sandwich cone and neodymium magnet, which are mounted mechanically back-to-back in a force balanced configuration supported by two passive radiators.
All this tech produces some seriously loud sound, with a rich deep base and clearly defined mid tones. The high tones are where this speaker is let down a little; they could be cleaner and better defined. The Helsinki is good choice for those seeking for a stylish speaker that can upset the neighbours, but is probably best avoided by true audiophiles. RRP €399.00
4 out of 5
Pros
Elegant
Loud
4 attractive colours
Up to 8hour battery life
Good quality bass and mid tones
Cons
Limited functions
High tones could be clearer
Heavy
Bulky
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