Potato score: 91.74

92%

Vienna Acoustics beethoven baby-grand-reference #1
Vienna Acoustics beethoven baby-grand-reference variant 1
Vienna Acoustics beethoven baby-grand-reference variant 2
Vienna Acoustics beethoven baby-grand-reference variant 3
Vienna Acoustics beethoven baby-grand-reference variant 4
Vienna Acoustics beethoven baby-grand-reference variant 5

Vienna Acoustics beethoven baby-grand-reference

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Listening for the first time to our new BEETHOVEN Baby Grand REFERENCE™ leaves you breathless with a few burning questions: How on earth is this slim beauty able to create such a soundstage? Where is the hidden subwoofer? And where does this intensity come from?
At the heart of the design stand our brandnew spidercone drivers, one 6 inch midrange and two 6 inch woofers, all with our patented flat spidercone within a new construction, consisting of 2 distinct cones – the all new Composite Cone. The plane surface of the spidercone offers the advantage of precise, piston-like movement. Any diaphragm should move in and out as one unit, not as a quivering mass of uncorrelated vibrations. It should move as a perfectly-solid piston. The flat cone is extremely stiff, with bracings of a height of 18 mm (bass) and 14 mm (mid), yet light, respectively, further reinforced by glasfibers in our new X4P™ mixture.


The rearside bracings are constructed in a way that the whole impulse energy is allocated evenly via the whole surface of the flat cone. Every square centimeter delivers the same impulse as its neighbours, which results in revolutionary impulse response control. As our cone/diaphragm-construction builds upon a very large voice coil, the
radiating surface in its middle is large, thereby making it an significant sound determinant. The countless listening testings brought forth such an unexpected unique combination the we gave it a new name, the Composite Cone.
The 5 cm area is now an inverted dome made of woven fabric, double-coated on its rearside. Perfection was achieved by listening to various axial positions, with extraordinary homogenous results by employing a recessing of 8mm. The sum total of the features of the Composite Cone is a peerless symbiosis. Furthermore, one of the reasons why the woven fabric center cone interacts so nicely, is its affinity to the fabric material of our highly musical, hand-coated silk dome tweeter, designed by Vienna Acoustics, hand-crafted by a Scandinavian team of specialists.


Like its grander companion, BEETHOVEN Baby Grand REFERENCE™ features our new, exclusive handcoated silkdome tweeter, which reveals even the slightest nuances with natural ease, while extending well down into the midrange regions. The result of this carefully chosen combination creates a milestone in terms of naturalness, clarity and ease of reproduction.
The crossover circuitry possesses both, the elegant simplicity of soft filters – pure first-order, 6 dB per octave slopes to Bessel second order – and the essential complexity resulting from listening, needed to weave dexterously the drivers‘
output into a cohesive system. All decisions concerning individual components and the layout of the circuitry
were as always made through extensive listening tests. Specially selecting each component results in a harmonious musicality, while a sophisticated layout helps in clarifying instrumental timbres.
The tradition of unrivaled finish quality continues with BEETHOVEN Baby Grand REFERENCE™, providing the warmth and beauty of real wood, as well as the highest standards in true piano lacquer finish.
Not apparent to the eye, but all the more important to complete the homogenous whole, is the scientifically balanced bracing structure, as well as the absolutely airtight separate enclosure for the Composite Cone midrange driver.
Extensive listening comparisons and tests by our founder and designer.


Peter Gansterer constitute the core of the crossover’s sophisticated layout and result in uncomparably musical harmony and power, instantly apparent when turning on this outstanding speaker.
Reveal the unexpected and lose yourself in the beauty of music.


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Overall Score 92/100

Rating for [object Object]

Deliciously Crispy

The Beethoven Baby-Grand Reference delivers commanding, room-filling low end and startling spatial focus: reviewers praise its punchy, extended bass, natural midrange and precise imaging. Slim, beautifully finished cabinets hide robust three‑way engineering and nimble transients that keep performances lively and non‑fatiguing; both HomeTheaterHifi and The Absolute Sound highlight its musicality and build quality.

Audiophilepure

"They let the music step away from the speakers and into the room."

Pros

  • Punchy, extended bass with usable extension to the low 30s Hz while remaining controlled and articulate.
  • Natural, slightly warm midrange that delivers excellent vocal clarity and musical presence.
  • Outstanding imaging and sense of space—renders layered, focused soundstages that let recordings 'step away from the speakers.'
  • Impeccable construction and finishes plus a smart adjustable base/spike system that gives a stable, premium feel.

&

Cons

  • Single pair of binding posts only (no bi‑wire/bi‑amp terminals), which limits advanced wiring/amping options.
  • Not the absolute last word in transparency—some reviewers note a slightly warm tilt rather than ultra-neutral, ultra-revealing top‑end.

Sound Quality

92/100

Bass

93/100

Dual 6" woofers with bass-reflex design and measured extension to ~33 Hz (Alpha Audio) / mid-30s Hz (HomeTheaterHifi). Reviewers call the bass solid, agile and punchy with good control; placement near a wall increases output. Strong extension and articulation justify an 'excellent' mid-tower bass score.

Mid

92/100

Multiple reviewers praise a natural, slightly warm midrange and excellent vocal presentation (HomeTheaterHifi). Clarity is above average though not the very last word in transparency; timbre and coherence through the crossover are consistently noted as strengths.

Treble

90/100

Soft-coated silk-dome tweeter yields smooth, refined treble with sufficient detail and no harshness (Alpha Audio; HomeTheaterHifi). Treble is described as smooth and non-fatiguing rather than extremely airy or ultra-etched.

Soundstage Imaging

94/100

Reviewers report excellent imaging, natural layering and the ability to 'step the music away from the speakers' (HomeTheaterHifi; Audiophilepure). Strong sense of depth and focused images with convincing spatial portrayal.

Dynamics

91/100

Speakers are described as nimble with good PRAT and commendable dynamic resolution (HomeTheaterHifi). Despite modest sensitivity (89 dB) reviewers found strong micro/macro dynamics and punchy transient behavior.

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Build Quality

95/100

Impeccable finish (Rosewood option), solid construction and an ingenious adjustable base/spike system are repeatedly praised (Alpha Audio; HomeTheaterHifi). Use of Vienna's patented Flat X4P drivers and high-grade crossover components supports a very high build-quality rating.

Features Connectivity

80/100

Passive floorstander baseline applied: single pair of binding posts (no bi-wire/bi-amp). No DSP, apps or advanced electronics expected or penalized for passive design.

Value for Money

80/100

At roughly $10.5–11k/pair reviewers call them 'not inexpensive' but highlight exceptional craft and strong all-round performance; some coverage frames the price as surprisingly competitive for the result (Audiophilepure; HomeTheaterHifi).

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