The natural tonal and spatial presentation of the Liszt makes it an uncannily inviting listen. A recent diversion into the less familiar pathes trodden by Leonard Bernstein has found me playing his Shostakovich and Sibelius symphonies. I’m so used to reaching for Berglund, Barbirolli and Gibson that I didn’t even know that he’d recorded the Sibelius! Listening via the Liszt, the innate musicality of the speaker makes the different perspective on these familiar pieces immediately apparent, the characteristic emotional depth the conductor elicits from these contrasting works setting them apart from more familiar readings. It’s this ability to open up recordings, to grant unfettered access that made the original Liszt such a great speaker. The Reference revision takes that ability a whole lot further. You hear more of the (musical) performance and (even) less of the speaker. There are other speakers at this price level that can perform a similar trick – but none of them offer the bandwidth delivered by the Liszt, the quality of its low frequencies or the acoustic coherence and dimensionality that result. It’s a recipe that sees the Vienna Acoustics speaker (just like so many of its stable-mates) punching well above its weight. But even by VA’s stellar standards, the Liszt Reference is a standout, in terms of value and performance.
Take the inherent musicality that Vienna Acoustics seem to accomplish so effortlessly with all their speakers: add the resolution, refinement, transparency and longevity that the Liszt Reference brings to the mix, along with its astonishing ability to grow with a system and you get a speaker that should be fast approaching classic status. That far less deserving designs from ‘louder’ companies with larger marketing budgets enjoy that accolade is a sad reality of the audio industry. But don’t let that dissuade you from listening to the Listz. It might be harder to find – and harder to find out about – but it’s well worth the effort. The antithesis of those instantly impressive, boom and tizz loudspeakers that grab attention on the shop floor only to start irritating as soon as you get them home, the Viennas are true thoroughbreds. They demand more care than most of the competition when it comes to set up and matching, but will reward that care with a delivery that elevates the musical experience well above the norm. It doesn’t matter what you ask them to play, anything from Lizzo to Ligeti, Lonnie Johnson to Constant Lambert, the Liszt will make sense of the performance and the performer. That puts it in a select group of audio products, in amongst some pretty exalted and seriously expensive company. If you want serious, high-end audio performance without the price-tag – or you just want great music at home – look no further than the Vienna Acoustics Listz Reference: the little(ish) speaker than can – and does!
Vienna Acoustics Listz Reference
Finishes – Piano Black, Piano White, Cherry, Premium Rosewood
Prices – Piano Black, Piano White, Cherry – €15,690 (including sales tax)
