If details go into a piece of gear’s design, will the sound be as equally high-quality and fine-tuned with such meticulousness? In the case of the KRK VXT6, a two-way active studio monitor with a six-inch Kevlar woofer, this notion proves to be true.
Even when it comes down to their value products, KRK is known for quality, especially for low-end frequencies, and the VXT line, which includes 4 and 8 models as well, falls into the same pattern. With the Expose E8B used as a template, all VXT products feature a design that’s as eye-catching as it is functional, preventing distortion and inaccurate coloration, improving imaging, and extending the “sweet spot” in audio.
KRK claims significant detail went into the design of the VXT6, and it shows across all components, particularly the pure silk domed tweeter and the stiffer yet lighter cone-shaped woofer. Together, these two crucial parts, we find, make for a quicker response, extend the low end, eliminate overheating, and drastically lessen distortion.
The woven Kevlar cone particularly proves to be an asset where sound quality is concerned. The material, alone, offers high tensile strength for its actual weight, which, when applied to a monitor, further reduces the degree of distortion and improves low-end performance. In both regards, it trumps any other standard material used for a woofer.
Although the tweeter and woofer are excellent and essential parts in their own right, what truly sets the framework – excuse the pun – for the sound is the overall design. Often, you can tell KRK monitors by the shape – rounded, never rectangular – and the VXT6 doesn’t let you down in this regard.
A “radically curved” design, as the brand calls it, significantly improves imaging and produces a better sound compared to its angular counterparts, which are more likely to experience diffraction. What differentiates the VXT6 are the Radiused enclosure edges; this feature prevents the sounds from getting reflected back, a common occurrence with rectangular designs.
At the same time, reflection isn’t the only distortion the curved design cuts down on. Giving the listener as close to an accurate sound as possible, the monitor offers a greater sweet spot for finding the right audio quality, and its spectrum is far less disjointed than that of similar products.
Of course, KRK didn’t simply offer an innovative design with a high-quality woofer and tweeter and forget about everything else. When we mean the details went into everything, we literally mean everything.
Take the ports, for instance. Rather than be placed on the rear, where they’re more likely to influence the sound mix, KRK adds them to the front. This way, the front-firing location nearly eliminates port turbulence and, rather than interfering, assists with producing a clean bass range.
Added to these two-way monitors is advanced ABS Structural Foam. Like every other part, this durable, impact-resistant material influences the sound quality: In this case, it eliminates internal parallel walls, improves dampening, and lessens cabinet resonance.
When it comes to any KRK monitor, you really can’t ever go wrong, and the VXT6 won’t disappoint. If consistent quality, particularly in the low end, is what you’re after, this is the monitor to have in your studio.
