All > Vanatoo Transparent Zero
Vanatoo Transparent Zero
Retail Price
$359.00
Lowest Price
$379.99
Release Date
April 2017
The Vanatoo Transparent Zero speakers are really good: they have placement and orientation versatility, connection versatility (AUX + TOSLINK + USB + Bluetooth with aptX + SUB output), customization options, and most of all, remarkable sound quality. The kind of depth, clarity, and detail you will get is hard to find at this price point ($359 per pair), thus it is highly recommended; most people will get their money’s worth. There’s a lot of features that you cannot find on other speakers.
Overview
- Features
- Sound Quality
- Feedback
- Value for Money
- Comparison vs Kanto YU2
- Positive
- Negative
Features - Vanatoo Transparent Zero speakers are really good: they have placement and orientation versatility, connection versatility (AUX + TOSLINK + USB + Bluetooth with aptX + SUB output), customization options, and most of all, remarkable sound quality. The kind of depth, clarity, and detail you will get is hard to find at this price point ($359 per pair), thus it is highly recommended; most people will get their money's worth. There’s a lot of features that you cannot find on other speakers.
Sound Quality - For a small form factor speaker, sound is clear and smooth from top to bottom, with plenty of bass for EDM and Hip Hop, even at loud volumes.
mrjinglesnutsack
03/30/2021
Feedback - Vanatoo Transparent Zero is one of the most versatile and feature-rich small speakers on the market. Quite small, but very capable. Whatever downsides it has are all easy to work around or live with. It is a very good-sounding speaker. Size-wise and price-wise, this speaker sounds amazing. The bases are there, the mid-range is there the highs are very clear there is nothing to really complain about. You can also save yourself a couple of hundred bucks by getting these speakers because they have an external deck built in. Overall, it is truly well-engineered and great sounding.
Value for Money - Most reviews would have you believe that this is the best speaker on the market under $1000.
bluechip_accumulator
12/10/2020
Comparison vs Kanto YU2 - They are using an aluminum dome woofer in this product, which have tendencies toward a "ringing" nature if things aren't perfectly integrated. The back of the speaker gets SUPER hot even at low volumes. The Kanto YU2 is better.
bluechip_accumulator
12/10/2020
Sources
Tags
- Features
- Sound Quality
- Feedback
- Value for Money
- Comparison vs Kanto YU2
Sources
- Audio Reputation
- CNET
- noaudiophile.com
See All Sources
Pros & Cons
- Pros
- Cons
- Positive
- Negative
Pros - Unusual speaker geometry, solid build, great connection versatility, custom-made drivers, high-quality built-in amp and DAC, pleasant sound signature, great bass extension, and adjustable bass and trebles.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Cons - Hard to reach volume knob, adjusting and customizing the speaker can be confusing, and remote buttons are not backlit and look the same.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
See All Sources
Build & Design
- Amplifier
- Build
- Design
- Feedback
- Grills
- Light
- Size
- Speakers
- Stand
- Positive
- Negative
Amplifier - The amplifier that they use has all kinds of different features.
Joe N Tell
07/02/2018
Build - The Transparent Zero is a bi-amplified speaker system with built-in twin 48-watt Class D digital amplifiers. The Transparent Zero measures just 7.5x4.75x9.75 inches -- that's awfully small for something that sounds as good as this. One of the two Transparent Zeros hosts an analog 3.5mm stereo input, an optical digital input, a USB port and an RCA subwoofer output. That speaker connects to the other Transparent Zero speaker with a cable.
CNET - Steve Guttenberg
08/19/2017
Design - The Vanatoo Transparent Zero is a terrific little speaker. They're unusually versatile -- you can use them with a vertical orientation with tweeters on top. It has nine millimeter wood cabinets with satin black finish. They wanted to keep the Box small and so instead of using a port they opted to use a passive radiator. It's got reversible design for desktop or in room use.
Feedback - They're good enough off axis; I ended up pairing it with an SVS SB1000 and the combo works great.
FakeApu
03/30/2021
Grills - Grills are magnetic and clear from any interference with the drivers. The edges of the frame are beveled out to avoid diffraction issues with the tweeter.
noaudiophile.com
Light - The light on the back is dimmable.
Joe N Tell
07/02/2018
Size - These speakers feature a 4 inch aluminum cone woofer with one inch under hung voice coil a 4 inch long throw passive radiator and a 1 inch soft dome tweeter. Keep in mind these are extremely tiny speakers unable to fill a big room.
LGBTQ Reads - DAHLIA ADLER
12/22/2018
Speakers - The speakers are very sturdy with thick MDF and a rubberized coating inside and out. They are not square, in fact they are quite angley. This geometry tilts the speaker back when placed on a flat surface, as well as hiding from ears the nasty bits of sound that can reflect off of the top of cabinets. The cabinets are made of 0.35in thick MDF with a rubber coating.
noaudiophile.com
Stand - These are geniusly design because they are already angled up at your ears which is the way that you're supposed to listen to music. You can have it flipped over so that the speaker is facing 90 degrees outwards you can have it flip the other way whether it's angled up.
Brandon Taylor
12/22/2018
Sources
Tags
- Amplifier
- Build
- Design
- Feedback
- Grills
- Light
- Size
- Speakers
- Stand
Sources
- YouTube
- CNET
- noaudiophile.com
- LGBTQ Reads
Joe N Tell
07/02/2018
CNET - Steve Guttenberg
08/19/2017
CNET - Steve Guttenberg
08/19/2017
Joe N Tell
07/02/2018
FakeApu
03/30/2021
noaudiophile.com
Joe N Tell
07/02/2018
LGBTQ Reads - DAHLIA ADLER
12/22/2018
noaudiophile.com
Brandon Taylor
12/22/2018
See All Sources
Controls, Input & Output
- Amps
- Buttons
- Cable
- Input
- Outputs
- Multifuction Knob
- Positive
- Negative
Amps - These speakers feature a true buy amplified active speaker meaning one amp controls the base and one controls the mids and highs.
Brandon Taylor
12/22/2018
Buttons - The buttons are easy to see and easy to navigate. There is also an additional button to turn on Auto switching.
noaudiophile.com
Cable - The wire Vanatoo included with the Zero uses a heavier than standard network cable 24 gauge wire.
noaudiophile.com
Input - They have a USB input, an optical in for TV, built-in analog and digital inputs, built-in bluetooth, and an auto feature: you can either select the inputs directly whether it's analog bluetooth usb optical or coax or you can hit auto.
Outputs - Shows inputs for Power (it uses a big power brick), Optical, USB, and Analog which is still a 1/8 inch phono jack instead of RCA inputs. Outputs are limited to Subwoofer, and a RJ50 connector. Some useful options there that put the Zero way ahead in versatility, but the need to keep a cheat sheet to access these means most won't get used.
noaudiophile.com
Multifuction Knob - This is a multi-function knob, but not just for Volume Treble and Bass. This knob in conjunction with the V-T-B and Pair/Prog button on the back of the speaker can be used to change software settings on the speaker.
noaudiophile.com
See All Sources
Sound Quality
- Automatic Input Selection
- Bass
- Bass Extension
- Design
- Midrange
- Performance
- Software
- Sound
- Soundstage & Imaging
- System
- DAC
- Subwoofer Output
- Wireless
- Treble
- Positive
- Negative
Automatic Input Selection - The speaker will check the active sources and, if two sources are playing, the source/input with a higher priority will be active. When the source with a higher priority stops sending the signal, the speaker is not going to play the lower-priority source immediately. There will be a 7s delay.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Bass - Bass is extended beyond what you would expect from a small speaker, but not overdone. The Vanatoo Zero's are definitely more finger numbing than any other pair of speakers, though you can't expect too much from a 4" woofer. It is feasible to turn up the volume; they respond and it can get too loud for office but the bass is absolutely there thanks to a custom aluminum cone woofer with under hung voice coil a long stroke passive radiator biamp 48 per channel high efficiency amplifier and a 24 bit digital signal processor. No mid bass hump as well.
Bass Extension - Considering the size of these speakers, the bass extension is surprisingly deep. The bass doesn’t reach crazy low frequencies, but anything above 60Hz sounds impressive. The bass is punchy, impactful, and well-textured.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Design - Design is effective in relation to its audio performance. Imaging is excellent considering the speakers are off axis and sitting on a reflective surface.
Midrange - There is elevation in the lower midrange which can make vocals and fundamental frequencies more engaging. The midrange is perfectly balanced, dynamic and very detailed.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Performance - There’s a very small bump around 200Hz (in shelved mode) which makes the sound a bit warmer. There’s no distortion, even at high volumes. The speakers are quite loud for their size, but it is definitely recommend to add a subwoofer to this set. They can be used as desktop PC speakers or gaming speakers, TV speakers or even as bookshelf speakers in smaller rooms.
Software - You can change all speaker settings. The default is that speakers play in stereo mode, where the active speaker is the right channel, with sleep mode and shelved DSP settings enabled. The DSP modes range from a shelf mode to a flat mode depending on how you plan on using the speaker. Vanatoo Transparent Zero speakers can play in mono or stereo mode. Switching between the two modes is done by selecting the right button combo (V-T-B/Pair-Prog/Volume knob) on the active speaker.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Sound - Instead of sounding like little speakers on a desk, they sound like big speakers. This kind of balance, clarity, and detail is not something you expect from a pair of small speakers. There are some small complaints regarding sound reproduction but all of them are actually solvable. Tone is good.
Soundstage & Imaging - The imaging is very accurate. Soundstage is wide and very lifelike; the soundstage spread wider and floated free of the speaker locations.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
System - Four inch aluminum cone woofer with a one inch overhung voice coil four inch long throw passive radiator one inch soft dome tweeter on the drivers, radiator bass bass reflex system and two-way bi-amplified reflex system.
Chris Voss
11/28/2020
DAC - It has it’s own built-in dec digital analog converter.
Joe N Tell
07/02/2018
Subwoofer Output - These have a subwoofer output where it uses a high-pass crossover.
Joe N Tell
07/02/2018
Wireless - It’s a Bluetooth wireless connection with apt-x technology. Also as an input the usb audio with up to 48k at 16 bits the toss link optical up to 96k at 24 bits and 3.5 millimeter analog input adc sampled at 48k at 24 bits
Treble - Treble seems a little elevated, sizzle in top octaves. There are still occasionally harsh bits.
noaudiophile.com
Sources
Tags
- Automatic Input Selection
- Bass
- Bass Extension
- Design
- Midrange
- Performance
- Software
- Sound
- Soundstage & Imaging
- System
- DAC
- Subwoofer Output
- Wireless
- Treble
Sources
- Audio Reputation
- noaudiophile.com
- YouTube
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
noaudiophile.com
noaudiophile.com
Chris Voss
11/28/2020
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
noaudiophile.com
noaudiophile.com
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
noaudiophile.com
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
noaudiophile.com
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Chris Voss
11/28/2020
Joe N Tell
07/02/2018
Joe N Tell
07/02/2018
Chris Voss
11/28/2020
Chris Voss
11/28/2020
noaudiophile.com
See All Sources
Connectivity
- Monomode
- Bluetooth
- Connectivity
- Setup
- IR Remote
- Positive
- Negative
Monomode - There is a multi function knob, but not just for Volume Treble and Bass. This knob in conjunction with the V-T-B and Pair/Prog button on the back of the speaker can be used to change software settings on the speaker to enter mono mode, and you can use the powered speaker by itself as a bluetooth portable as long as you have access to a power outlet.
noaudiophile.com
Bluetooth - It has aptX Bluetooth, so the Transparent Zero is equipped to serve on a desktop, stereo music system or a stereo home theater.
CNET - Steve Guttenberg
08/19/2017
Connectivity - You can connect analog audio sources through 3.5mm AUX port. There are three digital connections – USB Type-B, digital optical (TOSLINK), and Bluetooth with aptX support. There’s also a subwoofer output so you can add an external subwoofer to this 2.0 system and get a much better low end. The analog input has the priority over USB, optical, and Bluetooth connection.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Setup - You can customize many things with this speaker but the procedure you have to go through to adjust these settings is quite complicated and requires using volume knob, V-T-B switch, and Pair-Prog button. Installing is a relatively easy task: position the speakers, select the orientation, connect the audio sources, plug the power cable into the wall outlet, and turn them on. Quick two-minute setup with plug-in speaker connections auto input switching with digital silence detection.
IR Remote - The IR remote that comes with the speakers is small, it looks sturdy, and it’s very responsive. There are two interesting buttons on the remote – Auto button and Enable button.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Sources
Tags
- Monomode
- Bluetooth
- Connectivity
- Setup
- IR Remote
Sources
- noaudiophile.com
- CNET
- Audio Reputation
- YouTube
See All Sources
Hardware
- Crossover
- Passive Radiator
- Plate Amp
- Tweeter
- Woofer
- Positive
- Negative
Crossover - This speaker uses passive crossover parts. The 2200Hz crossover point means that it will easily integrate well with the 4 inch woofer.
noaudiophile.com
Passive Radiator - The passive radiators are floppy bits that can be tuned via adding weight to the cone producing a bass extension in the same way as a port would without taking up space inside of the box. The back of the radiator shows a block of cork like material on the back of the flat cone providing weight for tuning and keeping the driver from leaking high frequency sounds.
noaudiophile.com
Plate Amp - It’s a 4 channel D2Audio Class-D amp, which puts out 48 watts to each driver. The back plate gets very hot, but the speakers have never shutdown from thermal protection. With the Zero, Vanatoo chose to biamp for great justice and implement an insano 8th order 48dB/octave active crossover slope at a very low 2200Hz.
Tweeter - This speaker has an inset tweeter so that the dome is ever so slightly below the face height of the speaker, which might make the sound coming from the tweeter slightly more directional. This driver choice should make for good sounds. Standard 3/4 inch domes found on most small speakers tend to disperse a bit too much at the top end of the frequency range and end up making those speakers sound bright and toy like.
noaudiophile.com
Woofer - The woofer is made up of fancy aluminum 4-inch driver using an underhung voice coil. The woofer has a big magnet with some shine on it. Interestingly absent is a vented pole piece, which is a hole that goes through the stacked magnet to let air normally trapped behind dust cap vent out. They say that the driver has enough leakage paths to get air out from behind the dust cap, and that venting can have some negative effects.
noaudiophile.com
See All Sources
Packaging
- Contents
- Accessories
- Positive
- Negative
Contents - The box contains necessary accessories, cables, connectors and remote. You will find your speakers (with removable handles/kickstands), power cable (with power adapter), a set of cables (3.5 to 3.5mm AUX cable, 3.5mm to RCA cable, USB Type-B to USB Type-A, and RJ-50 cable for connecting the speakers), 2.5mm Allen wrench (for removing/repositioning the handle/kickstand), 2 isolation pads, 2 removable magnetic grilles, remote, user manual, and 3-year warranty.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Accessories - They also included magnetic grilles if you want to make your speaker look classy. These grilles are extremely strong and they've even put a little bit of felt so that it doesn't scratch the face.
Brandon Taylor
12/22/2018
See All Sources
Comparison
- Competition
- Kantu YU2
- Martin Logan Dynamo 500D
- Wavecrest Audio HVL-1, DCM TP-160
- Positive
- Negative
Competition - The main competition for these speakers is probably the iLoudMM studio monitor, the AudioEngine A2+/HD3, and the JBL LSR305.
noaudiophile.com
Kantu YU2 - If you are looking for an alternative Kantu YU line is okay. But there are some differences. The Vanatoo's have a remote, Bluetooth, optical input and an active Xover for the sub output. Kantu does have Bluetooth but not in the YU2's.
Skipperz
11/23/2019
Martin Logan Dynamo 500D - If you want the Vanatoos because of the convenience of having a small package with a bunch of features, I won't be able to argue against that. It's a completely valid priority. If you are willing to sacrifice some desk and floor space, your $360 could go pretty far in the mini amp/bookshelf speaker market.
barry_dahmer
11/23/2019
Wavecrest Audio HVL-1, DCM TP-160 - With a budget, some would prefer the Wavecrest Audio HVL-1.
raistlin65
11/23/2019
See All Sources
Miscellaneous
- Issues
- Tuning
- Sleep mode
- Warranty
- Positive
- Negative
Issues - At first, I thought the unpleasantness was due to the tweeter, but after researching this extensively I highly suspect it is the woofer that is causing it.
bluechip_accumulator
12/10/2020
Tuning - For tuning, you can choose between two available DSP settings, shelved and flat.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Sleep mode - This feature is activated if there is no audio signal for 20 minutes. Because of this, it can reduce power consumption from 6W to 0.5W.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
Warranty - Vanatoo speakers offer a 3-year warranty.
Audio Reputation - James Longman
10/01/2020
See All Sources
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