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R-Series ยท Surround Loudspeaker
R5
Surround Loudspeaker
The R-Series voice. In every direction.
Description
Design philosophy
Surround performance is not a compromise.
The surround speakers in most high-end cinema systems are selected after the front channels โ treated as a budget allocation rather than a system decision. The result is a front soundstage that is exceptional and a surround field that reveals the compromise.
The R5 is designed from the other direction. It uses the same beryllium tweeter and Egyptian Papyrus midwoofer as the R1 bookshelf โ the same acoustic materials, the same crossover design discipline, and the same tonal character. In a complete R-Series system, the beryllium precision and Papyrus warmth that the listener hears from the front channels continues into the surround field without interruption. The room is enveloped by one coherent acoustic identity. Beryllium and Papyrus, in every direction.
The R5 is designed from the other direction. It uses the same beryllium tweeter and Egyptian Papyrus midwoofer as the R1 bookshelf โ the same acoustic materials, the same crossover design discipline, and the same tonal character. In a complete R-Series system, the beryllium precision and Papyrus warmth that the listener hears from the front channels continues into the surround field without interruption. The room is enveloped by one coherent acoustic identity. Beryllium and Papyrus, in every direction.
Transducer platform
The R1's drivers. In the surround field.
The R5 uses the same two transducers from the SATORI reference driver family as the R1 โ the waveguide-loaded beryllium dome tweeter and the Egyptian Papyrus cone midwoofer. The driver complement is unchanged from the R-Series bookshelf. The cabinet is purpose-built for wall-mounted surround placement. A surround speaker that shares its driver complement with the front channels produces a surround field that is tonally continuous with the front soundstage. What the listener hears moving from front to surround is not a transition between different acoustic characters โ it is the same character, arriving from a different direction.
Tweeter โ beryllium dome, waveguide-loaded Shared across R-Series
29mm beryllium dome โ waveguide-loaded
The identical beryllium tweeter used across every R-Series model. In a surround application, the waveguide's controlled directivity maintains consistent frequency response across the wider range of off-axis listening angles that surround placement demands โ a listener seated anywhere in the room hears the same beryllium character from the R5 as from the R1, R2, or R3 in front of them. Beryllium extending flat to 40 kHz. 170mm solid aluminum waveguide. Dual copper caps at 0.02 mH voice coil inductance across the operating band.
Midwoofer โ Egyptian Papyrus cone Shared with R1
6ยฝโณ Egyptian Papyrus cone midwoofer
The same Egyptian Papyrus cone midwoofer as the R1. A cellulose-based natural material made from the pith of the Cyperus papyrus plant, chosen for high internal damping, natural self-damping, and the organic tonal warmth that defines the R-Series midrange character. In the R5's sealed enclosure, the driver operates within a compact acoustic volume with wall boundary reinforcement supplementing the sealed alignment's bass output. The same Papyrus warmth the listener hears from the front channels is present in the surround field.
Beryllium
The R5 holds the same driver standard as the R1. Beryllium precision and Papyrus warmth โ present in the bookshelf, present in the floorstander, present in the centre channel, and present in the surround speaker. A complete R-Series system has one acoustic character throughout. The R5 is how that character reaches the listener from behind.
Signal integration
The crossover is where the speaker is truly designed.
The R5 crossover shares the same topology and ~2,500 Hz crossover frequency as the R1 โ developed around the waveguide-loaded beryllium tweeter, with a precision attenuation network that maintains tonal balance across the sensitivity differential between the beryllium dome and Papyrus midwoofer. LCR impedance linearisation across the full frequency range. Resonance suppression networks at each driver's mechanical limit. Phase-aligned integration at the crossover point.
In a surround application, the crossover's off-axis performance carries specific importance โ the listener is rarely at the precise on-axis position of a surround speaker. The R5's waveguide tweeter and LCR network maintain consistent tonal character across the range of listening angles that wall-mounted surround placement creates. Every seat in the room hears the same R-Series character from the R5.
In a surround application, the crossover's off-axis performance carries specific importance โ the listener is rarely at the precise on-axis position of a surround speaker. The R5's waveguide tweeter and LCR network maintain consistent tonal character across the range of listening angles that wall-mounted surround placement creates. Every seat in the room hears the same R-Series character from the R5.
Cabinet design
Built for the room, not the rack.
The R5 cabinet is V&Y's own design โ the same shield-form geometry as the X5, shaped specifically for wall-mounted surround placement. The curved profile reduces baffle edge diffraction in a compact enclosure, and the flat rear panel mounts directly against the wall surface. The sealed enclosure is chosen specifically for wall mounting โ boundary reinforcement from the wall supplements the sealed alignment's bass output, while eliminating the port sensitivity and turbulence noise that a ported enclosure introduces in a near-boundary position.
Cabinet geometry
Shield-form โ diffraction-optimised profile
The curved shield-form profile minimises baffle edge diffraction in a compact enclosure โ the geometry that a rectangular cabinet of equivalent volume cannot achieve. The result is a compact surround speaker that disperses evenly across the surround field and images cleanly at all listening positions. The beryllium tweeter's controlled directivity and the cabinet's diffraction-controlled geometry work together to maintain the R-Series tonal character at every off-axis angle.
Mounting
Wall-mountable, bracket-compatible
Designed for wall mounting as its primary use case. The flat rear panel is bracket-ready. Optimal placement is at or slightly above ear level for seated listeners, angled toward the listening position. The compact cabinet depth allows placement on shallow-profile wall brackets without protruding into the room. Keyhole mounts and dedicated bracket options are available.
Enclosure
Sealed โ boundary-reinforced
Acoustic suspension sealed enclosure. In wall-mounted installation, the wall boundary supplements the sealed alignment's bass output, extending perceived low-frequency response without a port. The clean sealed rolloff integrates naturally with processor bass management at 80โ100 Hz. No port noise, no port placement sensitivity, no turbulence in a near-boundary position.
Surface
Multi-stage hand-applied finish
Same finishing standard as every V&Y model. Flat-sanded between coats, inspected under raking light, cleared only when it meets our written surface specification. The R5 is visible on the walls of a room designed for serious listening โ and beside an R-Series front channel. Its finish reflects that standard. Available in all five V&Y finishes.
Technical specifications
Measured. Specified. Stated without qualification.
Acoustic Performance
Physical
System pairing note.
The R5 is designed as the surround pair in a complete R-Series cinema system. Processor bass management should cross the R5 at 80โ100 Hz when used with a subwoofer โ the sealed alignment integrates naturally with a subwoofer crossover, with a gradual rolloff that makes the handoff to a subwoofer clean and inaudible at the crossover point. Optimal placement is at or slightly above ear level for seated listeners, wall-mounted and angled toward the listening position.
System context
The R-Series, behind you.
The R5 is the surround component of a complete R-Series cinema system โ the pair that closes the acoustic envelope the front channels open. Positioned at or behind the listening position, the R5 reproduces the surround field with the same beryllium tweeter character and Papyrus midwoofer warmth as the R1, R2, or R3 facing the listener. The acoustic transition from front to surround is inaudible. That is the standard the R5 holds.
For Dolby Atmos configurations, the R5 operates as the side surround pair. Full R-Series deployment: R1/R2/R3 front, R4 centre, R5 surrounds, C-Series or D-Series subwoofer. One material. One voice. In every direction.
For Dolby Atmos configurations, the R5 operates as the side surround pair. Full R-Series deployment: R1/R2/R3 front, R4 centre, R5 surrounds, C-Series or D-Series subwoofer. One material. One voice. In every direction.
Ownership
Built for decades. Backed without conditions.
Home trial
60 days in your room
Install the R5 in your system. If after 60 days the surround field doesn't carry the R-Series character you hear from the front channels, contact us and we arrange collection. No restocking fee. No conditions.
Warranty
Ten years. Transferable.
Full parts and labour coverage for ten years from purchase. Transferable on private resale. We build loudspeakers intended to last a generation.
Support
Direct to the engineers
Concierge support for placement, processor configuration, and system integration. No call centres. No support tickets.
Direct to customer
No intermediaries. Ever.
V&Y sells exclusively direct. The price you see is the price you pay โ worldwide shipping and all applicable duties and taxes included.
Finish options
Five finishes. All hand-applied. All to specification.
Available in all five V&Y finishes. Select the finish that matches the rest of your R-Series system โ the R5 is part of one coherent visual and acoustic whole. The natural Papyrus cone creates a visual pairing with each finish that is specific to the R-Series.
Custom RAL colours available on request for orders of two pairs or more. Lead time 8โ10 weeks. Contact us to discuss.
The R-Series
A complete acoustic platform. A distinct voice.
The R5 closes the surround field of a system that begins with the R1 or R2 or R3 at the front. One beryllium tweeter platform. One Papyrus material warmth. One acoustic identity โ in every channel, from every direction.
Shipping & Delivery