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X-Series ยท Surround Loudspeaker
X5
Centre Channel
Surround Loudspeaker
Description
Design philosophy
Surround performance is not a compromise.
The surround speakers in most high-end cinema systems are an afterthought โ budget stand-mounts pressed into a role they weren't designed for, positioned badly, and accepted as "good enough for effects." The result is a system where the front soundstage is exceptional and the surround field is unconvincing.
The X5 is designed from the other direction. It uses the same TeXtremeยฎ driver complement as the X1 bookshelf, the same waveguide-loaded tweeter shared across the entire X-Series, and a purpose-built compact cabinet designed specifically for wall-mounted surround placement. The tonal character the listener hears from the front channels continues into the surround field without discontinuity. The room is enveloped by one coherent acoustic identity โ not a premium front stage with a budget periphery.
The X5 is designed from the other direction. It uses the same TeXtremeยฎ driver complement as the X1 bookshelf, the same waveguide-loaded tweeter shared across the entire X-Series, and a purpose-built compact cabinet designed specifically for wall-mounted surround placement. The tonal character the listener hears from the front channels continues into the surround field without discontinuity. The room is enveloped by one coherent acoustic identity โ not a premium front stage with a budget periphery.
Transducer platform
Two drivers. One material. One system.
The X5 uses the same two transducers from the SATORI reference driver family as the X1 โ the waveguide-loaded TW29TXNWG-4 tweeter and the MW16TX-4 TeXtremeยฎ midwoofer. The decision is deliberate: 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 speakers โ it is the same acoustic character, arriving from a different direction.
Tweeter
Shared across X-Series
Shared across X-Series
29mm TeXtremeยฎ dome, waveguide-loaded
The identical tweeter used in every X-Series model. In a surround application, the waveguide's controlled directivity serves a different purpose than in a front channel โ it maintains consistent frequency response across the wider range of off-axis listening angles that surround placement demands. A listener seated anywhere in the room hears the same tonal character from the X5 as from the X1 or X2 in front of them.
Midwoofer
Shared with X1
Shared with X1
6ยฝโณ TeXtremeยฎ cone, long-excursion
A woven spread-tow carbon cone combining high rigidity and low moving mass โ the same driver as the X1. In the X5's compact cabinet, the MW16TX-4's low free air resonance of 29 Hz and the reflex alignment together maintain the bass extension and midrange resolution expected from the X-Series platform, within a cabinet sized for wall mounting rather than stand placement.
TeXtremeยฎ
TeXtremeยฎ across every driver in the X-Series โ front, centre, surround, and Atmos โ means the material signature of the system is consistent in every channel. This is not a standard most cinema systems meet. In most installations, the front channels use premium drivers and the surround and Atmos speakers use whatever was available at the budget. The X5 holds the same standard as the X1.
Signal integration
The crossover is where the speaker is truly designed.
The X5 crossover is developed around the waveguide-loaded TW29TXNWG-4 tweeter โ the same design discipline as the X1, applied to a different cabinet volume and placement context. LCR impedance linearisation, resonance suppression networks, and phase-aligned integration at the ~2,200 Hz crossover point.
In a surround application, crossover performance has a specific additional requirement: the speaker must maintain consistent tonal character across a wide range of listening angles, since the surround field by definition includes listeners who are not seated equidistant from each speaker. The X5's waveguide tweeter and LCR network are optimised to ensure that off-axis response tracks closely with the on-axis response โ the characteristic that determines whether a surround field sounds enveloping or directional.
In a surround application, crossover performance has a specific additional requirement: the speaker must maintain consistent tonal character across a wide range of listening angles, since the surround field by definition includes listeners who are not seated equidistant from each speaker. The X5's waveguide tweeter and LCR network are optimised to ensure that off-axis response tracks closely with the on-axis response โ the characteristic that determines whether a surround field sounds enveloping or directional.
Cabinet design
Built for the room, not the rack.
The X5 cabinet is V&Y's own design โ shaped specifically for surround placement. The distinctive shield-form profile is not a styling choice. The curved cabinet geometry reduces edge diffraction in a compact enclosure more effectively than a rectangular cabinet of equivalent volume, and the compact footprint allows placement on walls, brackets, or surround stands without the visual intrusion of a full bookshelf cabinet.
Cabinet geometry
Shield-form โ diffraction-optimised profile
The curved, shield-shaped cabinet profile minimises baffle edge diffraction across a compact form factor. Where a rectangular cabinet of this volume would produce significant edge diffraction at the frequencies most audible in a surround context, the X5's curved geometry displaces these artefacts outside the critical listening band. The result is a compact surround speaker that images cleanly and disperses evenly โ not a miniaturised bookshelf pressed into surround duty.
Mounting
Wall-mountable, bracket-compatible
The X5 is designed for wall mounting as its primary use case. The cabinet rear is flat and 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.
Bass loading
Down-firing reflex alignment, 36.5 Hz
Down-firing bass reflex port, tuned to 36.5 Hz โ the same alignment as the X1. In a wall-mounted surround application, the down-firing port orientation keeps turbulence noise away from the primary listening axis and uses proximity to the mounting surface to reinforce bass loading. Processor bass management should cross the X5 at 80 Hz when used with a subwoofer.
Surface
Multi-stage hand-applied finish
Same finishing standard as every X-Series model. Flat-sanded between coats, inspected under raking light, cleared only when it meets our written surface specification. The X5 is visible on the walls of a room designed for serious listening. Its finish should reflect that.
Technical specifications
Measured. Specified. Stated without qualification.
Acoustic Performance
Physical
System pairing note.
The X5 is designed as a surround pair in an X-Series cinema system. Processor bass management should cross the X5 at 80 Hz or below when used with a subwoofer โ the dedicated bass channel carries the low-frequency load, allowing the X5's midwoofer to focus on the surround band where directional information and tonal character are most critical. Optimal placement is at or slightly above ear level for seated listeners, wall-mounted and angled toward the listening position.
System context
The X-Series, behind you.
The X5 is the surround component of a complete X-Series cinema system โ the pair that closes the acoustic envelope the front channels open. Positioned at or behind the listening position, the X5 reproduces the surround field with the same TeXtremeยฎ material character and waveguide tweeter voicing as the X1, X2, or X3 facing the listener.
For Dolby Atmos configurations, the X5 operates as the side surround pair, with the X6 providing the height channel above. For 5.1 or 7.1 configurations without height channels, the X5 serves as both side and rear surround depending on room layout. Full X-Series deployment: X1/X2/X3 front, X4 centre, X5 surrounds, X6 Atmos, C-Series or D-Series subwoofer.
For Dolby Atmos configurations, the X5 operates as the side surround pair, with the X6 providing the height channel above. For 5.1 or 7.1 configurations without height channels, the X5 serves as both side and rear surround depending on room layout. Full X-Series deployment: X1/X2/X3 front, X4 centre, X5 surrounds, X6 Atmos, C-Series or D-Series subwoofer.
Ownership
Built for decades. Backed without conditions.
Home trial
60 days in your room
Install the X5 in your system. If after 60 days the surround field doesn't meet the standard the rest of your system demands, 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 X-Series finishes. Select the finish that matches the rest of your system โ the X5 is designed to be part of one coherent visual and acoustic whole.
Custom RAL colours available on request for orders of two pairs or more. Lead time 8โ10 weeks. Contact us to discuss.
The X-Series
A complete acoustic platform.
The X5 closes the surround field of a system that begins with the X1 or X2 or X3 at the front. One TeXtremeยฎ driver platform. One finishing standard. One acoustic identity โ in every channel, from every direction.
Shipping & Delivery