From gently curving corners that maximize enclosure volume while hinting at a broad sound field, to the carefully engineered contours of the base that allow it to be mounted anywhere while retaining a uniform, attractive appearance, VXS-M speakers retain only those design features needed to fulfil their purpose.
Harmony
Compact, sleekly curved, and yet exceedingly flexible, the VXS-M stands out in its genre for its ability to blend into its environment while retaining its identity as a commercial installation speaker.
Honest
Every aspect of the VXS-M speakers has been defined by the role they play. Wholly focused on delivering quality sound to a commercial space, these speakers combine innovative audio technology with a functional shape free of any extraneous design elements.
Ahmet Uslu
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory
Form Follows Function.
The VXS-M speakers were crafted around the themes of uniformity and unobtrusiveness, and I think that both can be found in every aspect of their design, from the carefully engineered structure of the joint between the speaker and base, to the gentle curvature of the enclosure.
Because we wanted customers to be able to mount these speakers in a variety of locations, the base had to look appealing from any viewpoint while maintaining the structural strength required for use in a commercial setting. At the same time, the overall appearance had to conform to the theme of unobtrusiveness. An extensive prototyping process ultimately led to the wasp-waisted contours of the VXS-M, with a cylindrical base that appears the same from any angle, transforming along its axis to the rectilinear shape of the speaker housing itself. This configuration proved more difficult to achieve than we had anticipated, and I am grateful to the engineers who worked so hard to make it a reality!
I have always tried to follow the “form follows function” design maxim, which states that the form of a design should be shaped by its function, and the VXS-M comes the closest of any project that I have been involved with to wholly embodying this concept. Every element of this design has been defined by its purpose, from the curved corners of the speaker body that maximize volume while providing a visual representation of the broad sound field it provides, to the matte finish that allows the product to blend so well with its environment. The end result is an extraordinarily compact speaker that can be integrated into a space without clashing with any of the elements of the surrounding architecture, while delivering superior sound quality for which Yamaha is renowned.
