Blaupunkt Goes Pro with New Velocity Line

Blaupunkt, a brand of the Robert Bosch Group, has been around for decades and older readers will certainly recall the car radios with the ‘blue spot’ (which is the literal translation of the German word ‘Blau-punkt’). While decades of existence often means that a company has lots of experience and knowledge in the field, it can also sometimes have a negative impact on the brand image.

If the products keep up with trends and the image is well managed, then it stays at the forefront of consumers’ minds as an innovator and market leader. Blaupunkt has certainly been an innovator and in Europe, is a leader. However, it was also perceived as being ‘conservative’ to some quarters, especially the enthusiasts who feel that a mass-market brand’s products cannot compare to the more specialised ones. It’s like Ford versus, say, Porsche where the former can produce good sportscars for everyone but the latter produces superlative sportscars.

“It’s something Bosch realised during the 1990s and towards the end of that decade, there was a revitalisation of the products to make them more appealing to younger consumers,” said Martin Low, Sales & Marketing Manager (Car Multimedia Division) of Robert Bosch (SEA) Pte Ltd.

“Thus you see today’s Blaupunkt products like the latest Funline 4 and Skyline III having more trendy designs and marketing strategies are also oriented towards younger and more discerning consumers,” he explained.

More significantly, and underscoring the Blaupunkt initiative to establish itself as a serious car audio brand is the addition of a new professional line known as ‘Velocity’. This brand of products is intended to challenge rivals like JBL and Soundstream, well known among audiophiles and typically used as benchmarks.

Acoustic elegance, impressive design and an excellent finish are the special features of the Velocity brand. The sound is the basis, the professional workmanship and the strong presence of the components make for a value-added experience. They are offered as the ‘perfect solution for young, uncompromising sound specialists who consider high-end solutions the ultimate in listening pleasure’.

The range of Velocity amplifiers clearly indicate the direction in which things are headed: a high-quality die-cast heat sink, black design and fan ventilation characterise the amplifiers, which offer total power of 300 to 1200 watts in four different versions.

The VR 502 and VR 1002 models have been designed for two or one-channel operation with 300 or 600 watts. The VR 504 delivers 900 watts of power in four or two-channel mode. The top-of-the-line model, the VR SIX, stands for 1200 watts of maximum power in six or three-channel operation. The input level can be adapted in all the models from between 0.3 to 8 volts (gain adjust).

A subsonic-filter ensures that inaudible bass frequencies do not interfere with the overall sound experience. And finally, the end caps included with the amplifiers as standard equipment can be mounted to achieve the ultimate in good looks.

The “Burning Desire” amplifier shows off with top power and dazzling sound quality. Its class becomes particularly apparent in the subwoofer range. A powerful performer: up to 2000 watts – with full sound precision. This special-class amplifier has yet to meet its match. The Velocity “Burning Desire” amplifier has already placed in the top ranks at a number of different sound competitions, according to a Blaupunkt press release.

The Velocity line also has a series of modular mid-woofers. The mid-range and bass speakers in the VMW series are said to be particularly well suited to in-vehicle installation. This will appeal primarily to those customers who want to enjoy an outstanding sound experience without having to make extensive modifications to install the equipment.

Velocity is claimed to be the first of the leading brands to introduce front neodymium magnet technology (FNM). This design principle based on a magnet mounted on the front gives the speaker a much flatter form and – thanks to the use of neodymium – makes them up to 60% lighter as well. The cone is made of copper-coated aluminium for enhanced firmness. This further improves playback in the bass range. The midwoofers in the VMW series include sizes in 100, 130 and 165 mm in diameter. And the VMT tweeter modules are a good match: top-notch components with domes made of titanium (the VMT 36) or silk (the VMT 42), which deliver playback without peaks or distortion.

In addition, Velocity also has made-to-measure crossovers for woofers and tweeters. As a passive system, the VMX 12, a compact two-way crossover, provides the choice of a frequency crossover at 4000 or 6000 Hz. The VEX 01, an active two or three-way crossover, offers ample opportunity for custom-made adaptations: variable crossover frequencies for the front and rear as well as variable subwoofer frequencies and subwoofer boost give sound specialists the freedom they want.

In addition to the brand-new components, the programme also includes the “Pro Components” from Velocity, another series of high-performance speakers, subwoofers in a class of their own and digital sound processors. These are components that will transform any vehicle into a custom-designed powerhouse of sound.

Along with the speakers and amplifiers with convincing acoustic properties and a youthful design, this series also includes the VDP01-MP3, a digitally-operated signal processor with an integrated playback option for MP3 music files. The Velocity VDP01-MP3, an attractive component in terms of looks as well as sound, can be easily installed into the standard DIN installation compartment in any vehicle – an independent solution that can be universally combined with any car radio.

While the multi-way speaker systems installed in vehicles offer an ideal basis for sound quality that is true in tone and spatially stable, any acoustic “fine-tuning” requires the use of additional electronic equipment. Parametric filters in the car radio, for example, can be used to suppress the strongest sound-distorting resonance frequencies, but adjusting them to the individual vehicle interior with analogue components is very complicated. Digital sound processors, on the other hand, are much more flexible and provide the potential for considerable improvement at a more reasonable price.

As such, the Velocity VDP01-MP3 is able to take on a wide range of equalizer functions and to supplement them with permanently installed settings from pop music to classical. It is also possible to individually adjust single crossover frequencies as well as the loudness boost. And even compensating for sound signal propagation delay in individual speaker groups does not pose an insurmountable problem for the compact signal processor. In short: you’ll never know what your car audio system is really capable of until you install the Velocity VDP01-MP3.

In addition, the sound freaks of the “Internet generation” will be particularly interested in the VDP 01-MP3, which is able to convert MP3 files directly into music. After all, one thing is certain: MP3 is on the music scene to stay and has already advanced to the term entered most frequently in Internet search engines.

And thanks to the optionally available MMC Driver 01 charging station, the MMC can also be re-recorded with new songs as often as desired. Simply hook it up to your home computer and the corresponding software makes handling the MP3 files as easy as child’s play. Onto the highway via the information highway – with the Velocity VDP01 MP3, you can have the latest music hits from the Internet directly available in your vehicle with ease. And in perfect sound quality as well.

The Velocity range will be officially launched in Malaysia tomorrow night (July 25) at Bintang Walk, Kuala Lumpur. Besides a display of the products, there will also be a Nissan Serena equipped with an ‘audio arsenal’ of Velocity components.