Modern acoustic systems of acceptable quality are prohibitively expensive. Therefore, many people prefer to use Soviet speaker models. Indeed, in the days of the USSR they knew a lot about high-quality acoustic systems. At the service of music lovers were both the coolest "Amfitons" and the more modest "Radio Engineering". And in the budget segment, AS Vega ruled the ball. They differed in low price and acceptable quality. Although at that time it was impossible to choose especially (and even more so to compare with foreign counterparts). But it's no secret that almost all devices (including acoustic ones) were exact copies of Western electronics. The 15AC-408 Vega were exactly the same. We will consider their main characteristics and features. But first, a few words about the company itself.
About Vega
In a very difficult and difficult forcountry in 1946, the state plant of radio electronics was established in the city of Berdsk. It is this date that is considered to be the time of birth of the Vega production association. Already in 1947, the first transistor radio was released - "Record 46". A little later, the plant mastered the production of other electronics: amplifiers, electrophones, players, tape recorders and acoustic systems. Until the end of the eighties of the last century, the products of the Vega plant were popular and in great demand. Such demanded devices as CD players, music centers and stereo complexes have become on the conveyor. And suddenly everything stopped. Together with the collapse of the USSR. In 1991, the plant had a staff reduction. In the late nineties, the plant was renamed into a joint-stock company. And already in the 2000s, the Vega production association appeared, which began to repair equipment and (very rarely) create it. So from the former giant in the field of electronics, only horns and legs remained. "Vega" 15AC-408 is one of the latest acoustic systems that were developed at this plant. After it, there was nothing new and of high quality.
Column appearance
Consider the design of these columns. Cabinets are made of plywood sheets (multi-layered) and covered with veneer of quite expensive wood species. On the front panel (which is made of plastic) there are protective speaker grilles and a passive radiator slot (also covered with a protective grille). Just above the emitterthere is a subwoofer. Above it, slightly shifted to the right, is a mid-range speaker. There is no special high-frequency speaker (tweeter) here, since the speaker system is two-way. The dimensions of the 15AC-408 are rather modest (compared to other Soviet speakers), since this particular speaker is designed for installation on shelves. But nothing prevents you from hanging it on the wall. For this purpose, there are special "ears" on the back wall. That's all you need to know about the appearance of the columns. Now let's move on to the technical specifications.
Main speaker specifications
So, let's move on to more interesting information about the 15AC-408 speaker system. Its characteristics are such that the user can count on quite acceptable sound. But subject to the presence of a high-quality amplifier and an adequate sound source. The frequency range of these speakers is average. The lower bar is 63 hertz. Upper - 20,000 hertz. Many modern Chinese speakers have exactly the same range. But they sound much worse. The sensitivity of the 15AC-408 is 83 dB. This is a good indicator for acoustics of this class. The rated power of each speaker is 25 watts. It is worth considering that these are "honest" Watts, and not those that are written on Chinese speakers. And 25 watts is enough to sound a huge room. The speakers have an electrical resistance of 4 ohms. This means that the speakers will be able to work with almost any amplifier. The acoustic system is equipped with two speakers with paper cones. They are,Of course, they are good, but over time they become decrepit and need to be repaired. Otherwise, the characteristics of the speakers are quite acceptable.
Sound quality
And now let's talk about the sound quality provided by the 15AC-408 speakers. When playing simple music (electronics, pop, rap), the quality is quite acceptable. These genres are quite simple and "unicellular". Almost all frequencies are reproduced correctly. There is no subsidence of mid frequencies. That's just a little lacking in high (there is no tweeter) and too many lows. But with complex instrumental genres (rock, metal, punk, classical) the situation is bad. Dips are noticeable at all frequencies. Speakers simply don't have the resources to faithfully reproduce that kind of music. A cool amplifier, advanced wires and equalizers will not help here. Another feature: a dull sound due to poor-quality body materials (or rather outdated) and old speakers. If these speakers are slightly modified, then you can achieve a very high-quality sound. In any case, many modern Chinese counterparts cannot even provide the same sound as conventional 15AC-408s.
Positive feedback from owners
In general, there are quite a lot of owners of this speaker system, since these speakers were quite popular at one time. What do they say about Vega 15AC-408? Reviews about this acoustics do not differ in any constancy. There are both negative and positive comments. Andthe latter is clearly more. However, first things first. Let's look at the positives first. Many users note that these speakers have good sound for their class. However, they did not listen to complex genres on them. The owners also claim that this speaker system easily works with amplifiers of any type. Such versatility is just what the average user needs. The build quality of this speaker system also received positive comments. Do not compare with modern crafts from the same "Vega". Many owners of these speakers say that this is a great budget option for those who do not want to overpay for modern Hi-Fi acoustics. And they are absolutely right. However, this is where the positive reviews end. It's time to go negative.
Negative owner reviews
Those who were not satisfied with 15AC-408 from "Vega" give strong arguments. They note that the speakers do not correspond to their class and are unable to produce a clear sound. Moreover, many owners claim that they are akin to desktop Chinese tweeters. They probably just have "killed" speakers. But in a way they are right. It is impossible to achieve a clear sound from this speaker system. These speakers are good for watching videos on a computer (as users have confirmed), but not for playing music.
Repair features
Due to the simplicity of the design of these speakers, their repair is extremely simple. The first thing that goes wrong ispaper speaker cones. There is no way to replace them. Therefore, the entire speaker will have to be replaced. Finding these at a flea market is not difficult. It will also be possible to immediately replace the regular wires with better ones. In general, disassembling the speaker housing in order to get to the insides is not a problem. Bolts are hidden under the plastic cases of the front of the column. One has only to wring out the special plugs (if they are preserved), and it will be possible to unscrew the bolts without any problems. The back cover is also easy to remove. And then you will only need to carefully remove the speaker, unsolder the wires, install a new one and solder the wires back. That's the whole repair.
Verdict
So, is it worth it to look for and buy 15AC-408 produced by "Vega"? If you need inexpensive speakers with mediocre sound to watch videos, then you can buy them. And if you value high-quality sound and like to listen to music (especially complex instrumental genres), then it is better to refrain from buying. It will be a complete disappointment.
Conclusion
A little higher we have fully examined the budget speaker system from the distant past 15AC-408 from the Vega production association. These are rather mediocre speakers that can only be used if there is nothing better at hand at the moment. At the first opportunity, it is better to change them to a better speaker.
