Vulkkkano A5 ARC MKII Speakers Review
Take a brief swipe through Amazon’s speaker listings and you’ll quickly find yourself bogged down in sponsored posts, unfamiliar brands and an overwhelming number of options. The Vulkkano A5 ARC MKII caught our attention as they’re what we’d call full-sized boxes, real bookshelf speakers with plenty of connectivity and, hopefully, the sound to match for £189.99.
Design
Vulkkano A5 ARC MKII speakers are housed entirely in MDF, and they make a stronger first impression than their price would suggest. Our pair came in the brown wood finish, which we think is the standout option. It has a pleasing grain and enough colour variation to avoid looking flat or artificial, while the edges are neatly finished without the splintering or rough detailing that can make some budget speakers feel cheaply made. They’re also available in white and black finishes, each with its own distinct texture and appearance.
We’re particularly fond of the boxy, understated profile. It gives the speakers a classic bookshelf aesthetic, which they’re most suitable for with all cabling running backwards, but they are just as appropriate on our desk set-up, with high-quality metal feet adding a subtle premium touch that helps elevate the overall design.
One small criticism concerns the magnetic speaker grilles. They attach neatly, by that we mean there are no clips or latches for them, so the magnets they attract to are under the MDF, but the grilles are a little too easy to dislodge – a passing cat’s tail is enough to send them dropping to the floor. Fortunately, we actually prefer the speakers with the grilles removed. The black drivers contrast cleanly against the wood finish, giving them a more contemporary look, and they don’t feel particularly fragile when left exposed.
Controls are refreshingly straightforward, with dedicated treble, bass and volume knobs on the speaker itself, alongside a useful selection of connections including optical, USB-C, HDMI ARC and a subwoofer output. We tended to just use Bluetooth, but this variety is nice to have for record players and other devices if they’re set up in a different location. A remote control is also included, making day-to-day operation easy from across the studio. Most importantly, there’s no traditional speaker wire to wrestle with during setup or replace over time; it’s a genuinely plug-and-play system that takes only a few minutes to get up and running.
Audio Performance
We originally set the Vulkkano A5 ARC MKII 100W RMS speakers (5.25-inch woofer and 1-inch silk dome tweeter) up exactly where our Wavemaster TWO NEO speakers normally sit: on a desk, either side of an iMac. That immediately revealed what these speakers are all about, and whether a pair costing considerably less could genuinely compete with a far more expensive set of desktop speakers.
Unsurprisingly, they don’t offer the same level of precision or razor-sharp detail as the Wavemasters. In fact, the overall sound signature is quite different. The Vulkkano pair has a slightly cooler tonal character, which some listeners may actually prefer, and there is enough low-end presence to give modern music a satisfying amount of punch. Bass notes carry enough weight to make beats feel energetic, and cinematic content can be more engaging, without becoming overwhelming.
They’re also less “live” sounding than many speakers of this style. By that, we mean the presentation feels a little more laminated, with the mid and high frequencies blending together more closely. For podcasts, YouTube videos, spoken-word content and casual listening, that works surprisingly well. Voices come through clearly, there’s very little sibilance, and the speakers can reach impressively high volumes without becoming harsh or fatiguing. But across our music, some arrangements and styles can sound more cramped than we’d like because of how the frequencies breathe.
The Vulkkano A5 ARC MKII speakers aren’t going to make you rediscover your music library or reveal details you’ve never noticed before, but they do provide respectable depth, plenty of volume, and a stereo image that feels convincingly spacious thanks to the separate left and right units. Listening to Pulp’s latest album ‘More' was a good example of their strengths. Percussion has a pleasing sense of snap, background strings remain distinct enough to add atmosphere, and Jarvis Cocker’s vocals sit confidently front and centre. The stereo soundstage is well defined, giving instruments room to breathe across the desk rather than collapsing into a single point of sound. Being closely seated was also no issue as the drivers are able to go low volume with clarity, something some speakers cannot do and you end up feeling like you’re being whispered at.
Verdict
The Vulkkano A5 ARC MKII speakers don’t outperform premium desktop speakers, nor should they be expected to. What they do offer is a taster of the latter, still offering an enjoyable, easy-to-listen-to smooth sound that is clear, punchy and surprisingly room-filling for the price. If you’re looking for speakers under £200, then these aesthetically understated pair could be the right candidate for a desk set-up or everyday music listening. They represent good value from a brand you can tell is caring about squeezing value out of their drivers and therefore providing a sound more accomplished than their cost would suggest.
