SEXY LOOKS AND PURE SOUND

Vifa’s Oslo speaker is stylish, portable and pretty dang powerful

Wireless is where everything is headed nowadays which kinda proves Apple made the right move doing away with the headphone jack on their phones (although it should be noted I am begrudgingly admitting that). Obviously, it’s not just headphones people are trying to become wireless but within the realm of music, speakers are also shifting to become untethered. It’s a little ironic because in way it brings back that classic boombox portability so you can have your own little recreation of that iconic John Cusack scene from Say Anything. There’s a wide variety of wireless speakers on the market now, but Vifa is aiming to cater to the high-end market. While high-end does mean costing more dough, the questions remains whether these speakers are worth your dime.

The lowdown

Vifa has been around for a long time, having been founded by N.C. Madsen in Denmark back in 1933, but it was only in 2014 that they released their range of speakers. They’ve got five with each named after a Nordic city: Helsinki, Reykjavik, Copenhagen, Stockholm and finally, Oslo, which is the speaker they were kind enough to loan to me to review.

The aesthetics

Each speaker is a different shape and size so it can cater to whatever purpose you have for it. For example, the Stockholm, the biggest speaker in Vifa’s catalogue, is perfect for be- ing setup near your TV. An encompassing trait for each and every speaker though, which ever one you opt for, is that they’re incredibly sleek and stylish. The Oslo is a powder baby blue and could be mistaken for a handbag if observed from far away. If blue isn’t your hue, there are other colours like the more slightly muted grey. The front of the speakers is made of a embroidery-esque type of cloth and doesn’t get tarnished by dirt that much, which is a good thing since the Oslo is all about portability. There’s a handle on top so you can easily carry it around anywhere and everywhere, which is great because though it is sleek and sexy, there is some weight to this beauty. The Oslo is compact and easy to carry around without any guilt of looking goofy because dang, this thing is a beaut.

The performance

One thing that Vifa wanted to achieve for their speakers is true high quality sound with no additions or subtractions to it. They simply want their speakers to deliver the music as it was meant to sound, so if you’re looking for speakers with enhanced bass then Vifa isn’t for you. However, it does blast out the music of your choice as pure and as unadulterated as can be. And when I say “blast”, I do mean blast. Despite its compact size, the Oslo can send the room a-rocking effortlessly. I can attest to this when, still flying high from the movie, I decided to test out the Oslo’s prowess with Bohemian Rhapsody. What can I say except that the Olso does the song justice, with Freddie Mercury’s vocals and Brian May’s face-contorting guitar solos coming out of this portable speaker as clear as possible.

Price & verdict

Vifa is a luxury brand and that means there’s a price tag. The Oslo costs B20,000, and buying one of Vifa’s speakers makes you a part of the Vifa Privilege programme wherein you can get discounts with other luxury brands they have partnered, like HAY and Primmalai. The Oslo is sleek, stylish, too. So is it worth your dough? If you’ve got it, go for it.

Visit vifa.dk for more info and where you can buy their products in Thailand.