XV 3 Signature

Our Reference range offers the very best that can be achieved in accuracy and musicality. We are honored that these models are some of the most awarded loudspeakers in the world. They combine advanced materials with cutting edge science and engineering. Designed without compromise, their singular aim is transporting listeners into the heart of the music.

XV 3 is the flagship of the Reference range. It is an extreme, four-tower loudspeaker system which will redefine what you think is possible: the finest micro-details placed exactly in a broad and deep holographic audio space; unmatched scale and faultless timing.

XV 3 Signature is a limited edition of just eight pairs pushing that performance yet further, demonstrating an exercise in obsessive perfection. Painstakingly built and tuned at our R&D facility, XV 3 Signature is so extreme that it was never intended to enter production, and its origins help explain its truly exceptional nature.

At YG we always maintain a technology demonstrator: a loudspeaker to push the boundaries of what is possible, and XV 3 was the natural choice. Two sets of innovations led to a step change in performance—significant even beyond our greatest expectations.

The first was a discovery in capacitor design: a special copper alloy foil with a unique crystal structure and an innovative, advanced dielectric, delivering performance which surpassed anything we had heard. The challenge: a manufacturing process so demanding that we are years from commercial production.

The second was an experiment in perfection down to the very finest scale. Every component in our loudspeakers is already built to exceptionally tight specifications. Yet there is always some tiny variation, some hint of entropy at the edge of measurability. We aimed to eliminate that as far as we could, pushing as close as possible to the theoretical optimum.

XV 3 Signature starts with the very closest matched components, selected from hundreds of candidates through detailed measurement. After assembly, the speakers are measured using our industry-leading R&D facilities. Then, over many weeks of iterative measurement, modeling and listening, we optimize every aspect of performance. The crossovers are tuned using custom components: tiny deltas, each a fraction of a percent, but to exactly the value needed for that speaker. Even the cabinet panel profiles may be subtly modified if required. Small changes, yet together, the result is incredible.

The result is the XV 3 Signature.

Each pair is distinguished by trapezoids in thick, jewelry gold plate. In addition, there is a gold-plated, individualized dedication plate signed by our CEO and chief designer, Dr Matthew Webster, who personally supervises the construction and tuning of each pair.

Speaker Type

• 4-way passive floor-standing loudspeaker. Four tower, three layer aerospace aluminum cabinet with constrained layer damping.

Drivers

• 26 mm (1”) proprietary YG Lattice hybrid tweeter with advanced airframe
• Dual 15 cm (6”) proprietary YG aluminum cone midrange drivers with advanced neodymium motor magnets, exceptional set matching
• Triple 18.5 cm (7.25”) proprietary YG aluminum cone midbass drivers with advanced neodymium motor magnets, exceptional set matching
• Quad 26 cm (10.25”) proprietary YG aluminum cone bass drivers with ultra-high field strength motors, exceptional set matching

Crossover

• Ultracoherent crossovers at 90 Hz, 360 Hz and 1.85 kHz
• Individually optimized crossovers using custom component values unique to each pair
• Exceptional phase alignment: ±3° relative phase over range where driver relative output is within 20 dB
• Optimized for exceptional phase alignment, phase slope and transient response
• Custom capacitors including pure copper alloy foil and pure aluminum alloy foil models
• Advanced resistors including multiple foil resistor
• Advanced resonance-damped inductors
• Computationally optimised layouts to minimise component interactions

Response

• Usable output extends from below 20 Hz to 40 kHz
• Exceptionally low distortion throughout range
• Exceptionally close pair matching

Sensitivity

• 88 dB

Impedance

• 4 Ohms average
• 3 Ohms minimum

Dimensions

• Four towers
• 179 × 43 × 72 cm (H × W × D)
• 70 × 17 × 28” (H × W × D)

Weight

• 225 kg (495 lbs) per main tower unpacked
• 188 kg (414 lbs) per bass tower unpacked

Finishes

• A wide range of custom anodized finishes available, with finishes selectable separately for each panel and ring