Seeking your comment/experience on Von Schweikert's VR-5 SE & VR-4 SR MK II.

Their sizes are similar to but prices much lower than that of Wilson's System 8. What are their sonic difference? Are they good/better buy?

Von Schweikert speakers are using multiple drivers. Is the sound well 'integrated'?

Thanks a lot!

You're talking about a subjective preference. What is better to one person isn't to another. In the end, after listening to both you're going to have to buy what you like best and not worry about what anyone else thinks :)

Personally I prefer VS to Wilson, as the times I've heard Wilson they've sounded a bit sterile. But to others here, WA can do no wrong.

Cheers,

I have the new 5SE. They are outstanding speakers, much better then the Wilson 8's. The best I have heard. Shop around and you can find them for a better price. Check with Shane(the home theater doctor) a great person to work with.

Yes the new VR-5 se is a great looking and sounding speaker.

Hi tc828 and johnbr,

Please share with us your experience on using/auditioning the VR-5 SE.
In Hong Kong, there is only one single Von Schweikert agent. The speakers are driven by CDP & amps from Spectral & Audio Research. Home trial is not available. Wilson Audio is carried by another agent so a direct comparison is impossible.

Thanks a lot!

I don't have much to offer other than I have been interested in the VS speakers as well. And recently at a similar price point VMPS speakers have interested me too. You may want to look into them. Even with importing.

kw........

Hi

I have only recently auditioned the VS speakers, I have been extremely impressed, the VR 5 is simply on the phenomenal side, better IMHO than the WA WP7...
I am recently enough to think about acquiring a VS speaker in the near future... At least a VR-7 but the VR 9 SE is not out of the question..

Now VMPS... My first and only encounter with a VMPS was almost 15 years ago... at a New York Audiophile Society meet.... I was utterly unimpressed to say the least... I have not heard a VMPS since. The company remains in business, striving... it looks like they are doing something right. I am puzzled by them as some people who have heard become quick convert sand I have not heard bitter negative reactions about them... The price is very "normal" certainly out of VS range... anyone has heard them?...
Sarry about derailing the thread...

Frantz...if you are a fan of the Von Schweikert sound, you will still be very unimpressed with VMPS speakers...

PhilNYC,

Could you explain why? I was interested in the VS and VMPS speakers, but I won't have an opportunity to listen to the VMPS easily . It'll be a loooong drive. Start a new thread if you want on it. Sorry about the off-track bit.

FrantzM, from your input I'm also interested in more feedback from others on VMPS. VMPS certainly have tweaked things a lot in the last 15 years. I don't understand your price sentence. From what I can tell, the higher end VMPS stuff goes from $7k-$22K and more for upgrade options.

kw.....

Keung I herd them with SimAudio new line The sound was airy open dynamic.The vr's love the new line From SimAudio.

Hi

I am not sure that VMPS is in the VS ... My point about the price was that their top of the line is not in the stratospheric region topping at less than 30 K whereas VS tops at 150K...
VS came up with the VR-10 whose complement of drivers especially in the bass looks much more formidable than the current top-of-the line, the VR-11 SE...

PhilNYC,

Could you explain why? I was interested in the VS and VMPS speakers, but I won't have an opportunity to listen to the VMPS easily . It'll be a loooong drive. Start a new thread if you want on it. Sorry about the off-track bit.
.....

I just think they have very different strengths and weaknesses; IMHO, VS speakers are tonally very rich, warm, balanced and smooth, whereas VMPS really tries to emphasize dynamics and extension....and IMHO, neither does what the other emphasizes as well (am not talking about the VR-7's and up...but trying to compare similarly-priced models).

Any truth to the rumor on the web that Von Schwiekert no longer sells current product to its many U.S. dealers who are now former dealers, and that the only current U.S. dealer is its web based sales?

Hi FrantzM,

Yes, the new VR-10 MkII is huge. I wonder how big an appropriate the listening room should be, considering their eight 15" subwoofers. It's also a puzzle that it's costing only half of that of VR-11.

I don't think many audiophiles here in Hong Kong have space to accomodate VR-10's four monsterous towers. Their 5 & 4 series are more suitable for in Hong Kong because most of us live in apartments with limited listening space.

Any truth to the rumor on the web that Von Schwiekert no longer sells current product to its many U.S. dealers who are now former dealers, and that the only current U.S. dealer is its web based sales?

I put in a Manhattan zip code, and up popped 5 dealers within a 100 mile radius. Now whether these are active dealers or not I could not tell you.

I just think they have very different strengths and weaknesses; IMHO, VS speakers are tonally very rich, warm, balanced and smooth, whereas VMPS really tries to emphasize dynamics and extension....and IMHO, neither does what the other emphasizes as well (am not talking about the VR-7's and up...but trying to compare similarly-priced models).

Phil

I have bee extremely impressed with VS speakers... They cover most of the bases in music reproduction IMHO. I am particularly impressed with the bass performance of the VR5... up there or rather down low with the best...

The VS I have heard have dynamic and extensions in spades.... The VMPS I did hear was very "Hi-Fi" sounding

Their 5 & 4 series are more suitable for in Hong Kong because most of us live in apartments with limited listening space.

Similar question. For a non-dedicated 330 sq feet room what would be the appropriate sized VSA?

Phil

I have bee extremely impressed with VS speakers... They cover most of the bases in music reproduction IMHO. I am particularly impressed with the bass performance of the VR5... up there or rather down low with the best...

FWIW, I didn't mean to imply that VS speakers don't have extension...but simply that VMPS tends to focus on that aspect of their speakers.

The VS I have heard have dynamic and extensions in spades.... The VMPS I did hear was very "Hi-Fi" sounding

Also FWIW, I do agree that the VS-1 does have fantastic dynamics for a little monitor...and actually, it (and the VR-2) are the two VS speakers that I actually don't like very much. Also, fwiw, I strongly prefer VS speakers over VMPS...

Any truth to the rumor on the web that Von Schwiekert no longer sells current product to its many U.S. dealers who are now former dealers, and that the only current U.S. dealer is its web based sales?

The story I heard was that VS angered their brick/mortar dealers by dumping a ton of inventory to their web-based dealers at a big discount. Don't know if it resulted in specific changes in business policy, but I am under the impression that a lot of VS dealers stopped being VS dealers because of it...

Hi

I would hate to see this affect this line of speakers. they are outstanding... Among the elite...

The story I heard was that VS angered their brick/mortar dealers by dumping a ton of inventory to their web-based dealers at a big discount. Don't know if it resulted in specific changes in business policy, but I am under the impression that a lot of VS dealers stopped being VS dealers because of it...

When they started the web based business didn't the retail price of the speakers go up a pretty good amount - although I understand the web seller will then give some discount???

I am interested in a VS VR4-SR Mark II. The web dealership is giving a 30% discount on the VS line. We had a VS dealer in town where I was able to audition the VR4-JR before they closed shop few months ago. Closest dealer is about 200 miles away now!

Check this
http://www.higherfi.com/order_vsa.htm

Call Steve Monte at Quest for Sound (Philadelphia), as he has stocked the VS speakers prior to their going web. You may get a good deal.

I am interested in a VS VR4-SR Mark II. The web dealership is giving a 30% discount on the VS line. We had a VS dealer in town where I was able to audition the VR4-JR before they closed shop few months ago. Closest dealer is about 200 miles away now!

Check this
http://www.higherfi.com/order_vsa.htm

Didn't VS raise their prices by about that much when the started the web sales?
So where's the bargain?

If the dealers are unhappy and no longer actively promoting VS, I would think you'd be able to finage a good better price with the dealer who no longer wants to carry VS speakers due to the web sales.

Steve:

If you do the math, you'll see the sale price - the discount gets you the original MSRP.

Cheers,

Steve:

If you do the math, you'll see the sale price - the discount gets you the original MSRP.

Cheers,

I was waiting for a math whiz to take the bait and tell me what I already knew. HA!!!!

In short, I find VMPS speakers to be more transparent and dynamic than the comparable VS models I've heard, but the VSs image a bit better, particularly in terms of depth. And I agree w/Phil -- they are warmer sounding. It all depends on your taste.

Von Schweikert has been an odd company ever since they opened in the mid-90's. They've moved their manufacturing around, gone through more product line changes than any company I've ever known, and had several up and down finanical periods.

Their literature & white papers frankly read like a load of BS much of the time. Every couple of years Albert discovers new drivers that are phenomenally better than the old ones. And then two years later this repeats again. And again.

The designs don't seem to have near the same rigorous science behind them as most other high-end speakers.

Yet somehow through all of this, Albert comes up with some truly wonderful sounding speakers. He's got a touch for this, even though his explainations read more like magic than sound audio principles.

I kinda don't want to like VS speakers, because of how much BS is in their literature and how the designs bounce around. A new example of this is how their new center speaker can be timbre-matched to any speaker using their "UTM" circuit:
http://www.vonschweikert.com/zvisiun.htm

All of that said, I've had a chance to audition a number of them over the years and found several of them to be extremely nice. A few months ago I had a chance to compare the VR-5 SE vs Wilson Sophias for a couple of hours in a good listening room, using my own CDs. I came away liking the VR-5's better, even though I wanted to like the Sophias better.

The soundstage, openness, and apparent realism of the VR-5 SEs were amazing. The Sophias were a little tighter & had great resolution, but when we cranked up the VS's, one became immersed in the music.

I'd love to hear the higher end VS speakers, something using a ribbon tweeter.

Von Schweikert has been an odd company ever since they opened in the mid-90's. They've moved their manufacturing around, gone through more product line changes than any company I've ever known, and had several up and down finanical periods.

Their literature & white papers frankly read like a load of BS much of the time. Every couple of years Albert discovers new drivers that are phenomenally better than the old ones. And then two years later this repeats again. And again.

The designs don't seem to have near the same rigorous science behind them as most other high-end speakers.

Yet somehow through all of this, Albert comes up with some truly wonderful sounding speakers. He's got a touch for this, even though his explainations read more like magic than sound audio principles.

I kinda don't want to like VS speakers, because of how much BS is in their literature and how the designs bounce around. A new example of this is how their new center speaker can be timbre-matched to any speaker using their "UTM" circuit:
http://www.vonschweikert.com/zvisiun.htm

All of that said, I've had a chance to audition a number of them over the years and found several of them to be extremely nice. A few months ago I had a chance to compare the VR-5 SE vs Wilson Sophias for a couple of hours in a good listening room, using my own CDs. I came away liking the VR-5's better, even though I wanted to like the Sophias better.

The soundstage, openness, and apparent realism of the VR-5 SEs were amazing. The Sophias were a little tighter & had great resolution, but when we cranked up the VS's, one became immersed in the music.

I'd love to hear the higher end VS speakers, something using a ribbon tweeter.


To be fair, the 5SE costs significantly more than the Sophia and should be compared to the W/P 7-8

The 5SE are better speakers than the Wilson 7 or 8's

VS is a great product but to my ear you get better value and sonics as good if not better with the following:

JM Labs - Focal
Dynaudio
Dali
Aerial
Vandersteen
Martin Logan (Summit. I owned a pair for over a year)
Thiel

I can answer most questions you may have on Thiel Audio wereas the other suggestions are from trade show auditions.

Hey, Tom B. -

Didn't you own a set of VR-4s at one point?

Thank Tom for his comment on 5SE vs Sophia.

Keith's correct that 5SE is more expensive than Sophia and therefore expected to be better.

However, the Wilson 8 is much more expensive (IMO unreasonably) than Wilson 7. I am more interested in how 5SE compares with Wilson 7 because I consider used 7 is a better buy than the new Wison 8.

Hi

I have heard both the WP7 and the VS 5 SE.. The VS is IMHO the superior speaker, I have not heard the WP8... The VS is a more transparent speaker, ,not in the sense the word "transparent " has been used by some audiophiles, a certain sense of elevated high frequency reproduction, no, the VS 5 SE lets more of the music go through...

To the original poster:

Be wary of responses that only say "VS is better than X" or "Y is better than VS"

It's a sign of a novice or "fanboy" who doesn't have a clear set of audio objectives.

Both the VS, and the Wilson, and many others are well engineered, high quality loudspeakers. With that being said, the Wilsons and the VS in particular are "aimed" at listeners with different audio priorities. Neither is "better" or necessarily closer to "absolute sound" than the other.

The VS are the "warmer" speaker of the two. They are a bit more "full" in the upper bass, and some find them a bit overblown in the bass (me), but others prefer this type of presentation. They are a rich sounding speaker, and will likely make even your poor recordings sound pretty listenable. If you've auditioned then already, and really like them, then feel confident that it is a "good buy" for you.

Alternatively, the Wilsons are engineered to be more of a "fast and dynamic" speaker. They are the more transparent sounding of the two. They are a more exciting pair of speakers to listen to, but won't make your bad recordings sound good like the VS will. The Wilsons are not a "bright" speaker, contrary to what some will say, but you've really got to know what you are doing when you set them up or they won't sound as good, whereas the VS is easier to be setup by more of a novice and is more cheap-gear friendly.

Good luck, and as always, ignore the fanboys.

How does the VR-9SE compare to the Wilsom MAXII?

The VS are the "warmer" speaker of the two. They are a bit more "full" in the upper bass, and some find them a bit overblown in the bass (me), but others prefer this type of presentation. They are a rich sounding speaker, and will likely make even your poor recordings sound pretty listenable. If you've auditioned then already, and really like them, then feel confident that it is a "good buy" for you.

Alternatively, the Wilsons are engineered to be more of a "fast and dynamic" speaker. They are the more transparent sounding of the two. They are a more exciting pair of speakers to listen to, but won't make your bad recordings sound good like the VS will. The Wilsons are not a "bright" speaker, contrary to what some will say, but you've really got to know what you are doing when you set them up or they won't sound as good, whereas the VS is easier to be setup by more of a novice and is more cheap-gear friendly.

I couldn't agree more or have said it any better.

Needless to say I am a Wilson fan but I do like the VS. I feel that the MAXX ll at 1/3 the price of VR-9's IMO is a better speaker but as I stated, I am biased.

I have said many times before "let your ears and your wallet be your judge"

OB,

Maxx 2s are 1/3 the price of VR-9s? $25k for a pair of brand new Maxx 2's ? Please send me your dealer's cellphone number.

Anyway, Keung is in Hong Kong where Von Schweikert has a dealer so I fail to see the relevance of the dealership issues bouncin' around c/o Steve.

I totally agree with goatwuss' observations. Our architecture here uses lots of masonry and concrete (the price of living in the Pacific Ring of Fire) as opposed to the drywall prevalent in the US thus I almost always go for the warmer presentation.

HK's urban architecture is much like ours so unless Keung is willing to do some acoustic work to get the most out of the Puppy 7s the 5 SEs may be the better out of the box solution.

Actually MAXX ll's from what I remember are $45K USD ( I meant 1/3 less than VR 9's)

Listened to a pair of puppy 8 with arc ref amplification transparent cables. Sounded better than the 7`s by a long way. Very revealing to say the least.

Needless to say I like ARC amplification with Wilson speakers.

not in the sense the word "transparent " has been used by some audiophiles, a certain sense of elevated high frequency reproduction,.

You got it Frantz, "boom and sizzle" is back in a big way. Most "high-end" speakers today are glorified Cerwin-Vegas or Klipsch - more "dynamic" and "detailed" than real life.

[QUOTE=mmiles]VS is a great product but to my ear you get better value and sonics as good if not better with the following:

Focal
Dynaudio
Vandersteen
Martin Logan (Summit. I owned a pair for over a year)
QUOTE]

I agree.. after removing a few.. and you should add B&W. Those have good resale value. I would never buy a VS. As for Wilson, they are dentists speakers..

As for Wilson, there are dentists speakers..

I know some doctor's who own them as well ;)

BTW, proper English would have been "these are speakers for dentists"

I am so glad that I am not a dentist. I feel vindicated. The fact that you would never buy VS almost makes me want to go out and buy a pair :rolleyes:

No doubt about it! All VS has to do is to come up with a speaker that is a couple 100lbs heavier than the heaviest Wilson and you would buy it. Seriously, here is a company who went out of business repeatedly, a little bit like Genesis.. Why would a serious audiophile want to buy a VS instead of a Focal or a B&W??

All things that breath drink joy

again proper English ..."breathe" :p

here is a company who went out of business

Refugio...again proper English..."here is a company 'that' went out of business

If anyone is actually interested in discussing the Von Schweikert VR5SE (and the new Anniversary version), rather than baiting owners of other speakers, I'd be keen to learn what you are driving them with and what speaker cabling you settled on. thanks.

I use VR-5 SEs driven by Lamm M2.2 amplifiers although I've tried them with M1.2 Reference amplifiers and the latter were able to drive them easily. I'm moving to a larger home and the new listening room will be around 70sq/m so I opted for the extra juice. Analog front end is a TNT-HRX w/ a Graham Phantom and four carts and wands. A Koetsu Jade Platinum, a Dynavector XV-1s, a Clearaudio Titanium and a Graham Nightingale. Digital front end is an Emmlabs DCC2 and CDSD combo. I was using Cardas Golden Ref interconnects but am in the process of migrating to Kubala Sosna Emotions. I have a pair swapped in from the L2 Reference preamp to the amps others on order from my dealer. Speaker cables are Verbatim Signatures. I don't see myself changing speaker cables.

There seems to be way too many "mine is better" posts in this forum but thankfully much less than in Audio Asylum. It's all about personal preference so I wonder why there has to be so much conflict. You'd think that energy would be better spent on more meaningful things in life than a choice of loudspeakers. Oh well.

I love VSAs with Lamm and BAT amps. Other makes I've tried with varying levels of success are the Levinson No. 431 and 432, Jadis JA-200. They supposedly are great with VAC amplification but I've never had the chance to hear them together. I tried pairing the 5s with my Pass Aleph 0s but that was a bust. All warmth and fuzz and no snap and pop.

My cousin has a pair of DB-99s and is eagerly awaiting his pair of ML2.1s. I'd like to hear his set up too. Fortunately I'll get the chance in a week or so.

the VR-5se go great with SimAudio new line.

Alternatively, the Wilsons are engineered to be more of a "fast and dynamic" speaker. They are the more transparent sounding of the two. They are a more exciting pair of speakers to listen to, but won't make your bad recordings sound good like the VS will. The Wilsons are not a "bright" speaker, contrary to what some will say, but you've really got to know what you are doing when you set them up or they won't sound as good, whereas the VS is easier to be setup by more of a novice and is more cheap-gear friendly.

I haven't heard the VS, but the above sums up much of how I experience the Wilson W/P 8 speakers compared to most other speakers I've heard; ultra-transparent mid-range, slightly rolled-off top frequencies comparatively to something like Magico Minis or Dynaudio C series, dynamic, coherent, an uncanny ability to localize instruments in the soundstage with 3-dimensional placement. I get a lot of those moments where it sounds like a "real" event is occurring in my listening area. However, my room was acoustically designed by Rives Audio to bring out the best possible qualities from the front left and right speakers for optimal two channel listening (including some room treatment adjustments specifically for the sound characteristics of the Watt Puppy 8s), so YMMV.

I have a hard time evaluating the bass on its own without some type of PEQ, because my room currently has an untamed room resonance between 40-90 Hz (with any speaker I have put in the magic speaker position - at some point when I have time I will put effort into trying to eliminate the problem naturally with the help of Rives Audio) affecting the kick-drum, low bass and low piano notes. The bass is tight and fast none the less, with or without PEQ, though a little less defined without any PEQ due to the extent of the resonance.

What it does well in the critical frequency range so far outweighs any of the imperfections in other frequency range areas IMO as to make those other issues trivial. It really comes down to what is important to you overall, so YMMV. The only way to figure out what sounds best to you is to demo both extensively, in more than one environment, and if possible in your listening space.

What does VMPS stand for?

VMPS -Veritone Minimum Phase Speakers

You can read more here (http://www.vmpsaudio.com/aboutVMPS.htm)

Cheers,
Kishore

VMPS -Veritone Minimum Phase Speakers
That may be a misnomer...if I remember correctly some (many?) do not meet the design parameters to be understood as minimum phase loudspeakers.

Thanks Jack - that's exactly the type of input I was seeking. Can you tell me where you obtained those Verbatim Sig speaker cables -- I gather they were developed by someone with a connection to VSA but few people seem to know them or sell them. Right now I settled on using double runs of Audio Arts SC5 -- I wanted double runs rather than a biwire set up after learning from Albert himself that he thought this was how to get the best out of the speakers. The Audio Arts seems pretty good, better than my self-terminated 12g that has proved competitive with MIT and Kimber in my system, but I wanted a clean, neatly terminated cable to use for now on the VR5s and these fit the bill. I did hear from a dealer that VSA have launched or are in the process of launching their own line of speaker cables but there's not a lot out there on these either.

For amplification I am using a BAT VK500 and it's hard to know what would be a real step forward other than biamping, either horizontally with tubes on top or vertically with another BAT. I am tempted to try the PS Audio gain cell amps in biamp config - anyone have experience?

thanks

Anybody have any information on the new VR5 Anniversary edition??

They have the same drivers as the VR-4 Jr Anniversay edition that they were playing at CES.

Had the privilege to listen to the new VR5 Anniversary just few days ago. Huge difference comparing with previous VR5SE's and better than any of the Wilson's 7 or 8 I've had heard ever. Price range was $28k area. Such speakers deservs a better marketing for sure. Don't agree entirely with Tom_Bombadil as far Mr. Albert von Schweikert like any scientist should look for design changes and improvements every day ... problem is that somebody else inside VSA should have the sales vision (not VisiUN ...) and market properly his products.

Had the privilege to listen to the new VR5 Anniversary just few days ago. Huge difference comparing with previous VR5SE's and better than any of the Wilson's 7 or 8 I've had heard ever.

That should be qualified with a big "in my opinion..." Glad you like them though. ;)

i think VS makes good speakers, but as a company i do not understand some of their moves in the past.

That the truth.

I've got a set of VR 4 Gen 2's that had the original VR 5 mods done. They are driven with a Pass Labs X150 and Meridian 568 front end. There have been numerous updates to the VR5 line since then. I took a good look at the Focal Be Diva's and found the sound to be pretty similar. Those Be tweeters sound sweet, but I didn't feel that I was giving up much by sticking with the VS. (I wish my VS looked as nice though.)

I've listened extensively to the VR9s and they are currently my favorite speaker though clearly out of my price range and so too with the electronics driving them. After listening to these for a while, they made the YG "The Best loudspeaker on Earth. Period" Acoustics speakers sound fairly ordinary.

No doubt about it! All VS has to do is to come up with a speaker that is a couple 100lbs heavier than the heaviest Wilson and you would buy it. Seriously, here is a company who went out of business repeatedly, a little bit like Genesis.. Why would a serious audiophile want to buy a VS instead of a Focal or a B&W??

Um... better sound? Yes, I own a pair of VS (VR-4SR). And I have owned both B&W and Focal in the past.

I've also heard the VR-9's. Phenomenal speakers! But like Oscar said, a bit out of my price range. If I could just win the Lotto...

Is anyone familiar with the VS Ribbon Super-tweeter module? I'm thinking of upgrading my VR4 Gen II for more detail and clarity>

I did not no there was one.I would love to hear the VR10's three for the front channels in a HT would be great.

Thanks Jack - that's exactly the type of input I was seeking. Can you tell me where you obtained those Verbatim Sig speaker cables -- I gather they were developed by someone with a connection to VSA but few people seem to know them or sell them. Right now I settled on using double runs of Audio Arts SC5 -- I wanted double runs rather than a biwire set up after learning from Albert himself that he thought this was how to get the best out of the speakers. The Audio Arts seems pretty good, better than my self-terminated 12g that has proved competitive with MIT and Kimber in my system, but I wanted a clean, neatly terminated cable to use for now on the VR5s and these fit the bill. I did hear from a dealer that VSA have launched or are in the process of launching their own line of speaker cables but there's not a lot out there on these either.

For amplification I am using a BAT VK500 and it's hard to know what would be a real step forward other than biamping, either horizontally with tubes on top or vertically with another BAT. I am tempted to try the PS Audio gain cell amps in biamp config - anyone have experience?

thanks

Hi O,

Paul Garner of Verbatim dropped out of sight. A pity really. He made seriously good cables at a price that was very accessible. Rumor has it that he fell ill. I pray this isn't the case. VSA's cables sound similar from what I heard at CES but I can't say just how similar until I get my hands on some and listen to them in my own system. They are I believe made for them by AC Delco's Aerospace division to AVS' specifications. (More rumors don't quote me)

I do love BAT and VS together having lived with VK-150s for a long time. I tried bi-amping with a Levinson No.431 handling the bass and while I definitely got more kick, there was a loss in coherence perhaps due to differing input sensitivities of the amplifiers and differences in module impedances leading the VK-150s to give out 150 watts for the 8 ohm upper stack and effectively 400 watts into the 4 ohm bass modules(double the 431's rated 200wpc into 8 ohms because of the halving of the impedance). In the end, I sent my 431 to my HT and sold the 150s and turned to Lamm to give me tube like resolution and solid state slam in one package.

I agree. The VK500 will do the job and you had me scratching my head about how to improve on this matchup without having to spend a serious amount of money. You might want to demo a VK-52 though it IS much better than the VK-51 SE in almost all respects. The ARC Ref 3 would also be something to seriously consider if you're after more bloom without sacrificing pace.
:)

Jack

Is anyone familiar with the VS Ribbon Super-tweeter module? I'm thinking of upgrading my VR4 Gen II for more detail and clarity>

They only made very limited quantities for matching with the DB-99 Mk2. They hardly ever show up at Audiogon or anywhere else.

An excellent option would be Townshend's Maximum Supertweeter. My cousin added this to his DB-99 and I tried it on a number of speakers (VR-4jr, Quad 2905, LSA2 Tower) they performed as advertised. I couldn't get them to work with the VR-5s though. Either they had no effect or when turned up made the sound hard. There was no in between.

i own a pair of dB99-SE speakers and contacted albert regarding the super tweeter. he stated that it is now enclosed in a new aluminum housing and costs $1000. i've yet to purchase it, but i'm interested in trying it out. so, just to answer the previous question, there is a super tweeter available from VSA.

kevin t

Is anyone familiar with the VS Ribbon Super-tweeter module? I'm thinking of upgrading my VR4 Gen II for more detail and clarity>

If you never did the VR 5 mods for your VR4 Gen II's you might consider that rather than the super-tweeter (assuming that Albert still does them). It's been quite a while since I had mine done, but if I recall there were improvements across the board. The most noticable change was in tightening up the bass, but mids and highs got better as well. Just a thought...

In the past I've asked Albert about starting a forum on the company's site for owners to share ideas, info etc. He liked the idea and said it would happen with site re-design but 9 months later, I see no action (is there a pattern here?). I've asked on Audio Circle (http://www.audiocircle.com) if there is interest in creating a VSA circle -- if you are interested let me know, or post there. For it to happen I would need to run a poll and, if approved, serve as or locate a moderator. I think there are enough of us out there that this would provide a space for balanced discourse, and I'd invite Albert to join in too.

The site should be updated in a month or so with the launch of the Unifield 3.

I'm game :)

The Audio Circle poll is now up at: http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/index.php?topic=59264.0

If you are interested in creating and using a moderated discussion circle for VSA, please vote.

The site should be updated in a month or so with the launch of the Unifield 3.

I'm game :)

I auditioned a pair of the Unifield 3's in my home a few weeks ago. Very impressive little speaker. Very smooth, and detailed, without even a hint of harshness or sibilance.

Here is a picture of them I 'borrowed' from another site:

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff282/rutgar/IMG_6672.jpg

For those interested, Albert finally has the Unifield 3 on the Von Schweikert web site:

http://www.vonschweikert.com/unifield3.htm

The new Audio Circle for Von Schweikert speakers has been approved, you can join in the discussions here:
http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/index.php?board=139.0