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The *OFFICIAL* Vienna Acoustics Owners Thread

603K views 3K replies 440 participants last post by  OloTam24 
#1 ·
Based on a suggestion in another thread, I've decided to create this thread where owners (and potential owners) of Vienna Acoustics speakers can discuss them.


I have a pair of Mozart Grands in the maple veneer myself. I am powering them with a Parasound Halo P3 preamp and A23 amp. My main music source is a Marantz SA8001 SACD player. This combo is, so far, producing some very beautiful music!


I've heard some people complain about VA's laid back sound, but, to me, they sound perfect. Quite a few other brands I auditioned (B&W, Klipsch, Magnepan, for example) seemed way to bright too me and became fatiguing to listen to. My Mozart Grands, though, are always pleasing to the ear, and I can listen to them for hours at a time without any fatigue.



So, please join in and post your thoughts on these beautiful works of audio art!
 
#2 ·
Hi--


I own a pair of Beethoven Baby Grands and am quite pleased with the listenability of these speakers. A fledgling "audiophile," I listen to these hooked up to a Marantz SR7001 (building slowly to a 5.1 system), with a REL R-305 subwoofer. I have found that the positioning is crucial for getting the most out of these speakers, moreso than most other brands in this category, IMO. My next targeted purchases will be a Maestro center channel, and then a pair of Haydns. The room I am using them in presently is tiny, so upon getting the Haydns I will likely box up the Beethovens to keep them away from a marauding toddler and pets. (The Cherry finish on these is better than most of the furniture I own, and earned some points with the wife as well). I am very satisfied with my purchases, and for my needs they should serve me well for years to come...I look forward to some stolen moments when I can sit and have a good listen to my investment.
 
#3 ·
Hello, I also just picked up a set of piano black Beethoven Grands after listening to a ton of speakers and setups. I'm slowly building 5.1/7.1 system and am using the Waltz Grand as a center speaker. I'll eventually convert the Waltz to rear surrounds and add the Maestro/Theatro for a center. And finally finishing off with the Haydns. I may do the Haydn's first vice-versa. The sound quality and the deep base that these speakers produce in 2 channel or 3 channel modes are impressive. Takes watching movies and listening to CD's to a new dimension. My receiver is the Onkyo 805 and it seems to have plenty of power to drive them. I use the PS3 to send all my listening and viewing content to the receiver and finally out to a Samsung LNS4695. Pretty simple set up but that's how I like it. I'm surprised that not alot of forum members have or recommend Viennas judging by the reponses and post. I admit they are a little pricey but a good investment. I enjoy them everyday after I get home from work. Relaxing...
 
#4 ·
We've had a 5.1 Vienna Acoustic setup for several years now and couldn't be happier. We auditioned several speaker brands with music we like and the choice was easy.

Our setup is a Waltz for the center channel (mounted above a Fujitsu 50" plasma) with Beethoven fronts and Hayden rears with a M&K powered sub. The sound pumps through a B&K ref 50 and seperate B&K amp with the CD system running through the Beethoven's only. Two more pairs of Hayden's power systems in the master and home office.


The trick to a satisfied speaker purchase (IMO) is to audition potential speakers with music you provide and using equipment similiar to what you will use at home to power the speakers. The Beethoven's sound quality is significantly reduced using an underpowered amp and once we upgraded to the B&K setup (125w/channel) the difference was really apparent.

Spending good money on speakers is money well spent IMO as the amount of enjoyment attained over many years of ownership really justifies the initial outlay.
 
#5 ·
Well, it's been six months and I've still loving my Mozart Grands!



Let's try to get a little activity on this thread, shall we?


How do you prefer to listen to you VA speakers? With or without the grills?


Personally, I prefer mine without the grills. The difference isn't huge, but they seem ever so slightly "veiled" with the grills on.
 
#7 ·
Man, I guess it is true that not to many people have much to say about vienna acoustics around here. This thread barely has any replies.


Anyways, i am a proud owner of a pair of Weberns. The sound is really awesome to the point where i am franticly cycling through my music enjoying everything that i play on them except for heavy metal. Other than that they sound great. I havnt spent the time to properly set them up but so far they sound great.


I wish there was a VA forum or something like that. Just surprising to me that no one really talks about them on the net too much.
 
#8 ·
I don't own a pair but I went to a Magnolia HT and thought the Mozart Grands were by far the best sounding speaker on display. Even though the Martin Logans have their own room the Viennas are by far the better speakers to my ears. The only flaw was they seemed to need an awful lot of power. May be better for music than HT. But I could live with them, infact my sister is graduating from law school and I think I may get her a pair. She loves jazz and is crazy for Mozart and Vivaldi. She has been listening to my hand-me down pioneer rack system that purchased in the mid 80's.


ED
 
#9 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by opticnads /forum/post/11905549


Man, I guess it is true that not to many people have much to say about vienna acoustics around here. This thread barely has any replies.


Anyways, i am a proud owner of a pair of Weberns. The sound is really awesome to the point where i am franticly cycling through my music enjoying everything that i play on them except for heavy metal. Other than that they sound great. I havnt spent the time to properly set them up but so far they sound great.


I wish there was a VA forum or something like that. Just surprising to me that no one really talks about them on the net too much.

Did you compare the Weberns to any of the competing on wall or thin speakers availible from Era, Monitor, B&W, BG, Totem, or Triad?
 
#10 ·
Hey guys, newbie here... I'm getting a maestro center (not maestro grand) for $200. It looks like it is in good condition and I've heard it and it sounds amazing to me. I was wondering:

1. I just upgraded from my velodyne front rows to polk r50s (I said I'm new to the game) so would it be a mistake to mix the high-end maestro with the polks? I know they are not even in the same league.

2. Would my onkyo 504 have enough power for it? (I live on a 2nd floor apt and can't turn it up too loud anyway)

3. I'm not planning to upgrade again any time soon, so if this doesn't work out, do you guys think I'd be able to sell it for at least $200?


What do you guys think?
 
#11 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Admiral Ackbar /forum/post/11911522


Did you compare the Weberns to any of the competing on wall or thin speakers availible from Era, Monitor, B&W, BG, Totem, or Triad?

Those brands and the ID brands are talked more on the forums because they have wide distribution channel.
 
#12 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by nin9919 /forum/post/11936651


Hey guys, newbie here... I'm getting a maestro center (not maestro grand) for $200. It looks like it is in good condition and I've heard it and it sounds amazing to me. I was wondering:

1. I just upgraded from my velodyne front rows to polk r50s (I said I'm new to the game) so would it be a mistake to mix the high-end maestro with the polks? ...

There is no need to make excuses for owning Polk R50s. I bet they do a good job with your Onkyo, even if they are from the "entry level" Polk series. In any case, the VA speakers seem to be 4 ohm, so they will make your receiver work twice as hard to drive them. I'm not sure that's adviseable since they won't match your R50s anyway, but maybe some of the VA owners can weigh in on what amplification they are using and how well it works. AFIK you should not mix 4 ohm speakers with 8 ohm speakers, so you might want to check that also.


Also, Polk Audio is characterized by "tight bass" whereas, as far as I have read, these speakers have a more "relaxed", or "laid back" style, so they really are NOT going to match if this is true.
 
#13 ·
I say go for it. The center channel for movies is so very important and that speaker is crystal clear. the price is awesome too

The reason you wont find many talking Vienna is partly because the distribution is lower than most on the forum. The other part is that they are not Onix Rockets. Look at any thread where someone asks for advice and you will get fifty replies to purchase Onix Rockets. You get the same in the subwoofer forum with HSU subs. I've sold Vienna, Martin Logan, Focal, and Sonus Faber for high end brands. The Vienna's were the best of those 4 I ever listened to. Match them with a REL ST series sub and they just absolutely sing.
 
#17 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by nin9919 /forum/post/11943211


... Turns out my onkyo sr504 receiver doesn't support 4ohms.

Yup, that would be a bad idea: it would probably engage "protect" mode to avoid overheating. You should be able to sell the Maestro for whatever you need to get a matching Polk Audio center for your R50s. See if you can get your hands on a CS2: it's not as good as a CSi5 but it may match better with the R50 (or post in the "Polkies" thread for more suggestions).
 
#18 ·
Hi all, I need some advice regarding a purchase of a new receiver. In the last year I purchased a set of Mozart Grand and a Maestro Grand center(both used) paired with a set of Solid rears. (Keeping an eye out for Haydn's) These have been driven by a Marantz SR780 which I've owned for over 10 yrs - which pumps out 80 watts per channel. I also have a second zone powering a set of Bach's in the living room with help from a Rotel RB951(50 watt amp). Anyway, I'm looking at the new Marantz receivers and the new 7002 pumps out 110 watts. I realize I've managed with less but will this be enough to get the most from my setup? I tend not to crank it up too much but don't want to underpower these babies. I'll be getting a new flat screen too so I'm trying to tie it all in together.I really love the look and sound of the Vienna Accoustic line.

Thanks in advance.

Brian
 
#19 ·
After a lot of listening ... I am impressed by the Vienna Acoustics and have decided to buy the Haydn Grands and Theatro for my HT set-up (surrounds and rears come later). My question - I like the Pioneer Elites (92 or 94) series - however, they are spec's for 6 - 16 ohms. Does anyone have experience driving these Viennas with an Elite AVR? What kind of problems or issues might I encounter if I pair them this way? Will I damage either the Haydns or the AVR by doing this? Will I notice a significant decrease in performance?
 
#20 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bigmjh /forum/post/12054325


... Will I damage either the Haydns or the AVR by doing this? Will I notice a significant decrease in performance?

Possibly both! The receiver has to work twice as hard for 4 ohm speakers compared to 8 ohm. Many high end speakers are 4 ohm, which is ironic, since cheap and nasty HTiB speakers are frequently 4 ohms too (but in the latter case it is to boost the theoretical watts per channel rating of the weak receiver). If the receiver is not rated as stable at 4 ohms it will not power the speakers properly and will probably drive itself into protect mode, shutting down to cool off. That's a bit like waiting for the overheat light to come on in your car and hoping that there won't be any damage to the engine if you stop the car when it does. It's better to avoid driving your AVR into protect mode.


If the speakers are starved of power by a weak AVR that is clipping, that is the most likely cause of speaker failure, especially blown tweeters.
 
#22 ·
About time there was a Vienna thread. They don't seem too get much love on this board.


I have owned a VA setup for almost 2 years now. I have Beethoven mains, Maestro center and a pair of Waltz for surrounds all in the beech finish. I am currently using a Marantz SR8500 as a pre/pro with a Sunfire Grand Cinema amp and Marantz DV-7600 player. Probably the main thing I love about these speakers is how transparent and revealing their sound is. Some say they are too laid back but unlike every other speaker I have owned, I never get listening fatique with the viennas. It really does take high-quality (expensive) equipment to be able to fully appreciate their capabilites. They are also VERY sensitive to setup. I have heard them at a few dealers where they sounded rather poor due to improper setup. They need alot of space to really come alive.


Interestingly enough though, I recently moved to a new house where the listening area does not accomodate a large setup like this. So I am leaning towards downsizing to a 2.1 system. My listening habits are becoming more and more frequent with 2-channel and can't even remember the last time I watched a DVD in 5.1. Also, I have recently discovered the potential magic of vinyl. Can't decide to keep the beethovens or sell them and get something new. Its between the Vienna Baby Grands or Sonus Grand Pianos at the moment.


Either way I love my viennas!
 
#23 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bigmjh /forum/post/12058729


Kex -

Do you consider the Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH at 140W x 7 to be a "weak AVR"? ...

Not normally, no, but if they are not rating it for 4 ohms, it can't handle the extra load required properly. It's not a slur on the Elite (which has many happy owners), but the CW is that you need a 4 ohm rated AVR for 4 ohm speakers.


Also, that 140 x 7 is probably really 140 per channel with two channels driven, so not really 140 x 7, but that is not specific to Pioneer: many brands measure their output in this way. What it usually means is that in theory, each of the seven channels is capable of 140 watts and can be measured with each channel driven at that level, but in practice, the AVR cannot drive 140 watts into all seven channels at once.
 
#24 ·
I also demo the VA at Magnolias plus many others mention here.I thought they had the best sound by far of any of the speakers at magnoloia's and some others.I was down to the the Grands and the Monitor audio rs6.I finally got the rs6 because of the price.They are very nice for the money.But I thought the VA grands were a better speaker.Which for allmost twice the price they should.I think they are way overkill for HT IMHO.They would make a great 2 channel setup with a good preamp and good amp also they would be great with a good turntable.Excellent speakers.Plus they look killer.
 
#25 ·
Kex -

I emailed Sumiko Audio (US distributor for Vienna Acoustics) and got a reply from Kendra in CS. Here, in part, is what she said:


"You will do very well to pair these speakers up with your Pioneer Elite Receiver. In my previous position I sold several systems using Vienna Acoustics Speakers (at a 4ohm rating) with the Elite Receivers, and they worked very well together. There is not a drop in performance. The tricky part of shopping for electronics is that there is not a standard for measuring speaker and receiver ratings such as ohms, watts or sensitivity.


For example: one manufacturer may measure a piece of equipment using a microphone in an acoustically quiet room, 1 ft from the speaker at a certain volume level...while the next manufacturer may use an acoustically loud room, measuring 5 ft from the speakers at a louder volume level.


Our best recommendation when it comes to this aspect our industry is for you to work closely with a dealer of our product to select the right speakers with the right electronics for your listening preferences and your space.


Long story short, I have experience using the Pioneer Elite with the Vienna Acoustics speakers you are referring to, this would make a good system. Talk to your dealer for more information, if you don't have a dealer I would be happy to refer you to one in your area.


Happy listening!

Kendra Moras

Sumiko Customer Service

510-843-4500"
 
#26 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by bigmjh /forum/post/12064321


Kex -

I emailed Sumiko Audio (US distributor for Vienna Acoustics) and got a reply from Kendra in CS. Here, in part, is what she said: ...

I would advise also contacting c/s at Pioneer and see what they say about running that particular Elite model with a set of 4 ohm speakers (how many BTW). Check also what it says in the manual concerning output for speakers rated at 8, 6 and 4 ohms. If they do not rate it as 4 ohms capable, I can't see how they will honor the warranty if problems arise.
 
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