Boston Acoustics Owners Thread - Page 3

I understand what you are saying, but I don't know if that is accurate. By having a dedicated midrange taking care of that area - which isn't too physically demanding on a driver, there is no efficiency loss when reproducing the upper bass frequencies from 80-250hz.

I'd prefer to have gotten a 3rd VR3 or a VR2 as my center instead of the VR1, but in my current situation, the height of the VR1 was all I could muster.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I feel my pair of VR3 is MUCH better as a 2 channel music only speaker than the VR1 when set to large (or full range), but again, in a high passed (crossed over at 80 HZ) situation for movies, the VR1 pair are superior IMO. The dual woofers on the VR3 are pretty much all but wasted and unused in that case.

I tried both of them both ways to arrive at that conclusion.

Let me ask you, even when crossed over at 80hz, what frequency region do you think is the most physically demanding on a speaker?

The lower bass, but very obviously much less so than when not crossed over at 80 hz, as that takes the heavy lifting off of the mains and puts it on the sub, not to mention it also creates a cake load for the receiver/amp as well, as I'm sure you are already well aware of.

With the VR3 in that situation, you have two 7" drivers handling the frequencies only from 80 hz to 400 hz, and only one 4.5" driver handling the frequencies from 400 hz to 2800 hz.

With the VR1 in that same situation, you have two 6.5" drivers handling the frequencies from 80 to 2700 hz.

It's not by any means any kind of dramatic night and day difference either way, but bottom line, there are noticeably better mid range dynamics in the VR1 when crossed over at 80 hz to my ears IMO as I have compared them side by side in my room.

Plus another factor is that the VR1 is an easier load on a typical AVR. The VR3 went set to large full range sent my Denon 3803 into shutdown protection mode from overheating. Although this wouldn't be a factor if the VR3 was crossed over at 80 hz.

The 3803 isn't exactly a panty waist either, as I recall a review of the 3802 where it posted a fidelity firewall power bench test measurement rating of something like 126 or 127 watts X 2.

The VR3 when set to large/full range deserves some serious power behind it from an integrated amp or seperates, or at least a flagship AVR.

Center- CRC 7
Fronts- T930
Surrounds-HD7
Rears- A40

Sub- Velodyne CHT-12, Dayton 10"
Transducer- Bass Shakers
Receiver- Onkyo 702

I am a new member.
I got VR1 for side speakers to go with VRC and BA subwoofer. I sit 16 feet away from TV. Got Denon 3805 receiver..

Questions..

1. IS VR1 too small for 16 feet away .. would you recommend a VR2 or VR3.
2. are they good speakers to handle a denon 3805.

It feels like the the sound comes from a disatance.. dont give the experience of sound being part of it. FYI.,.. I have a Sammy hlr6768 if that helps.

thank you.

If you can stretch it, I'd go for the VR3s - dedicated midrange, larger cabinet, and larger woofers equates to more efficiency. Still though, 16' is pretty far away - anyway you can bring the tv and speakers toward you maybe a foot and the seating position towards the speakers maybe a foot?

Also, how far apart are the speakers from each other? Being 16' away, they should have a pretty fair amount of space between them, otherwise I'd guess the soundstage will probably seem pretty narrow.

New to this forum and to Boston acoustics...


VR3 fronts
VRX Surrounds
Klipsch KSW-12
Klipsch RC-7
Yamaha RX-V795A
Outlaw M2200 AMPS (3)

Thank you. I will check the VR3. I will also bring the Speaker towards te sofa by1 or 2 feet.

I am planning on moving the speakers away from each other like you suggested.. try to make an equilateral triangle?

what do you think about the denon 3805 receiver?

The 3805 should be fine, these speakers have a 93db sensitivity rating so they aren't too terribly hard to drive.

Fronts: VR965's
Center: VR10
Rears: VRS
Rear Center: CR2
Yamaha: HTR 5860

(CR7's sitting in the garage at the moment.)

I've always been a big Boston Acoustics fan and have found that there are not many stores that carry their products anymore. Magnolia's in the SoCal area is the only place I've been able to find them recently.

I've had to deal with BA's tech support a few times in the past few years for replacement parts and they have always been A+. (Even replaced the tops for my VR965s, which have not been out for almost 4 years, for free!)

Sound is VERY SUBJECTIVE, but to me they sound as balanced and neutral as speakers I've heard that cost quite a bit more. They handle all my 2.0 and 6.1 listening requirements smoothly, something hard to find IMO.

Glad to see other Boston Acoustic lovers out there!!

I've got a pair of Boston Acoustics A-100 Series II's, 'inherited' from my parents, along with a VR-12 center channel i bought recently. I'm on the look out for some VR rear surrounds, and a good subwoofer.

Anyhow, the A-100's absolutely rock... great sound, go real low (Frequency Response 39-20,000 Hz) and well, they are real smooth. I honestly dont think i'd be much happier if i spent a thousand on a new pair of main speakers.... not that they wouldnt sound good, just that i couldnt possibly justify replacing these, short of being given something obviously sounding better.... and besides, buying new mains would put a dent into my subwoofer plans

That was the reason I contacted them. They gave me an address to mail my old ones in and they sent me brand new ones at no charge. I was quite impressed. They still stock all the parts for these is what I'm told. I misplaced my carpet spikes after we moved and they mailed me new ones free of charge also a few months before that. I have an extra set of "socks" for mine. I bought the speakers second hand and the guy I got them from had them. He kept them in pristine condition. He even left the plastic on the piano colored tops. Unfortunately after a few years they started separating.

I really like the sound of these and for my size room they more then cover the area. The bass from the smaller subs to me sound more accurate. It's to bad they have not made an update to these models. I have compared them to my friends Deftech towers and these sound better overall. I think his are great for movies but they sound way to airy with music having the drivers firing front and rear. The imaging on these things are amazing.

MAINS : VR3
CENTER: YAMAHA NSA3
SURROUNDS: YAMAHA NSA770
SUB: INFINITY BU80
AVR: ONKYO TXSR703
SACD/DVDA: PIONEER DV563A
DVD RECORDER: SONY RDRGX7
DISPLAY: SONY KV32HS510
HD RECEIVER: SONY HD300
TURNTABLE: TECHNICS SL5

YEAH I KNOW, WEIRD SPEAKER BLEND BUT IT WORKS. WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR THIS SYSTEM WITH BA VRX SURROUNDS AND VRC CENTER. DO YOU THINK VOICE MATCHED SPEAKERS SOUND THAT MUCH BETTER? I WAS REALLY SURPRISED HOW MUCH BETTER THE VR3'S SOUNDED WITH THE ONKYO THAN WITH THE HARMON KARDON AVR235 (TO BE SOLD SOON I HOPE). ANY ONE WITH INFO ON WHERE TO BUY BA, BESIDES ONECALL AND A/V ADVISOR (GOOD COMPANYS) PLEASE SHARE.

Hello folks,

First of a big thanks to stevecallas on the great BA comparison thread he had going. I had auditioned the BA CR67 and was considering the tower speakers and steve's research helped tremendously.

After a lot of reading and demo sessions I decided on going in with a BA setup. Right now I have managed to get the VRB from onecall (open box) for US $220/- shipped. Expect to get them in on Thursday and am frantically trying to get a good deal on a 7.1 receiver.

My use will be 70% music and 30% movies. I'm building my HT in stages (so I don't break the bank). I am considering the two 5.1 options initially:

Option 1:
Front: BA VR2 or VR3
Center: VRC
Rear surrounds: VERB
Sub: SSAVESHSU

Option 2:
Front: VERB
Center: VRC
Rear surrounds: CR67
Sub: SAVES/HSU

Not sure what receiver but right now I'm leaning towards a HK AVR335/pioneer1015 or a denon.

Can anyone give me any idea of what they think of this setup and also suggest any 7.1 receiver recommendations (I will move to a 7.1 setup eventually). Also do the CR speakers match tonally to the VR series?

For anyone looking for BA VRX surrounds, onecall has some open box ones going for approx. US$300/-.

Sab

HELP.. HELP

Not sure this is the right place for my question.. But, I will try.
I was watching superbowl on sammy 6768.. connected to denon receiver 3805.. using VR1 speakers..
All of a sudden the sound stopped working on the home theater. I have Dtv h20 receiver.
There is no issue with the speakers.. DVD output is working with optical cable.
i tired everything i can think of.. I changed the optical cable on tv, connected optical from Direct tv h20 receiver to denon 3805.
the sound on the TV is fine.. but if i connect thru the Denon.. no sound from the home theter speakers!!
I hope someone can give me some help.

thank you..
I tried (1).. didn't work. tried connecting a diff opt cable to satellite box. didnt work.. I dont think it is cable issue.. DVD connected to opt2 or opt 1 using both these calbe WORKS..

This happened when we tried to increase the volume to "high" during the S.bowl.
Speakers are fine as they work on DVD.. opt cable is fine..

I will try with RCA cable.. If you can think of anything else , let me know.
I will let you know after I try.

thanks you so much for your input.

I would definitely go with the VR3s or VR2s over using the VRBs as your mains if you are mostly listening to music. The dedicated midrange and dual woofers should result in a pronounced difference in dynamics at the very least. As for the receiver, I've settled on the HK635 due to features (bass management flexibility, highly regarded autoEQ, several inputs, Logic 7) and a general consensus that it has good SQ. I should be placing my order within the next couple of weeks - hopefully I will have made a good choice I'm only holding out now because I think the price will drop once more when the 640 comes out, which should be soon.

What subwoofer models are you leaning towards?

Zinme, thanks for the recommendations. My budget on the receiver is probably limited to about 500/-, however I want to make sure that the receiver can go through each stage of my HT build and not need to be replaced simply because I got some new speakers etc, so may stretch a little. I am definitely considering Denon and will see if there is a further price drop on the 3805. I am also looking at some HK 340/435 or 630. The 630 is a refurb and has similar specifications to the 635 that Steve wants to get. I am also thinking of taking my speakers and matching these against the pioneer 1015 to see what it sounds like. Have to check if best buy will be open to the suggestion. I know Magnolia normally pairs the BA speakers with either Pioneer Elite or Denon receivers.

Steve, I'm leaning towards either the SVS pb12-isd or HSU subs. Of course if vanns comes along with a great deal on a Mirage then I will go in for that. I guess I will have to keep my eyes open for a good deal on the VR2 or VR3's.

Thanks once again for your suggestions. Cannot wait to have the BA sound fill my living room (and my neighbours )

As stated before, I can unequivocally tell you from personal experience that a Denon 3802/3 (and I very seriously doubt a 3805 as well) is enough amp for a pair of VR3s if ran for high volumes for any extended period of time at all when set to large/full range.

Klipsch RF-7s have something like a 102 or 104 db sensitivity rating, literally at least 3 times more efficient than the VR3, but they can dip down to like 2 or 3 ohm loads. Go on the Klipsch board and see where RF7 owners say they need at least 200 watts minimum despite their super high sensitivity rating.

Also, go on the Polk board and read where RTi10s, RTi12s, and RTi150s, all of which have very similar driver size, number and layout configurations to the Boston VR3, typically cause AVRs to shut down.

Now, if you run the VR3s crossed over at say 80hz, this won't be a problem, but at that point, IMO one would prolly be better off just to go with the VR1s in that case.

YMMV.

ZinMe - the best price I have been seeing for the past month or so authorized, new, and shipped for free is $650. I'm wondering if it may drop even more when the 640 comes out - $600 would be a steal.

sebyritz - I don't believe the 630 offers quad crossovers or has the auto EQ, just auto setup.

Mark - I have been using my cheapo 2002 RCA receiver to power my VR3s run as large for the past month with no trouble and no signs of distress. Just last night I was listening to the second disc of the Matrix Reloaded soundtrack (lots of bass - Teahouse, Chateau, Mona Lise Overdrive, Burly Brawl) and it was fine. Even at its best, it can't be putting out more than 30 watts per channel. Perhaps something was wrong with your Denon's amp section?

Polks are 4ohm as far as I know of, and I've never heard of Klipsch speakers shutting down a receiver.