Any Von Schweikert users out there?

[stringzz]

I am starting to gain some interest in the Von Schweikert speakers. Does anyone use the vr4 jr in particular? Looks like a fine speaker. I have 803's but they only go down to 32hz where the Schweikert's go down to 22hz. This is apealling to me when I listen to 2 channel audio.

I have the upgrade disease! :E

[Patt]

Dont have them and never heard them but from what I've read I am slobbering all over the VR4Jr's.

They do look like they could pack a punch in the bass just by looking at the cabinet size. Have you visited V.S.'s website yet?

Post your thoughts if you land a pair.....

I am curious as to what you are using for an amplifier now? I heard the 803's with a few hundred watts of McIntosh and they certainly didnt lack any bass at that time.

[JazzGuyy]

I am on the verge of buying 4jrs. I spent four hours listening to them yesterday and every time I hear them I like them more. Don't play bad recordings through them though; they reveal everything.

[mark4x4]

I read some good reviews on the Vr-4jr, so I decided I wanted to audition a pair. First, let me say what attracted me was how great looking they are. They are manufactured in China, although the quality in worksmanship is excellent.

I spent 1-2 hours auditioning the speakers. Associated equipment used: Rogue amp, Audio Note CD player, Jps Interconnect and speaker cables and the speakers were bi-wired. Also, the speakers had the recommended amount of lead shot loaded in the speakers. I like a wide range of music from jazz, classical, rock, standards, big band, new age, no rap or really hard rock are the exceptions. I listened to everything and came away with a feeling of not being satisfied. I felt the highs were a bit harsh and forward. The mids were definitely there but I wanted a little more texture and detail. I thought the mid bass was good and the bass was excellent, but again I wanted a little more detail. I didn't thing the soundstage was either that deep or wide but adequate. Overall a good but not a great speaker, again this is only my opinion.

I ended up purchasing a used pair of Aerial 10T. They were manufactured in 2001 and purchased in 2002 for $8200 with Sound Anchor stands (I have the original receipt). I was able to purchased these for $2800 complete and I'm in heaven. Great speaker, it had about everything I was looking for in a speaker and than some!

Good Luck

[stringzz]

The speakers are made in China? I don't know if I would want to pay that much to have speakers made in China. Maybe the box is made there and the drivers are made in the US? Strange. Are there other high end speakers made in China or some other third world country?

I have heard good things about the 10Ts. I also heard they can be hard to drive and need a powerful amp. $2800 is a great price to pay. Nice deal.

[JazzGuyy]

Lots of gear is now made in China, including some pretty high-end stuff. The Von Schweiker 4jrs use drivers from elsewhere (Scandinavia, I believe) but the cabinet work and assembly is done in China. They would probably be at least $1k per pair more if made almost anyplace else.

[mark4x4]

High end audio is going through a transition because of economics. Many of the high end companies are sourcing out the assembly to China, although many of the cabinets are Chinese but rest of the components are not. Also, there are companies that find quality components and just put there names on them and import them. I was looking for a CD player (I can't remember the names but the 2 I was looking at were completely designed and manufactured in China) but they were mid-fi, about $1000. Many speakers are the same way. The Usher Loudspeaker are imported from China. Epos, Wharfedale, some Paradigm and the VR 4 are assembled in China. There are more but I can't recall the companies.

The Aerials do need allot of power. I have a Aragon 8008MKII which puts out 200 wpc @ 8 ohms, 400 wpc @ 4 ohms, 26 watts class A, which is just enough. I've heard these speakers with the Palladiums which puts out 400 wpc @ 8 ohms, 600 wpc @ 4 ohms, 125 watts of class A and they really bloomed, also more slam at the bottom end. For now I'm satisfied with my amp but I may upgrade in the future. If anyone is interested in the Aerials they were first introduced in 1991 and made a major design change in 1996. They changed all the drivers, crossovers and the cabinent were made in the US but quality control was not very good, so they had them made in the Netherlands. Bottom line is, I would buy a 10T after 1997 to be safe. You can call Aerial with the serial number and they can tell you what year they were manufactured in. When I purchased mine they told me that my speaker were manufactured in 2001. The Aerials are worth a listen especially at the prices you can get them for. In that price range nothing can touch them.

Regards,
Mark

[MichiganMike]

I own a pair of Von Schweikert VR 4jr. To my ear these sound very life-like with wonderful timbre on vocals, great low level detail and deep bass extension. These do have a long break-in period (>100 hours) and initially were very closed and dark. They are also very revealing of any weaknesses in your audio chain. So if you listen to a pair, make sure they are fully broken-in and matched with the right equipment.

Yes, the drivers and cabinet are made in China and assembled in the US. The drivers are reportedly manufactured using know-how of a major European manufacturer and custom built to Von Schweikert specifications.

Some audiophiles equate made in China with cheap and inferior. However, there is an increasing volume of equipment made in China that offers excellent value and impressive quality. Let your ears and wallet determine what is right for you.

With regard to the drivers and crossover the following excerpt from a review from Positive Feedback posted on the Von Schweikert web page may be of interest:

"By fall of 2004, VSA had built and delivered enough loudspeakers to the music-loving public to have used over 10,000 transducers. Because of VSA's sheer volume, their Chinese manufacturer, a company founded in conjunction with Danish driver manufacturer Vifä, will make whatever Albert requests; they are more than happy to design to his specification. If you have even an inkling of just what kind of freedom and control this allows a designer, you are just beginning to "get" it. Pull one of the drivers from a jr and take a close look. Each cone bears a serial number and every part is tested before shipping, sub assemblies included."

"Nothing is left to chance when it comes to the crossover components. Albert selected his favorite sounding crossover caps, like those from Hovland and AudioNote, and made determinations about what made that part sound so significant. He then provided the necessary specifications and details to his parts manufacturer. They in turn gave him capacitors that sounded as he requested. Coils are not overlooked either; one of the many air core coils in the jr is some 5 inches in diameter and weights in at over 6 pounds! What about resistors? He don't need no stinkin' resistors in the signal path! When you can design your drivers to your final application specifications, there is no need. To top it all off, all crossover parts are potted with an epoxy resin base, keeping them stable and less susceptible to vibration-induced distortions. Can I get a "Hoo-Ahhh," music lovers?!"

[Patt]

The speakers are made in China? I don't know if I would want to pay that much to have speakers made in China.

That wouldnt bother me in the least. I'm sure there are good and bad products made in other countries just as well as in the good old USA.

[stringzz]

MichiganMike,

What amp do you use to drive you VR4jrs?

[MichiganMike]

A Parasound A51 (made in Taiwan) drives my VR4 JR, TS150 and LCR15. The A51 was used by Audioholics.com during its review of the VR2.

As others have commented in various forums, the John Curl design Parasound Halo series is a good match. If money was no object, the JC1 might be even better.

[TimRawson]

I have the VR4jr's as well.... I can't compare to many other speakers as I can't listened to them all. I'm happy with them. I like how they go deep and need to have decent equip connected. This is a dedicated 2 channel setup. I have a parasound halo p3/a23 combo with a music hall cd player for now. In the fall I'll either upgrade to a a21 or biamp with tubes on the top. Also wish to switch back to a music server and use a good dac - considering Ack Dack. The A23 sounds excellent with the Von Schweikert's. Sonic character of Halo works well. Had also listened to VR4jr's hooked of to a DK Design tube pre/class A integrated hybrid and it sounded incredible.

[Duke]

I heard the vr4 jr at the HE2005 show and was very impressed. It had a nice overall balance to the sound. Everything was there. Bass, mids, and highs but not ove done. If I were in the market, my jm labs 927's keep me happy, I would look into these very carefully.

[Soundscapes]

Von Schweikert VR4jr

I would like to know the best place and best price to buy a pair of these speakers.

[Farscape1]

Soundscapes: A friend of mine works for a dealer. If you want his contact info he is located in Texas. garman1@mac.com is my e-mail.

I like the sound of Von Schweikerts but my ears like Dynaudio better. Personal preference just like anything else....Now if anyone is looking for these let me know..

[JazzGuyy]

I last posted a while back. I did buy the Von Schweikerts. 2 pair of 4 jrs and one LCR-15 center channel. I am in heaven. Even my wife, who rarely notices audio, has remarked on how good they sound and now wants to sit in the center rather than her recliner so she can get the best sound. The width of the image is incredible. The fronts are five feet from the side walls and about 8 feet apart and on some movies and recordings I get a sound field that goes all the way to the side walls. Talk about "room filling sound". They especially sound wonderful on multichannel music. I even hear height on some recordings. I have never heard this with a speaker before.

There are a few shortcomings. I don't think they do depth as well as some speakers I've heard, the bass could be a little tighter (break-in? or needing the lead shot in the bases?) and they require more tweaking (the lead shot, etc.) than I really care for but will probably be forced to do.

[Soundscapes]

The VR4jr's really have my mouth watering, What are the Dyaudio models called?