AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Owner's Circles => Von Schweikert Audio Owners => Topic started by: chgolatin2 on 19 Sep 2015, 01:00 pm
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I am a proud owner of set of VR2's speakers, been having them for years and I still love them today as I did yesterday. One day I almost sold them but I decided that these speakers sounded too good "still" to let them go. I think they will remain with me for quite some time. Running a Cary Audio SLI 80 with a Cambridge Audio 840C cd player, iDecco for my iPod/iPhone, using DH labs speaker wires, signal cable power cord and interconnects and I am streaming lossless/FLAC music rom TIDAL :wink: So I am curious what replaced the VR2's? Schweikert line is beyond my budget nowadays :cry:
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The Vortex VR-22s are the 2's successors :)
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:D I am still running mine. Love them.
Thorens TD160 w/Denon 103R
Audible Illusions Modulus 3A
Odyssey Stratos Extreme Mono's
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I had VR-2s a while ago. They are excellent speakers. I didn't get rid of the VR-2s because I didn't like them, I liked them so much they inspired me to upgrade to VR-33s (VR-22s were not out then), which have the same VSA house sound that I love but are a little better in every aspect. I can only imagine what the rest of the VSA line sounds like.
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I'm with BigSwede! I had a pair of VR2's for a number of years and loved them. And... for the same reasons as he, I moved up to the VR 33's which have that same full sound that Von Schweikert speakers have. Whatever, It was a great move up and it's a lot of speaker for the money. Also, the personalized service you get from Von Schweikert is beyond compare. No one else has that!
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I still have my VR-2's which serve as rear surrounds (yes it is overkill and I am tempted to put them in a dedicated 2nd 2-ch system instead) in my all VS HT. VR4.5's in the front with a VS center andTS-150 sides. I am using DIY subs - the only non-VS speakers in the system. What I like the most is the VS clarity does very well for movies.
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I still have a set of VR2s bought directly from VS. If I recall correctly it was one of the last pairs that they had in inventory as part of the discontinuance of them. I have changed pretty much every part of my system over the 10 years that I have had them, but have stuck with the VR2s. I keep an eye out for a mint set of VR-4Jrs as that is probably my only upgrade path that I am interested in.
Analog - Nottingham Interspace Jr - > Musical surroundings Phonomea -> CJ PV11 pre -> (lowers CJ MF80 -> VR-2s) (uppers CIAudio VPC3 - >Primaluna Prologue 5-> VR2s)
Digital - Arcam DV137 / Sonos connect -> Rega DAC -> same as above
I will say the biggest change I made to my VR2s was bi-amping them which I did a couple of years ago. And while that sounded great, when I added the CIAudio box to "dial in" the level that the uppers were fed, the VR2s sang like they never did before. Don't ever see myself owning a non VS speaker...
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A pair of VR2 is a recent acquisition about three weeks ago. I am still moving them around along with the rest of the equipment in the room. some marks on the cabinets but in pretty good shape. No spikes or shot. Ordered both which should show up next week. They seem easy to drive with either my SS or tube amps. A nice upgrade from where I was. A recent addition of a Bluesound Node 2 is helping with source material. I would like to find a reasonable cost pair of VR 1 for my office.
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Been having mine for years, still love them today as I did yesterday~ But I also enjoy vintage speakers such as my JBL L50, L16's..
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Hello to you fellow VR-2 owners. My story goes way back to 2004 when I lived in San Diego and had a pair of modified Rouna speakers.
They were imported from Sweden and were made out of concrete.
They looked like the air intake on a ship only not round but oblong and just wide enough to hold a couple of 6.5 inch woofers and in between there was a 1 inch soft dome tweeter.
Anyway a friend convinced me to try out a pair of VR-2's to see what I thought.
Well it was somewhat close however the VR-2's were faster and had a little bit better bass to boot.
And the big plus was that they had a very nice wife approval rating.
So I purchased them and have not looked back in all these years.
I believe that when one finds something that works then there's no point in trying to fix it for the sake of fixing something that is not broke in the first place.
Anyway I am sure you get my drift, right?
I did spend some time with Albert at the recent "Ca Audio Show" here in the SF Bay Area and touched on what I might do to modify/improve the sound of my VR-2 speakers.
Well he thought for a second and launched into all sorts of cross-over changes and bracing and driver changes.
Way to much time and money to mess around with doing all that he suggested.
He then said that if I wanted to change up in speaker performance then the the upgrade speakers to purchase are his "Endeavor E-3 MK 11" retailing at $8,000 per pair in cherry Veneer and $10,500 in high gloss black or silver.
It features a dual-ring silk dome tweeter.
Kevlar midrange and dual 7 inch aluminum woofers.
Its a 3-way floor standing unit.
The size is 44"x9"x15"
Weight is 82 lbs per side.
4ohms and a sensitivity of 89dB
Freq Resp 28Hz - 22KHz
I did see them however they were not connected at the show so do not know how they sounded other then what Albert told me.
The local dealer lives in Santa Cruz and is about a 90 minute drive depending on traffic from my residence.
Everything goes up from there in the VSA speaker line.
So for me at this moment the VR-2's are where its at for me, at least until I hear the Endeavor E-3 MK 11's
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=166937)
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Albert is right about the bracing, the improvements in deep bass and focus alone are phenomenal. The VR2's were built to a price point, i.e., minimal bracing, so I came up with a DIY project that brings the sound of the VR2's to the next level. My mods squeeze every last drop of performance out of the original drivers and crossover. After all the mods, if you want even higher performance then buying new speakers is the best option.
The mod tutorial starts at Part 2: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=44748.0 (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=44748.0)
Part 3, http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=72808.msg683847#msg683847 (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=72808.msg683847#msg683847) , incorporates Albert's "Triple Wall Laminate" ideas in the VR2's design and are absolutely necessary to max out the sound.
Wayne
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Sandrock, two other speakers you might also consider are the VR 33's and VR 35's, both a major step up from the VR2's. I had the VR2's for a few years and loved the classic Von Schweikert full rich sound. The VR 33's that I bought ($3750.) were a major step up. The 35's cost a bit more, but are basically the same speaker with upgraded parts throughout. You can see them here:
https://www.vonschweikert.com/copy-of-vr-reference-loudspeakers
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinion on the upgrade to the VR-2 speakers.
I have looked at the VR-33's but have not heard them as yet.
Nor for that mater the VR-35's.
The one somewhat disappointing issue with living in the SF Bay Area is the lack of true Hi-Fi shops to hear all that is out there.
Yes, if one has a boat-load of cash then no problem as the HT guys will make an exception and spend some quality time with you.
So I am a dinosaur with a plain Jane 2 channel system!
No mater how good or expensive it might be, its just 2 channel, right?
'What no surround sound?'.......
Grandpa, you are living in the stone age of sound......So go outside and play with the other kids on the block and don't bother us!
Yeah I know I am throwing stones but sometimes I like to let off a little steam and tell it how it is.
Is there anyone out there who might agree with me and my comments?
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90 minutes is a nothing drive. And you get to go to Santa Cruz. :duh:
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If you search patiently, you can find a used pair of 4jr's, probably in the $2,500.00 range.
Albert was offering an upgrade to these but you will need to verify with him if you wanted to investigate.
Once all is said and done, this puts you close to the price point of the Endeavor.
Good luck -
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Yeah, I agree in that Santa Cruz is only a 90 minute drive (traffic permitting) however for me the stars need to align up so I can make the time and make sure my visit will be productive.
Don't get me wrong, I have not given up on my quest..... Keep you posted!
I understand about being patient especially with regards to a used pair of VR-4jr's.
However I am also intrigued with the new Endeavors and what they sound like.
So as you suggest, (be patient) and all things will come to you who wait, right?
cheers,
Ian
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I still have a pair of VR-2s I keep just because I like the way they sound. I bought them about 5 years ago new old stock so essentially I am the 1st owner. I also have a pair of Totem Rainmakers and VR-4.5s (with the full upgrade from VSA that they don't do anymore. I would like to have a pair of VR1s.
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I did add the lead shot (27# each) to the cabinets and purchased some nice 8 MM stainless steel spikes. This anchored the speakers well and it did tighten the bass up and helped with focus. For the reasonable cost and fine output I doubt I will upgrade to different speakers for quite a while.
They fill the room nicely with out having the sweet spot requirements of some other speakers I have tried. With my medium powered tube amps they do not seem to overtax the amps. The SS amps can push them harder with cleaner bass but lack the mid range smoothness. The usual trade off but not as bad as with some other speakers.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=167718)
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Bill T, actually I am in full agreement with you and your comment.
This is the main reason why I have not upgraded/changed out the VR 2's!
I am very happy and pleased overall in how they sound from top to bottom and in-between as well.
Its not that the desire is not there, but I have yet to hear a better speaker, and when one factors in the 'cost' of that new wizbang toy, along with the disposal depreciation of the current speakers, well it just makes me tired...... So I sit and enjoy what I have.
As you all know, everything in life is a trade-off so one needs to look carefully at the whole picture before taking the plunge.
I use to have oceans of cash before the 'great-resesion' of 08 and thought nothing of swapping out items when the mood presented its self.
But times have changed, plus I very recently changed out all my electronics to the latest and greatest iterations and need to digest them first before I jump on the speaker change-out band wagon.
so the speakers are my last frontier, and I am expecting them to complete the circle and be the biggest bang-for-the-buck performance and bring the whole system together.
So as I said earlier, I sit and listen.....
Please enjoy your VR 2's as much if not more then I do!
I am very pleased with mine and I hope to be able to say that for some time to come.....
I will keep you posted, right?
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I found a nice pair of VR1 and made the plunge. These are located in my office adjacent to the room with the VR2. They sound very nice and fit the 9'x9' room much better.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=168315)
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After reading some comments on AudioCircle about using 'By-Wire' speaker cable for the tweeters I decided to try it to see if it might improve the overall sound/mids & top end of the VR-2's.
I had on hand some Monster Cable XP-HP speaker cable. Its a Precision Stranded, Time Correct with a Magnetic Flux Tube, speaker cable that "Monster" made some time ago and is still well respected.
The Amp I am using is a new product from PS Audio and is called 'Stellar S 300' stereo amp and one of the features is that it has 2 sets of speaker terminal connections at the Amp just for this reason. (check it out on their website)
I connected one cable to each side and removed the VR 2's jumper plates.
I first just let the music server/system run at low volume to break in the cables.
The following day I began my listing test.
Wow, was I surprised!......
The smoothness of the high end was a very noticeable improvement. I was very pleased at how much better the whole speaker sounded from top to bottom. I sometimes come from the school that if one sounds good then perhaps twice will sound even better...... Ha!
So I doubled up and twisted the exposed ends together and went through another break in process before I started any critical listening.
Holly Smokes Batman, it was more then just good, it was totally 'amazing'......
The speaker became even more transparent and the top end just floated off into space. All the harshness disappeared. (which I was surprised, but it just goes to show that there are improvements to be made in by-wiring the VR 2's)
In short I was 'blown-away' with how much better my whole system sounded. The sound was so much more detailed and clearer and I was able to play it louder without any fatigue of harshness or it sounding overly loud in anyway. Even at the prior listening volume level, the newly rewired system now has given me permission 'sonically' to turn up the gain as it were, now that the noise and distortion has disappeared to the point which is allowing me to more fully immerse myself in hearing the music past the same volume number as before. In other words, the previous distortion has now vanished and the newly-found inner detail and transparency has improved 'dramatically.' Even the bottom end was improved but not as much as the mids and highs.
All I can say it that if you have not tried the By-Wire concept then you are missing something grand.
As it stands right now, I have no plans to ever return to a single speaker cable.
My only question and curiosity is, would I get even more improvements with a higher quality cable?
I am very tempted to try out some higher performance cables but I also wonder if it might be overkill given that we are talking about the tweeter and the wires I am using are very respectable and have very good performance in their own right and were designed as a full frequency speaker cable.
I have included a picture of the back side so you can see the wiring. Right now its not very tidy but that's because I am still experimenting with the By-Wire issue. Plus if I get another cable, it would change and once I settle on the cable of choice I will tidy things up accordingly.
I look forward to your thoughts and comments.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=169287)
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I thought that I would give you guys an up-date as to how things are proceeding with my VR-2 and By-Wire changes.
This is the third wire change using upgraded wire each time. I decided to rummage through my wire box and came across a forgotten a 6ft pair of Monster M-1000 '4 conductor' speaker wire.
I re trimmed the ends and used some Monster cable Banana plugs to connect the ends.
I again gave the new wire some break-in time before any critical listening began.
So it was immediate, I heard another improvement in the overall sound quality.
Especially with the top end.
It was even more open and transparent.
The mid/center channel popped out even more, and the bottom end seemed to be a slight bit better.
Where the action was, was in the mids and top end.
Everything sounded cleaner clearer
and with much less distortion and overall noise.
The sound was much clearer and more defined.
Less fatiguing to the point that I listened for the best part of a cold Monday afternoon. Perhaps 6 hours total.
Wow, I can't speak high enough of how much better and involving the sound is.
So to answer my own question, "would better speaker wire sound better"? the answer is absolutely YES!
I have included a picture of how the back of the speaker looks with the new M-1000 speaker wire in place.
Guys, you are truly missing the boat if you don't By-Wire your VR-2's
It is a real 'game-changer' for sure.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=171017)
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I gave the bi wire a try. I do not have the great cables needed I guess. The results were not really any better than with a single wire connection. I will have to invest in better wire and try it again.
Love the VR2s anyway. and my VR1s. What they do well is wonderful and what they do wrong is fairly minor. I have had many types and brands of speakers but the VS will be long term for me.
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Hello Bill T, as I mentioned in my previous posts, "WIRES" do make a difference. For me, stepping up to a higher quality speaker wire was very beneficial and I could immediately hear the improvement in sonic performance.
Perhaps as you mentioned, you might need to use a "higher-quality" speaker wire to hear those improvements!
Did you take the coupling plate out between the two speaker connectors? Just wondering.......
However I would suggest that using better quality speaker wire is the way to go.
Good luck with your chase for better sound.
And please keep us informed as to your progress.
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I am just wondering if there is anyone who might of tried the 'By-wire" improvement with their VR-2's?
I have not heard back from others on this thread about 'By-wiring' their VR-2 speakers.
Is there anyone who would like to respond or comment on their VR-2's etc?
I look forward to hearing from you.....
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Sandrock,
I never bi-wired my VR2's, but by chance ran across the Von Schweikert VR2 Owners Manual the other day. (I sold my VR2's a few years ago, replaced with VR 33's.) The manual says this: "The best sound staging and transparency from the VR-2 results from bi-wiring the speakers, but if a bi-wire set of cables is not initially available, use the supplied jumper plates. Connect the cables to the upper binding posts for best sound quality."
If you'd like, I'd be happy to send you this manual. PM me your address, and I'll mail it.
Rich
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I am just wondering if there is anyone who might of tried the 'By-wire" improvement with their VR-2's?
I have not heard back from others on this thread about 'By-wiring' their VR-2 speakers.
Is there anyone who would like to respond or comment on their VR-2's etc?
I look forward to hearing from you.....
Why don't you borrow a pair of cables from a store, take them home and try them?
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Rich58B
PM Sent
Thanks
Ian
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Back at the beginning of October last year I posted my findings about 'BI-Wiring' my VR-2's and what a great improvement it made to the sound, I even included some pictures along with the text.
However, I have now moved on to further 'tweaking' my VR-2's and wanted to share with you where I now stand with regards to what I have done to them and how it has affected the speakers performance.
When I first purchased the Von's I was told that the cavity at the bottom of each speaker can be used for either dry-sand of lead-shot.
I decided to go down the lead-shot route and I was also told that I should not fill the cavity all the way up as it made the speaker to heavy to move/walk if one was using spikes as it would apply to much weight to one corner and possibly end up breaking the plinth.
So I complied and filled the cavity up maybe l little over half.
It worked out well and I was happy for a long while.
Until the present, and now wanting to get more out of the Von's and thinking about it, I decided to do three different Mods/tweaks to the VR-2's.
I need to explain that my listening room has a wood floor with a crawl space underneath.
To cope with the less then solid floor, I decided to start with calming down the top of the speaker to allow the tweeter to work its magic without the cabinet resinating or vibrating.
The first mod I did was to select some nice fabric material and make a bag/pouch almost the size of the top of the cabinet.
I then purchased 25 lbs of lead-shot then divided it in half and filled 4 Ziploc Baggies to insert into each of the 2 pouches.
WOW, what an incredible improvement it made!
Now the tweeter sounds so much cleaner and clearer.
The prior distortion/coloration/blurriness has been lifted!!!
I was very nicely surprised.
In fact given the flooring issue, I thought it might be even better if I increased the lead-shot in the pouch by another 10 lbs.
Again, not as much of an improvement but still noticeable.
My second tweak was to fill the bottom cavity all the way up with lead-shot.
I had previously found the super-sweet-spot for the speaker location in the room, so the extra weight was of no concern.
Again, WOW!
But this time it was the bass that went deeper and had more focus and clarity.
The bottom end tightened up like there was no tomorrow!
All I can say is "BIG" difference sonically.
Finally to put it all together, I purchased some "Out Riggers" out of Eugene, Oregon. Paul is the owner and is very helpful and answered all my questions so I could purchase the right product for my needs.
Check out their website. And again, all so very reasonable.
I got them a little bit wider so it would give more stability to the tall and slender speakers.
After tightening the knobs at each corner the speaker became rock solid and put everything on a whole another plain.
I swear they are not the same pair of speakers I started out with.
It has make that much improvement.
Check out the pictures and see the tweaks I have done and all for not a lot of money either.
I can very strongly encourage you to try at least one of my tweaks, if not do all 3 of them and be
totally blown away.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=178093)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=178104)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=178105)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=178092)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=178152)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=178108)
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..I’ve done similar tweaks to my VR5 Anniversaries with pretty dramatic results
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=178188)
..atop the M/T cabinet I’ve added about 30# in the form of two granite slabs and a diving brick. The granite rests on 1/4” neoprene..
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=178185)
..I dressed up the diving brick with a custom made leather cover
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=178186)
..I replaced the little rubber cones between cabinets with 1/2” sorbothane pucks
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=178187)
..I installed CMS Rize Footers and they sit on granite slabs...my floor is wood glued down on concrete
..the result of these tweaks was a pretty dramatic improvement in resolution, expanded soundstage and imaging...everything actually. I am a very happy camper..
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=178189)
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Wow, es347 all that you have done to your Von's would really do the job and having a concrete floor is the best.
I agree that your 'resolution, expanded soundstage and imaging would be greatly improved'.
It is the way to go to get the best sound out of the speakers no matter what brand or model.
The more solid one can make the speakers the clearer the sound will be.
Thanks for the pictures.
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Hum...all that extra weight on the top of the speakers, interesting idea..but it would mess with my piling the LPs I'm spinning up there during a session as I'm too lazy to file each one every time I swap records :)
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Hum...all that extra weight on the top of the speakers, interesting idea..but it would mess with my piling the LPs I'm spinning up there during a session as I'm too lazy to file each one every time I swap records :)
..that’s certainly an issue Patrick
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I am thinking to get around your dilemma, I might suggest that you could use a different weight other then a bag 'OR' stack your spinners in another location, perhaps closer to your TT!
Could that possibly solve your locational issue with the vinyl?
Just a thought or musing on my part........
Happy listening, my friend!
However I will say again, 'what a fantastic sonic improvement it has made to the VR-2's from top to bottom and the new-found clarity and transparency is incredible'.
The mods that I have now done to the speakers has changed the sound from just OK to WOW as in 'they can not be the same pair of VR-2'.
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Am intrigued enough to give something like this a try...I'll look for something cheap and heavy just to give it a listen and if I hear what you are both hearing, I'll consider further. Got to love cheap and effective!
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Am intrigued enough to give something like this a try...I'll look for something cheap and heavy just to give it a listen and if I hear what you are both hearing, I'll consider further. Got to love cheap and effective!
..anything that can further deaden the cabinets will improve sonics at least it sure did here
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That is the biggest thing that anyone can/should do to their speakers is to 'deaden' the cabinet box as much as possible.
If the drivers do not move then the sound they produce will be a lot clearer and cleaner and will track the intended music with more accuracy and sonic purity.
What I did was nothing more then a quick and inexpensive fix for the cabinet to stop resinating or moving which in turn allows the drivers to give out with a more pure and accurate sound.
Bottom line, is that I am extremely pleased in the final outcome and in the way the VR-2's now sound!
Worth all the effort and money spent.
If you own a pair of VR-2's or any speaker for that matter, then I implore you to do as I have outlined to your speakers and take the sound to a much higher level of enjoyment.
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Can you say, VPI "Magic Brick?" It works. :)
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Yep, they do work!
However what VPI does is for the 'electrical end' of the sound system.
My 'tweaks' in this case are strictly for the speaker-end of the chain.
I have just started using some weight on my front-end along with some sorbothane feet under both the amp and preamp.
I am not sure I can categorically hear the sonic improvements, but I believe that it can not hurt and if anything will help improve the overall sound.
And again, it does not cost a lot of money to do.
Happy listening my friends.
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Yep, they do work!
However what VPI does is for the 'electrical end' of the sound system.
My 'tweaks' in this case are strictly for the speaker-end of the chain.
I have just started using some weight on my front-end along with some sorbothane feet under both the amp and preamp.
I am not sure I can categorically hear the sonic improvements, but I believe that it can not hurt and if anything will help improve the overall sound.
And again, it does not cost a lot of money to do.
Happy listening my friends.
Set the brick on top of the speaker.
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Well I suppose one could do that.
However it would seem a bit costly to use them for that purpose, especially considering that they were designed primarily for electronics and not for speaker use.
But then again, 'to each their own'......
Happy listening my friends.
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Delacroix, how are things going with finding weights for your speakers?
Any luck?
Again, I will say that for me the tweaks were well worth the time and effort.
The Lead Shot/weight to the Von's have made a huge improvement sonicly-speaking to the speakers.
What was blurry before is now clear and the transparency is incredible.
I am so pleased with the results.
Anyone who has a pair of VR-2's or for that matter any other speaker should both mass-load the cabinet and purchase 'Outriggers' for them.
If one reads this/and see's my pictures and then decides to blow it off as not worth the effort is totally 'missing-the-boat' sound-wise.
I am also surprised that in-spite of the large number of 'views' that this thread has received, that there are not more people commenting either for or against my tweaks. Or at the very least asking questions.
Guys, I can fully assure you of the huge improvement it makes to your speakers and the clarity/transparency that you will notice.
Happy listening my friends.
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When I had VR-2s I never put anything on them but stacks of CDs :lol:
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Bigsweede, I am so sorry to hear that story!
My feeling is that unbeknown to yourself you missed out on all the wonderful sounds that the VR-2's are capable of reproducing.
With what I have recently done to my VR-2's, I have now made them into a totally different sonic sounding loudspeaker.
Albert sure knew what he was building when he specked them out.
The clarity, transparency, aire, image and tonal improvement is astounding to say the least!
Again, I want to encourage everyone who listens to a pair of VR-2's to experiment with at least one of my 3 tweaks. You will be totally surprised at the performance improvement.
I am so very pleased with how mine sound now compared to before I made the changes.
The great thing is that it's very inexpensive and easy to do and I could chart/hear the improvement at each step along the way.
One is crazy not to do it, especially if one calls one's self an Audiophile!
No Sir! Why suffer when there is no need too?
Happy listening my friends.
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I've been occupied with life so not tried weights yet ...though I did propose to my wife and son that they try sitting up on top of the speakers...without success
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Bigsweede, I am so sorry to hear that story!
My feeling is that unbeknown to yourself you missed out on all the wonderful sounds that the VR-2's are capable of reproducing.
Oh well, I have VR-33s now and am quite happy.
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Putting lead shot baggies on the top, adding more mass in the bottom plus outriggers is a step in the right direction. The speakers are now more stable, micro-vibrations from the woofers are damped resulting in the greater clarity you hear. But until you take your mods to the next level then you have absolutely no idea what you are missing.
At the risk of repeating myself, go back and re-read my posts regarding the VR2 mods:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=44748.msg400398#msg400398 (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=44748.msg400398#msg400398)
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=72808.msg683847#msg683847 (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=72808.msg683847#msg683847)
The two mods that made the most improvements is the added cabinet bracing and the Richlite high mass blocks, the resulting cabinet is now similar to Von Schweikert speakers that incorporate his triple wall laminate construction.
Cabinet bracing layout
(http://www.wghwoodworking.com/av/VR2_braces.jpg)
(http://www.wghwoodworking.com/audio/VR2_bracing_kit.jpg)
Richlite high mass blocks
(http://www.wghwoodworking.com/audio/richlite_2.jpg)
My VR2's are long gone, I switched to a speaker with a RAAL tweeter which is far superior to the tweeter used in the VR2.
Wayne
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Hello WGH, thanks for sharing your mods to the VR-2's.
I bet that they do work wonders on the sound and the improvements should be quite enjoyable.
However I need to say that doing what you did internally to your speakers is somewhat more then I am willing to try.
I agree that the Vons do need reinforcement to stop the cabinet ringing internally, that's why I did the weight bags on top and adding more weight to the bottom cavity but its just more then I want to undertake at this time to open up the speaker and do major surgery to them.
Perhaps at some point in the future I might go down your road but not right now.
You are also fortunate to have a friend who has a wood shop and can make those braces to fit perfectly.
Again, thanks for sharing your drawing and how the mod works.
I also liked the clay on the drivers which I am more inclined to do as I can see the benefits to damping the drivers and is much more user friendly to accomplish without potentially damaging the speaker.
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Actually it's my woodshop, my day job for the last 37 years is making custom doors and furniture
http://www.wghwoodworking.com/ (http://www.wghwoodworking.com/)
An excellent alternative to cabinet bracing is No Rez
http://gr-research.com/norez24x27sheet.aspx (http://gr-research.com/norez24x27sheet.aspx)
Since you will already have the speakers removed to put on the plasti-clay (they fall out after carefully taking out the screws) why not invest in a few sheets of No Rez? Take some measurements and give Danny at GR Research a call if you are unsure how much to buy. Type No Rez in the Search here on AC to find a plethora of glowing reviews. You will be happy you did. And this is a mod you can do on your living room floor.
Remember to damp the "bell" around the magnets, why Albert would accept a woofer with a bell is a mystery to me. If you can't get the Cascade VB-2 Acoustic Damping then just wrap the bells with layers of duct tape.
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I would think adding all of that material to the interior would change the resonance frequency of the chamber. Not saying there isn't a net gain in sound quality, just another factor to think about.
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I would think adding all of that material to the interior would change the resonance frequency of the chamber.
Regarding the VR2, that is actually a good thing. The only change I noticed was improved clarity with lower, tighter bass.
Von Schweikert was not concerned with adding granite to the inside of the smaller VR4-JR for the VR4-JRMk4 upgrade.
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=133478.msg1418970#msg1418970 (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=133478.msg1418970#msg1418970)
No Res does not change the cabinet volume or the resonance frequency at all.
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Thanks for sharing what's behind the 'door' Ha!
I like the idea of the no-rez and perhaps will try it.
As far as internal bracing is concerned, I do not have the same abilities or wood shop to manufacture those wonderful and accurate wooden braces as you do!
So I am somewhat stymied which inhibits me from racing down that path.
The other item you mentioned the 'no-rez' seems a lot more friendly to me to do, and would make another level of improvement as the VR-2's do resinate somewhat and that is the key in improving their sonic potential.
Again, thanks for sharing your knowledge and suggestions to tame the Vons.
Its running around in my mind all the time at the moment.....