[es347]

That's what my VR4 SR MkIIs replaced.  I bought them new around 1995 and just recently installed new panels.  Just for grins I drug them into my 2CH listening room and hooked them up to my MAC electronics.  I was a little anxious about it thinking that the sonic differences may not be linear with the cost difference...approx. 6X or so.  Well as I feared, the difference was not linear.  The VSAs are something more like 10X better.  Wow!   I must admit, Albert has got it together when it comes to speaker design.  Everything was better but the big difference was the coherence between treble-midrange-bass.  The VR4s really do sound as if the sound emanates from a single driver.  Not sure how he does it...magic perhaps.

[htradtk]

Gavin,

As you know, my VR-5 Annie's replaced the Martin Logan Odyssey's that I had for 7 years. Living with my "Annie's" for 5 months now, I can honestly say that there is no comparison between the ML's. I now have a huge soundstage, bass and clarity that the ML's couldn't deliever, way to go VSA!!!

Henry

[bentknee]

   I also used to have ML speakers. I had the original Quest. The top to bottom coherence with quicker Bass and more detailed highs of my VR4sr's are superior to the ML's. The VS take up less floor space also.  My VR4jr's that I had before the SR were better in most ways than the ML Quest. ML speakers are good to very good speakers depending on model. The VS are just a cut above.

 Blessings, Bob

[JakeJ]

Hi All,

This thread caught my eye as I also migrated from ML to VSA. My VR4 G3 HSE replaced the Aerius i. I also just recently dragged them out to listen to them. Ditto on the disparity in SQ between the two (and the Aerius' are not slouches by any means). Sold the ML's just last week to a guy in Michigan and he's very happy, as am I! 

One of the first things that I noticed with the VR4 is just what you guys described about the "single driver" effect. I finally understood what Harry Pearson meant when he used the term "continuousness".

I want VR5 "Annie's", too!  More overtime, please.

Cheers,
Jake

[theaudioanalyst]

After reading this thread about VSA 4 series speakers replacing ESL's, I had to add my own two hundredths of a buck...

My story is more than a decade old now...coming in the summer of '98. That was when the then VSR (Von Schweikert Research) VR-4 Gen II loudspeakers so handily bested my long-time reference – a pair of severely modified Acoustat 2+2 Medallions with many, MANY personal mods.

http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/weaver15.htm

However, when the VR-5 Anni’s arrived, their elevated level of transparency, refined imaging, deliciously faithful tonality, overall frequency coherency, and bass integrity, extension, and impact (as good as virtually anything I can recall), just as handily vanquished the performance of all the VR-4’s I’ve owned or heard. They are simply disarming in their ability to get out of their own way and reveal only the exquisiteness of any music they are permitted to play.

This new generation of VSA VR-5 Anniversary, employing the “Passive Servo Control,” is a product, which when matched with worthy upstream components, power conditioning, and cabling, will utterly take your breath away...period.


 Greg Weaver - the audio analyst©


Senior Editor – Positive Feedback Online
...a Creative Forum for the Audio Arts

[BobC]

I have never heard VSA or a Martin Logan CLX, but seems to me that would be a more fair comparison considering the price difference from an Aerius i or even an Odyssey.

Curious to know if any of you have had a chance to compare against the CLX or Summit and your impressions?

BTW, I'm a happy Ascent i owner, but always like to know my options.   

[es347]

Hi Bob,

The intent of my initial post wasn't to directly compare my VR4s to my Aerius i's.  That would obviously be an unfair comparison.  For the $2100 price tag back in the mid 90's, the Aerius i's still represent great sound in that price category.  Likewise with the VR4 SR MKIIs in their price range...$12K +/-.  I have heard the ML Summits, the CLXs and had considered buying the Spires until I heard the VR4 SRs.  The CLXs are impressive for sure...very fast and detailed...but I had two problems with them. They don't play as low as I had hoped even with that huge bass panel and I found that the sound didn't want to extend beyond the speakers...in some sense not unlike a headphone experience.  At at ML demo last fall at our local dealer, the ML rep actually had the CLXs supplemented with an ML sub which I found downright offensive.  I can't imagine paying $25K for a speaker that, apparently by ML's own admission, is not full range.  I swore I would always be a Martin Logan guy but after living with the VSA speakers for several months now, I find that they produce a much larger soundstage, go much lower with authority and resolve details just as well.  I never dreamed a "box" speaker with conventional drivers could be as transparent as an electrostatic but I am here to tell you the VR4 SR MKIIs are.  It's not my intent to slam ML as they make very good speakers but rather to convey my experience with both ML and VSA equipment. 

I've listened to and lusted over many relatively expensive speakers...Wilson, B&W, ML, Dynaudio...and none compare with the Von Schweikerts, certainly ones comparably priced.  Albert Von Schweikert has come up with very special designs and relatively few people have discovered them but those of us who have wear big grins whilst sitting in the sweet spot.  If you get the chance, give them a listen.

[BobC]

Thank you 

[JakeJ]

I can't comment on the CLX or any VSA speaker above the VR4 G3 HSE that I own. My comparison was direct and there was nothing to discuss the VR4 flat ass won, to my ears.    I paid full price for my Aerius' because I bought them new.  I purchased my VR4 set used from an Audiogoner in SF for $4K + shipping.  I was just blown away when I fired up the system with them in place.  I don't always consider retail prices because that is just apples to oranges just like comparing two radically different speaker designs.  Somewhere in the circles I read a post where a fellow thought there was only one Martin-Logan speaker that was truly seamless between the electrostatic panel and the dynamic woofer but I can't remember what model it is.  That is one thing I can say about my experience so far with VSA speakers is their overall sound is superbly coherent and, for lack of a better analogy, cut from a single cloth.

Hopefully I'll be able to upgrade to the VR5 Anniversary in the not too distant future. That remains to be seen.

Cheers,
Jake

[es347]

Best start saving right now Jake, that or rob bank