Virtue Two.2: Speaker Selection

TimeWillTell · « **on:** 23 Mar 2011, 06:54 pm »

I have been lurking on the site for sometime now gathering information. I plan to purchase a Virtue 2.2 with the 130W PSU and am curious which speakers I should pair it with.

I've seen a lot of great recommendations but keep finding myself gravitating towards the Ascend line.

So with that my question is would i be better off with the Sierra 1s or the CBM 170 SEs?

I also like the Ushers because they are so damn purty and are ported in the front.

This small system is for my computer setup and I must admit I am reluctant to put a veneered black speaker (CBM 170) on a 2k desk next to a 6k computer.

Thanks for your recommendations in advance.

momini1 · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 Mar 2011, 09:57 pm »

I have the CBM 170s (L-R-C) in a custom-made, built-in home entertainment wall unit. No complaints - they look great with cherry and glass. Black is black as Los Bravos once sang. I have the Usher Tiny Dancers in my office, so I know what you mean about their looks. I have been happy with the Ascends for several years. They sound great and work fine for near field listening. I have not heard the Sierras but I know they get great reviews. Might be a little much for near field listening if that's how you want to use them. I currently use an older set of Snell K-5s on my desk, driven by a Cambridge 840A - overkill for sure.

roscoeiii · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 Mar 2011, 10:07 pm »

Timewilltell,

Most folks will suggest that you start with room and speaker considerations and then move back towards the amp. In terms of speaker advice generally, it helps to know what type of music you listen to and what aspects of sound are most important to you (bass, midrange, trebele, dynamics, soundstage, timbre, detail, etc). This info will help us give the best recs possible.

xr2 · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 Mar 2011, 10:15 pm »

First time I tried to setup speakers on a desk, I bought a pair of Paradigm Titans since they are front ported, and could do ok on base response. It didn't turn out very well. Now I have them at home, powered by a Virtue Two, and a Rythmik sub filling in the bottom end, and I'm much happier, but they are 10 ft away from me instead of 2.

The speaker I always wanted to try for near field listing like you're looking for is the John Blue JB3. With a single driver, you don't have to worry about coherence, which can be an issue if you're too close. Also, they supposedly produce reasonable base for a small monitor.

eclein · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 Mar 2011, 10:34 pm »

First off welcome TimWillTell!! Nice choice Two.2 with 130w supply, I have the same and although the first set of JBL's I used 4312A Control Monitor's would be a bit large for your desk and the current JBL ND310II's would definitely be too big my point is these little guys drive pretty much anything you'd like, I was using some JBL L20T Bookshelf speakers that would be perfect size and a great look but have since sold them. Whats your budget?? Danny at GR Research sells and awesome kit the N2X I think it is and a very talented guy on here Ron makes them for folks usually around $800 a pair but not 100% on that price..his stuff is gorgeous and would look fantastic on your desk.
Danny's N2X kit...

TimeWillTell · « **Reply #5 on:** 24 Mar 2011, 10:44 pm »

Thank you for your replies/feedback. As I am sure is apparent by now I am no audiophile today (at least not yet) but I do love music and as a musician myself justifying these purchases is relatively effortless.

I am hell bent on running a Two.2 and have never questioned that selection for a minute (I sure hope I am not forcing a square peg thru a round hole). My office is small: approximately 12' x 11'. I actually went ahead and ordered my Two.2 today in red brick before even seeing your reply Roscoeiii (and I am exceptionally excited).

As for what type of music I listen to, that is not an easy question for me to answer... I listen to tons of music and there really is no theme or genre that I favor most. My collection consists of a couple thousand albums spanning classic rock, jazz, fusion, reggae, electronic, pop, and (admittedly) a fair amount of hip hop. One thing I will point out that is tragic and unfitting for such a pursuit is most of my listening is done from mp3s

(I still have most the discs but I don't intend to use them except for retransferring my favorites in a better format).

I believe listening to mp3s is relevant because some sensitive speakers don't play nice with compressed audio.

I likely pull the trigger tomorrow on something. As of right now I am leaning towards the Usher S 520s. Please keep in mind I am rather indecisive and impressionable still and really appreciate coaching to help make the best decision.

I hope to post a photo when I'm done.

Thanks!

Setup:

Mac Pro > Mini Toslink to Toslink Cable > Music Fidelity V-Dac > Nirvana Interconnect > Virtue Two.2 > ???????????????

eclein · « **Reply #6 on:** 25 Mar 2011, 12:45 am »

Ushers are a good choice I think....enjoy!!! Your choices seem pretty good to me..remember and I am a prime example of this "remember" tip--these units break in over time and open up more and more as you go...its a good thing. I got mine on a Friday afternoon and put some type of signal through it almost non-stop and two days later on Sunday afternoon I started to notice more and more details and firm tight bass that got lower and lower as time went on...not "car on hydraulics low" but nice full sound. I've been using the TWO.2 for about 8 months and recently added a Virtue Piano M! CD Player another great piece of gear from Seth and the gang at Virtue.
Ask us anything and if we can't answer Seth will jump in as he monitors this board.. so good luck enjoy here mine in Red Brick...

Jason T · « **Reply #7 on:** 25 Mar 2011, 02:55 am »

I'm working on building a few kits of Danny's (GR-Research)
one is a 5" two way using both his woofer and tweeter
two is a 6" two way using his woofer and a high end peerless tweeter.

the problem with this is that neither of them will be finished for a few months.
I'll start a thread when I get close and post some build pictures to

TimeWillTell · « **Reply #8 on:** 25 Mar 2011, 07:18 am »

XR2 and Eclein I started writing my last reply before I had a chance to read your posts (I had the window open that long whilst playing with my son a bit and writing).

XR2, the JB3s have great reviews (from what I've seen) and apparently kick some ass during nearfield listening. I will keep digging a bit; my knee jerk reaction is a bit of skepticism (apparently that is expected).

Eclein, Thanks for the greeting! Those N2Xs also look amazing, aurally and aesthetically. They fit my budget (although I love spending less for equal or more value as much as the next guy (as Charlie Sheen would say, "Win"

)), although I pretty much lack the patience at this point to go down that path. I know, I know... the irony: here's a guy with the username "TimeWillTell" that is shopping hastily.

Thanks Jason T. You must have high expectations (rightfully so I'm sure) to invest in two GR-Research builds. You wouldn't happen to be working on a time machine concurrently?

I am thinking S520s or the JB3s. But like my last post am leaning towards the prior (still need to read more on the JB3s though). I just want the pairing that will impress me most or will be most enjoyable yet accurate). That last statement is a mouthful. What I am simply trying to do is resurrect John, Jerry and Bob in my office.

Thanks again gentlemen!

E4T · « **Reply #9 on:** 25 Mar 2011, 08:29 am »

Quote from: eclein on 25 Mar 2011, 12:45 am

Ushers are a good choice I think....enjoy!!! Your choices seem pretty good to me..remember and I am a prime example of this "remember" tip--these units break in over time and open up more and more as you go...its a good thing. I got mine on a Friday afternoon and put some type of signal through it almost non-stop and two days later on Sunday afternoon I started to notice more and more details and firm tight bass that got lower and lower as time went on...not "car on hydraulics low" but nice full sound. I've been using the TWO.2 for about 8 months and recently added a Virtue Piano M! CD Player another great piece of gear from Seth and the gang at Virtue.
Ask us anything and if we can't answer Seth will jump in as he monitors this board.. so good luck enjoy here mine in Red Brick...

TimeWillTell,

It sounds like you and I are coming from a similar place. I am a musician, a music junky (of all types), and have thousands of albums....CD, LP, MP3, lossless, etc. and am just now starting to build a system or dig a little deeper into the audiophile realm, because a friend got me into it. You are considering my current set-up.

I am using Ushers (S-520) that I bought from this friend and I received my Two.2 w/ 130w supply and Nirvana speaker cables and interconnects exactly two weeks ago now. I could not be happier! I do not really have any comparisons to offer you in regards to the other speakers, but I can say that over the last two weeks, the sound just gets better and better. I am amazed frankly. I'm quoting eclein here, to reiterate his break in statement. I have had headphones and headphone amps that improved with break in, but my Two.2 is something else entirely! Everyday I notice something new. A new sonic layer or more depth and clarity, and I am loving every second of the process....

There is nothing better than rediscovering your music collection, and because of my Two.2 I am in heaven. I am blown away by it really. Before I was running my Ushers through Rotel RB-850 amp CD Processor and Cary CAD 5500s preamp that I bought with the Ushers used (You know your getting sucked in when you start listing every model number in your system). They just don't hold a candle to what I am hearing now. The fullness and ever deepening bass, the imaging and soundstage.......mind boggling really.

Away from home I run my iPod through a TTVJ Slim headphone amp with ALO Audio (OCC-Triple Pipe-Cryo) iPod cable and use Shure SE535s as IEMs. It sounds amazing, but I am hearing entirely new things through my Usher / Two.2 set up. It's an entirely new listening experience, and as of now I just have the Ushers hooked directly to the Two.2, via Jason at Virtues amazing Nirvana cables mind you. I do need to mention that these cables were just as much an upgrade as the amp. Not even sure what I had before, just some old no-name speaker cable my friend had.

Anyway, I'm rambling I know. Just wanted to say that I don't think you can go wrong with the Ushers and the Two.2. Everyone at Virtue has been amazing and incredibly helpful, it feels great to know that a group of such dedicated people is behind the name Virtue. Once I discovered the Two.2 (from a Gizmodo link of all f'n places!) I was hell bent on getting one. I was looking for a new amp for a while and everything I read just peaked my interest more. I for one I'm a true Virtue believer now. Nothing else out there can possible compete with this kind of sound at this value......I cannot wait for Seth to get the DAC out!!!!!!!

Anyway, good luck. You can't go wrong.

-E

Jason T · « **Reply #10 on:** 25 Mar 2011, 11:09 pm »

Quote from: TimeWillTell on 25 Mar 2011, 07:18 am

Thanks Jason T. You must have high expectations (rightfully so I'm sure) to invest in two GR-Research builds. You wouldn't happen to be working on a time machine concurrently?

I am thinking S520s or the JB3s. But like my last post am leaning towards the prior (still need to read more on the JB3s though). I just want the pairing that will impress me most or will be most enjoyable yet accurate). That last statement is a mouthful. What I am simply trying to do is resurrect John, Jerry and Bob in my office. Thanks again gentlemen!

Lol you caught me

Danny know's what he's doing lets just say that. anyone whos heard them knows.
I have a pair of Usher S520's I can tell you straight out that the 6" 2way I'm working on will smoke it in every way. Dont get me wrong I like the Ushers and they are Cami's reference speaker but until you've heard the hotrod run... well you get it.

Let me get a set done Maybe I should send them around to a few people on the board to play with and give everyone some feeback on.

TimeWillTell · « **Reply #11 on:** 25 Mar 2011, 11:55 pm »

Jason now you have me wondering what Ron's turnaround time is.

Can anyone provide me his email addy or username?

JLM · « **Reply #12 on:** 26 Mar 2011, 12:02 am »

Note that the CBM-170s can be ordered (at a premium) with other finishes.

I've owned the 170s from early on and still love them. Very palpable sound with incredible imaging. Extreme content value (on the inside where it counts, frankly the standard black vinyl finish is crummy). Now I use them as front left/right speakers in my 5.1 HT system and consider them over qualified (HT is low priority for me).

Good comment regarding the single driver coherency for extreme nearfield. My main system uses single drivers in nearfield. Honestly I have a hard time investing this kind of money in a desktop system (the environment is so limiting). But the Two.2 plus Ushers (highly recommended from many reviewers) or the 170s would form the basis of a nice small room system. For a room that small, the Sierra's might be too much (could bass overload the room).

eclein · « **Reply #13 on:** 26 Mar 2011, 01:30 am »

E4T-- Its amazing isn't it how you can hear them (Two.2) start opening up. This for me also was new experience. I played music almost everyday and sometimes with alot of pressure to get it correct, sound dynamic and God forbid we make a mistake...LOL. So when I was done playing alot of times I just didn't want to hear anything.
Seth told me to expect break -in time and being old school at that time after listening for 24 hours straight I thought the amp was nice but maybe not ultimately enough for my prized JBL's--boy was I wrong. Friday night to Saturday night all sounded good but I thought maybe I made a bad decision, I left it on plying files all night Saturday night (Same as Friday night) Sunday afternoon I re-hooked up the big dogs-4312A Control Monitors and heard a totally different and just amazing sound. Thats when I knew and I was hooked, over the next week or so the amp opened up more and more and just got better and better so be patient and you'll be rewarded...enjoy!!!

dvenardos · « **Reply #14 on:** 26 Mar 2011, 03:03 pm »

Ron's username is Ron.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=89483.0

Quote from: TimeWillTell on 25 Mar 2011, 11:55 pm

Jason now you have me wondering what Ron's turnaround time is.

Can anyone provide me his email addy or username?

eclein · « **Reply #15 on:** 26 Mar 2011, 04:35 pm »

TimeWillTell-- Send Ron a PM and tell him we sent ya...he's a great guy and may actually have a pair of N2X's done and ready, he told me he usually makes a few before winter really gets him and his workshop is too cold to work in...he usually see's these threads...
Calling Ron!!!

TimeWillTell · « **Reply #16 on:** 7 Apr 2011, 06:50 pm »

Here are a few photos as promised.

In the end I could not resist the finish of the Ushers. I'll have to try the N2X's in another application one day soon.

I am thrilled with the sound this setup produces, the quality and finish of the Two.2 and the Ushers are a perfect marriage, both are simply beautiful. The Virtue is definitely what I am most in enamored with.

Thank you Seth, Cami, and the rest of the Virtue Team!

I do find myself wanting to add a 8" bass to fill out the bottom end. Any recommendations? I'm thinking Dayton or perhaps Sunfire (anyone have any experience with Sunfire's units?).

After adding the woofer I will consider adding a Grant Fidelity tube buffer. Thanks for everyone's kind help and recommendations!

virtue · « **Reply #17 on:** 7 Apr 2011, 08:42 pm »

You're killin' it! That system looks awesome and I know it sounds great.

I do ok with my sony servo sub (I hear cringing all over the forums). Also, I think that Velodyne has now gone down-market but I doubt the techology has changed much.

E4T · « **Reply #18 on:** 8 Apr 2011, 06:10 am »

Great pics!!! Thanks.

As I said I've got the same set up, and I could not be happier myself. I'm amazed with my 2.2 / Usher set up, and like you mentioned, the build quality is incredible.

I will eventually be looking for 8" bass as well, so good to hear some suggestions.
I'll have to get a better DAC at some point too (Virtue?!). Are you happy with your Musical Fidelity?

First.......I had to go and purchase a new turntable!

eclein · « **Reply #19 on:** 21 Apr 2011, 11:56 pm »

TimeWillTell- Congrats on the rig, very nice choices all the way around, From all the pieces you were considering I knew you were up on this tech., I had no clue what I was doing (not sure if I do now) and Seth and the crew at Virtue have taken tremendous care of me. I was just looking at Virtue's website which says the Piano M1 CD Player is "SOLD OUT" and I'm not sure if thats a forever sold out or temporary as I was going to suggest one to you next, if they become available again do yourself a favor and look into them, its the cornerstone of my setup, 24/7 I play CD's on the Piano (slightly exaggerated) and 24/7 I'm smiling because they sound so good. I guess time will tell what your next move is....enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!