Hello fellow VR-4 SR owners:
There have been several upgrades to the VR-4 SR Mk2 that have been implemented over the past year, called "running" production changes.
A) The new crossover design inspired by the "passive servo control" from the VR-5 Anniversary was the first change, starting in August of 2008. This crossover design uses the back-emf from the drivers to simulate an accelerometer using a feed-forward technique to linearize the total driver array's transient responses. According to our beta testers, "audible improvements in coherence are ground breaking." This is perhaps the largest improvement to the VR-4 platform in a decade.
B) A few months later, in October 2008, Audax announced the availability of a new Nextel cone treatment, which was implemented on the VR-4's custom-built midrange driver. The Nextel coating improves the physical damping of the cone, reducing coloration to an amazing degree.
C) In June of this year, Scanspeak engineers convinced me of the superiority of the off-axis response of their new Wide Surround design using a circular ring of small Neodymium magnets, and A/B/X comparisons dictated that we upgrade the Mk2's Dual Ring tweeter to this newer model. On direct A/B comparisons, the Wide Surround version has an airier top end with a larger sound stage width.
D) In July 2009, based on recommendations from our beta testers, we have implemented the Triple Wall Laminate construction on all VSA speaker systems, including the VR-4 SR Mk3, in order to stay ahead of the competition. See my article a week ago on this forum to learn about the positive sonic effects of increasing the cabinet wall damping with this new proprietary technique. Overall clarity and transparency are vastly improved.
Since these four upgrades results in a completely different sounding speaker from the original SR and SR Mk2 versions, a "Mk3" designation was warranted. As the driver manufacturers have indicated that we now have the "latest and greatest" versions of these respective units, no changes are foreseen for the next few years - the Mk3 is now officially "locked down."
SONIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MK2 AND MK3
Although owners of the original VR-4 SR are amazed that improvements could be found in this iconic design, the relentless R&D schedule at Von Schweikert and our fabricators leave no stones unturned. Although it is quite true that the term "break-though" is often just a marketing slogan designed to increase business, the sum total of these four improvements to the VR-4 SR platform elevate the overall transparency and driver integration in a remarkable way. Using the Quad 989 electrostatic speaker as our reference for "coherence" we believe the new VR-4 SR Mk3 is at the state-of-the-art level at its price point.
PRICING
Although the VR-4 has always featured a very high value proposition and a low price compared to the competition, it now seems that the VR-4 platform has gone from a "budget" high end speaker to a "no holds barred" design at its price point due to the increasingly higher standards of engineering in the industry overall. In fact, it still amazes me to see a 7" two-way speaker selling for $26,000/pr due to the manufacturer's intent to produce the most transparent speaker design he can muster. Since reviewers and jaded audiophiles seem to be spurring manufacturers to "top" themselves with each new model, our prices have gone up in a direct relationship to our cost.
VALUE PROPOSITION
However, on a direct comparison basis with speakers selling at 3x its price, the new VR-4 SR Mk3 can be seen as a "super speaker" at a reasonable price when confronted with the latest $50,000 speaker on the market!
UPCOMING REVIEWS
Two magazines have the VR-4 SR Mk3 in house for review, so we'll soon discover whether these improvements are as dramatic to the reviewers as they have been to our beta testers. Please contact Von Schweikert Audio at (951) 696-3662 for information regarding upgrade prices and lead times if you own an original VR-4 SR or VR-4 SR Mk2.
Happy Listening,
Albert Von Schweikert
