[martin_eg]

Hello Guys!
This is the first post from me, Martin, living in Sweden. I sit here waiting for my very first VSA speakers. I just got the acknowledgement that they will be shipped from VSA at the end of next week. I hardly can wait, I?m completely done with my old 2 1/2-wayers. I?ll let you know my experiences and probably will need some advice too when then time comes to moving them around finding a good placement.
Must tell you this, I just received the new and pre-ordered Marinsky SACD with the 1812 overture (the one with the gun shots) and if you are interested in classical music, you should know that the dynamics on this recording is one of the best I ever heard. The finale of the Moscow Cantata is absolutely breathtaking, I had to press stop and sat there completely still for at least five minutes. Wow!
When you wait week after week for something ypu realy want, you might wonder if you made the right decision. And I have wondered a lot due to all the shine that has fallen on the U3s. Hase the MK43 already gone obsolete?  (to bee continued)

[martin_eg]

Cont.
According to the VSA site the only advantage of the 43s is the 3-dimensional soundstage, and reading some statements from owners, the soundstage is huge even from the U3s! Back in august a decided to soon bye the old MK42s and a thought getting the 43s was just icing on the cake!
Questions, I always belived that among all other features, the ambience system was what made acoustical instruments sound not just clean, but almost real? What happened to this VR philosophy, why isn?t it needed in the U3s? Was it just a dead end street in speaker design (or have I missed something)? Have I taken a bad decision?
Annione (typo). Yours Martin

[es347]

VR4 SR MKIII = good choice

[ceedee]

Dear Martin,

Welcome at VSA-AC.

Your choice about the VR 4 SR mk III is a very good one indeed.

About the VR rear tweeter philosophy:

The VR line is designed to 'play free in the room'.
This means they should stand free from the back-wall. At least 1 or 2 meter.

The Unifield's are designed for smaller rooms.
The position of the Unifield is mainly close to the back-wall.
In this situation there is no need for a backfiring tweeter.

Enjoy your VR 4 SR mk III.

Cor

[martin_eg]

Hello Cor!
Thanks for your response and welcome!
Well I?m just a little bit curious, after all most owners of a VR4 or VR5 most likely don?t have huge listening rooms. Any way a have two meters to the door opening from the back wall so there will be a lot of space to play with. I read about your first impressions of the MK3 some month ago and you then said that you would come back and tell us howe the speakers developed.

What happened? Did they stop in growth? If not, some info would be most appreciated!

Martin

[JackD201]

Hej Martin 

The VR-4 is the cornerstone of Von Schweikert Audio and has been the product line that's been in continuous production longest. The SR MkIII is the direct descendant of the Vortex Screen making it like the 7th variant in a run that spans over 25 years. That's a quarter century of it's own shine It has undergone continuous refinement and has stayed near or at the front of the pack in it's price range. They are really far from being obsolete as even a VR-4 Gen III or VR-4 SR Mk.1 is still very competitive in performance with todays newest competition.

The Unifield line is a parallel one with different engineering objectives as Cor said. While the VR line is made for larger spaces the Unifield line is for smaller spaces. It was upon the prodding of VSA dealers that Albert design speakers for our clients that could afford VSA speakers but often lived in small townhouses, apartments and condominiums.

Having said that, the choice between the two is not purely about space. SRs have been known to sound great with as little as 30sqm and Unifield 3s in as much as 50sqm. Pulled out into the room and with the dacron removed the Unifield 3s can boogie too. While they both display the characteristic VSA sound which is wide bandwidth, excellent dispersion and response that is practically flat, there is a slight difference in voicing. One also moves a lot more air than the other.

The Unifield 3s are smaller a bit more refined after break-in and sound a bit clearer and faster than a VR-4. The VR-4 however will throw a larger soundstage, give much better bass support and play much much louder if and when needed. The VR-4 is bit more forgiving and a touch warmer.

I think that if your listening space is anywhere between 30 and 50 square, It really boils down to taste in both music and sonics. You can't make a mistake with either one. Just be conscious about what you drive them with. VR-4s while sensitive LOVE good power. In my experience life with an SR in a medium sized room begins at 80 tube watts or 150 Solid State watts. Bigger than that and life begins at 200 watts. In a small room you can get away with as little as 30 to 40 tube watts and 75 SS watts with a Unifield 3.

[ceedee]

Hi Martin,

With your space the VR 4 Sr mk III should sound great.

Our VR 4 SR mk III is sounding very bright now after a few hundred hours.

The new tweeter is very open, detailed and overall very musical.
The mids are getting clearer every day.

The set is now at one of our client's home.
Next week I will visit him and probably tell you more.

Cor



 

[JackD201]

Oh....let me qualify the power thing. There's something about 211, 845 and of course T1610 power tubes that make them sound much more powerful than their figures suggest

[martin_eg]

Hej! Thank you both for fast and clear information. It?s really nice to get such response from people with your experince.  My listening room then might bee in the lower region for  VR-4s, 3,2x7,2m plus 4 sqm in the back on one side, but if you don?t disagree a stick to them. I belive in the large area of the Audax and there is even a second reason. When my ears get overloaded I go back to solo piano, and my hope, just a hope, is that the ambiance will load the room in a more realistic way than other hi-end speakers I have heard so far. You know, the trilling of a piano is easy for any speaker but they don?t sound real. I grow up with piano music, so it might bee that I?m very sensitive in this respect.
Thank?s again/Martin

[SundayNiagara]

Hej! Thank you both for fast and clear information. It?s really nice to get such response from people with your experince.  My listening room then might bee in the lower region for  VR-4s, 3,2x7,2m plus 4 sqm in the back on one side, but if you don?t disagree a stick to them. I belive in the large area of the Audax and there is even a second reason. When my ears get overloaded I go back to solo piano, and my hope, just a hope, is that the ambiance will load the room in a more realistic way than other hi-end speakers I have heard so far. You know, the trilling of a piano is easy for any speaker but they don?t sound real. I grow up with piano music, so it might bee that I?m very sensitive in this respect.
Thank?s again/Martin

You need to give those speakers some breathing room by moving them well away from the wall behind them.

[McTwins]

Hi Martin
You seem to have a very good room shape and not large at all. My room is larger than yours and I have around 200 m3 of volume and don't have any problem driving the VR4SRmkI. Just break them in proparly, I presume that yours is new, this is very important. You mention that you have Technics gears, what model if I my ask?
Put your speakers 1,8m from the back wall and 0,8m from the side wall as a starting point. This schould do it.

Gongrats and happy listening.
Thanks

[martin_eg]

Hello McTwins!
Thanks for your advice in startingpoint. I wish my room was a little bit wider but you do the best you can. I had to bring a concrete wall down to create this room, I have sealed double walls and a very solid door, all together making it very nice and quiet for music. No, I?m not in your leauge of hardware, I have to stand with the 7001 KI-series. (For the time beeing ) Max 150 W in 4 ohms in lab reviews. My room measures 27m2 and 62m3 so I?m more anxious about overloading than the opposite. My hope is that a can place the new speakers a little bit closer to sidewalls than your 60 cm starting advice in order to get the sweet spot as far away as possible. Very nice indeed with this kind of advice. If you have more at this time, tell me.
Martin

[martin_eg]

McTwin, I forgot ta ask, but when you talk about distances, I assume you mean from walls to the front/mid? I have not thought about it before but I am already att 60/160cm with my present speakers. I gess the room dimensions have large impact regardless of speaker model.

Front/mid?

Martin

[McTwins]

Hi
I am measuring my distance from back wall to the front baffel. If you take the width distance off the front baffel and divided in half, then from there I am measuring the side wall distance. This is how I do it.

I don't want to scare you off in anyway but I think that it is not enough with only one amplifer. You schould be running in bi-amp. Just my opinion.
Thanks   

[martin_eg]

Hi, then we mean the same thing. That is nice. Have you ever run yours in a room similar to mine or are you just guessing the best you can?

And yes, I know there are better amp setups etc, but you got to start somewhere! 

Martin

[McTwins]

Hi
No, how could I guess. But you are correct in one thing, and that is, every room is not the same, for better or worse.   
About the amps I started with one Quad 606 and it wasen't enough. Then I added two Quads 909 in bi-amp mode and the result was different, had more control over the speakers in bass and highs and better overall sound and better headroom for peaks.
So, I also started somewhere. But adding the McIntosh system was the greatest. . I like both the system in their special way.
I assume that you have seen my gallery.
I would like you to post yours when you got the speakers.
Thanks

[martin_eg]

Hi, now I see why you are not guessing. From your 200m3 decription a thought your room was much wider, but I guess there is something like a L-shape. Terrible with those rats, they live in my room too.
Now I have looked into your gallery - just splendid! I do relase how much work and brain effort it cost you! Shure, I will set up a gallery soon. Thanks for the support/Martin

[McTwins]

Hi
Thanks
I am not showing it all, belive me it's huge.
Had some brainstorm going on in my mind