[revrob]

Hello,

I am looking to purchase a used pair of Von Schweikert for around $4,000.00. I am looking for a full range speaker to replace my last speaker from a few years ago, Salk HT3's. I listen mostly to jazz, R&B, some classical but no hard rock stuff. I loved the Salk speakers I previously had.

Here is my question: on Audiogon there are 2 pairs of Von Schweikert speakers listed for sale. The first one is vintage speaker VR-7 and the other is the newer model VR-35. Which one would be the better choice as they are both at price points I can afford. I am not concerned about size but sound quality. I can place either speaker in a place that will allow it to perform at its optimum level.

Any comment or suggestions would be welcomed and appreciated. I am only interested in the Von Schweikert brand at this time.

Thanks,
Steve

[Albert Von Schweikert]

Hello Steve,

The VR-7 retailed at $15,000 - $20,000 (depending on any upgrades).  It was one of the best speakers available at the time and still is a class leader in deep and tight bass, with an open,transparent midrange clarity and tonal accuracy that can only be equaled by speaker systems that cost  $20-40,000. The treble was better than most speakers on the market at any price.
 
Make sure the seller is going to disclose any issues that this pair may have. That speaker is capable of generating a very high output level, and it will not distort. For this reason, a few of the owners drove their amplifiers into clipping, which can slowly damage the voice coils.

The VR-33 is a modern design with replacement parts available, so servicing that model would be easy. We are out of the VR-7 parts so if the drivers are damaged, it would be hideously expensive to retrofit new drivers. The original drivers have all been discontinued, so the service would require a redesign of the crossover circuitry and note that the midrange driver has an unusual frame shape. Installing new mids would require rework of the front baffle to accommodate the new driver.

For sheer realism, the VR-7 would be very difficult to beat, by any speaker, even current models. However, do your research on this pair; very few 7's come into the resale market since their owners understand what they own.

Albert

[jazzcourier]

Take a look at what the cost of those VR-7 's are,and what it will get you in the new market. I have a pair of that vintage and they are amazing.The Vr-33 does not have the rear tweeter.I wish my deal had been that good as the pair for sale now.I also had a chance to hear some of the newer,much higher priced VS speakers and i truly thought the original VR-7's sounded better.Of course,it was Albert's original design and models that followed were based on these,such as the two chassis unit.Of course all  of Albert's designs are among the finest ever. Get in there and negotiate that pair on Audiogon,you might get them for 4,000 plus shipping.

[revrob]

Albert and jazz,

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. The VR-7 are intriguing as I just missed an opportunity to purchase a pair of VR-5 for short money. I have been toying with the idea of vintage speakers versus new ones as there appears to be some serious value with some of the older speakers. That said Albert's comments gives me pause when considering older speakers because it is difficult to know how they were used by the previous owner.

A lot to think about and once again thank you.

Steve

[jonbee]

Many older speakers are great values, but many well regarded older models fall short of the best newer ones. I was very surprised to find my vr5 hse stand tall in any company. The issue of driver abuse and replacements is front and center with all vintage models. That said, the hse are not so old that drivers have become unobtainable. I've kept my eyes open for the past  6 months and have bought  nos mids and tweeters for the 5, and have seen one or 2 for the 7.
If you buy the 7, keep an eye on ebay for spares and buy yourself some insurance. Albert's artistry should live on!

[Stercom]

Hi - I recently purchased the pair of VR-7 HSE being talked about here. No issues. The drivers and cabinets are in beautiful condition. Once I got the placement and rear tweeter output dialed-in they just disappeared. Nothing but natural sounding music! It doesn't matter how old they are. Its the design and execution that counts!

Best regards,
Scott

[kernelbob]

A hallmark of VSA speakers has always been long term satisfaction.  Even models from 20 years ago will continue to please.  I have a pair of VR6 speakers from the 1990's in my second system and they still bring music to life without distracting colorations.  The sound is coherent and consistent from top to bottom without individual drivers calling attention to themselves, generating a wide and deep soundstage.  Newer VSA models benefit from the most modern technology of course, but if you're looking for a pre-owned speaker, a classic VSA system should be on your short list.

[revrob]

Congrats Scott on your purchase. I was the one inquiring about the speakers. I am glad they worked out for you. I will be purchasing something similar in the future as time permits. When you get a chance and if you don't mind please post a small review.

Thanks,
Steve

[Stercom]

Congrats Scott on your purchase. I was the one inquiring about the speakers. I am glad they worked out for you. I will be purchasing something similar in the future as time permits. When you get a chance and if you don't mind please post a small review.

Thanks,
Steve

Will do.

[Stercom]

I’ve spent over a month now with the VR-7 HSE and here are my thoughts.

The first thing that hits you is how well they are made. They are very, very solid speakers. The workmanship is excellent and the finish nearly flawless.

You would think such a large speaker would cause too much attention to itself both physically and musically.  The exact opposite is true. When properly set-up they simply disappear. Music emerges in proper focus and from a completely silent background.

The bass is explosive but its not there unless needed. No bloat or overhang just extremely tight and tuneful.

The lower midrange and upper bass is where I have noticed the biggest difference from other speakers I have owned.  I think this range is very hard to get right with most speakers. Either the bass driver is too big and sounds muddy and slow in the upper bass or the midrange is too small and simply “ignores” the lower register of the midrange.  The 6.5 Aerogel midrange is excellent in itself but how its been integrated with a transmission-line cabinet and fast woofers makes the sound seamless. That is no small feat and it goes towards the high quality of the design and implementation, especially in the crossover.   

The upper midrange and lower treble is also very well tailored and coherent. This is where many vocals are located. Listening to jazz vocals through this speaker is a fabulous experience.

The only area you must be careful with is the mid to upper treble. It is very revealing and can sound hard at the top-end of the spectrum. Your first inclination is to simply turn the backside tweeter all the way down but then you lose some of the huge soundstage this speaker presents so effortlessly. The next move is to put the speaker grills on. However, putting something over these drivers is not the right move to make – transparency suffers. I then decided to run the speakers over an extended period of time since perhaps they weren’t fully broken-in yet.  The previous owner had told me they weren’t used very much even though they are over 10 years old. Well, he was right. The transformation at about the 50 hour mark was not subtle. The upper treble suddenly started to blend with the rest of the speaker. Frankly, I was a little shocked. I’ve since ran a burn-in disc extensively through these speakers and the transformation has been huge.

If you can find a pair of VR-7 HSE (or VR-5 HSE) I say buy them! Highly Recommended!!

(Pic of the speakers in my listening room)

[Delacroix]

Excellent -- congrats, sounds like you are one satisfied listener, who can ask for more?  Enjoy.

[Stercom]

Excellent -- congrats, sounds like you are one satisfied listener, who can ask for more?  Enjoy.

Yep and thanks!

[danabunner]

Picking up a pair of VR-7 HSE speakers in very good condition for just $4000 is an incredible buy.   I haven't heard any new speaker selling for less than at least $12,000-$15,000 which can compare.   Most new speakers in the $4,000 to $5,000 range would be blown away. 

Congrats on a great pickup.

[Stercom]

Picking up a pair of VR-7 HSE speakers in very good condition for just $4000 is an incredible buy.   I haven't heard any new speaker selling for less than at least $12,000-$15,000 which can compare.   Most new speakers in the $4,000 to $5,000 range would be blown away. 

Congrats on a great pickup.

Thanks. I really wasn't planning on parting with my previous speakers (Philharmonic 3s by Dennis Murphy) but when I saw these become available locally at that price I decided to "make it work". 

[jonbee]

I looked hard at your VR-7s before you bought them, but I made a commitment to stay under 100 lbs. per speaker, and my room wouldn't properly support the bass capabilities of that speaker anyway. Your description of the sound is in line with my experience with my VR-5 HSE, except for the extraordinary bottom end extension and scale that the 7s offer.  I think Albert meant to re-establish his brand's top end with these 2 speakers after a flood destroyed his operation and inventory, and he put a lot of ideas into them and succeeded in spades.
Both speakers are drop dead bargains, fully competitive with top quality >$10k speakers of today.
Congratulations on the VR-7s; I think they were an astonishing bargain by any measure. I hope you can enjoy them for many years.

[Stercom]

I looked hard at your VR-7s before you bought them, but I made a commitment to stay under 100 lbs. per speaker, and my room wouldn't properly support the bass capabilities of that speaker anyway. Your description of the sound is in line with my experience with my VR-5 HSE, except for the extraordinary bottom end extension and scale that the 7s offer.  I think Albert meant to re-establish his brand's top end with these 2 speakers after a flood destroyed his operation and inventory, and he put a lot of ideas into them and succeeded in spades.
Both speakers are drop dead bargains, fully competitive with top quality >$10k speakers of today.
Congratulations on the VR-7s; I think they were an astonishing bargain by any measure. I hope you can enjoy them for many years.

Thanks jonbee. Yeah, the VR-7 HSE are heavy. The seller was very gracious and helped me get them into my listening room. The bass capabilities you mention are certainly addictive. Its like driving a sports car in your daily commute - most of the time you don't need all of that horsepower/handling but when you do its suddenly there and very satisfying!! I've heard the VR-5 HSE in a number of successful systems and agree they are one of the better values out there. Best regards.