VR-35 Speaker Placement

thankful · « **on:** 28 Mar 2013, 11:32 pm »

I currently own an upgraded pair of vr-35's. I have been dealing with speaker placement; the vr-35 can be a little of a challenge. I know this is subjective based on your room but am hoping there are recommendations. I currently have them placed (from the rear of the speaker) 22" from the rear wall - 9' apart - 19" from each side wall. If I go to close to the rear wall I get way to much bass and the mid-range gets drowned out. I know you can stuff the rear ports with dracon to tame them but not sure if that is the best way to go.

I want to optimize this speaker and am wondering if vr-35 owners have found a placement that brings out the best in the speaker. I also have them very slightly to towed in. I did this because depth in the sound-stage seemed to be lacking.

These are great speakers and I want to make sure I am getting the best from them.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #1 on:** 28 Mar 2013, 11:38 pm »

Thankful, tell all about the size of your room. Off the top of my head- and I'm not an owner- I'd suggest pulling them closer together so there is less over abundant side wall reflection and bringing your seat forward to create a like sided triangle or close which will restore or expand the width of your stage. Expand it in three dimensions, hopefully. The distance from your back wall seems reasonable to me. Just maybe 6 more inches??

thankful · « **Reply #2 on:** 28 Mar 2013, 11:49 pm »

My room is dimensions are 14' width and 18' depth. The ceiling is close to 10' high. I have a long wall that one speaker is placed next to near and and a short wall that the other is placed next to.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #3 on:** 29 Mar 2013, 03:21 am »

I'm confused. Are your speakers backed up to opposing walls or a sort of corner? Any hope of a photo?

mdconnelly · « **Reply #4 on:** 29 Mar 2013, 08:22 pm »

What is upgraded with your "upgraded" VR-35s? You've got me interested! I haven't heard anything about upgrades to the VR-35s.

I've owned VR-35s for awhile now. I do really love these speakers, but the normal rules for placement don't quite apply. They are designed to be close to the rear wall. I've now set mine up in two different rooms with quite different results in each. When I had them in a 12' x 24' room (8' ceilings) I found having them 9' apart centered on the 24' wall just 4 inches from the rear wall worked extremely well. This kept the speakers far from the side walls with the speakers & listening position essentially in a 9' equilateral triangle. The bass was tight and tuneful yet went deep when the music called for it. And the soundstage was glorious!

I've had a more difficult time with placement in a different room now where the only option is to have them on a 12' wall (8' ceilings, 20' room length). I've currently got them about 2' from the side walls (center speaker to side wall) and 10" from the rear wall. I've been struggling a bit to get the bass and soundstage to behave as well, I suspect because they're just too close to the side walls but when I pull them too close together, I lose some of that wonderful soundstage they're capable of. I'm also open to suggestions...

BigSwede · « **Reply #5 on:** 29 Mar 2013, 09:53 pm »

FWIW I have my VR-33s about 9" from the wall. What are your walls made of, mine are plaster and therefore fairly stiff and dense compared to, say, sheetrock.

thankful · « **Reply #6 on:** 29 Mar 2013, 10:51 pm »

My walls are drywall.

When I had the vr-35's closer to the wall the sound-stage was larger, can't recall the depth but the bass overwhelmed the mid-range.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #7 on:** 29 Mar 2013, 11:53 pm »

Hey, you're no kid are you. The windows and flimsy curtains directly behind your speakers might benefit from a harder surface and I still think moving them a little closer together and putting your seat at the apex of an equilateral triangle could benefit your stage and tighten things up. Tried a little more toe-in?

thankful · « **Reply #8 on:** 30 Mar 2013, 12:55 am »

I just the other night did some slight toe in. I will try moving the speakers closer together.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #9 on:** 30 Mar 2013, 01:04 am »

Shouldn't hurt. Can you draw your chair closer? Try it, why not if you can. Should broaden your stage appreciably. Best wishes.

O.D. Yeo · « **Reply #10 on:** 30 Mar 2013, 03:58 am »

Quote from: jimdgoulding on 29 Mar 2013, 11:53 pm

Hey, you're no kid are you. The windows and flimsy curtains directly behind your speakers might benefit from a harder surface and I still think moving them a little closer together and putting your seat at the apex of an equilateral triangle could benefit your stage and tighten things up. Tried a little more toe-in?

+1 on all points.
Unfortunately, i think the 35s are designed with solid walls in mind, both rear and sides.
Increasing the distance from the sides should help.
I'm not sure toeing-in will.

mdconnelly · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 Mar 2013, 02:43 pm »

Quote from: BigSwede on 29 Mar 2013, 09:53 pm

FWIW I have my VR-33s about 9" from the wall. What are your walls made of, mine are plaster and therefore fairly stiff and dense compared to, say, sheetrock.

This may also be contributing to my problems. In my first room when I had them on the long wall, it was an exterior wall. Now they're on an interior wall of just sheetrock. Hmmm....

BigSwede · « **Reply #12 on:** 31 Mar 2013, 02:23 am »

It looks like your speakers are about equidistant from the side and back walls...IIRC, this tends to reinforce bass.

mdconnelly · « **Reply #13 on:** 1 Apr 2013, 10:37 pm »

Thankful, do you have your VR-35s spiked into the carpet? Hard to tell from the pic but I ask because when I spiked mine, the bass definitely tightened up...

thankful · « **Reply #14 on:** 7 Apr 2013, 01:51 am »

Yes, they are spiked. I have thought about getting some Herbie's Cone/Spike Decoupling Gliders that the spikes would set down in. The placement adjustments are paying dividends. I am getting more depth but could probably need a little more.

harley52 · « **Reply #15 on:** 7 Apr 2013, 04:48 pm »

Albert likes for his customers to give him a call if the speakers aren't sounding glorious. Having said that I agree with others to bring the speakers about 6 inches from your equipment rack if it's centered. Gotta get out of the corners as much as possible.

I want a pr. really,really bad. Just waiting on the court to release the money from my .......

From what I've read the design and the goals for the speakers were accomplished to Albert's satisfaction. And as we all know he has some very high standards.

a.wayne · « **Reply #16 on:** 7 Apr 2013, 05:15 pm »

Quote from: thankful on 29 Mar 2013, 10:51 pm

My walls are drywall.

When I had the vr-35's closer to the wall the sound-stage was larger, can't recall the depth but the bass overwhelmed the mid-range.

I have always found this to be true of most VR speakers , small mid sound ...!!!

Regards ,

mdconnelly · « **Reply #17 on:** 7 Apr 2013, 06:44 pm »

Quote from: thankful on 7 Apr 2013, 01:51 am

Yes, they are spiked. I have thought about getting some Herbie's Cone/Spike Decoupling Gliders that the spikes would set down in. The placement adjustments are paying dividends. I am getting more depth but could probably need a little more.

I'm using BDR cones on Herbie's Decoupling Gliders and that seems to work well and makes tweaking the location quite easy (well, at least a whole lot easier than if they were spiked to the floor).

VR-35DeluxeExport · « **Reply #18 on:** 29 Apr 2013, 04:43 pm »

I own a pair of VR-35 export Deluxe and placed them without toe-in (as recommended) and 3 inches from the wall.
I have the ones with the marble stone plates, what I think is very strange is that there are no spikes delivered.

They stand on a wooden floor, in the first week I found them sounding great, after 2 weeks the sounds is getting bored, there's no excitement in the music, the music sounds dull.

I play with Plinius 9200 amplifier (solid state), LinnAkurate DS/1 streamer, AQ type speaker cables and AQ colorado interlink.

This Friday Cor Decker is coming over to see what he can do... hopefully he can make me smile again, I was expecting much more from a pair of speakers that I bought for 8.000 euro!

Albert Von Schweikert · « **Reply #19 on:** 2 May 2013, 01:28 am »

Hello Sir,

In Europe, Musical Reality does not provide spikes with the speakers, especially if the customer has a wood floor. In the USA, we provide wood bottom and top caps with the speakers and we also provide spikes. However, Musical Reality of Europe likes their marble bottom and top caps due to the more beautiful appearance and the marble cannot be easily drilled for spikes. On wood floors, you want to use some other type of isolator. I would try small wood blocks under the speakers.

Most US-based systems use electronics that are very "fast" and sometimes "bright." That is why we do not recommend toe-in (aiming of the speakers at your ears). In your system, aiming the speakers at your ears will increase the treble so that you will hear more detail and clarity.

From your description of the sound, I believe that your system is balanced towards the "warm" side. If aiming the speakers at your ears isn't enough, try some silver plated copper cables. Normally, we don't recommend this for systems that are neutral or on the bright side, but for your system, it will be a definite improvement.

Cor will have some brands of European cables that you can try. Just use one bright interconnect, you will not have to change all of your cables. Pure silver is expensive, so I recommend that you have Cor find you cables with silver plating over copper wire.

Best regards,
A.V.S.