The Mighty VR55

gammajo · « **on:** 2 Nov 2015, 10:30 pm »

The mighty VR55's just went to another level! I am not sure what is responsible. I usually warm up equipment (pre-amp and amp) for about an hour before playing. This time with seven months on my VR55s, my wife was away for a few days and I kept all equipment on and playing for about 100 hours. At around 40 hours the 55's just went to another level of warmth, clarity, and ease, revealing the subtlest micro detail including attack and decay, and dynamics jumped off the chart. Going though recording after recording was thrillingly satisfying - lots of smiling and shaking my head in wonder. Feel even more certain that I have found my speaker for life!

gme109 · « **Reply #1 on:** 2 Nov 2015, 10:47 pm »

I leave my solid state amps on almost all the time, but when they've been shut off for a while, like when on vacation, I've noticed they take about a week to fully stabilize and sound their best. Unless you have tube amps, or class A solid state, I'd leave them on all the time. Of course the improvements you're hearing might be because your 55's were not fully broken in yet.

jab · « **Reply #2 on:** 2 Nov 2015, 11:09 pm »

How many hours total do you have on them now, J? I believe VSA hit it outta the park using those custom drivers. crossover and dead cabinets... Albert and Company created a MONSTER that's reached SOTA in a "livable" package, considering the 55's relatively small footprint! I can't imagine the sonics on my pair being improved... But, I've been assured by Leif that with the addition of the Ultra IC's, I can expect more of everything! Scary!

gammajo · « **Reply #3 on:** 3 Nov 2015, 01:21 am »

GME My Challenge is that I have a tubed pre-amp that would be hard to leave on all the time. I use solid state amps which I assumed would warm in a few hours but I may have been incorrect.
JAB I think that I have about 800 hours on the 55s at this point. I would confirm that the Ultra IC made an excellent different also with long break in.

Mountainjoe · « **Reply #4 on:** 3 Nov 2015, 01:37 am »

Quote from: gammajo on 3 Nov 2015, 01:21 am

GME My Challenge is that I have a tubed pre-amp that would be hard to leave on all the time. I use solid state amps which I assumed would warm in a few hours but I may have been incorrect.
JAB I think that I have about 800 hours on the 55s at this point. I would confirm that the Ultra IC made an excellent different also with long break in.

I noticed the same jump in performance at somewhere around the 800 hour point on my VR55s so I think this is mainly a break-in phenomenon. These babies have long legs on them - you just need to give them a chance to hit their stride!

In regards to the Ultra cables, I upgraded my speaker cables to the Ultras and the improvement was significant and immediate (though they were broken in by Albert for ~500 hours before I got them). I don't have any Ultra ICs at this time but plan to upgrade to these in the next year.

gammajo · « **Reply #5 on:** 3 Nov 2015, 01:51 am »

Ultra speaker cables - significant improvement - don't tell me that

Thanks for the input - I though I hit a nice gain about 600 hours in, this new jump is a delightful surprise!

SundayNiagara · « **Reply #6 on:** 3 Nov 2015, 01:34 pm »

Pearson's rule of thirds?

leif8660 · « **Reply #7 on:** 5 Nov 2015, 05:58 pm »

Once you have a full loom of Ultra you can never go back. I've been completely destroyed by those cables like a spoiled little kid. Absolutely the best cables I have ever heard in my life. And I've heard a lot. If I had never heard the Ultra's I would of been 100% satisfied with the Master-Built Signatures. Their performance vs price IMHO is unmatched. But once your brain processes the difference with the Ultra's in the system it is forever embedded. Kind of sucks................

Geardaddy · « **Reply #8 on:** 5 Nov 2015, 07:04 pm »

Quote from: gammajo on 2 Nov 2015, 10:30 pm

Feel even more certain that I have found my speaker for life!

We will hold you to that.....

gammajo · « **Reply #9 on:** 6 Nov 2015, 12:56 am »

Leif - Psst! we got to talk:)

leif8660 · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 Nov 2015, 11:35 pm »

You know where I am at

gammajo · « **Reply #11 on:** 11 Nov 2015, 03:42 am »

Indeed I do, oh great tempter!

leif8660 · « **Reply #12 on:** 11 Nov 2015, 03:04 pm »

gammajo · « **Reply #13 on:** 23 Jan 2016, 02:45 pm »

Update since the November post.
In the last week I have been delighted with yet another surge in improvement with the VR55 Aktive's sound. This time it is in the bass which has gone to another level of finesse, impact, liveliness, and fullness, resulting in a feeling of adding the world most perfectly integrated subs into the system only better! This is a full ten months into my ownership of this amazing speaker and I would estimate at least 1,000 hours on the speakers now with 400 hours of initial factory break in at loud volume and then the rest about 25/75% between 85db - 90db listening and lower listening levels. These babies take awhile to to grow up!

On another note, looks like I am a few weeks away from receiving my Ultra biwire speaker cables - they are being hand built now. Will post on results of this addition to my Utra IC and Signature PCs loom.

Mountainjoe · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 Jan 2016, 05:14 pm »

Quote from: gammajo on 23 Jan 2016, 02:45 pm

On another note, looks like I am a few weeks away from receiving my Ultra biwire speaker cables - they are being hand built now. Will post on results of this addition to my Utra IC and Signature PCs loom.

You'll be blown away by the 3D presentation, resolution, and (in combination with the amazing VR55 tweeters) the most natural, extended high frequency response you've likely ever heard

I'm waiting on a pair of Ultra ICs for my phono stage but the impact of the Ultra speaker cables was dramatic.

Cheers!

leif8660 · « **Reply #15 on:** 23 Jan 2016, 08:26 pm »

Quote from: Mountainjoe on 23 Jan 2016, 05:14 pm

You'll be blown away by the 3D presentation, resolution, and (in combination with the amazing VR55 tweeters) the most natural, extended high frequency response you've likely ever heard

I'm waiting on a pair of Ultra ICs for my phono stage but the impact of the Ultra speaker cables was dramatic.

Cheers!

I will ship your I/C's on Monday. The scary part is the New Ultra power cord is done. This is just crazy. Wondering just how far Ultra can take this adding the power cords to the loop.

gammajo · « **Reply #16 on:** 23 Jan 2016, 08:34 pm »

Lief - Are you shipping my speaker cables or Mt Joe phono cables Monday????

MtJoe Glad you love your Ultra speaker cables - hard to imagine that much improvement over Signatures but I am willing to listen. And i have heard similar comments from several pairs of golden ears that I trust.

leif8660 · « **Reply #17 on:** 23 Jan 2016, 09:29 pm »

Quote from: gammajo on 23 Jan 2016, 08:34 pm

Lief - Are you shipping my speaker cables or Mt Joe phono cables Monday????

MtJoe Glad you love your Ultra speaker cables - hard to imagine that much improvement over Signatures but I am willing to listen. And i have heard similar comments from several pairs of golden ears that I trust.

I'm shipping MtJoe's on Monday. And I hope they aren't phono cables. If they are I made a booboo. MasterBuilt is making your Ultra's now. I thought the Signatures were the best cables out there until the Ultra's showed up. I just received the Ultra AES cable and couldn't believe the results.

Mountainjoe · « **Reply #18 on:** 23 Jan 2016, 09:37 pm »

Quote from: leif8660 on 23 Jan 2016, 09:29 pm

I'm shipping MtJoe's on Monday. And I hope they aren't phono cables. If they are I made a booboo. MasterBuilt is making your Ultra's now. I thought the Signatures were the best cables out there until the Ultra's showed up. I just received the Ultra AES cable and couldn't believe the results.

It's all good - they're just regular ICs going from my phono stage to my preamp

Great to hear they're ready to ship!

gammajo · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 Jan 2016, 02:33 am »

MtJoe - did the Ultra speaker cable change much over break in and if so how long till they sounded best?