[rich58b]

What is the Endeavor  E-3MkII? I can't find mention of it anywhere on your website, either of them.

Whoops, I thought we were talking about a new Von Schweikert speaker, and I wasn't familiar with the name Endeavor.

[nickgregory]

Congratulations Nick on the Von Schweikert additions. Fellow NC Von Schweikert owner here.

thanks where are you out of?  I am in Raleigh...

[es347]

Michael if you can find a pair of VR5 Ann. MKIIs you will not ever want for another speaker.

..a big amen here!

[mresseguie]

..a big amen here!

Aha! I'm now reminded that I've more than once admired your system's photograph. If only you hadn't used Marty Feldman as your avatar's picture to lure me in...

[nc42acc]

I am just south of Winston Salem.

thanks where are you out of?  I am in Raleigh...

[nickgregory]

I am just south of Winston Salem.

awesome....good to know there are other around for listening parties...

[nc42acc]

I am up for an audiophile gathering. I can host at my house for listening and refreshments.

Marty

[poseidonsvoice]

I am up for an audiophile gathering. I can host at my house for listening and refreshments.

Marty

Count me in! And if you want, I can bring some of my gear for you to listen/try.

Best,
Anand.

[Escott1377]

I may be tempted to try up from Greenville, SC.  Nick will have to bring the good bourbon though

[nickgregory]

I may be tempted to try up from Greenville, SC.  Nick will have to bring the good bourbon though

deal.

[dflee]

Would definitely like to hear those speakers.
Let us know when and what to bring.
Post it and they will come.

Don

[htradtk]

Amen to Gavin, in fact, just upgraded my amp to a McIntosh MC452 and my 8 year old VR-5 Anniversary MKI
I's sound like they are brand new. Soundstage is wider and deeper then before. Yes, I'm a VSA owner for life. If anyone wants an audition, I'm in Linthicum Md, just 2 miles from BWI airport.

Henry

[magister]

First, Nick, congratulations on getting the VR-4JRs.  They are great speakers!

I bought a pair shortly after they were introduced.  They have been used in a weekend/summer home, so they don't have a huge number of hours on them even though they are 11-12 years old.  I have now moved into this house full time and am considering how to upgrade my system.

Currently I have (omitting sources):

• C-J Premier 17 preamp
• Golden Tube SE-40 and NAD CE275BBE amps (bi-amped)
• PS Audio PowerPlant 5
• Von Schweikert VR IV-jr speakers

The SE-40 has a wonderful, harmonically rich midrange that I really like, but is not powerful enough to make the Jr's sing (no surprise; the '40' = 40 wpc) .  So I added the NAD to drive the bass, and this has worked well.  That NAD amp is no slouch, but is probably not at the same level as my other components.  I'm not sure I'm really hearing what the speakers can do, so one option is to upgrade to a really good amp; maybe something the PS Audio BHK 250.  Other suggestions welcome.  I don't need more power (in terms of volume) but bass control and tonal subtlety are important.

I like everything about the Jr's; occasionally a little more bass extension would be nice (think pipe organs), but that's not a big deal.  They fit physically in my room, which is important.  I could get a better amp, followed later by the upgrade to the Jr's.  Or replace the Jr's with something like the Endeavor 3.  I had not heard of Endeavor before reading this thread, so thanks for the pointer.  (The Endeavor or an upgrade to the Jr's is more in my price range than the more expensive VSA models.)  I'm looking to get amps and speakers that will last me a long time (I hate to say 'my last speakers' but they might very well be).

I've looked at the Golden Ear Triton 1.  The powered woofers would eliminate any need for bi-amping and I probably could continue to use my SE-40, given how sensitive the the Tritons are.  But that would be taking my system in a whole different direction than keeping the Jr's or going to something like the Endeavor. 

Thoughts?

[JackD201]

The BHK looks like a good idea. I'd throw in perhaps the Aesthetix Atlas Signature in there as another amp candidate.

*I'm not a PS Audio or Aesthetix dealer

[nickgregory]

I heard the golden ears in a local shop and wasn't impressed.  I thought they sounded good, but didn't produce the sound stage I was used to with my VR-2s at the time, and more so now with the 4Jrs.

[roscoeiii]

I've got a Rogue Stereo 90 with Super Magnum upgrade for sale here. It is what I used with my VR-4 MkII. Great combo and you can switch between ultralinear and triode mode. Easily the best amp I tried with them. Moved on to much more power hungry speakers, thus the sale.

Rogue is particularly notable for the bass not being rolled off or otherwise limited as can be the case with some tube amps.

[jab]

I bought a pair of the BHK Signature 300 mono amps a little over a month ago.  Learn more about the genius of Bascom H King by going to youtube.com and searching for BHK Sig Amps.  You'll be treated to  presentations by living legends Paul McGowen, Arnie Nudell and Bascom H King.  See the reviews of the BHK Sig 300's in TAS and Stereophile online.  I can only confirm the magic of these amps as heard thru my VR55's.  Think of the sound of the big Constellation amps, with a tube input stage.  Kind of like the razor blade commercial of a couple of decades ago,,, "I was so pleased with the shave, I bought the company", I plan to ask PSAudio to allow me to rep the line of their fine products, in Houston.  Oh, and btw, the BHK Signature PreAmp is in beta testing at the moment, near ready for sale to consumers.  "Designed" to compete with the very best, cost-no-object electronics, the BHK's are fab!

[danabunner]

"The SE-40 has a wonderful, harmonically rich midrange that I really like, but is not powerful enough to make the Jr's sing (no surprise; the '40' = 40 wpc)"

Yes, that amp does sound great with the right speakers.  Unfortunately, it doesn't even produce 40 wpc, it maxes out at around 25 wpc.  I've seen a couple of bench measurements on them.  It won't even do 25 down around 30Hz. 

[magister]

Thanks for all the comments, guys. 

Dana's info about the power level of the SE-40 tends to confirm the feeling I've had that I'm not yet hearing all that the Jr's are capable of.  So a better amp is probably the place to start; but I want something that has the midrange magic of the SE-40.  I will definitely look at the Rogue and Aesthetix models.  I own a PS Audio DirectStream DAC and visit their forum, so I've heard all the info about the BHK amps.  If my room and my budget were both larger, I could go for the monoblocks, but the stereo would have to do.  (BTW, if anyone has read about the DirectStream and wondered if it really is as good as the reviews say, the answer [in my system anyway] is an emphatic 'yes'.  Not to mention the free upgrades to the firmware that make it keep getting even better.)

My room is weird and the speakers have to go closer to the wall than is ideal.  So I don't get the kind of soundstage that some folks do.  That's just life until I buy another house (!), so I for now I focus on other qualities, like timbre, flow, lack of overly sharp treble, etc., that I value.  But it's good to know that the Jr's can compete with other highly respected speakers in soundstaging, since that's not something I have experienced with them.

[kernelbob]

Thanks for all the comments, guys. 

Dana's info about the power level of the SE-40 tends to confirm the feeling I've had that I'm not yet hearing all that the Jr's are capable of.  So a better amp is probably the place to start; but I want something that has the midrange magic of the SE-40.  I will definitely look at the Rogue and Aesthetix models.  I own a PS Audio DirectStream DAC and visit their forum, so I've heard all the info about the BHK amps.  If my room and my budget were both larger, I could go for the monoblocks, but the stereo would have to do.  (BTW, if anyone has read about the DirectStream and wondered if it really is as good as the reviews say, the answer [in my system anyway] is an emphatic 'yes'.  Not to mention the free upgrades to the firmware that make it keep getting even better.)

My room is weird and the speakers have to go closer to the wall than is ideal.  So I don't get the kind of soundstage that some folks do.  That's just life until I buy another house (!), so I for now I focus on other qualities, like timbre, flow, lack of overly sharp treble, etc., that I value.  But it's good to know that the Jr's can compete with other highly respected speakers in soundstaging, since that's not something I have experienced with them.

If the tube amp you've got has great midrange and treble, but doesn't have enough power or deep bass, you might find that biamping is a great solution.  Keep in mind that you'll get more volume from the tube amp when it only drives the M/T since the M/T crossover presents very high impedance in the bass range (to roll off the bass from the M/T drivers).

An amp that does all things well, from deep bass to airy and delicate treble is hard to find and is likely expensive particularly if you need high power for the bass.  There are lots of amps that will work very well for the bass.

All you need to then add is some additional cabling and a good attenuator ahead of the bass amp for level matching.  You may even find a bass amp with built in level controls.

Best,
Robert