My Unifield3 story

wimck · « **on:** 4 Oct 2009, 09:37 am »

Reading the posts of this forum for quite a while. Time for some input now.
My von Schweikert story started about 5 years ago. Bought a secondhand pair of VR4 Jr Mk1's.
I was lost! Amazing sound on my Rotel 1075/1095 set with a Primare DVD30.
After a few years I wanted more and found a used set of VR4 GenIII HSE. The best I've heard in my life until that time. But the room was too small for those monsters. An overload of the deepest low started to irritate me at higher volumes.
But what to look for? I lost my heart to von Schweikert so it had to be von Schweikert again. My audio store mentioned the Unifield line.
After a nice listening experience (thanks Ronald!) I decided to buy a new set of cherry Unifields3?s.
After a month of nervous waiting the Dutch dealer delivered them. The only thing I do not like on the U3's is the foot. That awful (sorry Albert) thing had to be replaced by the "Cor foot", made of black Belgium nature stone.
I had to wait a bit longer for them so I started with the foots of Cor (thanks for all Cor!)
Last Friday Cor brought the new foots. They are amazing looking (and heavy!!).
At the start I placed the foots on 4 vibrapods but with the new foots I didn't use them.
And ....it sounded better without the pods, even more and tighter defined bass.

How do they sound with my equipment?
The first 50 hours where a bit disappointing.
I missed the sub-sub low bass from the VR4's. But after 50 hours they started to live. Now they have played for more than 200 hours and they sound better each day.
These days my equipment is all TagMcLaren, the AV192 processor with two 250MR monoblock amplifiers and a DVD32 for audio.
For the surround sound I use a 100X5R for back's and center.
The loudspeaker wires are Harmonic Technology Pro9.
My room is about 5 x 3,2 meter and it seems like the perfect size for the Unifields.
The match with TagMcLaren is delicious I think, very powerful bass, amazing voices and delicious high tones. Never too much low and never too much high tones.
One lousy thing to mention, if the sound quality of the source is bad you hear it painfully.
But when the source is good ......you dream away to another world. The world of the master, Albert!

Thanks a lot Albert for taking my audio life to a higher level again!

ceedee · « **Reply #1 on:** 4 Oct 2009, 09:55 am »

Thanks for the post Wim,

Pictures look great.
Lots of musical enjoyment with the Unifields

Regards,

Cor

es347 · « **Reply #2 on:** 4 Oct 2009, 02:00 pm »

Beautiful speakers...beautiful stands (nice job Cor).

McTwins · « **Reply #3 on:** 4 Oct 2009, 10:26 pm »

Hi
VR4genIII is a great speaker, still have them. You mention about overload in the deepest bass, for me it was the opposite, didin't have much bass at all. But now it's another story.
Enjoy your system.

wimck · « **Reply #4 on:** 6 Oct 2009, 06:23 pm »

Quote

VR4genIII is a great speaker

Agree McTwins, they are great indeed! what's your story? what did you do to get more bass?

A question to other Unifield3 owners: how do you place them? just straight forward or toe-in?
So far I like straight forward most.

varsharun · « **Reply #5 on:** 6 Oct 2009, 06:51 pm »

One of the best things about the Uni3 is how terrific the imaging is even though there is no toe-in. Has a wide sweet spot. My speakers are only 8 feet apart though, and toe-in may be helpful when that distance increases.

I love the stands on your Uni3. Wish VSA provided such stands with the speakers!! Or at least sold them over here in the US.

-Arun

Quote from: wimck on 6 Oct 2009, 06:23 pm

Quote
VR4genIII is a great speaker

Agree McTwins, they are great indeed! what's your story? what did you do to get more bass?

A question to other Unifield3 owners: how do you place them? just straight forward or toe-in?
So far I like straight forward most.

wimck · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 Oct 2009, 07:14 pm »

Agree again! another strong thing is the depth! a lot of space behind the speakers.

About the stands, you always can give it a try and ask Cor!

scp2 · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 Oct 2009, 08:27 pm »

What center speaker are you using? I just bought a pair of VR4-jr's and am in need of a center.

Maybe someday the Unifields are in my future.

ceedee · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 Oct 2009, 10:47 pm »

Hi,

I still have a LCR 15 in maple.

This is the match with your JR"s.

Cor

wimck · « **Reply #9 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 06:15 pm »

I am using a Mission 78c for a long period now. Reasons: a wide range from 75 Hz - 20 kHz, very natural voice sound and the power handling was important when I bought them because the Rotel RMB1095 I had at that time needed a centre which could handle up to 200 Watts.
I still am very happy with the sound and also was happy with the match on my VR4-Jr's

keith · « **Reply #10 on:** 15 Oct 2009, 03:34 am »

Very nice system!!!

es347 · « **Reply #11 on:** 15 Oct 2009, 03:57 am »

McTwins · « **Reply #12 on:** 15 Oct 2009, 09:16 am »

Hi
wimck.......
I had to install 12 helmholtz resonator to to tame my room modes in my room to even come close to the sound I have now. The problem was not with the freq responce but more with the reverbation time, both with the low and the high freq area. Some room resonance can smear the freq around 100-500 Hz and 1000-4000 Hz. There are lots of parameters to take in to consideration here but it's one major factor to have good sound.
See my gallery with some measurment before and after the treatments, particular the reverbation time is most important. Before is with absorbtion and the after is with diffusion and it should lay measured in T30, 100-8000 Hz around 0,2s. Hope I didin't mess with your mind now.

Thanks

wimck · « **Reply #13 on:** 16 Oct 2009, 09:23 am »

Thanks all!

McTwins, still no mess in my mind!

My TagMcLaren AV192 has room equalisation. I can check the range from around 20 to 150 Hz. I found problems on 50Hz and 74Hz which I did correct as fas as possible. Still I had problems at 50 Hz. The resonator could help but.....after listening to the Unifields I found out the sound is more of what I like, much more.
And it's getting better day by day!!

Still waiting for some experiences from other U3 owners!

B.t.w. McTwins, your system makes me

McTwins · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Oct 2009, 05:46 am »

Hi
Thanks, glad you like it.
Proparly placed, the resonator has the benefit to adjust both the reverberation time and the Q factor for the specific freq.

I have a question for you.
Could you explain how you adjust the room equalisation?
How do you approch it and what are you looking for?
Thanks

wimck · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Oct 2009, 07:28 am »

Sure I will try to explain!

Please start reading the following link: http://www.avforums.com/forums/tag-mclaren-audio-owners-forum/151081-tmreq-really-easy-way.html

I did it the simple way and trusted my ears.
I raised the frequency's one Hz step by step. At 50Hz I got a nasty vibration which dropped my glass of beer down on the floor

Serious, it's terrible to hear but clear that you have a problem at that point.
In the Tag you can top off the frequency which couses that nasty vibration until it sounds OK.

The more difficult way is to store all frequency's from 20 to 150 in a software program by using a microphone and external usb soundcard
see: http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq/
As I trust on my ears more then numbers in a computer for me the simple way was the best solution.

McTwins · « **Reply #16 on:** 18 Oct 2009, 06:10 am »

Hi
Thanks for the link but it was to much to read, didin't understand much of it anyway.

Understand why you trust your ear.

Nevertheless, I understand what you mean now.
Thanks

Ambiance · « **Reply #17 on:** 18 Oct 2009, 06:17 pm »

Lovley setup!

Must sound as nice as it looks!

A.

Hoosierdaddy · « **Reply #18 on:** 26 Oct 2009, 03:04 am »

The Absolute Sound has a review of the Uni3 in the December issue out soon...Hope it is a great one!

JackD201 · « **Reply #19 on:** 26 Oct 2009, 12:10 pm »

According to avguide.com it will be reviewed by Jonathan Valin. JV normally doesn't review speakers in this price range. At shows, his loudspeaker beat is $20,000 and above.

I'm hoping it's good too