Planning on buying vr-4sr-mk3 , visiun center

Lenny50 · « **on:** 17 Dec 2009, 05:53 am »

any feed pack from other owners my room size is 13 x 13 and thinking about vsa's v-15 sub

oppo BDP blue-ray player
sunfire TGP-5 processor
sunfire TGA-5200 amplifier

es347 · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 Dec 2009, 03:24 pm »

I owned what was essentially a hybrid...a VR4 SR MKII.5. The III apparently has a better tweeter?? At any rate, for the $$ you won't find a better speaker. Pull that trigger.

foghorn · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 Dec 2009, 04:06 pm »

If you do decide to purchase these speakers, I think you will be very happy.

I have a pair that I purchased about 1 year ago. They are a "tweener" version between the Mark II and the Mark III. The new Mark III has the updated tweeter that I do not have. I believe there are also some changes in the crossover between the Mark II and Mark III.

If I can offer any advice, please take your time in finding a final placement for the speakers. I purchased two pairs of those "furniture slides" (those plastic things you put under furniture to easily slide items around). These made making adjustments to speaker location much easier. I could experiment easily as moving the speakers was not all that difficult. In the end, the speakers have a bit more "toe in" then I would have expected. However, the speakers "disappear" in the room and are rarely ever a point source for the music. They image like crazy, provide deep, natural bass and provide wonderful extended highs that are never fatiguing. Good luck - I think you will be happy.

Matt

JackD201 · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Dec 2009, 05:26 pm »

I have that very trio on the way. I started with VR-4HSEs then SR Mk1s, 5SEs and now have 9s in my two channel. I set up a SR Mk2 and VisiUN center for a client powered by 3 Jeff Rowland 501s using a Lexicon MC-12 and Lexicon Multichannel for Revel 3-way in ceilings for the rear. No need for a subwoofer at all. Fantastic.

The 3 on the way are for my personal theater which will be a showroom as well. What's proving to be a tough proposition is sourcing a darned VK-6200 from BAT. Geoff Poor hasn't been answering my dealer's request for an invoice

The other contenders are the Plinius Odeon from another dealer.
The rapid way HT standards keep on changing as well as the many broken promises of products being "future proof" I can't bring myself to spend for the top processors. Simaudio requires a separate HDMi switcher, Classe's top dog is up to date but costs 8 grand, Levinson's top dog doesn't even have HDMi 1.3 and it is almost 4 times that

So I've settled on the Marantz AV8003 processor and UD8004 Bluray/DVD/SACD. Good value considering the audio sections are Ken Ishiwata designs.

I can't live without tubes in the chain so the L and R will go through the HT Bypass of a BAT VK-31SE. Music will be via an Accuphase DP-78 directly into the preamp. Streaming music will be via an Apple Airport Express into the Accuphase' digital input/DAC

es347 · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 Dec 2009, 06:22 pm »

Quote from: JackD201 on 17 Dec 2009, 05:26 pm

I have that very trio on the way. I started with VR-4HSEs then SR Mk1s, 5SEs and now have 9s in my two channel. I set up a SR Mk2 and VisiUN center for a client powered by 3 Jeff Rowland 501s using a Lexicon MC-12 and Lexicon Multichannel for Revel 3-way in ceilings for the rear. No need for a subwoofer at all. Fantastic.

The 3 on the way are for my personal theater which will be a showroom as well. What's proving to be a tough proposition is sourcing a darned VK-6200 from BAT. Geoff Poor hasn't been answering my dealer's request for an invoice The other contenders are the Plinius Odeon from another dealer.
The rapid way HT standards keep on changing as well as the many broken promises of products being "future proof" I can't bring myself to spend for the top processors. Simaudio requires a separate HDMi switcher, Classe's top dog is up to date but costs 8 grand, Levinson's top dog doesn't even have HDMi 1.3 and it is almost 4 times that So I've settled on the Marantz AV8003 processor and UD8004 Bluray/DVD/SACD. Good value considering the audio sections are Ken Ishiwata designs.

I can't live without tubes in the chain so the L and R will go through the HT Bypass of a BAT VK-31SE. Music will be via an Accuphase DP-78 directly into the preamp. Streaming music will be via an Apple Airport Express into the Accuphase' digital input/DAC

I sure like my Integra DTC 9.8 and B&K 200.5 combo!

jab · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Dec 2009, 06:43 pm »

hey JackD,, Jack B here! U know,, spk'ing of HT,, I tried the Marantz AV8003 and it just didn't grab me.. so I returned to my BelCanto Pre/Pro (hdmi less).. I'm wanting to jump into the "latest" but need to be personally satisified with sound quality thru the processor and source. I'm considering the latest Integra AVR or soon to be released Onyko (to be used as a processor only) that features the Audyssey MultEQ, DynamicEQ, Dynamic Volume. For Blue Ray source,, The new Oppo player tweeked by NuForce(see their website) seems to be the ticket. Will avoid degraded hdmi signal for sound altogether. As for the front projector upgrade,,, I'm in a jam. The new line of 1080p JVC and Infocus projectors (I can pull from my distributor) need more distance than I can allow from my current and "fixed" proj placement (infocus 7210). Suggestions without breaking the bank? I'm using the Bel Canto Ref 1000's MKII for L/R and I'm really pleased with them... BTW, I'm selling off my BC PrePro and PL1 player if anyone is interested,,, email me.

JackD201 · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Dec 2009, 06:45 pm »

No Integra here Gavin only poor brother Onkyo

I would have gone for the 9.9 otherwise. BAT and Integra have history together. Anyhow the good news is that after e-mailing BAT directly through their website, they contacted the local BAT dealer. All within minutes! Oh boy. It kills me that I have to stay up at 3AM to catch you folks in the States during work hours. The 6200 is muscular. I think the only other multichannel amp than bests it is the Simaudio MC-8 but that goes for more than twice the price. The Theta Dreadnaught III spec sheet gave me a headache, so as David Spade says...Buh-bye. The Plinius is clearer but the BAT is more lush and tactile.

BAT and VSA go very well together. Not too many dudes here have tried matching them except myself and Delacroix I think. They aren't Lamms but the 6200 couldn't buy me a single Lamm channel

After spending so much on the main rig, where I have LL1 Signatures, yes the 4 box Lamm super pre in my sights, I'm ...ehem...trying to be a bit more conservative with the HT

JackD201 · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Dec 2009, 07:12 pm »

Hey there Jack B! Thanks for the heads up on the Marantz. It'll likely be an interim solution until the industry settles down. The Classe Pre/pro looks to be a contender at 8Gs but I'm over budget already because of my Lamm shenanigans as well as all the acoustic work I'm doing in the 2-channel room. I'm hoping it'll do for movies and concerts with the help of the BAT preamp.

I'm in a bind with projectors too! Clearly HT is not my forte. I ordered an anamorphic screen only to realize there are no native anamorphic projectors in the market yet. Aaaaargh! Well I suppose black bars on the sides are better than on top and below. Sad thing is the overall picture will actually be smaller. Aaaaaaaargh AGAIN! Then there's the stuff about deep color support etc. etc. I had bad experiences with SIM. Suckers are fragile! I'm looking at those new LED lampless projectors that use Phatlight technology. The prospect of low heat, no fan noise and no need for lamp replacement is intriguing.

So......along with the interim pre/pro it looks like I'll make do with a sanely priced 1080p DLP from Infocus or BenQ. Who knows? It just may turn out good enough to live with. Fingers crossed! I can save the dough and drive over to the nearest iMax if something really special is showing. I know that's where I'm gonna be when Avatar opens!

The kids (11 and 8 yrs old) are lickin' their chops waiting to play Rock Band on this system. This should be really fun!

Maybe you can give me some inside info if ever you get to try the JVCs with the anamorphic lens attachments? Thanks man!

On a side note.... I hate Blu-Ray. It's spoiling me.

es347 · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Dec 2009, 07:36 pm »

Re: front projectors, I have the BenQ 8720 which granted is only 720p but coupled with a the Stewart Firehawk is very very good. I'm sure BenQ's 1080p FP is great and it can be had these days for right at $2K....I paid $3200 for my 8720 and that was a bargain at the time.

I'm wondering how bright those LED projectors are. I'm guessing not very.

JackD201 · « **Reply #9 on:** 18 Dec 2009, 05:10 am »

Folks are still market skimming Gavin. They are cheaper to make, no more color wheel, fans, less demanding power supplies etc. but they're going for ungodly prices c/o Runco and Vivitek. Around 8000 lumens which is pretty good for a dark room which is how I watch. Being in TV and Film I always view with proper calibration which is a whole lot darker than what projectors and displays have their settings at straight out of the box. Out of the box is like listening at a Hi-Fi show. Stuff is geared to catch attention. That's the reason walking around at Best Buy gives me a headache. Every manufacturer is trying to out "bright" the other. The brightness will do it's the price that doesn't

At least not yet! The good news is that they are heavy on the pico projector market for lightweight, portable business presentation devices. This is a much larger market than HT so economies of scale should allow the prices to drop rather quickly. I'm joining Jack B on the self restraint anti-early adopter wagon on this one

es347 · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 Dec 2009, 02:18 pm »

Quote from: JackD201 on 18 Dec 2009, 05:10 am

Folks are still market skimming Gavin. They are cheaper to make, no more color wheel, fans, less demanding power supplies etc. but they're going for ungodly prices c/o Runco and Vivitek. Around 8000 lumens which is pretty good for a dark room which is how I watch. Being in TV and Film I always view with proper calibration which is a whole lot darker than what projectors and displays have their settings at straight out of the box. Out of the box is like listening at a Hi-Fi show. Stuff is geared to catch attention. That's the reason walking around at Best Buy gives me a headache. Every manufacturer is trying to out "bright" the other. The brightness will do it's the price that doesn't At least not yet! The good news is that they are heavy on the pico projector market for lightweight, portable business presentation devices. This is a much larger market than HT so economies of scale should allow the prices to drop rather quickly. I'm joining Jack B on the self restraint anti-early adopter wagon on this one

That's a fact Jack!

I understand completely. You don't want to be like those guys who paid $395 for an HP35 back in 1972.

JackD201 · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 Dec 2009, 06:06 pm »

Tell me about it Gavin. Vinyl kept me sane. I was an early adopter of Laser Discs then DVD now Blu-Ray. I switched receivers from Pro-Logic to Pre DD AC-3 then DTS. Then there's the DAC era now making a comeback. 1-bit Delta Sigma to ladder type then came HDCD then back to 1-bit with SACD.

I've lived with my AVP2 for years now and am actually very happy with it. If Harman Specialty Group hadn't shut Proceed down I'd still be using it with the modular upgrades they promised. Well that's life. The user interface is still THE BEST I've ever had the pleasure of using. Even my wife didn't need me around. That of course could be both a good thing and a bad thing

I early adopted with Blu-ray too, only to realize my monitor was again due to early adoption only 1080 and not 1080p ready. That's not to mention that I paid a mint for a machine that gets beat to the loading draw by a machine by the same company now selling for a fifth of the price. No sir-ee. The buck stops here. Besides I'm whining. Most unbecoming of a VSA owner. Hehehehehehe.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

SR + VisiUN (which is really an SR on it's side)= awesome. I'm putting my own money where my mouth is. Whether watching a slamming action flick or a brooding indie flick, the sound really supports he visuals in the most subtle yet visceral way. Too good to be true? Maybe. There is a caveat. Bring on the juice. 200w into 8ohms 350 into 4ohms minimum to get your money's worth from the speakers. Also, no skimping on the VisiUN. Like I said it is an SR and should be powered up the same. Do this and you'll be treated with a seamless wall of sound that would make Phil Spector blush. The VisiUN also throws a high stage. Placed under a 115" Stewart, dialog comes from smack dead center of the screen.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 Dec 2009, 07:15 pm »

Quote from: Lenny50 on 17 Dec 2009, 05:53 am

any feed pack from other owners

Wouldn't be from a lady who lives on an island in Washington would it?

es347 · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 Dec 2009, 10:21 pm »

You can file this reply under VS heresy but I run a ML Cinema center channel in my HT with Aerius i's R and L fronts and the results are fantastic. I have found that the center channel has to represent about 90% of the HT audio experience and the R and L fronts are "along for the ride". I really like my all ML front wall.

JackD201 · « **Reply #14 on:** 19 Dec 2009, 06:07 am »

I believe Henry uses the same center as you do

fplanner2000 · « **Reply #15 on:** 20 Dec 2009, 12:34 am »

Can't add too much here - I'm also using the Integra 9.8, running into a Sunfire 5-channel for center and rears in HT mode. My Vr-7's double as L and R in HT, fed by VAC. Since correcting my sub x-over issue, I'm not running the sub at all for ANYTHING - plenty of bass for HT. When I've heard the 4-srs,they seemed to handle low bass surprisingly well, making me think a sub would be overkill.

BTW, rears are Legacy Focus 20/20 and the center is also Legacy. It was very easy to match levels throughout the entire system - the Sunfire sends 800w into my 4 ohm center and rears and the Integra makes setting it all up a breeze. Jack - thought I read somewhere that Onkyo duplicates the 9.8/9.9. You might check if its of interest.

JackD201 · « **Reply #16 on:** 20 Dec 2009, 01:30 am »

Quote from: fplanner2000 on 20 Dec 2009, 12:34 am

Can't add too much here - I'm also using the Integra 9.8, running into a Sunfire 5-channel for center and rears in HT mode. My Vr-7's double as L and R in HT, fed by VAC. Since correcting my sub x-over issue, I'm not running the sub at all for ANYTHING - plenty of bass for HT. When I've heard the 4-srs,they seemed to handle low bass surprisingly well, making me think a sub would be overkill.

BTW, rears are Legacy Focus 20/20 and the center is also Legacy. It was very easy to match levels throughout the entire system - the Sunfire sends 800w into my 4 ohm center and rears and the Integra makes setting it all up a breeze. Jack - thought I read somewhere that Onkyo duplicates the 9.8/9.9. You might check if its of interest.

Thanks fp I'll do just that. It would be some sort of homecoming if ever. The best sounding receiver I owned was my 919 in the 90's.

fplanner2000 · « **Reply #17 on:** 20 Dec 2009, 05:20 am »

Jack - Did a bit of quick research - I believe the Onkyo equivalents to the Integra 9.8/9.9 are the 885/886. That gives you a place to start.

es347 · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Dec 2009, 03:19 pm »

Jack, did I understand you to say that you cannot get Integra gear over there? If so, that's a bummer because it's very good stuff. FP is correct in that the Onkyo is also good. As I understand it, Integra is to Onkyo what Lexus is to Toyota: a higher quality offering. Never having owned Onkyo I can only go by what I've read. It seems like someone as deeply into this stuff as you are would/should go with something like Lexicon:

http://www.lexicon.com/products/overview.asp?ID=19

JackD201 · « **Reply #19 on:** 20 Dec 2009, 04:27 pm »

That's right Gavin, no Integra here. Integra started out as Onkyo Integra. Like the ES of Sony. Lexus - Toyota is a good analogy. The difference would likely be like an LX vs. a Landcruiser.

Despite being from HSG the Lexicon interface is flat out clunky. When it comes to DSP Lexicon is king but when it comes to discreet channels that are pre-mixed then one finds the DSP modes are hardly ever used. In my case...never after the first go around.

While I am heavily into music, I must admit that I am not as heavily into movies. I used to be. The thing is that there are only so many good movies a year and only so many movies I can watch more than twice unlike an LP or Disc that I can listen to over and over. This is the reason for the cost cutting in the pre/pro and projector side of things.

If you look closely I'm only doing 5.1 albeit with twin Ambience Bandpass Subs that go down to 16Hz. No sides and no center rear. All should be up and running in three months or so. I gotta move everything else before I can hunker down and tune the systems and program the Vantage home automation system. I'll likely be debugging the entertainment distribution network before I can get around to fine tuning the SR HT and the VR-9 dedicated room. When it's all done I'll post pics.