[WGH]

It is hard to believe but 15 months have gone by since my last mod, I must be running out of things to do to this speaker. Those of you not following along can start at Part 3 and work backwards.

The EVS Ground Enhancers are more of a tweak than a mod but the results are just as dramatic as anything I have previously done to the VR-2's. As you can see in the photo, the ground enhancer is a white pig tail that is attached to the ground. Just how they work is anybody's guess, but they do wonders to the sound.



I have been listening to the EVS Ground Enhancers for a couple of weeks and am amazed at what they can do. Ordering was easy, first I sent Ric 35 PayPal dollars, received a reply the same day and my enhancers were shipped the next day.

My system includes the Von Schweikert VR2 speakers and all Van Alstine Insight+ electronics, this combination responded very well with the enhancers installed. I didn't notice any break in period, the sound and presentation changed immediatly and I have not noticed any change since. The enhancers made quite a few changes to the character of the sound.

The most noticeable change is greater separation. Instruments and voices are more delineated in space. Music that seemed to be clumped between the speakers is now spread out: left, right, and center with individual musicians easier to pick out. With a wider sound stage there is also more depth, the area between the speakers opens up quite nicely. The Miles_Gurtu album has a lot going on, the enhancers turn the album into an aural 3 ring circus.

Some people have mentioned more bass or treble, I did not notice an increase at either end. Listening to music from an adjoining room the stereo sounds exactly the same as before. What I have noticed is a faster attack and greater clarity in the treble which gives the impression of an increase in high frequencies. The VR2's tend toward a warm presentation, the enhancers bring the sound closer to a neutral presentation. I first noticed this effect while listening to Tom Petty's latest album Mojo. Tom's voice is not as sonorous with the enhancers in place. The flip side is that vocals are now more intelligible with enhancers. My stereo is also part of a 4.1 surround system used for movies and television. Voices from the phantom center channel are now better defined and easier to understand; movie sound effects have more punch too.

The EVS Ground Enhancers are quite an amazing tweak, it is like getting an electronics upgrade for almost free. The + upgrade for my AVA pre-amp cost more and didn't do as much for the sound as these little white pig tails.

Highly Recommended 

More information with reviews are in an Industry Ads thread:
Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!

The technical side of the ground enhancers are explored in the Lab:
The BudP DIY Speaker Ground Tweak


I can do A-B demos in less than a second for the doubtful.

Wayne   

[BigSwede]

I've been reading about those, might have to try them on my VR-2s...did you try them on your amp too? From what I have read that is worthwhile also.

[Indiansprings]

 

[WGH]

I've been reading about those, might have to try them on my VR-2s...did you try them on your amp too? From what I have read that is worthwhile also.

No, I haven't tried them on my amps. I only have 2 enhancers to play with. AVA amps have their binding posts under the heat sink, it would be too easy to short out a channel and not notice while sliding the amps back.

Wayne

[WGH]

Go for it, they have a money back guarantee.

[JackD201]

Hi Wayne,

Can you tell us a little more about your wiring scheme? It looks like you have two different sets going into the top tweeter binding posts then jumpers to the mid/bass posts.

TIA

Jack

[Indiansprings]

Go for it, they have a money back guarantee.

You know I like Mesquite    Great lookin table.

[es347]

Go for it, they have a money back guarantee.

Hey Wayne,

When I saw the name Ric Schultz attached to these "devices" it was an immediate repulsion for me.  But then the guys on the other circle assured me it was not THE Rick Schultz of Virtual Dynamics infamy.  Rick Schultz of VD made a bunch of youtube videos he affectionately called "The Oddiophile" where he waxed eloquent, affirming his total lack of scientific knowledge.  He was also charging outrageous prices for his "speed of light" technology cables.  Fairness prevailed however and Virtual Dynamics is no more.  Pity.

[WGH]

I settled on my wiring scheme when I still had my JBL L100's set up, even though the JBL's have a 12" woofer they still need a lot of juice to get good bass. My electronics are in an adjoining room and I felt the 25' of Kimber VS was attenuating the bass so I added some affordable MonoPrice cable and the low end filled out nicely. The MonoPrice cable by itself slightly rolls off the highs. The VR-2's also sound better with both cables.

Wayne

[WGH]

You know I like Mesquite    Great lookin table.

Thanks. I'll be starting a 10' long mesquite table in 6-8 weeks. I have to finish up a large door order first.

Wayne

[rollo]

It is hard to believe but 15 months have gone by since my last mod, I must be running out of things to do to this speaker. Those of you not following along can start at Part 3 and work backwards.

The EVS Ground Enhancers are more of a tweak than a mod but the results are just as dramatic as anything I have previously done to the VR-2's. As you can see in the photo, the ground enhancer is a white pig tail that is attached to the ground. Just how they work is anybody's guess, but they do wonders to the sound.



I have been listening to the EVS Ground Enhancers for a couple of weeks and am amazed at what they can do. Ordering was easy, first I sent Ric 35 PayPal dollars, received a reply the same day and my enhancers were shipped the next day.

My system includes the Von Schweikert VR2 speakers and all Van Alstine Insight+ electronics, this combination responded very well with the enhancers installed. I didn't notice any break in period, the sound and presentation changed immediatly and I have not noticed any change since. The enhancers made quite a few changes to the character of the sound.

The most noticeable change is greater separation. Instruments and voices are more delineated in space. Music that seemed to be clumped between the speakers is now spread out: left, right, and center with individual musicians easier to pick out. With a wider sound stage there is also more depth, the area between the speakers opens up quite nicely. The Miles_Gurtu album has a lot going on, the enhancers turn the album into an aural 3 ring circus.

Some people have mentioned more bass or treble, I did not notice an increase at either end. Listening to music from an adjoining room the stereo sounds exactly the same as before. What I have noticed is a faster attack and greater clarity in the treble which gives the impression of an increase in high frequencies. The VR2's tend toward a warm presentation, the enhancers bring the sound closer to a neutral presentation. I first noticed this effect while listening to Tom Petty's latest album Mojo. Tom's voice is not as sonorous with the enhancers in place. The flip side is that vocals are now more intelligible with enhancers. My stereo is also part of a 4.1 surround system used for movies and television. Voices from the phantom center channel are now better defined and easier to understand; movie sound effects have more punch too.

The EVS Ground Enhancers are quite an amazing tweak, it is like getting an electronics upgrade for almost free. The + upgrade for my AVA pre-amp cost more and didn't do as much for the sound as these little white pig tails.

Highly Recommended 

More information with reviews are in an Industry Ads thread:
Introducing the mind blowing EVS Ground Enhancers!

The technical side of the ground enhancers are explored in the Lab:
The BudP DIY Speaker Ground Tweak


I can do A-B demos in less than a second for the doubtful.

Wayne

  Wayne noticed your wiring scheme. Have you tried connecting the cables to the woofer section first then to mid and tweeter. Check it out. you may be surprised of the outcome. BTW those EVS enhancers improved our sound as well.


charles

[es347]

Interesting....Albert recommends M/T first.

[rich58b]

I settled on my wiring scheme when I still had my JBL L100's set up, even though the JBL's have a 12" woofer they still need a lot of juice to get good bass. My electronics are in an adjoining room and I felt the 25' of Kimber VS was attenuating the bass so I added some affordable MonoPrice cable and the low end filled out nicely. The MonoPrice cable by itself slightly rolls off the highs. The VR-2's also sound better with both cables.

Wayne

I wondered if you tried running the Kimber VS to the top end and the MonoPrice to the bass with the jumpers removed before you came up with this scheme. Most people here seem to think that bi-wiring is the better way to go.

Rich

[WGH]

es347 is correct, as per Albert's suggestion the mid/tweeter is always first. Hooking up the MonoPrice to the lower posts does nothing for me, it sounds the same so I put them on the top. As for removing the jumpers I see no advantage and it may introduce a phase shift. I'm still waiting for someone to suggest an "X" pattern hookup.

Danny (GR Research) posted this a couple of years ago:

"The crossover design really has nothing to do with it. Whether connected at the speaker binding post or at the amp binding post the circuit is still the same. Bi-wiring does not separate anything.

The difference some people hear in regard to bi-wiring has as much to do with the geometry of the wire as anything. A multiple wire design in a spiral, twisted, counter rotated, or braided design with often cancel out noise and can change the inductance and capacitance of the wire which will also change the sound.

However you can get the same result from using the same wire and connecting them to only one binding post.

Or while using the bi-wiring cable just add or take away the jumper used at the binding post when it is not bi-wired and you'll notice no difference whether it is there or not.

Using a different type of wire on one set of drivers verses the other can change or color the sound too. Sometimes this is a negative effect though as dissimilar types of wire can cause a phase shift.

Heavier gauge wire helps in some applications but not in others. Reduced resistance (heavier gauge or by-wiring) is another factor that contributes to a change in sound that most attribute to bi-wiring.

Typically the change in sound when going to a bi-wire set up is simply the change in resistance, capacitance, and inductance of the wire and not a result of where the connection is made (at the crossover or at the amp)."


Wayne

[BigSwede]

Reduced resistance (heavier gauge or by-wiring) is another factor that contributes to a change in sound that most attribute to bi-wiring.

Heh, I'm using Analysis Plus Oval 9 cables (9 gauge) already, so if I read this correctly maybe biwiring wouldn't change things much? I haven't tried biwiring yet, but have thought about it...

[JackD201]

IIRC VR-2s are internally wired so that the top posts go to the tweeter and the bottom posts to the mid and woofer (It's a 2.5 way design). So I'm inclined to agree that bi-wiring will yield less of an audible improvement with them given cables of sufficient gauge. Same is true of the VR-1s and LCR-15s. I think one would get better results and for a lot less by changing the jumpers like Wayne did.

[WGH]

BigSwede's Oval 9's should be more than enough for the VR-2's but 25' is too much for my Kimber 4VS to handle alone, even though each leg is supposed to be 13 awg. Adding the 14 awg MonoPrice wire ups the gauge to about 10.5 awg. This combo seems like a good match while balancing the attributes and faults of each cable. One of these years when we both get un-busy Jason from Virtue Audio will stop by with some of their cables to try out, we both live in Tucson and I'll post what happens.

Regarding my homemade jumpers, I used Radio Shack 20 awg solid core wire. The 3 woven pieces equal almost 15 awg but seem to work better than the stock jumpers. The highly regarded Salk speakers use a Cardas plate jumper. I have heard the Salks at the last 2 RMAF's and the Cardas jumpers do not restrict the bass at all. This should be explored.

Wayne

[shmuyator]

regarding wiring of vr2s - i just wanted to share my setup. i have 
connected + end of the cable to tweeter +, - end of the cable to mid/woofer -,
with the jumpers in between.
it produced the best sound for me.