Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: VonSchweikert Audio VR-4 jr. Speakers by Goyescas General speaker questions for audio and home theater.

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Model:	VR-4 jr.
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$3995
Description:	3 way hybrid transmission line
Manufacturer URL:	VonSchweikert Audio
Manufacturer URL:	VonSchweikert Audio

Review by Goyescas on November 14, 2004 at 11:18:38 IP Address: 68.56.76.180

Add Your Review for the VR-4 jr.

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Background: I have owned these speakers since June 2004; they replaced a year-old pair of VR-2’s. Hence, the reader is encouraged to first read my rather comprehensive review of the VR-2, as it more clearly defines my listening habits and preferences, as well as the music I use to audition components.

With the VR-4jr., von Schweikert enters that foray of price elasticity versus performance, and I mean this in the sense that there are so many competing models at this price point, one might become somewhat bewildered in attempting to narrow one’s choice down to a few models, let alone tens of said.

For those of you who are familiar with the VR-2’s, well this may make for an interesting read, as I have had the luxury of comparing the VR-2’s with the VR-4jr.’s in my listening room. These are two completely different loudspeakers, indeed, and which one might work best for you depends more on your front end and listening room than say your choice of music (rock versus chamber music, for ex.).

The biggest difference, unsurprisingly, is in the bass. And while the VR-4 jr.’s growl a bit more when dealing with 30-50Hz, it is their speed which separates them from their little brothers. In fact, overall, the 4’s are simply faster, more dynamic and quite a bit more “open” than the 2’s. They are also highly sensitive to room placement, but once you invest a single afternoon toward this end, you will be rewarded with a rich, articulate and fast bass response, which is matched by that fantastic von Schweikert midrange.

If your room leans toward the live side of neutral, as does mine, know this: The VR-4 jr.’s are a revealing loudspeaker, falling somewhere in between a Spendor (slightly recessed midrange/rolled-off top end) and a Triangle (I owned the Celius, and those certainly put the reveal in revealing). In this sense, they deliver a wonderful compromise – one almost gets to both have and eat his or her cake. But once you introduce another high-resolution element, the room becomes the most critical component, and here I of course mean in terms of mating or altering one component to address the strengths or weaknesses of another. I consider the room to be the most important component, and remain astounded by how few dealers or consumers ignore this simple and obvious fact.

In any event, all of the features I noted re the VR-2’s apply (tuning of the bass, rear firing tweeter, etc.). These are upgraded drivers, and have better time-alignment than the VR-2’s. Binding posts, spikes, and internal wiring are all first rate. Loading with lead shot is recommended, and rewarding.

The VR-4 jr. is not as large as one might guess when viewing photos, and therefore has a better WAF than you might think. There are myriad options for bi wiring, tri-wiring and, by way of one example, the ability to drive the lower drivers with high-powered SS amplification and the midrange and tweeter with tubes. In a phrase, they are highly versatile.

I tried many combinations, but found I obtained the best sound from bi-amping either with my Rouge M-120 Mono-blocks or the presently deployed Classe DR-15’s bridged monoblocks. Vertical and Horizontal bi-wiring did not make a significant enough of a difference to me, but of course to each his own…

So, do the 4jr.’s “blow the VR-2’s out of the water?” Well, in a word, yes. But are they the better value? I don’t think so. I think the VR-2’s stunningly win “best of class” where price determines class. The 4jr.’s are well worth the asking price, but they have a lot of competition, so I am NOT going to sit here and prattle-on about how they easily destroy all other $4k loudspeakers. Firstly, I have not heard ‘em all; secondly, a speaker such as this one needs to be carefully auditioned in order to determine if it is the suitable match for your front end and room, and given their strengths, more so than the VR-2’s. They are simply a high-rez version of the VR-2, coupled with a much-improved bass response.

Fit and finish are fine, the shipping crate is more secure for its purpose than a $4k coffin (I am not kidding!), and the owner’s manual is outrageously comprehensive (although for the visually oriented reader, some diagrams would be useful). Also, there are some dropped-off characters here and there that can be distracting (I imagine this has been corrected by now). But these are but minor quibbles and accolades; the amount of engineering and care in the design of this speaker ultimately separates it from many in the field – a visit to the von Schweikert website will make this point clearer.

It took friends of mine 6 months to talk me into trading up from the VR-2 to the VR-4jr. The improvements were obvious when I first fired them up, and once the drivers were well broken-in, it became clear that I should sell the VR-2’s. I am rewarded with an improved and now impressive bass response, sans subwoofers, and a faster, clearer presentation of the music. The imaging is as good as the VR-2 (which is to say they are first rate), and the quick response of the two bass drivers clears up my one objection about the VR-2’s. Couple this with a fairly well damped room (but not overly!), high-resolution front-end components, and you will be happy to have added the VR-4jr. to your short list. Always demand an in home audition or a 30 day return, and happy listening.

-Kurt Wolf

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Product Weakness:	Takes time to tune the bass and room response, but highly rewarding once properly executed.
Product Strengths:	Fast and articulate bass, high-resolution, excellent imaging and that magic von Schweikert midrange. Price is right.

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Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Classe DR-15' SS, Rogue M-120 tube
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	ARC SP-11 mkII, modified
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Gyro SE and Scheu (2 tables, three arms)
Speakers:	see system
Cables/Interconnects:	Synergistic Research
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	varied
Room Size (LxWxH):	22 x 14 x 8-10
Room Comments/Treatments:	Throw rugs, some bass traps
Time Period/Length of Audition:	6 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Dedicated 20A lines (2)
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition):	please see "systems" here in the AA.

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