Help wanted choosing speakers and subwoofer

Check out von schweikert, they have some package deals that are pretty good www.vonschweikert.com. I run a complete package with VR4JRs as mains, and VR1s as rears and the matching center and sub. I am sure that using VR2s would be great. The Sunfire Ultimate receiver is a great choice in your price range for home theater.

In upgrading my speakers, I wanted to listen to a lot more music in multi-channel SACD and wanted more soundstage and imaging with matching and integration. I listened to a lot of speakers, B&W, Tannoy, Thiel, Sonus Faber, Monitor Audio, and Vandersteen. The second I heard the VSA, I knew it was what I was looking for. The 4JRs are awesome. I reconfigured my room around them and now listen mostly to 2 channel music. In reading other posts, you will see that VSA speakers are solid from top to bottom, which is an accurate perspective IMO. The system as a whole matches so well, that you really don't hear any speakers, it is just music or movie sound. That's what I was looking for and got.

The Sunfire is nice at its price point for HT since you get 200WPC power along with a lot of functionality. It sounds great for movies and does good for music, although I am thinking of leaving this as a HT and moving the 4JRs to a dedicated 2 channel set-up. In that case, I will likely go to the VR2s for the back-fill.

As far as how much I paid for the speakers, that is a good question, since it was a bundled price and all at once I got an upgraded BPT-2 power conditioner, BPT cords, as well as Analysis Plus interconnects, and speaker wire. I think it was very close to the package prices on the web-site which are an excellent value.

The dealer that I went to did not have the Vandy 3A, just the 2ce, which I did want to hear but did not have the opportunity. Both the 2ce and the Thiels (both 1.6 and big brother) sounded a bit dead to my ear, flat. The dealer where I listened was dumping Thiel, but they were not open to the details of why. The VSAs sounded so much more open with great soundstage as well as image detail. I thought for sure it was the room and equipment at the dealer but I was fortunae to get an in-home trial and it was the same there (I don't get as much depth since I have my tv and equipment just behind the speakers). The VSAs really have worked great for me. Really changed the way and what I listen to. I would add that tthe Sonus Faber GP Homes were close.