How would you desribe Von Schweiket VR-4jr sound?

Neutral is indeed an accurate description of the VR-4Jr. They're also extremely dynamic and disappear if they're set up correctly and are driven by the right equipment. There are speakers that have more air and more top extension, perhaps a more magical midrange and more slam in the bass, but at $4k they really are a bargain. And they're efficient, so you don't necessarily have to have a mega-watt amp to drive them.

The VR-4Jr. is probably the Honda Accord of the speaker world. They are tough to beat for the money.

Opalchip: This post sought opinions from people who have owned or auditioned the VR-4JR. Have you? Based on your comments I tend to doubt it. Also, a fair number of everything shows up on Audiogon. That's just the nature of this hobby and it means nothing. What do you own and what qualifies you as a judge of these or any speakers?

There are a few lessons to be learned here. The first is that not everyone is qualified to assess the accuracy of a speaker. It would be like me trying to judge poodles in a dog show. There would be a lot of unhappy dog owners -- and rightfully so.

Despite their good intentions, a lot of people simply don't have the trained ears or the points of reference to know whether a speaker (or entire system) is accurate. And if you fall into the camp that doesn't care if a speaker is accurate (i.e., it's all a matter of personal taste and what you like is what counts), that's fine, but I think the majority of audiophiles are in search of an accurate system. And accuracy isn't subjective.

I've owned lots of high-end speakers (amps, preamps, transports, processors and CD players, too), including Dunlavy SC-IV/A, Vandersteen 3A Signature, Quad 988, and the VR-4Jr. definitely holds its own against any of these. For example, it's far more revealing than the Vandersteen, which is a fine speaker, but no matter what I did, in my room at least, it couldn't approach the transparency and resolution of the Von Schweikert. And the VR-4Jr. offers better dynamics and bass extension than the 988. I can't say they're better -- or even as good -- as the SC-IV/A, but they're less than half the price and they don't get embarrassed by the big (and that's a problem) Dunlavy.

As for Opalchip's assertion that you can't judge a person's hearing by his/her equipment, on the contrary. I think it speaks volumes. If someone is slamming something, I want to know what he listens to. If it's Bose 901s and a Yamaha receiver, that's all I need to know. Also, like Kevziek, I'm a musician and studied for several years with a member of the Detroit Symphony. I know what live unamplified instruments are supposed to sound like.

The VR-4Jr. speakers are far from perfect, but they're mighty good at the $4k price point.