Interested in buying this speaker, not sold on dealers only direct from VSA so can't audition it. Anybody own or listened to them? Please, your thought.
When you say that Albert can do a few upgrades, can you comment on what and did you upgrade yours? Just being curious. I've had the VR-35s now for maybe 5 months and after they broke in, I've been extremely pleased.
I highly recommend the Von Scweikert vr 35's. They are incredible and will compete with speakers 3-4 times there price. This is no joke. Albert can do a few upgrades and they are even better!!! I have heard many more expensive speakers (not all in my own home) and none have sounded as good. This includes many of the top brands.
In many ways I miss the Zu sound, but they were uglier, more intrusive in my living space and really difficult to set up right. I don't care how many people claim Zu speakers are easily setup--they're wrong, it takes a lot of time and effort. I spent 25% of my ownership trying to relocate the magic I had with my superflys after changing other variable sin the room. Inch by inch, days into weeks into months. It drove me nuts! That said, my system turned at least 4 Zu haters into believers, so maybethat time was well spent.
For the time being while I'm in my condo I'll probably continue using the very nice VR-33s. Down the road when this place sells I'll consider something like Druid Vs or Def 4s.
I ended up buying the vons, no thanks to this miserable thread, and they are very nice, lifestyle friendly speakers. They do most things right though.the imaging isnt as sharp as ive experienced, intentional design.goal, and I enjoy more lively macrodynamocs. Choosing the right amp.helps.greatly though.
Overall ill lrobay hold on to these speakers for several years and.im.a chronic.gear roller.
I own the vr 35s and they are simply amazing good, stunning is a better word. Albert makes a great speaker. Albert is a scientist, engineer and musician, he has all of the skill sets to know how a speaker should sound.
Ironic? Hardly. I reply to those who just cant get over the fact that what I said was no big deal and nothing to get worked up about. So I replied when a post is directed at me. This thread died but you just cant get over it so have your last word cause its obvious you need that. The thread went 1 week then nearly 2 weeks with not one reply somehow you just had to be heard about nothing, bravo. I still dont think VS as a company does anything special and I still dont care if you get pissy about it. Time to man up and get over it.
Kinda like you not letting go of this isnt your strong suit? I stand by what I said and if you cant handle that I suppose you will have to come to grips with it all.
Again I said I found Alberts speakers (in general and as a whole) to be IMO unremarkable. I didnt say they were bad I even said there is nothing wrong with them theres just nothing special about them. I figured this was long over but my name has been used again so I have the need and right to respond. I have read and participated in threads with far harsher statements then mine without this over the top reaction. Buy them if you like them, simple enough...right?
Glory, you missed the point, or at least my point. Chad has never heard the VR33 and said as much. Yet he still insisted on providing commentary on their sound. Jdoris posted a comment on 5/24 that he heard them and did not care for them. Not one person has posted refuting what Jdoris said about them in the three weeks since. You know why? He has heard the speaker, therefore his opinion is valid. That is what my point has been from the beginning.
Chadnliz - allow me to extend a little grace to you, as I can relate to a little agitation toward "certain" manufactures that make big claims yet have a mediocre product. But it would have been best if you would have stuffed a a sock it on this one. Nothing productive has come from your decision to post your 'feelings' and opinions.
I have owned VR4 Jr Mk II's, but never heard the 33's so I can't comment. The Jr's were decent when I had them, but since then I've come a long way and wouldn't go near them again. However, this is not related to a VR33 so I'll be quiet now.
FWIW, I heard the VR 33s at RMAF (they may have been in more than one room, can't remember which one). I definitely don't mean to slam the speaker, and they may be just right for some people, but at that time I was looking for a near wall design, and they did not stay on my list. (Short impression: perfectly nice, but for me, not maximally involving). YMMV, but I do think the StereoMojo review linked above is overblown, and similarly for VSA's claim of a "15k speaker for 4k." At 4k, you might want to shop around; to pick a random comparison, I'd favor the Gallo 3.5s.
Obviously, your opinion is your own, and matters more than the opinions of people who will never hear your rig. For instance, many regard the bigger Vandys like the 5as as excellent (an assessment that has been proclaimed as certain knowledge on this thread) but I also crossed them off my list after audition (Short impression: perfectly nice, but for me, not maximally involving).
The VSA home demo policy seems to me very fair, and I'd take a chance if I were intrigued: shipping costs, but so does travel to auditions that will tell you less.
Well since you asked I guess it would be rude not to respond, yes some wish I would go away. They are the ones who cant come to grips with me saying that theres is nothing wrong with VS speakers but I just never found them remarkable. So your right there are some but I have been here years and years, been in thousands of threads and can assure you have witnessed much harsher opinions countless times but these fans are a touchy bunch...just exactly why is a mystery.
Chad, I don't care one way or the other about the speaker(s) in question. I'm just reading this thread for entertainment. But don't you get the distinct impression that most of the people in this thread wished you would just go away?
was it something I said?.....smile cause its a great life when this trivial stuff bugs you so much. Back to life, I will check back in with your insults later!
The one thing you are right about is that this thread is only about a speaker. You seem to regard it as only being based on your opinion, and that noone else is as educated in the ways of audio as yourself. (I'm entitled to my opinion... WHAHHH!!!). Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Apparently there are several people on this thread that find you to be a tool. I agree. Don't "get your butt all puckered up" (your quote) about other's opinions as they seem to be well founded. It's just an opinion, it's not life and death, your mother or wife, etc. (more paraphrasing from the genius contributed to this thread) The thread was ready to drift away and you had to dig at the scab again. I personally couldn't give a hoot in hell about VS speakers and what others think about them. I don't own them and more than likely won't. However, I HAVE heard the model in question and certainly found it to be more than competitive in its price range and stated such. YOU have the time to post 14 times giving "expert" opinion on something you've never even heard. What a way cool life you lead. You're like listening to Arthur Fonzarelli. "I was wr, wr, wr, wr, wr, wr. Oh forget it, I was right, even though I was wr, wr, wr."
Your "way cool" life affords you the time to read my thousands of threads...so celebrate that and stop worrying so much about what and how I do things. Adopt a puppy, be a Big Brother, or whatever it takes to get me off your mind....its starting to feel akward. This is a thread about a speaker, not world peace, hunger, AIDS, war or anything like it...its about a box that makes noise, some like them and some just dont.....some even said about the company and his speakers "theres nothing wrong with them" (hell you got time....look it up). So lets chill out guy, your rage has me troubled.
Chad, I am glad your memory is intact. My original conclusion seems to be on the mark. I am glad that your own "way cool" life affords you the time to participate in so many threads. Very impressive. It is just too bad that a) you don't grasp the basic courtesies of this community, and b) you don't know or care if you have a meaningful basis to submit an opinion. Your inability to appreciate the reactions to your posts could be instructive for you, but it may require facts and thinking.
Yes in 5 years I have disovered so many great speakers it became obvious the VS speakers are unremarkable. But way cool life you lead trolling old threads lol.
Chad, as long as you lust to keep this alive, please further enrich our lives, is your memory failing or are you just over your head?
08-18-06: Chadnliz The Eminent Tech are di pole so that may create another problem in a already bright room, unless it can be pulled far into the room, they are also very power hungry, the most of the bunch. I have not heard the VonII, but have the IV jr and SR...great speakers....the Eminent Techs were pretty nice when I demeod them 2 years ago, great for the money. Chadnliz (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
Gopher, WE ARE taking speakers, don't ya get it, its a testosterone struggle of the fittest! It's always funny to me, these threads, honestly folks sometimes I think we take ourselves too seriously. Maybe we need to spend a bitta time with our "honey" before posting a strong rebuttal or making a point, give it time to relax a little, it might eliminate some of the horn ramming, silly indeed!
Sorry man, I'm not a message board warrior. I never went off on your opinion in the first place. I questioned it just like others, but I never said you were wrong about it or anything as I understand this hobby is purely subjective. Now I make a little comment about what the owner said and you say I act like a 4 year old and am petty and small minded. I just think that is a reach. Of course I'm going to say I don't care about your opinion at that point. On top of that, when you said they were unremarkable, you only heard them in a limited context. Again, of course your opinion is going to be disagreed with or questioned. But, I never said you were wrong about your opinion, how could I, it is yours. Like I said, All I was trying to do is get people talking about the the VSAs again not get into a pissing match.
It just sounded petty and somewhat small minded to take an owners word for it, maybe its true or maybe its marketing but you lapped it up so go with your gut. Just as you say "how dare I" you dont like it when I say that while his speakers are not bad I think they are unremarkable....I mean my gosh.....how dare I? When you afford yourself sarcasm for your opinion you might do well to do the same for others. But you seem to think your opinion matters and mine isnt to be paid attention. I will try not to trip over the double standard as I exit the room. cheers
Chadnliz, what is up with that? I'm not trying to get into the a pissing match. I'm sure you could care less, and most of us could care less for your opinion at this point too. The fact that you responded to my post the way you did say a lot about you. To take my little comment and turn it into a a chest thumping type thing? Geez. So sorry for being a VSA fan boy. How dare I post something positive about the VR 33s in a VSA thread.
Yeah, lets get thing on track. The VR 33 is VSA's best selling speaker. According to Albert, on one pair was returned after the audition period. So there must be a lot of happy owners out there.
"But ultimately they did not impress me at all. Sorry if that offends you"
Hi Arkio - I'm hardly offended but I certainly was curious under what circumstances you heard a midbass hump. I suppose if they weren't tuned in correctly this is most possible but I never experienced this, thats all. It DOES seem that this thread has gone a bit off track but it wasn't my intent to contribute to that. I really don't like threads that turn into "mine is better than yours" nonsense. This forum is to share information and ideas and mine was nothing more than an inquiry. The fact that there are many choices available to us all is a good thing and I'm happy that you're satisfied with your choice, happy listening!
Hi Tubegroover, I am not going to go into detail telling you about my various auditions of the Vandersteens and everything surrounding that and why I ultimately passed on them. As I think this thread has already derailed enough and its quite sad. Having folks come here to bash or give unsolicited negative opinions, on a VS thread no less, about how bad those speakers and the company are, with generalizations, even admitting they did not even listen to the speakers in question, speaks volumes about the posters. But back to the Vandies for a moment. I would have rather spent 17K rather than almost double for my speakers. As I really did want to like them, given good press and all. But ultimately they did not impress me at all. Sorry if that offends you. There were lots of things I did not like about them for their asking price, including the minor inconsequential things like their looks, (they are truly ugly IMO, especially for 17K), but others seem to like that plain jane look . The mid-bass hump was more like pronounced bass, overbloated and overdone. It was with various pieces of music, including vinyl. Maybe the setting on the bass amps were off but I heard that in various setups. I have a couple dealers here where I live that carry/carried Vandersteens, but the auxiliaries where I listened to them the most were all Macintosh equipment, the other place was a mish mash of equipment, but mostly Ayre. So maybe it was that, but I didnt think so at the time. I have been an audiophile for 20 years and I know what I hear. Again, sorry if that flies in the face of your experience . I would not have brought it up if not goaded by Stringreen. Maybe with setup and mix and matching of auxiliary equipment it would be better, and probably is, but I had heard enough at that point to turn me off altogether. I am sure the 7s are better, but at 45K they better be.
Stringreen My hearing is perfect. Perfect flat line at 0db on the audiogram, six years running. I get it checked yearly. Also I go to dozens of concerts yearly including many unplugged ones. I love all types of music. In fact I am going to see Blackfield next week should be awesome. It is funny tho how quickly you went on the defensive when I said something negative about your speakers. Someone famous once said you can dish it out but you cant take it. You should think about that before posting broad generalizations about anything, especially negative ones. Oh BTW, the comment that Chad made about you being a musician, as if that somehow entitles you to some special hearing ability is nonsense and does not make you an authority for anything, especially in what real music sounds like. I know quite a few musicians personally that are stone deaf because of all the playing they have done in their life and a acoustic guitar player or two that couldnt strum a chord cleanly if their life depended on it. Besides, most of my musician friends listen to pro gear that sounds absolutely NOTHING like your Vandersteens, and most musicians would probably not be caught dead listening to them. But hey, I am glad you derive pleasure from your speakers, and I have no doubt you have optimized them to your liking, but dont make judgment calls about what others listen to and like just because it doesnt fit into your small view of things/experiences. Also WGAS that Albert doesnt belong to some high and mighty audio fraternity, as if that has any bearing on quality of speakers the man designs.
Back to the music boys....Im done with this nonsense.
"There are also plenty of people who think Vandersteens are underperforming speakers."
Then again there are plenty that have put their money down, case in fact; the Model 2 has sold over 100K speakers during its run, something must be intrinsically right for that degree of success. My guess? Great full range performance for the price of admission. Maybe not preferable to some, I get that but underperforming? thats a stretch.
Again this comment in no way reflects on VS speakers.
The whole idea of these posts are to learn and offer opinions. The whole idea of high fidelity which is what we all deal with on these posts is the replication of music as it was performed in real life without editorial manipulation. I'm sure there are those who don't care for Vandersteen speakers just as there are those who don't like Porsches, Gulfstream airplanes, or the works of Beethoven. ...then there are those that know what they are talking about....
Your opinion is just that and you have a lot of nerve trying to tell ANYONE, unsolicited, how to LISTEN to anything. You do not qualify to give anyone such advice, nor do I. It doesn't matter what you do or how often you have participated or gone to "live events". There are many different types of "live evernt and one size does not fit all. There are also plenty of people who think Vandersteens are underperforming speakers. The advice to go to more live concerts, again unsolicited, is is just your own pompous opinion. I guess all those people who spend good money to sit in the orchestra section also don't know what they are doing either, right?
I have also met very friendly and ethical heads of many audiophile companies, and have in fact had a number of them in my listening room. It is obvious you have an issue with AVS, and your dislike for his speakers can't help but be colored by such animosity, IMO. I know AVS and we have had our differences, but I certainly wouldn't slam his speakers just because I got my feelings hurt... :-)
Arkio... You just proved that you don't know what real music sounds like. Vandersteens are universally acclaimed as not only being one of the best speakers in all their price ranges, but also a bargain at those ranges. I am not trying to reprimand you...I just think you should go to more live music concerts. I would offer a recommendation not to sit in the orchestra section (squashed dynamics, poor frequency response, no line of sight to the back of the orchestra), but the front of the first balcony provided there is no ceiling above you. As for Alberts speakers, I maintain that not only are they are not MY idea of what a speaker should be, but also that Albert himself does not belong in the company of the heads of many audiophile companys many of whom I have met and who are very friendly and ethical people.
I only heard a pair of VS4jr and can't comment on the VR33. The only thing I am commenting on is Arkio's comments on the Vandersteen 5A concerning the "midbass hump" he heard.
My question to you Arkio what were the circumstance you heard this and how familiar were you with the system in question? One of the things I always loved about the Vandersteen speakers in general from their Model 2-5 is their ability to NOT do that midbass hump which I hear in SO MANY speakers with aspirations for a true bottom end. I won't bash any speaker as an example but I find this to be very prevalent among many speakers I've listened to. The reason the Vandersteens DON't do this is one of the primary reasons these speakers have stood the test of time. I have no dog in this fight but I am intimately familiar with Vandersteen speakers and your comments in my mind can only be taken in a context that it was a brief listen in an unfamiliar system or the system was indeed not tuned in. I don't mean to hijack this thread but that comment really jumped out at me and I find it completely erroneous in my experience with these speakers.
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