Why the switch from Kharma/Tenor to DarTZeel/VSA

Great thread! Although every piece of equipment mentioned (including the Buick Regal!) is way out of my league(well maybe not the Buick) I have to say that If you can afford it...by all means knock your selves silly and compare as much as you can to get the best sound to your ears..at this level it all sounds great.albiet it must be partnered very carefully with the correct ancillary's to do them justice.But.. I have to love how Fmpnd so accurately stated it..Does it REALLY matter, if it's our money and it tickels our ears in the end! Maybe when my allimony is done and paid I can find one or two of you guys and invite myself over for a listen..I know it would be a treat! :) Ken

Hiya Frank,

I am not getting the VR-11's. I am getting the VR-9's which are half the price of the 11's, 2/3 the size, and use the same drivers. The 9's are what I was comparing the Midi's too. Yes, there are no 9's built yet but I am told by Kevin at VSA they use the same bass cabinets and are very simular in sound but that the 11's are for a much bigger room. They also use the Rives Audio room adaption. Not all VR-9 or 11's for that matter are going to former Kharma owners.

The Midi's with Enigma are now $47000 and if you want the diamond tweeter they are even more than the VR-9's at $62000.

I do notice that there are hardly ever any upper model VS's on the market but even before the recent interest in VSA I have noticed more than the usual Kharma's for sale. I do have the VR-4jr at home until the 9's arrive and I am quite impressed with these little guys and the best part is their price.

Anyway, I have heard the Kharma's top model Exquisites and I know it is unfair to compare them to say the VR-11's without the two of them being in the same room with the same electronics. Hopefully some reviewers will be able to do this in the near future. ;^)

Hey Mike!

I only have one slight caveat on your comment about the Kharma/Von Schweikert comparison:

VR-11s = $120,000

Kharma Midi Grand = $36,000 - 40,000

Do the math. The VR-11s BETTER be better for 3 times the price!!! This is like saying that I compared these two automobiles and that darn Mercedes SL 500 is better than that inferior Buick Regal. I know that when I sold the Midis and went to the Exquisites (also at 2-3 times the price), my sound improved in every parameter and justified my decision to buy them. However, I tried to resist the unfair comparison between the two for this very reason.

Hey guys, it is ALL personal preference. I have always liked and been very impressed with the Von Schweikerts I have heard and if Albert can do with the VR-9s and 11s what he's done at lower price points, they surely will be special. You must also realize that a NUMBER of VR-9s have been sold to the same people who own Kharmas by the same dealer that sold them the Kharmas and that they have not heard the VR-9s because there are no VR-9s even built yet. They have purchased either on the promise of the VR-9 garnered from the impressive twice the size and cost VR-11s (no problem with that) or from their trust in their dealer's judgment (no problem there either if he has done you right in the past).

The bottom line is that we are all chasing something - whether it's the best sound, the best deal or owning the trendy component du jour, does it REALLY matter? It is OUR money and we all have the right to chase what will make us happy for our money.

For me, I am always open to anything that betters my sound but, at least at this point, I don't see my speakers going anywhere for a while. But, as I know, things may change as I have been proven wrong too many times to mention.!! :-)

You're right Brian. It is about preferences and I am sure most dealers do have that dealer/customer dealer/manufacturer relationship. You have this relationship too don't you?

I am not saying the Kharma's are not great. They are but I liked what I heard from the VR-11's better. As far as the DartZeel, I liked what I hear from the Tenor compared to the Dart I had in my room even though the Dart is the best musical sounding solidstate amp I have heard.

Michael

AFAIK Metralla heard the VR-11s in Las Vegas (he said, "Based on my auditioning") as did I, and he and I got together several times during the show.

Most likely a matter of preferences as well as manufacturer/dealer and dealer/customer relationships. Some of this is verifiably true.

Brian

You both obviously have not heard the VR-11's. I am able to hear what the best my gear can put out. I had the reviewed pair of Kharma Midi Grands with Enigma that Frank P wrote in on Stereotimes. I find the Von Schweikert to my ears, compared to the Midi's, better in all areas and I know those Midi's are better than your Kharma's you are comparing the VS to Nrchy. Just my opinion though.

Metralla,

You're absolutely correct, as I omitted the line before (sorry Groucho):

"The-the other important
joke for me is one that's, uh, usually
attributed to Groucho Marx, but I think
it appears originally in Freud's wit and
its relation to the unconscious. "

Based on my auditioning, I agree with Nrchy.

By the way Thom_y, the original version of this pithy little saying was delivered by Groucho; Woodie knew which side his bread was buttered on, but he didn't bake that one.

Regards,

I can't imagine anyone going from a speaker of the quality of Kharma and then down-grading to a speaker as poor as the Von Schweikert!

They are switching because of a new amp. Some people have to buy what is new and shiny. Not to mention that maybe they get a discount to go on certain websites and proclaim product X is the greatest since sliced bread!!

JOhnny

I still have Tenor. I heard the VR-11 in San Marcos and thought the VR-9 would be a nice fit for me. There is still nothing better in digital so Emmlabs is still tops.