Maggie 1.6 vs Von Schweikert VR 4

Brett, watch out. This sort of thinking is just going to get you a permanent e-ticket ride on the endless merry go round of gear acquisition. In all seriousness, as a fellow 1.6 owner who spent an hour listening to the VR4's driven by a new Electrocompaniet cd player & Cary electronics in a mediocre listening room at a dealers, I'd say they are very fine speakers but I didn't feel the urge to lay down more coin for them. You get used to not hearing drivers in a box as a Maggie owner and I find myself very distracted by the sound of cabinets. Thats just my preference and prejudice. They did make me wish to hear them in a good room though. Personally, I found adding a subwoofer to my 1.6's provided the missing bit of bottom end and slam that I craved.

Those VR-4 are pretty cool, I demeod them a month or two ago along with Maggie 1.6 and 3.6, to me the Von was more exciting, the Maggie sound great but never made me excited, the Von however was pretty neat to hear and is alot easier on amps, they need to be out in room a few feet aswell to open up the rear tweeter. I guess I liked the Von better....no wait I DID like it better.

The Vons had a lot more bass energy. A little darker sounding. Yeah, I could see the excitement thing. You can get some of that sparkle back with the ribbons on the Magnepan 3.6/R, though. I actually went into the demo wanting to like the VR4 geniii, more, but in the end, I was drawn more to the planars. I thought the presenation was more natural.

For the missing bass, you might try an updated CDp with more bass slam. not a slam (pun not intended) on tube cdp, but that's something to consider. I know with my former Acoustats and now Magnepans, that my bass impact has been pretty dependant now how much bass impact is conveyed by both my front end and preamp. What is lost there cannot be regained downstream.

I'd try that first, or look at the sub option.

The vons will have more bass, but it's also a much different speaker.

Happy hunting.

OK, I am going to chime in. For more "slam" try more power. Byston makes great amps, you would be surprised at how much more slam you could get by moving up in the Byston's, to the next power level. I had a 14 SST with my Maggie 1.6Rs and I couldn't believe how much the lower end tightened. Also, adding the excellent Vandersteen 2wq (or older 2w actually), is a great way to augment the Maggies.

That said, I really like the Von S's as well. Great speaker, detailed, open, definitely more of a "Slam" factor. Try the Vandersteen 2ce Sig as well if you want to move away from Planars. Or a hybrid, such as the Innersounds (I like the older, rather than the newer models), or there are some very adament fans of the Eminent Technology speakers.

Good luck.

I have not heard the VR4's but I have Maggie 1.6's in a second system with a REL StormIII and they will ROCK. I'm driving them with a 300 watt SS Classe' amp in a 16x21 ft. room.