Category: Speakers
Von Schweikert Audio: VR-5 HSE
Never in my audiophile lifetime have I found a product that completely exceeded all of my expectations and preconceptions--until now. The Von Schweikert VR-5 HSE speakers have virtually transformed my audio reality. In fact, if you didn’t already know, the V R stands for Virtual Reality which is exactly what they create.
I must admit I was not completely prepared for the addition of these speakers to my system. The VR-5’s have forced me to make some fundamental changes to my equipment rack. Not because the equipment was bad. It simply was not up to the task of letting the musical information flow, unaltered, to and through these uncannily revealing speakers.
As everyone knows the complete system is only as good as the speakers. In this case, the VR-5’s are so transparent and revealing that they let you see through the speaker all the way to the source. Not the source component - the source of the musical event itself. Anything and everything in the path between the event as recorded and the VR-5’s is going to alter your sonic view of the performance, anything and everything in the signal path; components, cables, tweaks, record engineering equipment, microphones, venue, whatever. I cannot stress this point enough. These speakers create a solid, tangible, physical image of the entire event. If your system is not up to this task: Beware! The VR-5’s will precisely pinpoint your systems inadequacies. Are they too revealing? Maybe too much of a good thing is still a good thing.
It has taken me over a year to write this review but it has been worth the wait. My two channel system had consisted of the Sony 777ES SACD (with and without a Monarchy Audio/Musical Fidelity jitter reduction/DAC combo), Adcom GFP-750 PreAmp, Rotel 1090 Stereo Amplifier, w/MIT and Alpha-Core/Goertz interconnects, MIT MH-750 Magnum speaker cables and finally Sonus Faber Grand Piano Concerto loudspeakers. After installing the VR-5’s in my system I immediately knew this was going to be a life changing experience. The potential was all there, the change was dramatic and distinct. The bar had been raised but was my system existing configuration up to the challenge? Yes and No.
I first started by reevaluating the amplifier. The Rotel RB-1090 stereo amp had been superb with the Sonus Grand Pianos but the VR-5’s HSE’s presented a much bigger challenge. They needed clean, accurate, abundant POWER without limits or concessions. After auditioning amps from Carver, Classe’ and Macintosh I tried a Bryston 14B-ST stereo amplifier. WOW! Now the Von Schwiekert’s could more easily breathe, they inhaled and exhaled, they came alive. Still, I wanted more and I knew the VR-5’s had more to give. They had briefly flashed the overload protection lights on the 14B’s during extremely loud and dynamic passages. The amp never clipped or switched off but it was nearing it’s limit. My local Bryston dealer recommended the new Bryston 7B-SST mono-blocks. When they arrived - lightning struck. I felt like Dr. Frankenstein. I had created an Audio Monster. A living, breathing, beautiful, musical entity.
After a few changes in interconnects, the addition of another set of MIT Magnums for bi-wiring, speaker positioning/repositioning and numerous small audiophile tweaks, the system came together, almost. I plan to upgrade the Adcom PreAmp, (my weakest link?) However, I feel that I am near enough to sonic perfection that I can now deliver an adequate and deserving review.
All I can say is: "You Must Hear This To Believe It!!!" This system is a living thing. Reality barely sounds better. Is it transparent? No. INVISIBLE! Open and airy? No. WIDE OPEN AND STRATOSPHERIC! Micro-dynamic and macro-dynamic? No. OUTSTANDING REPRODUCTION, FROM THE MOST MINISCULE, DELICATE RING TO THE MOST GIGANTIC, DEEPEST BOOM!!! TOTALLY BELIEVABLE SOUND!
These speakers are incredibly fast, uniquely accurate, and unbelievably dynamic. Each driver has it’s own unique voice; completely separate and distinct from the others. When music plays you can put your ear to each driver and seem to be listening to a separate and individual speaker. I have heard this phenomenon, to some extent, with other high-end speakers, but never to this degree or with this precision. As you move you ear away, the sound from the drivers blends together seamlessly and flawlessly. Albert Von Schweikert attributes this to the proprietary crossovers he has designed and integrated into this series of loudspeaker. It works--honestly and realistically.
Caution! What you put in is what you get out! If you play an inferior CD or LP that’s exactly what you’ll hear. INFERIOR SOUND!!! These speaker do not mask, they do not warm, they will not cover up; anything. They give you what is there to be heard, exactly as it was performed and recorded. Nothing more and definitely nothing less. When you play a superior CD or LP... You will hear SONIC SUPERIORITY! I guarantee you will listen to that recording over and over again. And when you play an outstanding recording... Be prepared to listen to it for days or weeks at a time!!! I have listened to some of my all-time great recordings on repeat play so many times that I now know every single note, every sound and each individual beat of music and when it ends; I play it again.
I have heard few speakers that can do this. Most speakers of that caliber are priced beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest few. And while the VR-5 HSE’s are not exactly cheap, they produce a sound that is so real in audio nature the cost seems almost inconsequential. They put the performance in your room. They virtually place you at the performance. Reality is yours to behold.
Okay, enough already. Go to the website (http://www.vonschweikert.com). Read the specs and reviews. Go and hear these speakers for yourself. See the superb fit and finish. Audition a pair in your system if at all possible.
Warning! Be prepared to meet the challenge. Make adjustments. Upgrade where necessary. Then Enjoy Virtual Reality.
Some music used for this review: Ray Brown Trio-Black Orpheus, Great Jazz Trio-Autumn Leaves (SACD), Jackie Mclean-Nature Boy, Ron Carter-Piccolo, Norah Jones-Come Away With Me, Jerry Goldsmith-The Film Music (London Symphony Orchestra) both (SACD) + Star Trek Nemesis Soundtrack, Hanz Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard-Gladiator Soundtrack.
Mark A. Barbour
[email protected]Associated gear Bryston 7B-SST Mono Amplifiers
Adcom GFP-750 Preamplifier
Sony SCD-777ES SACD Player
Rega P25 Turntable & Benz Micro M09 Cartridge
Musical Fidelity X-LP2 Dual Mono Phono Amp
MIT MH-750 Maugnum Speaker Cable
MIT Interconnects
Similar products Sonus Faber Grand Piano Concerto Loudspeakers
