VR-5 Anniversary VS Sasha

i have a pair of vr-9se's and the mids and highs are as good as any i've heard.
i won't comment on the bass driver (active) since it is really exceptional, but
VS speakers ALL go down very low as compared to the competition.
i don't know if the VR-5 will image quite as well as the wilson- they tend to throw a eerie 3d image (based on the WP-7's i heard). the sound seems to come out of nowhere/everywhere. but the big plus with von schweikert speakers are that they have a number of adjustments on the back which helps ALOT with equipment and room matching. after 2-3 weeks of fine tuning MY speakers i got a very satifying result. AND i did not need professional help either.
the finish on the VR-5 may not be "as nice" as the wilsons. one of the most prestigious points of owning a wilson speaker (IMHO) is that they are so close to "perfect" in that regard- one of the reasons (i believe) people will spend more for them.
SO as much as i love a mirror-finish i force myself to ignore that issue for the most part. the VR-9SE'S are NOT the most beautiful speaker on the block.
but i will put their sound quality up against the Alexandrias (which i HAVE heard).
and INSIDE the box, the drivers and crossovers are amongst the best available anywhere. and BTW, the Alexandrias can be somewhat overly complex/awkward looking themselves.
one other "issue" is that Von Schweikert doesn't spend money on ads in stereophile or absolute sound, so you might think they aren't as good as speakers that DO get reviewed on a regular basis. that would be a big mis-judgement.

I own the VR5 Annies and don't agree with your comment regarding the fit and finish. I find it quite beautiful and the VSA sound is much less fatiguing that ANY Wilson I have heard to date (WP7&8, Sasha and Sophia). The metal tweeter makes my ears bleed. A friend who owns both the annies and the VR9s said had he heard the VR5s before purchasing the 9s he may have stopped there. Apparently the new midrange in the VR9 MkII is the same one as in my annies and from all reports is not a subtle improvement.

I have had VS VR4 SR's and now VR5 Anniversary MK2 (see recent review a'gon). I strongly prefer them to the Wilson sound, just as detailed nut less fatiguing and more natural sounding.

where do you think Albert got his idea on the shape from?

Yes it is a great shape and led me to also listen to the similar shaped Wilson's before pulling the trigger on VS

I purchased an "upgraded" a pair of Von Schweikert vr-35's which are 8K retail and will say that they will compete with speakers in the 20K+ range and do it quite easily. They are very "musical', not sterile and overly detailed and have lots of the trickle down technology from Albert's more expensive models. My friend owns the Sashas and they are very nice in deed. Combined with his ARC 5 preamp they sound very very good. I personally prefer the silk dome tweeter to metal tweeters. I believe Von Schweikert speakers are a great bargain and out perform their competition across the board at comparable price points.

I use to own a pair of VR5 HSE and loved them. Have a friend currently running a pair of the Sasha's and I am familiar with the VR 5 model and it certainly competes if not betters the Wilson product as goods as it is. I looked seriously at the VR 5 model of about 4 yrs ago now when I was interested in upgrading my VR 5HSE and was a litle disappointed that they had increased the size of that model considerably. One of the real strengths of my VS model was its 9 by 16 by 42 in size yet amazing performace. I ended up going for a pair of B&W 800D which I felt offered even greater performace to price. I have such fond memories of the VS 5 product and as a previous comment indictated there is something spooky about the 3d effect and center image that the VS offers that is amazing. Albert is a wizard with a croosover design. Best wishes.

I have very happily owned a pair of VR5 HSE's for some years now, and have heard the Wilson Sophias at audio shows. I cannot speak for the current VR 5's or 9's, but I found the Wilson's to be undesirable and could not understand what the all the talk was about. They were screechy and way too forward. The true test of a speaker is long-term "liveability" (much like a wife) and my VR5's have stood the test of time.

Neal