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 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.