Von Schweikert VR-6 or Wilson Audio Watt/Puppies 5


Dear friends,
I am on the second hand market for speakers with a budget of about $ 4-5 k. The shortest list I made puts a real dilemma: Von Schweikert VR 6 or Wilson Watt/Puppies 5,1. They will be driven by low power Push/Pull tube amplifier (Audio Note). Will be used mostly for rock and roll, pop, classic and jazz.
nikmilkov
Lrsky-
Your agenda is pretty clear and off point. There are literally hundreds of VSA customers that have had very positive experiences with Albert, including myself.

You sound like a dealer, but don't see any such disclosure. Now who is misleading? Before you slander a manufacturer on a public forum, you might consider the consequences of your self-serving statements.

I'm surprised the Audiogon censors even allowed your slanderous diatribe to get posted. Wow.
I was very interested of what Larry said so I investigated a bit in the forum. Larry is in the business indeed but I saw from his threads that in his CV he has experience of working for VSA. Perhaps the problem lies here.
Nik- I'm afraid the problem lies with Larry. If you investigate him a little further, you will find a long track record of less than honorable dealings with a number of people, including Thiel and VSA. I believe he worked for VSA for 3 months in late 2003, apparently long enough to alledgedly appropriate some speaker blueprints from them, which were never returned.

I don't know the man and I have nothing personally against him. But I too did a little bit of research.

What I found was not good at all, at least insofar as his dealings with VSA are concerned. After he was asked to leave VSA, Larry apparently started selling speakers derived from those blueprints above, under his own LSA label. That also didn't end well for Larry. This is from my brief research - I do not have first-hand knowledge of this and a number of other things I discovered, since I wasn't there.

Importantly, I would not have felt compelled to reveal any of this about Larry Staples had he not so viciously attacked my friend, AVS, in his post above. I too was curious and I'm speaking up again because of what I discovered, and to vouch for the integrity and honesty of AVS.
I have dealt with Albert over and over and he is a top notch guy who builds as good or better speaker than anyone out there. I have sent him money plenty of times and he always comes through and in a big way. Mr. Lrsky must have an agenda. Come clean and spill your guts sir instead of playing games.
This thread is funny.
Knowing that Albert Von Schweikert has multiple Audiogon pseudonyms and uses them to ask AND answer questions, I'm not sure if these last two, might not be some of his.
As a matter of fact, I will assure you that Fplanner2000 is one of those pseudonyms.
For the record:
The Customer in question was Mike Gorrell to be specific. The year was 2003, about the time I orchestrated the CES for AVS.
I was able to get 8 Manufacturers to put up $5K each and go into a Ballroom at the CES that year, for AVS.
He appointed me President Emeritus. No pay, but I was able to capture $40K for a room.
It was a good show.
Later, an old customer Mike Gorrell, wanted a great pair of loudspeakers. His father had passed away, he had inherited millions, and he asked me to intercede and procure a great pair.
Albert had made noises about creating the pair like he had shown at the Vegas Show. I ordered them for Mike.
We sent Albert $30K as I recall for a $60K pair of his latest and greatest.
He never supplied them...didn't even address the issue.
Mike, tragically died in early 2004 without ever having received the speakers.
Harry Pearson, the legendary writer for 'The Absolute Sound' knowing me somewhat, warned me of AVS. I kept asking him for some review or acknowledgement of AVS and he kept warning me of him. I didn't listen...was not ready to believe him. Sadly, it turned out to be true.
The world of Audio is strewn with honorable and not.
AVS is not worthy of receiving a deposit.
Cash and carry is the only way I'd buy from him...not that I would.
Good luck.