Von Schweikert VR-3 Floorstanding Speakers Reviews

Price Paid:  $860.00 from eBay

Summary:
Superb speakers! These were going cheap on eBay so I picked up a pair with the intention of re-selling them. Fired them up & I was blown away!. I didn't think I could do much better than my Stratus Gold i's (excellent speakers) but now the Gold's are sold & it's the VR-3's cranking out the tunes. It's been a long time since I put in a component & started hearing significant improvements in resolution. Usually the improvements, if any, have been incremental. The Gold's are no slouces in the resolution dept but the VR's are much better. How good? The best that I've heard from speakers under 5k. Most importantly it's what I would call "organic detail". No harshness, no added zing. Some speakers are prone to "highlighting" & a cymbal splash will sound like its in your face & 10' tall. Not with the VRs. Everything is in its proper perspective. However, resolution is not this speakers best quality. The holographic soundstage it throws is unbelievable. A rock solid 3-D image. If you've heard OHM Fs, you know what I'm talking about. The sweet spot is enormous. Midrange clarity is exceptional, however you must fill the mid/tweeter cavity with sand(as per owner's manual)to reach full potential. This is not an optional step, its mandatory for best sound. Although it's messy, the reward in focus & upper bass/mid clarity is well worth it. Bass is great too. Nice & tight with lots of it. A real surprise was with some organ cd's (rock the house, shake the floor types) in which the bass went down a few more registers than expected. I had been conditoned with previous speakers (all respected manufactures) that the bass went only so far and was never disappointed as they went down plenty, but then the VR's showed me where the bottom really is! The only item I can fault these for is the somewhat sloppy build quality. But its not something that you can immediately see since the grill cloth is not easily removable. If you do get them off you would see sloppily routered openings & glued joints that looked like they were troweled on. But, it is the sound, the sound, it is to die for & that's whats really important. Plus the exterior finish (grill cloth, cherry end caps) are fine, so it's only when you peek inside that you might be a little disappointed. In the scheme of things I view this as a very minor issue. Listening to these is an eye opening & gratifying experience. If you have a chance give them a listen. You'll be impressed.

Strengths:
Smooth honest midrange, refined highs & bass. Beyond belief soundstage. Can be played real loud without getting screechy & in your face.

Weaknesses:
A pain filling them with sand (an absolutely necessary step). Build quality could be better, but keep in mind the exterior finish is fine & the quality of components is good.

Similar Products Used:
PSB Stratus Gold i's, NHT 2.9s, Martin Logan Aerius

Price Paid:  $1500.00

Summary:
On the look out for a compact monitor, I compared the Von Schweikert VR1 with other models like the Totem 1. Actually I could not believe the sound coming out of those high quality mini monitors. Surprising bass, sweet highs and real mid's. To my ears the Vr1 was a bit more forward than the others and the sound really involved me with the music. It was difficult to keep the volume down. Expansive sound stage, no compression at the loudness I used them, good with classics, pop and jazz. Build quality is exemplary.

Strengths:
Overall sound, great tonality, lot's of air around instruments, large sound stage, fabtastic build.

Weaknesses:
I would have liked them to be even smaller

Similar Products Used:
Totem model 1

Price Paid:  $920.00 from Audiogon from SS

Summary:
The most telling attribute of this speaker is it's uncanny ability to reproduce organ music. I've listened up close and personal to the organ at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. and my experiences were almost identical.

Has a fairly wide zone for optimal listening pleasure with a very precise soundstage.

The intended audience for this speaker is anyone who enjoys music and can spare the room. Also, these are not the most beautiful speakers in the world. Ah, well, the world is not perfect.

Strengths:
Deep bass; clear highs; overall smoothness

Weaknesses:
Very large

Similar Products Used:
Vandersteen 2Ce sigs, Thiel 2.4s, B&W 804 Matrix

Price Paid:  $2000.00 from Sound II

Summary:
My VR3's now occupy the Home Theater setup's L/R front, having been replaced by Genesis VI's in the devoted listening (2 channel) room. In both locations the VR3 has been very satisfying; in fact their ability to produce tuneful and prodigious bass is a real benefit for theater surround use (I've never felt the need for a subwoofer). The VR3 does everything well - not "blow you away" level, but solid, musical performance in all the standard categories. Extended, non fatiguing highs? Yes. Smooth, clean midrange? Absolutely. Deep, musical bass? It's there in spades. They create a very credible soundstage with good width and depth, and the notes never appear to be sticking to the drivers or the enclosure. The VR3 is a much better speaker than the Sound Dynamics 300Ti (which wasn't as easy to live with over time), and a better "overall" performer than the Magnepan.

Strengths:
Good balance of strengths - robust bass, rich midrange, sufficiently extended highs, good soundstage width and depth

Weaknesses:
Not the prettiest speaker ever, but inoffensive. End cap vinyl covering lifts up. Check with your wife first.

Similar Products Used:
Genesis VI, Magnepan SMGs, Sound Dynamics 300Ti

Summary:
After using a pair for nearly a year I can say that they are indeed very good, but not perfect.
The good parts. Fabulous midrange, transients and dynamics.
The not so good parts. The quality of the bass is only average,
the timing can be confusing to my ears (brain really).
Overall Rating 4.