Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I recognize the anthousiastic reviews, sorry for my language i'm from the netherlands. These speakers have it all. Detail, 3d sound with depth and great soundstage. Bass is very warm en fast. In my small listening room the vr 5 gives not an resonance problem. I had alsoo the vr4jr mkI and this speaker gave too many bass, i was not nice to hear. The vr5 is much better. When i'm listening and i close my eyes, i see the recording studio before me and can imagine how the recording took place. In front and the middle the singer, drums behind and between them from the left and the right the other instruments. You'll forget that the music becomes out of the speakers. With the most other speakers, the music you hear that the music comes out of the speakers, the vr5 disappear compleet. There are many good speakers, also of much less price. But everyone has it's own demands and budget to spend. When you have the mony for a pair of vr5 mkII (second hand) it's the money worth. At the other hand for much less money you'll het also a good speaker and you hear still all the details. It's true, when you have an average good system, you must pay a lot of money for little improvement.

Strengths:
Coherent sound, 3d sound and warm creamy bass sound.

Weaknesses:
Price

Similar Products Used:
Audiolab Axis, Von Schweikert vr4jr, Pied piper super active, Translator Stylus One, Von Schweikert vr4 mkII

Price Paid:  $4750.00 from importer

Summary:
One of the best speakers i have ever heard. You must put in a great signal. It is very sensible for quality inputs. When you use average amplifiers and cables the sound will be average. But when you have a good match it sonds incredible.

The detail and imaging are great and the sound is delicated, very smooth and pleasant. In my livingroom it is a strong point that the bass is tight and fast, and not too loud and heavy.

Strengths:
Looks and finishing, super sound.

Weaknesses:
Price new is very high, especially abroad due to importcosts.

Similar Products Used:
Avalon Eidelon and Wilson Watt Puppy, Translator Stylus One

Price Paid:  $4700.00 from Internet

Summary:
I really wanted to like these speakers, they were bought over the internet based on on-line hype and reviews like this. What a disappointment! You can do much better for less money. These were sold, my next mains will be DIY, if they don't work out then its between Vandersteen and Legacy.

These are supposed to be coherent speakers, but compared to other time and phase aligned speakers these were lacking. I did have better results when the rear firing "ambience" tweeter was disabled, it really seemed to confuse the sound stage. The use of the metallic drivers gives the sound a harsh quality the bass was weak and tuby. The fabric tweeter produced soft muffled highs, horns never sounded right. I was concerned about the use of foam rubber used internally for dampening degrading over time. These speakers also had problems reproducing flugelhorns with any degree of believability. Very narrow "sweet spot", what little sound staging was there was quickly lost when moving your head just a little.

The cabinents are beautiful, the cherry finish is wonderful.
The Cardas binding posts are very nice and allow you to bi-wire.

System:
AI 3
DNA 2 Rev A
Rega Planet
DIY Turntable & DIY Tube phono stage
DIY Silver Teflon ICs
DIY Jon Risch Belden Dual-Coax bi-wire speaker cables
HSE VR5s

Strengths:
Cabinent, binding posts

Weaknesses:
Soundstage, highs, lows, materials

Similar Products Used:
Thiel, Dunlavy, Meadowlark, Vandersteen, Leagacy

Price Paid:  $8500.00 from Dealer

Summary:
The VR-5 with the Hovland Special Edition option is in my opinion unbeatable for the money. The accuracy and detail are amazing without that analytical sound. Bass response is incredible for a speaker having a relatively small "footprint". Tight and fast with no muddiness best describes the bass performance of these speakers. The mids and highs are silky smooth with no harshness or grain. They do require a good break in to sound their best. They are quite forgiving in terms of room placement as well. The quality of their construction and cabinet finish are world class.

I would like to add that Albert Von Schweikert is a true gentleman as well as being a "guru" when it comes to speaker design. He will take the time to explain his product and philosophy so that a potential customer can gain real insight into his speakers'design.

Seeing how good the VR-5's are I can only imagine what the VR-7's must be like!!

System:
McIntosh MC 352 Power Amp
McIntosh C-42 Preamp
Electrocompaniet EMC-1 with 24/192 Upgrade
PS Audio P300 Power Conditioner
Technics Turntable & Grado
Cardas Golden Cross Balanced XLR Interconnects
Analysis Plus Oval 9 Bi-Wired Speaker Cable
Von Schweikert VR-5 HSE

Strengths:
Soundstage, Imaging, Detail, Accuracy of Bass, Quality of Construction & Finish, Value

Weaknesses:
Significant break-in required - at least 200 hours. But this is often typical of a high quality speaker. Will reveal the weaknesses of your system and recordings!

Similar Products Used:
Energy, Monitor Audio, Polk, B&W, Linn.

Summary:
Wow! Real, organic MUSIC from my speakers! Didn't think that it was gonna happen with a digital front-end.

The previous couple reviews capture the listening experience accurately. Base accuracy/imaging with the VR-5 HSE was heretofore "unheard of"...heheh. And -that's available with just the VR-5 and woofer upgrade. Driver integration? Well, I haven't heard better- Wilsons, Dunlavy's can't hang. Forget my old Hales T5's...

My only gripe is my listening triangle is too small- 7'X7'X7'; 2ft from rear wall. I've heard 'em 9X9X9 and 5 feet from rear wall- they throw up an enormous soundstage for speakers of their size.

What an incredibly natural sounding speaker. I'll never return to metal midranges and tweeters. Or any other speaker manufacturer I've heard from to date, period. I really wanted the VR-7's, but no room for 'em. Some day soon :)

System:
VR-5 HSE

Audio Artisan DVD/CD (modified player, detailed analgue section)

VK50SE

VK150SE- 4-6 ohm taps: great bass control

all sortsa Shunyata stuff-2 KC V2's,3 Viper V2's, Hydra

Audience Au24 1 meter speaker wire w/jumpers (actually seems to sound better than external biwire)

Analysis Plus Silver Oval balanced IC's

Golden Sound cones, DH squares

Strengths:
VR-5 HSE- _all_ the drivers, cross-over tuning, internal wiring.... bigger magnesium woofers (7"), Hovland caps

Weaknesses:
Errr...