Calling all Von Schweikert VR-9 owners


Guys:

Do you know what is an acceptable level of transformer buzz for the VR-9s? The speakers have huge, 1,000W digital amps in the bass cabinets, and I'm trying to get a handle on whether noise should be audible or not--and to what degree. My electricity checks out perfectly, so that's not the issue. I'm listening in the nearfield, and combined with the fact that the speakers are 96dB with the bass boost on, maybe those factors are causing the buzz to be audible--albeit slightly--from my chair (7'+ away from speakers). My room is very quiet, so maybe that's adding to the audibility. I pulled the amps last night, and put Lock-Tight on the transformer nut and silicone on the back plate, but the buzz is still audible, albeit MAYBE a touch lower in level. FWIW, when I put my hand to the back panel, I CANNOT feel any vibration. Can anyone comment or share their experiences? Thanks!
hooper
Andy,
I'm getting some left channel transformer hum audible at my chair 12 feet away. Other db99 owner's have told me their speakers are dead silent. Kevin at VSA told me I could send the transformers back to them but I'm going to ride this out for now....room is acoustically treated and the circuits and components aren't the problem. For what you paid, they should fly someone out to Michigan....I'd send this via your private email but don't seem to be able to connect that way.
Happy Holidays,
Larry K.
May I ask who your dealer was please?
It is true all products can be defective at any price point. Looking for a forum solution to an enduser problem with a $60K speaker makes me feel for you.

Rumney
I was just at the factory and saw vr-9's. they dont maufacture many and I bet they might not have replacements for yours on hand, contact the B&O comapny. Heres what I picked up while I was at the san marcos plant. http://home.comcast.net/~jtgale01/andys_room.htm
Thanks for the input, everyone. I'll contact B&O to see what they have to say, but I'm starting to think that the buzz is just normal transformer noise. I'm just over 7' away, and combined with the speaker's high sensitivity and my bat ears, maybe I'm being hypersensitive. And, Larry, I agree with you 110%--for what VSA charges, they SHOULD fly someone out. Even Kevin at VSA agrees with me. Thanks again, guys. Merry Christmas!
Hooper; are you describing an 'electrical buzz' (a kind of hum) or a 'vibration buzz' (something loose that rattles)?

i assume that you have turned off the subwoofer and the noise went away to isolate the noise to a subwoffer issue. btw, i get zero transformer noise unless i actually put my ear on the back plate. i'm sitting about 10 feet away (plus the depth of the speaker)....my room is dead quiet.

one of my VR9's did have that transformer nut you mention not fully torqued down; which i was not able to diagnose until i had resolved some other issues. at first i thought it may have been a bad subwoofer driver. i finally was able to play a 25hz tone continually and then push on the amplifier cover plate and the noise disappeared. so i disassembled the amp module, torqued down the bolt, and all has been perfect since.....and these speakers are regularly challenged with very low frequency music.

i would see if while playing a test tone that causes the noise, you push hard on that amp cover plate (which the transformer rests against) to see the effect. you may not have torqued down that nut a sufficient amount.

as you already know; it is quite easy to do this fix yourself.

one could criticize VSA but after seeing how much i needed to torque down the bolt to stop the vibration; it is understandable that it likely seemed to be ok at the factory. mine were fine for the first month or so.....and i was playing torture tracks 24/7 for breakin......in fact; i may have caused my problem by getting carried away with the break-in. i would never listen at anywhere like the volume i used at breakin for more than a brief moment.

Hooper's VR9's were within the first three or four sets built and mine were about the fifth set built.....so the feedback on these speakers was limited at that point.