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Upgrade Von Schweikert VR-4 to Dunlavy SC-IV?

Greetings,

I own a pair of the original VR-4’s that I bought from Ambrosia A/V many moons ago. I had them mated with a Sumo Andromeda III for a long time, and they sounded sluggish, and lacked mid-bass impact and dynamics. I lived with them this way for 10 years. I recently bought a new amplifier (Parasound) which really livened up the VR-4’s, but they’re still not a speaker with the dynamics that I crave. I just contacted VR to see if they still offer the VR-4 to VR-5 upgrade, and unfortunately it is no longer available.

At the time I bought the VR-4’s, I auditioned the Dunlavy SC-IV’s, but I simply could not afford them at the time. I even visited the Dunlavy facility in Colorado Springs, and was mightily impressed with the effort that went into these speakers. I now have the opportunity to purchase a pair of the SC-IV’s at a reasonable price, so I’m thinking of “upgrading”.

I haven’t listened to the SC-IV’s in over 12 years, and never was able to compare them side-by-side, so I was wondering if any that has done so could give me a brief overview of the differences. While I like my VR-4’s, I would really like some marked improvement in the areas of dynamics and mid-bass “punch.” The VR-4’s sound too “studio,” and less “life-like” due to their lack of dynamic contrast, and I’m wondering if the SC-IV’s will fill that void.

Thanks!
seadweller
krell_man
827 posts
 
If you're talking about going to a pair of the original SC-IV's, my opinion is that you're not upgrading to anything life-like.

I owned a pair of the original Dunlavy SC-IV's (bought them when they first came out) for eight years. For the first three years they were on my stereo, for the last five they were on my HT.

I replaced them in the stereo system with a pair of B&W Silver Signature's. They didn't have the bass of course, but they were much more realistic and natural.

The SC-IV's will easily slap your chest with the bass, but the midrange is not as natural as many other speakers.
snook2's avatar
snook2
626 posts
 
I agree with Krell man on the transparency issue. They did make several up grades to help the situation. These are big speakers that sound their best in a fairly big room and placed on the short wall. If you don't have the room Tvad had a good idea to upgrade to the vr4 genIIIhse. A good idea
ejlif's avatar
ejlif
1,375 posts
 
Having owned the Dunlavy SCIVs for a few years and also now owning VS VR4SRs (4JRs before that) if it were me, I would upgrade to the 4Jrs. They are better in every respect than the Dunlavys in my opinion. The bass is rather disapointing for such huge boxes and they just aren't nearly as dynamic as the JRs either, plus if it matters they are a huge eyesore as well (sorry if you actually like the way they look) The JRs are just plain awesome speakers, I sold a pair of 20K speakers in favor of them. I did upgrade to the SRs, which are better, but for your dollar I think it's pretty hard to beat the JRs.
Post removed 
seadweller OP
55 posts
 
Everyone has really brought up some very valid points, and actually, opened my eyes....

I guess trading one 10 year old speaker for another 10 year old speaker is not going to move me forward in any way. Basically, I'll just be trading for another speaker that sounded different than my current VR-4's the day I bought them. I have to assume that technology has moved on!!

I bought the VR-4's for a reason; their captivating imaging and midrange qualities. I felt that was a fair tradeoff for their somewhat warm presentation and lack of "kick," but if Von Schweikert has maintained his design philosophy, how nice would my VR-4's sound if they were supercharged, with more dynamics and punch, all the while retaining the midrange qualities that give you goosebumps?

I'm going to take a step back and think about this before I jump. The SC-IV's are a really good deal price-wise, but how good is a deal if your enjoyment will be short-lived?

I'm sure I'd love the SC-IV's, even being 10 years old, because I liked them from the beginning, but again, if my VR-4's were "faster," and had more dynamics, I'd be set for life.

By the way, aside from the usual suspects (Aerial 10T for example), what other speakers are considered good competitors of the VR-4 Gen III? I don't recall every seeing a pair of these on the used market.
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