Vandersteen 3A Sig vs. Von Schweikert VR4 Jr.

Just be sure you guys never have a shootout between the VMPS's and the Vandersteen's as it's no contest any way you want to listen to it. I like the Vandersteen's, don't get me wrong, but they have met their match by no small margin by a number of other companies speakers in their price range. Remember too that Richard Vandersteen's advertising budget per month is what some companies gross sales are too. Who's paying for that?

I USED to own VMPS- you're right it's no contest. Cdw57 also forgot to mention the endless fun with the putty and the pots.

Fsarc: Why would it be endless fun with putty and pots? If you hear well you can just set them up and forget it. Any speaker takes significant time to set up properly and VMPS speakers are probably the most difficult to do right and are not for beginners. The reward as many people have found out is some of the most accurate sound available. Richard Vandersteen also feels pots are a good idea as do I and makes me wonder why so many manufacturers leave them out considering the ambiguity of room acoustics. As a matter of fact Vandersteen set up is basically the same minus the mass loading of the woofer.
I think you guys took my stand on the Vandersteen's wrong. As I stated I do really like them and have recommended them. The guy I work for now owns my Vandersteens so I get to hear them from time to time. They are not as dynamic as many other speakers and will not convey a live performance as well to me. The 5A's I suspect are in another ball park but so is their price. My bottom line feeling though as there is no one speaker that fits all people's tastes and requirements. The Vandersteen's will not play loud without compressing. They are not as accurate as planars or electrostatics in my opinion. All the Maggie, Quad, Martin Logan, ESL, Soundlab and VMPS owners will agree I believe. You're trying to defy the laws of physics if you think a cone can keep up with a planar/electrostatic driver. In the bass is the only place. Then again there's alot of people who don't like planars. To each their own.

"They are not as dynamic as many other speakers and will not convey a live performance as well to me".

Fair enough as you added "to me". While I disagree, especially when you add "The Vandersteen's will not play loud without compressing", we are all entitled to our likes/dislikes. I know that I've played my 3A Sig's very loud with nothing but a big smile on my face! I heard nothing "compressed" at all.

"All the Maggie, Quad, Martin Logan, ESL, Soundlab and VMPS owners will agree" - and I'd bet "all" 5A owners, and a lot of 3A Sig (with subs added to keep cost comparable) would not agree, and not cause they don't like these others/planers - its cause they love their Vandersteens!

Thanx everyone. I'm going with the VR4Jrs.