Best speakers around $130k?

@mozartfan - My friend's Von Schweikert VR-35 Export is a fantastic speaker with 1st order crossovers at 80 Hz and 6K Hz, essentially a full range driver (pair) with subwoofer and supertweeter.   With a McIntosh C20 and RM-9 pre and amp, it reproduces music lifelife, huge soundstage, open, perfect tonality and with tunefull bass slam.  It's a smaller version of the great Ultra 9 and 11.   Sold for $10K direct in 2011, would cost double today with really high quality drivers and parts.   MKII has even higher quality caps, cabling and additional dampening.  I've never heard horns that sound that complete and wonderful.  

 

fleschler1,384 posts 01-01-2022 6:37pm @mozartfan - My friend's Von Schweikert VR-35 Export is a fantastic speaker with 1st order crossovers at 80 Hz and 6K Hz, essentially a full range driver (pair) with subwoofer and supertweeter. With a McIntosh C20 and RM-9 pre and amp, it reproduces music lifelife, huge soundstage, open, perfect tonality and with tunefull bass ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You know some months back i came across the VS speakers here on audiogon, Surprised me, as its the one and ONLY commercial speaker that ,,if you can believe it,,, that held my attention. Let me look more into its makeup,,,you say it actually has some sort of FR/wide band as mid??? Here it is with the incredible super SET ~~Kronzilla~~~ not the best record/cam quality, but we get a hint

 

 

 

look, let me make a  feeble attempt to explain what i've been blabbing about these past 6 months or even longer. 

OK so the VS's have some sort of 3/4 way.

Tweeter , OK, I have 1 now about to add a  2nd

ck

FR, not sure about the VS FR driver. Sounds **ok**, but can't say for sure.

From the looks, its not on the same level as the DLVX8, which IMHO is based on the old legendary Coral Beta 8, which was the heir to EV and Jensen (I dont like Lowther, Fostex not sure, not heard the speaker).

And VS has dual 8 or 10 inch woofers.

I have none, 

So what I did was add another 6 FR to pad up the bass 60ish hz region, the DLVX 8 hits maybe 50hz, says 40hz on the specs, but I have no idea.

VS's dual 10's give  rock solid bass for hard hitting muisc.

I listen to soft,  classical, dont need dual woofers. 

All dual woofers is going to do is add ohms to the demand on the amp's power.

My Defy could handel a  woofer, but not with

dual FR + dual tweeters( 2nd T arriving this week)

8 ohms x 4 on a  8 watt 2A3PP , already with 3 8ohms the outs are warming up  a  bit. adding another T might take the lil DHT PP to its very limit.

AS I say my Defy could handle the VS .

But again, dual woofers have no use for my music and small rm parimeters.

The Duo FR + duo T's, will accomandate any size room, and any size amp, ,,well, if its a  flea watt amp, 1-5 watts, better have nice trans, nothing cheap like in my Yaqin 2A3 amp.

Lets take a  look at VS4 specs,, be right back......

 

 

 

well come to find out, Von Schweikert, dumped the 4 witha FR driver and has gone 100% all ACCUTON Ceramic drivers,,,,hummm game changer, usinga 5 or 6 inch ceramic as dedicated midrange.

That alone aint gonna fly with me.

My tech says avoid all/every midrange drivers.

I agree

2nd

4 ohms impedance.

Gotta be 8 or no deal

last but most critical importance. db sensitivity,,and the VS55's,,,,come in ,,LOW

88db sens.

I just dumped my Seas Thors(miserable 87 dbsens) as the shootout with a cheap chinese FR(90 db sens, Diatone, garbage) was bloody, the Thor went down EVEN before he had a chance to EVEN reach for his gun.

Bloody I tell you

If a speaker is not 92db sens on very lowest , and to 95db at the highest. I pretty much, in fact dismiss it.

My new tweet to avvive, Seas clone says 92db, if its really in real time 90db, its ok, tweeters can get a breat.

But never a tweet at 89db, = trash.

And yes I have the Jadis Defy, true 100 watts, can esaily drive a 4 ohm, low sens speaker with ease anda breeze.

But you lose finesse.

Higher sens speakers (92db+) sound better = higher fidelity. The Thors were in fact fidelity but at a lower level, 87db sens.

Speakers to qualityb for HIGH fidelity is not such a simple EQ.

THere are certain parimeters that have to be met, even before we can begin the evaluation on the actual voicing.

 

To evaluate a speakers level of fidelity,, its a not such a simple trask.

Although it does not take me long being in a speakers prescence to make a immediate call on if its worth the demo, = does the speaker actually havea ticket?

Or did it try to dona fancy cabinet, witha big name, highly promoted, well known, popular, famous even

None of these things concern me.

Just plop the speaker down, behind the curtain, I’ll tell you if it has flaws and what are the weaknesses to prevent it from being ~~~Classed~~ as a true ~~High Fidelity Speaker.

(Philips lingo back in 1980 on their fantastic 475 2 way, 473 3 ways, also the Grafyz SP10 has the same AD162 magical tweeter)

 

WE need standards, reference speakers.

WE need fair, unbiased, no snakeoil, straight shooting, TRUTHFUL , evalutaions and **opinions**. based on old seasoned experiences.

 

Good luck finding someone that will call the shot as the speaker REALLY sounds , w/o *bias* pun intentional.

The Thors qualify as such a reference, as do all Troels Gravesen speakers.

When it comes to speakers I show no mercy, no forgiveness. 

 

 

Besides, VS55 at $100k-$325K

states 

4 ohms. 

But lets guess the 4 drivers are all 8 phms a  piece.

8 ohms x 4 drivers  does not = 4 ohms, something less than 4, maybe 2-3 ohms

= not tube friendly, at least not a  SET or DHT PP.

VS's are for big ss amps. 

Lets all stay on the same page. 

and heavy. My DL Duo's , tops 30 lbs. 

VS's 55's  mids are not even going to come close to the DL Duo's. 

PLUSSSSS

Be Tweet,

My tech strongly advises I avoid the Beryllium dome tweeters.

The VR55 misses on every single point of consideration.

Yet read the reviews, **Stunning,, the best, UNREAL,, wowo factor off the charts,, MUST Have, ,,Beats my Wilson Reference,,,..,, competes with all speakers over the $100k tag......***