The VR4 jr Loudspeaker System

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The VR-4jr is a two-piece stacking speaker system utilizing the world's finest cabinet design: a time-aligned, decoupled sat/sub for incredible tweeter, midrange, and woofer transparency, as well as unparalleled soundstage reproduction. Clarity is enhanced with custom-made Low-Distortion drivers with the best available Transparency Factor. The engineering target was to design a highly accurate, laboratory-grade system with the ability to be used as a professional reference monitor. Studios using VR-series include Sheffield Labs, Musical Fidelity Sound Labs, A&M Records (Herb Alpert), and Walt Disney Studios (Alan Menken, winner of 7 academy awards). Many recording engineers brought these speakers home, including Robert Harley, now editor of TAS, and Herb Alpert, creating an audiophile demand. A reference monitor must have wide bandwidth, low distortion/coloration, with convincing three dimensional depth and realistic sound staging. The VR-4jr is highly optimized for this use and is highly musical as well. Imaging and depth are state-of-the-art due to our proprietary Ambience Retrieval System and Global Axis Integration Network. "VR-4 " indicates a Virtual Reality design emphasizing four dimensions of sound reproduction:

The elegant book-matched wood veneer two-piece stacking cabinet is built to the highest level of professional build quality and includes a new bracing/damping system that enables incredible transparency and the total elimination of coloration. The cabinet walls are 1" thick and internally lined with thick acoustic felt. Twin shielded 7" poly-laminate mica-cellulose woofers reproduce the bottom octaves with authority and clarity, using a modified triple-chambered transmission-line to achieve response flat to 23Hz (-6dB @ 20Hz). Our hybrid bass loading system utilizes a specially damped 3" wide vent, front-mounted to allow close placement to a wall in small rooms without boom or coloration. Unquestionably the most impressive and compact 23Hz bass system available!

We have developed a shielded 7" composite cone midrange driver with incredibly flat frequency response and low distortion. The cone is fabricated from carbon and mica impregnated cellulose acetate pulp using a ceramic liquid binder, with a surface coating of polymer to damp the stored energy waves. This high tech composite cone has a remarkable Young's Modulus (ratio of stiffness to weight), allowing incredible transient speed up to 6,000 cycles per second without distortion of timbre or phase. This new midrange driver has greater clarity and dynamic range than our reference electrostatic speakers!

Our tweeter is possibly one of the world's finest drivers, with the highest level of clarity and detail combined with a very smooth, lush sound quality due to the Low Distortion Motor design. The diaphragm is composed of silk with three layers of proprietary polymer applied to the surface. This enables the tweeter to reproduce stunning detail without added harshness or "buzz" that untreated fabric produces. Magnetic shielding makes this tweeter perfect for music or film reproduction.

In order to duplicate the depth and air space of the concert hall, we have developed a dipolar rear mid/tweeter and ambience derivation circuit, complete with Dimension Control for effects level. This completes a 360-degree spatial image with virtual realism!

Specifications

System Type: Dynamic-driver four-way system using a triple-chambered transmission line and two-piece stacking enclosure system to eliminate resonance and ensure image focus.

Woofer Tuning:The triple-chambered transmission line is a hybrid design composed of three separate chambers coupled to the room by a tuned vent at 25 Hz. The chamber filling is acoustic foam and Dacron. The 3"-wide damped vent tube extends bass response without the "one note bass" problem found in other ported systems. Dynamic range is incredible due to the large amount of low frequency air movement.

Cabinet and Bracing: A one-inch thick front baffle provides exceptional vibration control and image solidity, while one-inch MDF fiberboard interlocking braces provide exceptional rigidity and freedom from boxy colorations. The internal damping consists of thick acoustic felt lining and Dacron stuffing to eliminate cavity resonances. Large carpet spikes are provided.

Size: Midrange/Tweeter (12.5"h x 8"w x 20"d). Woofer (25.25"h x 8"w x 20"d). System (38.5"h x 8"w x 20"d).

Weight: Woofer module: 52 lbs. M/T module: 26 lbs. System: 78 lbs. each (up to 128 lbs. each with lead shot).

Driver Complement: 2-7" mica-cellulose poly-laminate woofers, 1-7" carbon mica-cellulose poly-laminate midrange driver, 1-1" poly-tri-laminate silk-dome tweeter, 1-1" rear firing ambience mid/tweeter with fabric dome and transmission-line loading. All drivers use our proprietary Advanced Motor System with low distortion design.

Crossover: Acoustic fourth order, at 200 Hz and 2.2 kHz, optimized for flat off-axis response and phase consistency over a wide Global Axis. Very high quality parts are used, including film-foil capacitors and custom air-core inductors that can handle up to 1500 watts before saturation, with computer-optimized internal wire.

Binding Posts: Double sets of five-way rhodium posts enabling bi-wiring. Single wire can be used with optional Data Link connector.

Ambience Driver: 1" treated fabric dome with Wave Guide and transmission-line rear wave loading. Ambience circuit uses Dimensional Control (effects level) to compensate for room acoustics and soundstage depth. Provides a Global Axis polar response pattern to simulate live musical reproduction.

Frequency Response: 23-20 kHz, +/- 2 dB, 20 Hz-25 kHz -6 dB, (+/- 1dB at midband).

Impedance: 6 ohms avg. (4 ohms 20 Hz-150 Hz; 8 ohms 150 Hz-20 kHz).

Recommended Power: 20 watts up to 300 watts music power.

Sensitivity: 89 dB @ 1w/1m using 2.83 v (91.5 dB in room with boundary reinforcement).

Warranty: Ten years Parts and Labor, excluding burned voice coils due to amp clipping. Transferable to second owner.

Finishes: Available in four book-matched wood veneer finishes including African Hazelwood, Dark Red Cherry, Light Maple, and Black Ash. A satin-gloss polyester resin clear-coat protects the fine wood surfaces.

Price: $5,500