|
Review of VR-4 Gen II Mod-5
I had originally planned to write this review well into summer 2000. However, I have become dismayed of late at the number of former VR-4 and VR-4 Gen II owners trying to sell their speakers on the web. This review is aimed at them. For those of you who don't know as yet Von Schweikert Audio is back in business. Now located in El Cajon, CA (albertvonn@aol.com). In addition to two new speakers the VR-5 and the VR-7, Albert is also offering a upgrade for VR-4 owners to the new VR-5 standards. I understand Albert is about to put details of the mod up on his new website.
But here are the fundamental changes. All of the old drivers are removed and the latest inserted. This includes the SEAS silkdome Excel T25 for the main tweeter. It is a 'huge' improvement over the Vifa aluminum dome used in the past VR-4's. It's highs seem limitless with no ringing no matter how high the volume, and there is absolutely no listener fatigue any more. A Vifa silkdome - the same as used by top of the line Dunlavy's - is used for rear ambiance. The midrange is a 5.5 in Audax wonder made out of 'Aerogel'. I do not know the technicalities but it is a very stiff and light composition mimicking the natural sound of paper cones. The entire midrange-tweeter assembly is mounted in a new enclosure that is more inert than the old one and adds 15 pounds to the weight of the speakers.
The original woofer cones have been replaced by larger SEAS aluminum cones. Although I have not taken of the cloth grill to inspect them closely, they seem to be similar to the ones used by Joseph Audio. All these new drivers are integrated by a new crossover system utilizing high quality components including Solen and Hovland caps. Wiring is provided by Analysis Plus. All of the changes do not effect the outer dimensions, but it is quite a bit heavier! So how does all of this sound? I one word - Fantastic!!! This is not just a upgrade it is a completely new speaker! The advances in new driver technology the new crossover and Albert's magic touch have transformed an already good speaker into a landmark product! The price of the upgrade - $2,500 plus shipping - is a major investment for me, but well worth it.
When the modified speakers arrived in late March 2000 I put them through the break in process. The timing was just as well as I was grading papers at the end of the semester. I thought I would sneak down and grade while the speakers broke in. It was astonishing at how much improvement I could hear right off the bat! I was diligently working when track nine on Patsy Cline's Heartaches (MCAD 2065) - 'Wayward Wind' came on and I just had to stop. I have never before heard the sweetness and amazing huskiness of her voice on this particular track. It was painful to turn the system off and get back to grading my graduate student term papers.
For the past month I have - to borrow a well worn reviewer term - been literally rediscovering my CD collection. What am I hearing now from the Mod 5 that I did not hear before from the Gen II? The most apparent change is the creation of depth in the sound-stage. When I talked to Albert on the phone about the improvements, I must confess I was somewhat skeptical when he told me you could literally walk round the performers on the imaginary sound stage. He was not exaggerating! Microdynamics! Another area of phenomenal improvement. Subtle aural clues on recordings that seem to have been drowned out before are crystal clear now.
What about bass! You bet! Startling! The sheer speed of the aluminum woofer is astounding. It is hard to believe that Albert has actually improved on the tremendous bass performance of the Gen II's! I slapped on two of my favorite bass dics. The first is the astounding For Your Ears Only (Dorian XCD-90258) by the Proteus 7 Jazz ensemble. On the track 'Chase through the streets of Paris' by D'Lorenzo you can almost feel the big V-8 on the BMW's revving next to you! The obligatory crash literally shook the rafters! Ditto for Douglas Brown's 'Terrorists Attack'. The sheer speed of the bass attacks was gut wrenching! The second disc an old time favorite - Antal Dorati's interpretation of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture (Mercury 434-360.2)- utilizes actual cannon shots. I have never heard those shots recreated with such depth and precision even when used the disc in some highly touted demo rooms! Word of caution on amplification. I feel the mod-5 is even more current hungry than the Gen II's. My Electrocompaniet AW-180's were stretched to their limits during orchestral crescendos. Although the mod-5's are rated at a decent 90.5 db sensitivity they are 6 ohm nominal and may well dip to 3 ohm.But the speakers are exquisitely delicate too. With small music ensembles or individual performers the music is vivid! Three additional 'test' CD's of mine do a good job of enabling me to test the ability of a system to recreate the truth of instrumental timbres, the human voice and imaging. For instruments, I am most closely familiar with South Asian instruments and I rely of Ustad ali Khan's outstanding The Art of the Sarangi (KICC 5173). Here the maestro plays the Ragas Chandrakaum and Bhairavi on the revered Sarangi - a 36 string vertically held string instrument. Not only can one hear Ali Khan's fingernails dance on the strings, but the three larger animal gut strings also stand out! The rustle of Fazal Querishi's hands on the accompanying Tabla (hand drum) is electrifying! On Jai Uttal's Footprints (Triloka 183-2) all of the instruments - harmonium, bells, shakers, electric and midi-guitar, and the Tabla and Lakshmi Shankar's lilting voice all emerge in a clearly defined sound stage. Wow! I never thought my source player and amplifiers were capable of such illusion! Speaking of imaging and sound stage. On Vangelis's new age CD The City (Atalntic 782248-2) track 2 'the morning papers' follows a man getting his morning paper and coffee in a cafeteria. For the first time I could actually place the people in the recording - the customer the proprietor - and the falling of the change on the table was eerily there.
Recently I am enjoying the new soundtrack Cd from the movie Gladiators (Decca 289467094) by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard. Tracks three and fifteen 'the battle' and 'Elysium' encompass the sheer scale of this soundtrack. The first depicts Russel Crowes attack (as a Roman General) on the Germanic Tribesmen and the second the haunting melody of his dreams of his beloved family. From the raucous battle scene to the delicate dream sequence the VR-4 Gen II Mod-5 remained fluent and coherent. I was literally transported back to the movie hall! OK enough with the CD's.
I used to refer to the Gen II's as a poor man's Wilson WATT/Puppy. Not so with the Mod-5. No compromises here! It competes directly with the latest incarnation of the WATT 6/Puppy 6 and, in my opinion, even bests some vaunted designs from Thiel, B&W and Eggelston Works. Frankly if you are planning to upgrade from your VR-4's to a full range speaker system regardless of it's price! You should seriously consider this upgrade. For an additional $2,500 you will have the ultimate sleeper! To be quite honest I think the VR-4 mod-5 and the VR-5 will even give the VR-7 a run for it's money at $15,000! Furthermore I think that the mod-5 may be superior to the $6,000 VR-5. The latter is housed in a single, albeit, beautifully finished cabinet and it does not benefit from the separate housings of the Gen II.
To conclude, I think this upgrade is a give away in high end speakers today. I do not know for how long Albert and the gang in el Cajon can continue to offer this mod. Given the fact that their new speakers have been so well received. They will have their hands full! So get in line before this deal slips by!!! Highly recommended!!!
Pradeep Barua. NE
System:
Main - VR-4 Gen II Mod-5
Adcom GCD-750
Electrocompaniet 4.7 preamp
Electrocompaniet AW-180 Monoblocs
Secondary use - Naim CD-3.5, Flat-Cap
Naim NAIT-3 integrated, and Conrad Johnson CAV-50
|
