F I N I S H E S


African Hazelwood


Dark Cherry


Sycamore


Ebony

 

 


"THE VANTAGE"
VR-5 SE

Reference Grade Speakers


Click to view Frequency response Graph for VR-5SE

Our VR-9SE has had a significant impact on the high end audio scene lately, prompting customers and dealers to demand an affordable version of this incredible speaker system. Priced at nearly the cost of a new Mercedes-Benz automobile, the VR-9SE is not for everyone, but its smaller brother, the VR-5SE, may be just right for you!

The VR-5SE utilizes the same 9” Magnesium-coned woofers, Aerogel midrange, Revelator Dual-ring tweeter, and crossover as the VR-9SE – the savings comes from the elimination of the powered 15” sub and the ribbon super tweeter. Naturally, the elimination of the powered sub results in the loss of bass power below 20Hz, but results in a significant size reduction -- can you live with bass that extends down to only 20 Hz?

Since our custom Dual-ring Revelator tweeter with Neo motor has a frequency response extending up to 70kHz, few people will miss the VR-9SE’s ribbon super tweeter.

What everyone will not miss is the incredible transparency of the VR-5SE – yes, VR-9SE territory …

Based on the legendary VR-4 design that has garnered 17 rave reviews world-wide over the past decade, you will notice that the VR-5SE shares the same Time-Aligned, phase-consistent enclosure design. Of course, we kept the famous stacking midrange/treble module and quasi-transmission line woofer loading, called legendary by various magazine reviewers. Where the VR-5SE differs is in the implementation of a cost-no-object lesson in engineering—no expense was spared on the hand-made European transducers, luxury crossover parts with Teflon capacitors, and the WBT Signature platinum plated binding posts.

As mentioned above, the VR-9SE was our “role model” for the VR-5SE in every aspect, and in a direct A/B comparison, sounds identical throughout the important midrange at only 1/3 of the price! If you have a small listening room (or even a small concert hall) and require a speaker system with the utmost transparency, dynamic range, and holographic image focus, you have found your speaker system. Available in four wood veneers, including African Hazelwood, Dark Red Cherry, Ebony, and Indonesian Sycamore; Steinway piano black finish also available. Learn why we say “Every Listening Session Will Not Soon Be Forgotten…..”

  VR-5SE Specifications  
 

~Hand-crafted in the U.S.A.~

 

System Type:

Dynamic-driver four-way system using a triple-chambered quasi-transmission line.



Size:  4Midrange/Tweeter (14"h x 11”w x 24"d). Woofer (29"h x 11"w x 24"d). System (44"h x 11"w x 24"d). 

Weight: Woofer module: 103 lbs. M/T module: 50 lbs. System: 153 lbs per side. With wood crate: 205 lbs.

Cabinet & Bracing: A two-inch thick front baffle provides exceptional vibration control and image solidity, while MDF interlocking braces provide rigidity and freedom from boxy colorations. Large spikes are included.
Woofer Tuning:  The hybrid design is composed of three separate chambers with a tuned vent at 20 Hz. The 4"-wide vent tube with 7” flare extends bass response without the "one note bass" problem found in other ported systems. Note that the bass response is user adjustable +/- 3dB for room compensation, see Owners Manual.

Decoupling System: The front and rear baffles as well as the top cap are separated and mechanically isolated from the main enclosure by industrial rubber adhesives. This eliminates the main source of resonance, which can color the sound in competing designs.

Binding Posts: Double sets of WBT Signature platinum plated binding posts from Germany, set up for biwire.
Driver Complement: 2-9" Magnesium-coned Excel woofers from Norway, 1-7” carbon Kevlar-cellulose Aerogel midrange driver from France, 1-1.5” silk dual concentric ring Scanspeak Revelator tweeter from Denmark, 1-1” rear firing ambience mid/tweeter with fabric dome and transmission-line loading from Denmark. All drivers use our proprietary Advanced Motor System with low distortion design.

Extreme-Duty Woofer: A magnesium cone with larger voice coil and magnet for extra power handling, extra clarity, and more bass impact.

Crossover: Classified crossover design and crossover points, optimized for flat off-axis response and phase consistency over a wide Global Axis. Very high quality parts are used from France, Germany, and the U.S., including V-Cap Teflon and Hovland film and foil capacitors, Solen film-foil capacitors, Solen Perfect-Lay
inductors, Goertz copper foil inductors, metal film resistors, and Analysis Plus internal wiring.


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: 20Hz-70 kHz, +/- 4 dB, 30Hz-30 kHz +/- 2 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 500 watts music power.

Sensitivity: 94 dB @ 1w/1m using 2.83V.

Warranty: Transferable ten-year Parts and Labor, excluding burned voice coils due to amp clipping.

Finishes: Available in four book-matched wood veneer finishes including African Hazelwood, Dark Red Cherry, Sycamore, and Ebony wood. Steinway Piano black finish also available, optional.
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AWARDS:
2006 Best New Speaker HiFi Magazine, Hong Kong, Awarded for the VR-9 SE, 2006 Gold Award, Tone Magazine, Australia 01/06 Awarded for the VR-4 JR, 2005 Most Wanted Component / Stereo Times, 2005 Editor's Best Buy Award / The Perfect Vision, 2005 Best Surround Sound at CES, 2005 Best room of CES/T.H.E Show for SACD Multichannel, 2005 Best Sound of Show T.H.E Show, 2004 Positive Feedback Online Writers' Choice Awards , 2004 Golden Eye Award, 2004 Most Recommended Component, 2004 Most Wanted Component, 2004 Best Sound of Show, 2004 Best Speakers, 2003 Editors Choice Best Buy, 2004 Best Compact Speaker System Awarded by Home Studio Magazine, Netherlands for the VR-4 JR, 2002 Best Surround Sound of The Show, 2002 Most Wanted Component, 2000 Most Realistic Speaker, 2000 Best Sound Of The Show, 2000 Top Quality Speaker Awarded by HiFi Video Test Magazine, Holland for the VR-7, 1998 Component Of The Year, 1997 Design and Engineering Award, 1997 Best Sound Of The Show, 1996 Best Sound Of The Show, 1995 Product Of The Year, 1993 Best Sound Of The Show.