Sound accuracy, top end, video shielding, size, looks.

Price

I auditioned the VR-M50's against every speaker that Good Guys had available (including the much more expensive Energy Veritas 2.1 and 2.2). The sound these speakers put out for their size is great; open up front soundstage (A good characteristic for a home theater speaker and I like the front row immediacy for music.), good bass considering their size, and outstanding top end. Boston does charge a premium for all this performance and the good looks, but it is a very fine speaker.

Similar Products Used:

Boston, AR

Clear,rich sound in a handsome, compact cabinet.

Base output inadequate for larger listening spaces.

The VR M50s work beautifully as front channel speakers for home theater and music. They can sound a bit muffled in a side-by-side comparison with B&Ws and other quality if slightly over-bright speakers. What you get with the Bostons is a rich, accurate sound that rewards long listening sessions with a clarity that does not fatigue the ears. That said, you will need a powered subwoofer to give base-heavy music and movie soundtracks proper impact.

Similar Products Used:

B&W

Imaging, Smooth high frequency response, natural midrange

At this price....NONE!

Having been the proud owner of a pair of Boston Acoustics CR-8's for two years I was alittle reluctant to upgrade
but being in lue of my tax return prompted me to at least go out a see what was available. I had already upgrated
every component in my system until all that was left of my first system was a pair of Audioquest Slate speaker
cables, a Boston Acoustics PV-600 Sub, and the CR-8's. I had seen a big improvement with all my other upgrades
(NAD C340 integrated amp, MSB Link DAC) and knowing that speakers have the biggest impact on the sound of a
system I set out to find the perfect pair of speakers for my system.

The first step was to do alot of research on the web, mostly on this site, audioasylum, and ecoustics. I was looking
for a speaker the threw up a good soundstage that was as netrual as possable within my budget of $800. From my
research I had narrowed my choices down to B&W 602, Paradigm Studio 20, and the VR-M50. Next I went out and auditioned all of the above mentioned speakers and any other speakers the dealers I was vistiing had in my price range.

So I set out. One dealer sold B&W and Boston and another sold B&W and Paradigm so I was not able to directly compare the Paradigm and Boston but I used the B&W as a reference to compare to. First I compaired the B&W and Paradigm. The B&W had a very meaty mid-range and seem to image very well (as well as I could tell in the dealers showroom) but it came up a little short compaired to the Paradigm Sudio 20's, but just by a hair. The Paradigms seemed to have a little better highs, albeit a little bright but I liked their high end extention alittle more. I also thought that the Paradigms midrange was a bit more neutral than the 602s which leaned more to the warm side. For the type of music I listen to (Classic Rock, Alternitive) the Paradigms were better. For classical I would give the nod to the B&Ws for their warm midrange and imaging.

Next up was the B&W 602 and the Boston VR-M50. I listened to the 602 for a few minutes just to reaffirm my first conclusion and also to give me a benchmark for comparision. Then I listened to the VR-M50s. By the way for comparison I used the song "Hey You" from Pink Floyd's "The Wall". About a minute into the song I knew these speakers were for me. I could hear Dave Gilmour's pick strike the strings on his acoustic guitar in the intro and a few measures into the song Nick Masons Cymbal ride came through with chilling accuracy. Cymbal crashs had the proper "Sssssss" sound,not the"SHhhhhh" sound that the B&Ws had and to a certain extent the Paradigms had. But when the guitar solo started and the rhythm guitar started to play the familar cords of "Another Brick in the Wall Part II" I plopped down my check card. These speakers filled the room better than any sub $1000 speaker I had ever heard without one hint of brightness. The midrange was very clear and clean ( a bit cleaner than the Paradigms). It passed the knuckel rapp test with flying colors and the binding posts seemed to be fairly heavy. I walked out of the store a happy man.

I have had the VR-M50s for a month and love them more every day. I had always thought that the CR-8 was the only speaker Boston made that could compete in it's price range, boy was I wrong! Go out and give them a listen, they may suprise you.

My System

NAD C340 integrated amp
MSB Link III DAC
NAD C520 CD player (transport)
Boston Acoustics VR-M50 Speakers
Boston Acoustics PV-600 Sub
MIT Terminator 4 ic
Straight Wire Encore II ic
Better Cables Ultra Digital Coax
Audioquest Slate Speaker Cable
Studio Tech Rack
Sanus Speaker Stands

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Studio 20, B&W 602, Boston Acoustics CR-8

Tone, clarity, appearance, size

Not a one...except the price (you get what you pay for, I guess)

I call myself a casual listener because I can't quote hz's or dB's and what not, and I think "audio enthusiast" sounds like a person who aspires to be an "audiophile" and audiophiles seem to me to be too technically interested in music and music devices and don't just listen and enjoy enough without analyzing it all to death. I'm just a normal hard working schmo that likes to kick back and hear some tunes or have the stereo cranked while I work on my car or busy myself with home projects.....anyway, take this review for what you will......
I cannot say enough about how impressed I am with these little babies. I looked at all of the brands listed above (and read reviews here on all of them) and nothing could hum a tune let alone sing like these little thugs. I wanted to like some of the other speakers more because of stellar reviews...but ears don't lie.
I could say that for their size they have an incredible amount of bass...but that would be misleading, they have a tremendous amount of bass for any size speaker. I wanted a tower speaker when I began my quest because I wanted a full sound without a sub for music. Every tower speaker fell short of my expectations (even powered)...anything that had a low end sounded muddy and fake. These Bostons have all the bass you'll need for music unless maybe if you are into rap. I listen to mostly heavy music and bands like Tool, White/Rob Zombie, Slayer, Metallica, Godsmack, Pantera, Motorhead, etc. tend to have plenty of low end grunt and these speakers don't even break a sweat. My fiance listens to dance music, techno and some country and she is amazed at how these speakers fill the room with sound, the clarity and the realism. The tone is very tight and crystal clear....every nuance is reproduced....nothing like hearing a little pick scrape from the guitarist, a stick hit by the drummer or voice fluctuations from the singer....everything takes on more of a "real" effect.
For home theater use however, a sub is a must. The low end required for explosions and rumblings are out of the range of these speakers. They are great for the rest of the sound effects and voices. This is not in anyway a shortcoming, these things are as perfect as any speaker can be (in my worthless opinion)....it's just not feasible to get a good home theater sound without a sub.
I had a set of Polks and returned them because of problems with the sub in the set and decided to look a little before I took another set home. While I liked the Polks and they were great for their price range, I wanted to get the best bang for the buck. These VR-M50's aren't cheap, but are worth every penny in improvement in sound quality and anything that sounds better cost a huge amount more and the cost does not justify the sound improvement. The VR-M60's were nice, but I didn't feel that the $200 price difference was justified and I felt that the sound wasn't as tight or natural sounding.
One other thing that caught me by surprise is that the VR-M50's disappear behind the sound. I don't know how to explain it but you can hear the general area where the sound is coming from (stereo effects obviously) but the sound doesn't seem to be coming from the speakers, it's like it is coming from all around them....very spacious and full. The tweeter and mid/woofer blend pefectly....just one filling sound...the way it should be.
Cosmetically...excellent. The cherry finish is the way to go...a speaker that deserves to be looked at and not just heard. I ended up going with the black ash finish, mostly because once I heard them, I had to have them and cherry would have caused me to wait. Actually, the black ash was a better choice for me since the cherry finish wouldn't have matched my decor (pine) and the black ash can always be passed off because "Hey, they are speakers, they are supposed to be black!" The black ash with the gray accents and top is quite attractive....and can be touched up with a marker if the unthinkable happens (three active dogs). The grills are a pleasant change from the normal rectangle design.
My setup.....
Yamaha RX-V100
Sony WEGA 27"
BA VR-M50 (front and rear....unbeatable for 6 channel stereo)
Memorex (yes, I'm embarrased to admit) passive sub (for now....until the Bostons are paid off)...not as bad as it sounds
No center for the moment....the VR-M50's serve well enough for now in "phantom" mode (will pick one up when I get the sub)
Sony DVP-S530D DVD
Sony B-55 DSS
Yamaha CDC-501 CD
Sony PS2 (game effects sound killer too)
Monster cables/interconnects and speaker selector
I can't think of much else to babble about. Just listen to them....amazing.

Similar Products Used:

Not all used but tested against....Polk, Paridigm, PSB, NHT, Mirage, Infinity, Def Techs.....

Dynamics; midrange; loudness capability for a small monitor; cabinet cosmetics

Ported bass can "chuff" a bit when very loud; Lynnfield tweeter reveals any poor component upstream; gold metal binding posts big but a bit lightweight.

Let me start by saying that these speakers were a real shock to me! I have always thought that Boston Acoustics build a nice sounding MID-FI speaker for the money, but these little VR-M50s took me by surprise.

I now use my audio system in conjunction with my video setup (no, I don't run my CD player through an AV receiver) and wanted to find a set of monitor speakers that would look good in my room and still provide a high-end sound. Since I had a pair of 25-tube monoblocs, I wanted to audition a set of the new Klipsch bookshelf speakers with the metal mid/woofer. The audio store that sells Klipsch also carries Boston Acoustics.

I went in with some familiar CDs and had the salesman set up a good CD player and amplifier (Krell) as a front end for the Klipsch. I thought the Klipsch sounded really good for the money. Then I noticed a really good looking small pair of monitors on the shelf in cherry wood. I asked the salesman what they were. He told me that they were a new speaker, the VR-M50, from Boston Acoustics and retailed for $700/pair. Since they were only $100 cheaper than the Klipsch, I asked him if they sounded good. He told me that they were the best sounding speakers (along with the VR-M60s) that he had in the room, which included floorstanding speakers that cost up to $2,500/pair.

I asked him to set the VR-M50s up for an A/B comparison with the Klipsch. I had him put on Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Couldn't Stand the Weather" CD.

As soon as the music began, my jaw dropped! These little monitors sounded very big and very natural. Bass was decent but a bit soft, as they use a ported bass reflex design. But the midrange…the midrange was glorious. And the treble was very detailed and natural. They use the top version of the Lynnfield tweeter, and I think it is probably the best sounding metal dome that I have heard; detail and echo decay are excellent. Soundstaging and imaging are also first rate. All instruments and voices retain a natural size, and the sound field spreads out naturally and backward with very little indication of speaker location.

The VR-M50 can also play very loud for a small speaker. I am feeding mine with a Counterpoint NPS200 hybrid amp rated at 100/200 watts, and I am running them full range. The speakers go extremely loud before any compression or strain is heard.

I could go on and on. Instead, I recommend that you listen to a pair for yourself. Access the Boston Acoustics web site (www.bostonacoustics.com) for more information on these wonderful speakers.

--john

Similar Products Used:

Epos ES-11, Thiel CS-1.5, Snell J/III, Monitor Audio MA-700.

Compact. Deep soundstage. Great mid-range and natural highs.
Seem efficient. Price. Sound great on DVD without center or back speakers.

Benefits from a sub.

I have been looking to replace my Magnepans. I wanted a small, compact speaker after living with the Maggies' intrusivness. My girlfriend wanted a home theater system but I did not want all kinds of speakers and wiring around. These speakers sounded terrific with DVD without all the center channel and rear channel crap.

Off and on for two years, I have listened to various products. Most compact speakers did not perform up to my expectations. Those I liked were out of my price range. Once I heard them, I knew the Maggies could finally go.

The Boston M50's have impressed me so far. I have had them for a short time, but I am very pleased.

I would recommend them to anyone who wants great sound but wants to simplify their audio array.

Similar Products Used:

Magnepan SMGa