Coherence, excellent and accurate sound from top to considerable bottom, beautifully built (especially in African Hazelwood) with real wood veneers (no vinyl) and very high quality rhodium binding posts. Come shipped in velvet bags with frequency response measurements completed for each speaker before shipping...how cool is that?

Won't play the lowest octaves (what standmount at this price will?)

The previous reviewer nailed it. While shopping for new bedroom standmounts, I auditioned speakers ranging in price from $500-$1,800usd from notable manufacturers such as B&W, Paradigm, JM Lab, Monitor, Energy, Epos, DefTech, and Polk among others. After listening to the VR1's, it was obvious that this was like bringing a Howitzer to a knife fight; the VR1 competes with speakers costing 2 to 3 times it's price! There are very few speakers that possess the balance and coherence of the VR1's. This charactistic has been compared to 'stats and they aren't wrong. It has an uncanny off-axis response which allows it to simply envelop the room in a blanket of sound. Warm and full bodied are the best descriptors, but not in a smeared, fuzzy kind of way. The treble is very sweet, extended, and detailed but not fatiguing in any way. Mids are smooth and full of emotion while converging with the tweeter as if from the same cloth (a feature lacking in a number of other speakers such as the Veritas). The bass is more than most will ever need and is fast and accurate. While not as diligent as a CDM 1NT, the bass is far better than the Paradigm and JM Lab. Whether paired with either my PS Audio HCA2 or vintage Marantz 2230, the music simply pours forth and the speakers disappear. The highest compliment I can give any speaker is that they don't make the listener fall into the old "can't see the forest for the trees" syndrome: The VR1's compel you to become lost in the music instead of dissecting every little nuance. If you are shopping for new standmounts, regardless of price, the VR1's should be on your short list. If you are looking in the price range that I paid... well, they ARE the list.

Similar Products Used:

B&W CDM 1NT, 705, 602s3, Energy Veritas 2.1, Paradigm Studio 20v3, Monitor Gold, JM Lab 707 Chorus S, etc.

Detail, realistic sounding midrange, imaging, focus, sweet highs. Sufficient bass for most music.

Weak or nonexistant deep bass if you listen to alot of large scale classical music. But that can be fixed with a subwoofer.

I recently decided to downsize and simplify my system which consisted of BAT electronics and Avalon Arcus speakers. I sold all my BAT stuff and bought a Pathos integrated amp (HIGHLY recommended). Since the Pathos is small at 70 WPC, it didn't have the balls to drive the Avalon's with much authority. I decided to get rid of the Avalons and replace them with small efficient speakers that are a better match for the Pathos. I auditioned quite a few speakers in the $2.5 to $4.0K price range and then discovered the VR1 but didn't take it seriously but was a little curious. I was determined to spend at least $2500 since I believed that this is the minimum price at which you can get a truly high end monitor. The more recearch I did the more I became convinced to put my prejudices aside and give these little guys a try. What the heck, if I spend $1000 and I make a mistake, it's not the end of the world, right? The Avalon's went their merry way and UPS delivered the VR1's the same day. I plug 'em in to the Pathos and listen and was way disappointed. The sound was flat, too bright, lacking in luster and emotion and thin. The only saving grace was that there appeared to be more low level detail than I was used to in the Avalons. I decide at that point not to sell the VR1's and give 'em a chance to break in. After playing music continuously for about 48 hours, WOW, what a difference! Everything opened up to an amazing degree. All the negatives were completely gone. Tonality is first rate, imaging rivals the Avalon's with even better focus, dynamics are great, even more low level detail, extended bass, warm and sweet highs. I think the VR1 with the Pathos is synergy defined. The bottom line: You can't go wrong with the VR1. In my not so humble opinion, these speakers can compete with anything under about $4K and even come very close to the $7895 Arcus in the areas of audio performance that matter to me. It is important however to feed these with a quality source, qood amplifier and good cables. I think that they are revealing enough to sound horrible with inferior electronics. Don't let the price fool you, the VR1 is a serious speaker that demands proper setup with careful system matching. Highly Recommended.

Similar Products Used:

Avalon Arcus, Monitor Audio Studio 6, Snell CIII, auditioned Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor and Silverline SR17

Very good base for a small bookshelf. Midrange is also good. Vocals come out great! Clear but full sound.

Tweeter lacks sweetness. The high tone of a guitar string stops too fast instead of carrying the sound for a split second longer.

I spent a long time looking for a small shielded speaker under $1K and compared VR-1, Paradigm Studio 20 v3, Energy C3, and Phasetech PC1.1. I managed to get them all home and test them on my Denon PMA 750 integrated amp. The VR-1 stood out followed by the Energy C3. The VR-1 had an overall better and cleaner sound but C3 had nicer and sweeter high end. Then I decided to look higher ($$). In the store they carried the B&W 805, Macintosh, and the PSB M2. Spending the afternoon there comparing all three, I decided that the M2 is the best of the three. At $1700, the M2 was quite a step up but I was prepared to pay it if it really made a big difference. Comparing the VR-1 and the M2 at home on my system was interesting. Basically the M2 outclassed the VR-1 in all areas but not by much, except in the highs where the M2 was ahead by fair I went back and forth whether the difference was worth it. I decided to save my self $1K and buy the VR-1's. After a couple of months I must say that I like them but not love them.

Similar Products Used:

mentioned above.

Detailed highs, neutral mids with a touch of warth and deep, tight bass. Soundstage and imaging are superb.

None at this price point.

Everyone else has covered the strengths and weaknesses pretty well. Too me, the VR-1's sound almost exactly like Aerial Acoustics Model 6's with a touch more energy in the treble and more open sounding which is saying a lot for the VR-1's. It has very good bass for such a small monitor, but adding the VRS/1 sub is icing on the cake. Speakers-- VR1/VRS1 Amp-- Unison Research Unico Source-- Sony DVP-NS999-ES Cables-- Signal Cable

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm, Aerial Acoustics, Revel, Meadowlark, Joseph Audio, Theil, Sonus Faber, Vienna Acoustics

Delicious sound, accuracy, they are so well balanced that I cannot imagine using another speaker now. The factory stands are gorgeous as well, very heavy and easy on the eyes.

ZERO, NONE

I'm usually very long winded with reviews but I'm going to just say WOW. These speakers are stunning, they are absolutely gorgeous. Both in build quality and sound. I wouldn't even compare speakers costing twice to three times as much after to these they get broken in. They are just that good. They are lush, articulate, exceedingly accurate, and fill my large 2 story loft with beautiful sound. Delicious. I chose the African Hazelwood with the Von Schweikert stands, they are an excellent addition to my room. Don't think twice about these, they are the correct choice for anyone in this market.

Similar Products Used:

Snell, Swan, Epos, Meadowlark, etc...

Build, veneer, imaging, soundstage, overall presence, richness. I felt as if I was in the first five rows of a concert while listening to Nora Jones (DVD) and Natalie Merchant (CD) during my full demo this past weekend.

Limited veneer choices (Ideal WAF would have liked 30+ choices).

One word – WOW. No, on second thought, actually seven words I still utter constantly while listening to these little jewels – HOLY @%&*!, are those amazing or what! Bottom-line - beautiful looking and sounding speakers. My wife, who really could not care less about our home audio/theater setup other than making sure it works with her décor (very HIGH, frustrating, tight, constrained WAF I have to deal with (I think you get the idea)), actually LIKES the VR-1’s African Hazelwood color. First, a little history. My initial bookshelf speaker selection process requirements were as follows: a) Must fit the WAF requirement first and foremost; b) Must have received outstanding reviews from web sites such as audioholics.com, audioreview.com, user forums (hometheaterforum.com, avsforum.com) and other professional reviewer sites; and c) Must be considered mid- to high-end bookshelf speakers which provide the most bang-for-the-buck for both 2-channel music and home theater solutions while staying within a budget of ~$1k and not exceeding $1.5k. Unfortunately, the WAF right away ruled out any options from Ascend, ACI, Aperion, Energy, Onix (Ref 1), B&W, and VMPS just to name a few. So, as you can see, my options were extremely limited, which made me believe initially that my speaker quest would end in either a disappointing choice for me or force me to go back to the initial track (started 4 months ago) of choosing new in-wall speakers to replace the current “el-cheapo” Speakercraft in-walls that are currently in our house. (A side note for anyone who cares about my ranting so far, there are NO, I repeat NO, halfway decent choices out there for in-wall speakers unless you can afford the extra dollars for products from Triad, Atlantic Technology, etc. that offer an in-wall with an enclosed back. Open back in-walls, no matter the price, put simply: “Bite”.) We have a very open main area in our home (great room is open to both a kitchen and a dining room) which consists of all tile except for a 10x12 or so rug in the great room. So, needless to say, any speaker deemed “bright” by professional and consumer reviews was automatically tossed from consideration by me early in the process. My speaker hunt came to a finale between the VR-1’s and set of RBH 61-SE bookshelves. I was lucky enough to be able demo the VR-1’s and the RBH’s in my own environment. While the RBH’s were very nice sounding speakers and offered over 30 veneer finishes, (which made my wife initially very biased toward RBH since she could get an exact match to her furniture and wood colors with all of the choices), they really could not compete with the VR-1’s on imaging, soundstage nor overall presence. Once my wife made the one and only comment to me during the whole demo period that the VR-1’s were “richer” than the RBH’s, I knew we had a clear winner. Finally the most important goal was reached - It met the WAF. So, after 4 months of long nights researching internet sites, long weekends listening to speakers and associated sales pitches, and long spouse quarrels that probably should have ended in divorce, I can honestly say I have made a decision and I am extremely happy. VR-1’s – definitely two thumbs up.

Similar Products Used:

RBH, Boston Accoustics. Listened to various B&W's, Paradigm's (v.3 unfortunately limited to laminate finishes), Dynaudio.

Image, Clarity, sound great soft and loud, versatility, monitoring or listening, true fatihful. Mr. VonSchwiekert says that a speaker should serve the inverse function of a microphone. I think he's nailed it and transoformed philsophy into a abvious benefit: a realistic listening experience.

None: unless you want to nit pick for the sake of stroking your ego I'm not an audiophile and I doubt very few can truly lay claim to labling themselves as such. You would need an in depth knowledge of phsyics, loudspeaker and electronic engineering training as well as extensive musical training. How many people do you know really have all three? My point is people can talk about what they like and dont like and this is good to share but it stops there.

Dead On! I walked into the shop and heard this percussion ensemble. The imaging and clarity/accuracy was noticable off the bat. and this was standing to the side of the speakers. These speakers will catch your ears. When I sat and listened to them I knew that these speakers were the most life-like I ever heard. I'm a musicain first and when I listen I listen for how real the actaul characterisitcs of instrumnts are conveyed through equipment. these speakers get an A+. I've run them through Soild-State(Hafler P4000) and Tube (Jolida) with equally great results. Details, Details , Details and Imaging are so rewarding. I played everything on them from Classical to Jazz, to 60s and 70s rock. Dynamic Range is incredible: I played some Count Basie and the Dynamics of that orchestra, as many may know, are king: These speakers handled them so gracefully with power and finesse. I could go on and on but just go listen (bring recording you are very familiar with). I'm going to get the VR2s! I heard them and they are eqaullay as musical but with more lower end. For $2500 these VR2's are also worth every penny. Last word: When you listen to these speakers, they dissappear and the image is stunning.

ambience and detail, imaging, clarity, sounds big

may sound strained a little bit at high sound volumn

Everything in the Soundstage review is true. The sound is engaging,lively,sweet,clear. You can hear lots of reverberations. It has excellent tonal balance, great soundstage. The sound is not of the lay back type; it really grabs your attention because it has this resonant quality. Also buy the match stand, it is heavy and looks great!

Similar Products Used:

B&W 802III

Everything, whatever you play on them impresses.

Nothing that I have yet found considering price-per-performance level.

Having been a total advocate of the 'big-box' speaker system and formerly used to owning a pair of the Von Schweikert VR-4.5 silver anniversary's, to suddenly decide to try out a small monitor speaker was almost like trying to convince President Bush not to go to war! But along comes the new Von Schweikert VR-1 reference monitor to smack me right in the face and let me know how ignorant my opinion was on speaker systems. My former VR-4.5's were connected up to class A krell amps and Meridian digital front-end, which gave the most exquisite sound in every aspect. Now I am using a smaller system (space confines in my current residence), and have a pair of the VR-1's set up with the following equipment: Meridian 500 CD transport with an Audio Alchemy DAC-in-the-Box (currently looking to upgrade this with the Perpetual Technologies set up), Musical Fidelity X-A2 integrated amplifier used as pre-amp in to an Audiolab 8000P power amp. Cables all by IXOS at present. After numerous hours of listening to this set up I can honestly say that whatever I throw at the VR-1's they just hand right back to you in the most accurate manner. They do what can only be described as draw you in to the music, and before you know it, you have pulled out stacks of CD's to play and you have lot's of tidying up to do! Female vocals are just superb on these little gems, playing Loreena McKennitt's Mask and the Mirror just fills the room with the ambience of the backgorund electronics, but when Leena's voice drops in centre stage, it is perfectly placed and toned, so much so that the only thing missing is her breath on your face. David Sylvian's 'Blackwater' as re-issued on the 'Everything and Nothing double CD set is just nerve tingling real. Of course, that's the whole marketing ploy of VSA, 'Virtual Reality', hence the VR prefix's on their products, and boy do they portray a sound that puts you right in the live event. I can ramble on forever about these speakers, but all I can say is that they have not moved from my system since plaing them there on trial three-months ago. My only grievance, and this only exists because I have been used to large speaker systems, is that they do not quite drop low enough, but I fixed that with the insertion of the Von Schweikert VR-S/3 reference sub-woofer, which totally deserves it's own review and 5 out of 5 rating. This might be over some peoples budgets, but don't panic, VSA have done it again with the superbly matched VR-S/1 sub-woofer system that has been designed to slot right in with the VR-1's.

Similar Products Used:

VR-4.5'S, B&W 805's, ProAc,...too may to list!

soundstage sweet

none

Sounds super! plays every kind of music. With the right electronics and cables it's magic.

Similar Products Used:

Dynaudio, B&W, Xavian, several monitor speakers