Listening
Two caveats are essential. My Talon Khorus X Mk II
reference speakers are far larger than the VR-4 jr and cost (at the time
they went out of production) over 4 times more. They are also pre-weighted,
tipping the scale at approx. 200 lbs.
Furthermore, my Khorus X Mk IIs have been upgraded
internally by adding very costly Bybee Quantum Purifiers to the positive and
negatives of all drivers. The effects of these Bybees, which include an
astounding reduction in the noise floor, are similar to what I heard when
external Bybee devices were temporarily added to one of Albert's larger
models (perhaps the VR-4 sr) at CES 2005. If Albert Von Schweikert were to
add a pair Bybee Quantum Purifiers to each driver in the VR-4 jr, the cost
of the speaker would increase by several thousands of dollars.
In order to write a fair review, I was thus required to
compensate for the difference in noise floor, speaker size, and
musical/visceral impact between Khorus X and VR 4-jr. This was no easy task.
Suffice it to say that, to the best of my ability, allowances have
been made.
I also note that speakers such as the VR-4 jr often
benefit from relatively close placement to rear and side walls. There are
basically no side walls within a second system's distance from each of my
speakers. Furthermore, placement closer to the rear wall than my Khorus Xs
are currently positioned was not possible. I am certain that, as good as
these speakers sounded Casa Bellecci-Serinus-Brown, they would sound even
better in other rooms where they could be placed closer to rear and side
walls.
Nonetheless, the VR-4 jr amazed me in several respects.
First and foremost, it receives high points for musicality. The music it
conveys is all of one piece, from the highest treble to deepest bass. There
is no sense of a hole in the sound, or one element of the sonic spectrum
predominating over another.
Secondly, thanks in no small part to the speaker's Rear
Ambience Driver, it does a wonderful job creating believable,
three-dimensional ambience. Voices and instruments have a lovely sense of
air around them, rendering the speaker a beautiful companion to tube
amplification. Furthermore, the adjustable Rear Ambience Driver allows one
to tune the speaker to the room with a minimum of hassle. (The instruction
manual counsels owners to position the speaker with the Rear Ambience Driver
turned entirely off, and to only begin adjusting it once optimal speaker
placement has been achieved).
While I have no way to validate the manual's claim,
"The VR Series is far more transparent than any other competing design,
including electrostatics," I did find that it lacks "audible coloration and
distortion." Listening with two enviably neutral sources of amplification,
the French-made Jadis DA-7 Luxe stereo amp and far less costly, Chinese-made
Genesis M60 valve monoblocks, I found minimal difference in timbre from my
reference speakers. With both amps, the VR-4 jr made beautiful music.
I listened to a wide variety of music on these
speakers. I was especially won over by smaller presentations: a chamber
ensemble of five playing Schubert's "Trout" Quintet (Hyperion), Elise
Lebec's solo piano, or the great freedom singer Holly Near performing with
relatively small accompaniment on her latest CD, Show Up
(Calico Tracks Music).
On small jazz ensemble, e.g. the trio of Bobo Stenson,
Anders Jormin, and Paul Motian on Goodbye
(ECM), the VR-4 jr sounded quite musical and all of a piece. I also greatly
enjoyed the voice of Karina Gauvin backed by chamber ensemble on
Canteloube's Songs of the Auvergne
(CBC Records).
When it came to larger ensemble, such as the Minnesota
Orchestra under Eiji Oue performing Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances
(Reference Recordings), I could not help noticing that bigger speakers are
unquestioningly capable of delivering a weightier, fuller, and more lifelike
presentation. But such speakers are usually driven by far more costly
amplification than that one would tend to mate with the $5500 VR 4 jr, and
are heard in bigger rooms than one might likely situate the VR-4 jr.
I spent awhile comparing the sound of the VR 4-jr
powered by the Jadis to its sound when paired with the considerably less
costly Genesis M60 monoblocks. The latter, which are slated for future
review, were a wonderful match for the VR 4 jr. Because you're never going
to get the fullest, weightiest sound out of these speakers, there is no
pressing reason to mate them with amplification that costs two or three
times their price.
It occurs to me that I haven't said a word about speed.
To be honest, I didn't even think of it until now. This VR-4 jr is so fast
on the draw that one doesn't even think of speed when listening to it. The
music is right there, as well it should be.
The only other speaker I've
heard of late whose cost is anywhere near the VR-4 jr's and that has
similarly impressed me is the Revel F32. Because I heard it under
entirely different circumstances, as part of a showroom system that included
a processor and very solid subwoofer, I have no idea how it would sound in
my room. I also don't know if it, like the VR-4 jr and the excellent Usher
line, is manufactured in China, where much lower manufacturing costs
contribute to lower retail pricing.
Conclusions
The VR-4 jr is an impressive loudspeaker. Far more than
the sum of its parts, its neutral timbre, abundance of air, impressive
frequency extension, seamless presentation, and speed are enviable for its
size and price. By all means give the VR-4 jr high consideration when
shopping for a full-range loudspeaker in its price range.
- Jason Victor Serinus -
Associated Equipment:
Digital Front End
Theta Gen VIII DAC/Preamp
Sony 707ES transport heavily modified by APL Hi-Fi
Amplification
Jadis DA-7 Luxe with GE 5751 Jan and Jan Philips 5814A tubes and cable from
Pierre Gabriel
Loudspeakers
Talon Khorus X speakers MK. II (with 2005 upgrade and Bybee filters)
Hsu VTF-3 HO Subwoofer
Cabling
Nordost Valhalla single-ended and balanced interconnects
Nordost Valhalla balanced digital interconnects
Nordost Valhalla bi-wired speaker cable
Nordost Bass-Line cable for subwoofer
Nordost Silver Shadow digital interconnect for DVD-Video
Nordost Valhalla Power Cables
Elrod EPS-2 Signature power cable for subwoofer
Power
ExactPower EP15A equipped with outlets from Sound Applications
Nordost Thor Power Distribution System
IsoClean fuses in most components
Dedicated 10 amp line
Analog
Clearaudio Emotion turntable with Satisfy arm
Benz MC-Gold phono cartridge
Classe 6 phono preamp
Accessories
Ganymede ball bearing supports
Michael Green Deluxe Ultrarack, Basic Racks and Corner Tunes
Echo Buster and Corner Busters
Shakti stones on amp, Theta, and transport
Shakti Holographic Stabilizers
Bedini Dual Beam Ultraclarifier, Audioprism CD Stoplight,
Marigo Signature 3-D Mat, Ayre demagnetizing CD.
Also on hand and sometimes used:
PS Audio P600 Power Plant power synthesizer with MultiWave II
Interconnects: WireWorld Gold Eclipse 5 and Gold Starlight 5 digital,
Harmonic Tech Magic One, Acoustic Zen Silver Reference II balanced, and
Nirvana BNC-terminated digital.
Power cables: Elrod EPS Signature 3 plus EPS 1, 2, and 3; WireWorld Silver
Electra 5, PS Audio X-treme Statement, Harmonic Tech, and AudioPrism
SuperNatural S2.
Room
24.5' deep, 21.4' wide in the listening area, 37' wide opposite the speakers
(extending from front door to rear of dining room through an 8.33' wide
archway opposite the right channel speaker. Ceilings are 9' high with heavy
wooden cross-beams each 17" in height. Curtains cover windows behind the
soundsystem. Floors are hardwood and carpet in front of the system, and
hardwood elsewhere. Walls in the living room are a combination of plaster
and wood, with a large granite fireplace in the rear. Dining room is all
plaster. There is minimal old version RoomTune and Echo buster treatment in
some corners, and either an Echo Buster or heavy tapestry at the two side
wall first order reflection points.