Soundscape Product Listing
Von Schweikert
"THE VIRTUOSO"
VR-4SR Mk II
Reference Grade Loudspeaker System
~Hand-crafted in the USA~
Retail Price: $12,000
(no extra charge for premium finishes)
Click to view Frequency response Graph for VR-4SR Mk II
The
VR-4SR Mk II is the fourth generation of the legendary VR-4 series. It is a
two-piece stacking speaker system utilizing the world's finest cabinet design:
a time-aligned, decoupled sat/sub for incredible tweeter, midrange, and woofer
transparency, as well as unparalleled soundstage reproduction. Clarity is enhanced
with Low-Distortion drivers with the best available Transparency Factor. The
engineering target was to design a highly accurate, laboratory-grade system
with the ability to be used as a professional reference monitor. Studios using
VR-series include Sheffield Labs, Musical Fidelity Sound Labs, A&M Records (Herb
Alpert), and Walt Disney Studios (Alan Menken, winner of 7 academy awards).
Many recording engineers brought these speakers home, including Robert Harley,
now editor of TAS, and Herb Alpert, creating an audiophile demand. A reference
monitor must have wide bandwidth, low distortion/coloration, with convincing
three dimensional depth and realistic sound staging. The VR-4SR Mk II is highly
optimized for this use and is highly musical as well. Imaging and depth are
state-of-the-art due to our proprietary Ambience Retrieval System tm and Global
Axis Integration Network. tm "VR-4" indicates a Virtual Reality design emphasizing
four dimensions of sound reproduction:
Amplitude: A speaker system used for reference monitoring must meet a +/- 1dB tolerance level; Phase: Consistent phase between drive units and slow rotation is desired; no out-of-phase drivers; Time: The drive units must be time coherent in the ear's sensitive 3ms range; Space: The speaker design must replicate a palpable three-dimensional sound stage with depth.
The
elegant book-matched wood veneer two-piece stacked cabinetry is built to the
highest level of professional build quality and includes a new bracing/damping
system that enables incredible transparency and the total elimination of coloration.
The baffle is 2" thick and all cabinet walls are 1" thick and internally lined
with thick acoustic felt and foam. Twin 8.5" aluminum woofers reproduce the
bottom octaves with authority and clarity, using a modified triple-chambered
transmission-line to achieve response flat to 20Hz. Our hybrid bass loading
system utilizes a 7" wide flared vent, front-mounted to allow close placement
to a wall in small rooms without boom or coloration. Unquestionably the most
impressive and dynamic 20Hz bass system available!
We have utilized a 7" composite cone midrange driver with incredibly flat frequency response and low distortion, the same driver that is also used in our flagship VR-11SE. The cone is fabricated from carbon and Kevlar impregnated cellulose acetate pulp, using a ceramic liquid binder, with a surface coating developed in the aerospace industry called Aerogel to damp the stored energy waves. This high tech composite cone has a remarkable Young's Modulus (ratio of stiffness to weight), allowing incredible transient speeds up to 6,000 cycles per second without distortion of timbre or phase. This new midrange driver has greater clarity and dynamic range than our reference electrostatic speakers!
Our tweeter is possibly one of the world's finest drivers, with the highest level of clarity and detail combined with a very smooth, lush sound quality due to the Low Distortion Motor design. The diaphragm is composed of silk and arranged in a dual concentric ring configuration with a clamping phase plug. This enables the tweeter to reproduce stunning detail without added harshness or distortion that typical dome tweeters exhibit.
In order to duplicate the depth and air space of the concert hall, we have developed a dipolar rear mid/tweeter and ambience derivation circuit complete with Dimension Control for effects level. This completes a 360-degree spatial image with virtual realism!
Specifications:
- System Type: Dynamic-driver four-way system using a triple-chambered transmission line and two-piece stacking enclosure system to eliminate resonance and ensure image focus.
- Cabinet and Bracing: A two-inch thick front baffle provides exceptional vibration control and image solidity, while one-inch MDF fiberboard interlocking braces provide exceptional rigidity and freedom from boxy colorations. The internal damping consists of thick acoustic felt and foam lining with Dacron stuffing to eliminate cavity resonances. Large carpet spikes are provided.
- Woofer Tuning: The triple-chambered transmission line is a hybrid design composed of three separate chambers coupled to the room by a tuned vent at 23 Hz. The chamber filling is acoustic foam and Dacron. The 4"-wide vent tube with 7" flare extends bass response without the "one note bass" problem found in other ported systems. Dynamic range is incredible due to the large amount of low frequency air movement.
- Size: Midrange/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: 97 lbs. M/T module: 53 lbs. System: 150 lbs. each.
- Driver Complement: 2-8.5" aluminum woofers from Norway, 1-7" carbon Kevlar-cellulose Aerogel midrange driver from France, 1-1.5" silk dual concentric ring 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.
- Crossover: Acoustic fourth order, at 190 Hz and 1.9 kHz, 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 Hovland film and foil capacitors, Solen film-foil capacitors, Solen perfect lay inductors, film-foil resistors, and Analysis Plus internal wiring.
- Binding Posts: Double sets of five-way rhodium posts enabling bi-wiring. Single wire can be used with optional Data Link connector.
- 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-25 kHz, +/- 3 dB, 18 Hz-40 kHz -6 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
- Sensitivity: 92 dB @ 1w/1m using 2.83V.
- Warranty: Ten years Parts and Labor, excluding burned voice coils due to amp clipping. Warranty is transferable to second owner.
- Finishes: Available in four book-matched wood veneers. Consisting of standard finish African Hazelwood and Dark Red Cherry. Sycamore and Ebony wood are also available as premium finish options. A satin-gloss polyester resin clear-coat protects the fine wood surfaces.
FINISHES
|
|
 Dark Cherry |
 Sycamore |
 Ebony |
Add
a pair of VR-2's & LCR 15 for a home theater system.
(download Von Schweikert's electronic brochure: click here)
Von Schweikert Audio
930 Armorlite Dr.
San Marcos, California 92069
Phone: (760) 410-1650 Fax: (760) 410-1655
All Prices are effective January 1, 2006
|
Product Name |
Model |
Link to Info |
Retail Price
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
VR-1 Stands only
|
VR-1 Stands only - $250
|
-
|
$250
|
Our Business Hours are:
Monday - Friday 11am to 7pm Pacific Time
Saturday 12pm to 5pm.
We are closed on Sunday!
About Von Schweikert Audio
Von Schweikert Audio was founded by legendary speaker designer Mr. Albert Von Schweikert. A CALTECH trained speaker designer with a focus in Electrical Engineering he has over four decades in speaker design and is widely regarded in the industry as one of the pre-eminent speaker designers in the world. Companies such as Disney, Steinway, A&M Records, Sheffield Sound Labs, Mobile Fidelity and JVC have all sought Mr. Von Schweikert for his expertise in superior speaker design.
As a kid, he built his first speakers from kits, and modified stock drivers. He studied violin and piano, played electric guitar and worked on Time Delay Spectrometry with the famed Richard Heyser at the California Institute of Technology. While at CALTECH in the 70's, he delved into computer-based development of speaker design and psycho-acoustics, where he gained new understandings of sound radiation and how this was perceived by the listening audience.
After he left CALTECH University he worked with numerous different audio companies and was responsible for quite a few, and sometimes very spectacular speaker designs. He was in charge of more than one hundred projects, and while many of them don't display his name, most were very well known companies. As one of the world’s most experienced speaker designers he's worked with Bose, JBL, ESS / Heil, Eggleston, Apogee, Cerwin Vega, Counterpoint, Jensen, NHT and many others.
In the mid 90’s Von Schweikert Research moved the whole operation from the West Coast to Watertown, New York. The business enjoyed strong growth there until in 1999 a large flood destroyed most of the company. Financially strong investors urged the company to move back to California where "Von Schweikert Audio“ – abbreviated as VSA – was founded.
VSA has speakers in current production that range from $1,000 to $150,000 and the current product line-up includes nine models: from the compact VR-1 up to the monstrous VR-11. Center and surround-speakers and also several subwoofers top off the line for home cinema lovers. With an expansive global dealer base, the company has been enjoying strong and continuous growth while still pioneering innovative new designs and technologies for accurate and realistic sound reproduction.
With over 30 industry awards and a veritable "Who's Who" of famous clients, Von Schweikert Audio is THE speaker of choice for those who demand the world's very best.
over the phone or by E-mail.
ORDERING ONLINE
click here!
ORDERING BY PHONE
If there is no authorized dealer in your area you can order directly from Soundscape with a 10-day, satisfaction, money-back guarantee.
US and Canada, 1-800-450-HIFI (1-800-450-4434)
Outside the US and Canada, (707) 578-4434
Monday - Friday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM (PST)
Fax: (707) 578-4436
Last Update: February 13, 2007
1044 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Phone/707-578-4434 or 800-450-HIFI
marcs@sonic.net
