Why did i buy new speakers?

why did i build a new room?

sometimes i wondered exactly WHY i did these things.

NOT ANYMORE!

for the last couple of hours i have been having a blast. the midrange and tweeters on the new speakers are not yet broken in.....BUT.....the bass is pretty much there. sooooooooo......i have the room and the speakers......it's was time to explore DEEEEEP BASS.

i have never been one to focus on a part of the music.......every part should serve the music.....but what the hell......if ya got a Ferrari.....why not try 200mph.

out came some stuff i've not really spent time with in the past....

Pomp & Pipes, RR #58
Organ Blaster Sampler, Michael Murray, Telarc CD-80277
Watermark, Enya (track 10)
She, Harry Connick (track 7)
Film & the BB's, (track 4)
The Hunter, Jennifer Warnes (Way Down Deep).

there had been some talk that the problem with the deep bass on the Kharma Exquisites had been too much bass trapping in my new room......WRONG!

i am getting below 15hz flat in my room, very even, articulate and tunefull. the room really supports low bass and the speakers integrate that bass performance wonderfully. this sets a new standard for me as far as bass performance.

on 'Joe Slam and the Spaceship' from 'She' and.......on 'Funhouse' from 'Flim and the BB's' the bass is deep, tight and flowing with lots of slam and control. there is a sense of effortless ease with everything.

i'm no Organ music expert but i now 'get it'......and can understand the attraction to it. there is a feeling of 'deeper meanings' with some of that music......it just sorta washes over you with power and majesty.

it's like i discovered a section of our hobby that had been hidden up to now......finally it all makes a little more sense.

sorry for the rambling but just got caught up with the music. i guess this could be considered a 'guilty pleasure'......i hope the music police don't get me.

mikelavigne May 23, 2005 01:09

those Black 'beauties' are owned by a local friend. my cherry Tenors will be returning from an upgrade in Montreal on Tuesday to join the DarTZeel in the fun.

the VR9's are not yet 'ready for prime time'......but they will be in a couple of weeks.

mikelavigne May 22, 2005 21:56

would love to hear the things now ! Will have to wait to hear your final review.

The Dart sure looks small and lonely there between the VR9's. Those custom black Tenor 300's (on sale on A'gon) would look awesome there ... for those Star War types.

thom_y May 22, 2005 21:07

System updated; finally was able to download some VR9 pictures.

mikelavigne May 22, 2005 15:05

Wow, very Darth Vader looking! The Dark Side flatters your room. Do you have some Sith music to play?

cjfrbw May 20, 2005 19:53

Very nice - they look much better than the silver-grey ones we saw at CES. Thanks for providing the snaps.

Regards,

metralla May 20, 2005 05:19

Blueguitar; i say this with all sincerety; i have yet to hear a more dynamically complete system than what i am now hearing. i have heard other systems that are in the same league dynamically but not beyond. the single DarTZeel seems to provide all that is asked of it.....my senses tell me i am at the top of the dynamic food chain.

that said, my brain tells me that two DarTZeels (or maybe 4 Tenor Monos) will go even further in terms of dynamics, signal purity, and sense of ease.

both MES and Hooper report benefits with a pair of DarTZeels......and my room is larger than either of theirs.

is one DarTZeel enough for the VR9?

you bet!

mikelavigne May 20, 2005 05:18

O.K. guys.....here are a few picture links.

VR9SE in black, without grill

pair of VR9SE's with grills

single VR9SE with grills

rear of VR9SE, note the jumpers hanging down to allow the Opus to connect near the floor

i tried to upload pictures into my page above but Audiogon's photo upload wasn't working.

BTW, the speaks are progressing nicely......

mikelavigne May 20, 2005 04:40

Mike,
they always show VR9 in bi amp mode.
Is it one Dartzeel amp good enough for your VR9s?

please post some picture to share with us.

Enjoy the music

Blueguitar

rubyjunior May 19, 2005 13:04

everything sounds great so far. really looking forward to the pics. one thing that is too bad is the grill mounting. such a small thing, but I'd like to see more speaker manufacturers using magnets hidden underneath the finish to hold the grills on. i love the look of a speaker minus grill, and most audiophiles listen w/o the grills. i just like the cleaner look without mounting holes. glad to hear that they at least blend in with the finish.

ericeash May 18, 2005 06:19

.
Mike,
.
I am happy for the way the VR9's seem to be shaping up. It's a great feeling to have that anticipation of one's system taking a nice jump forward.
.
Good luck and please keep us updated with as you roll through the break-in process.
.
Rgds,
Larry
.

cello May 17, 2005 23:13

additional note; i will try to post some pictures tomorrow night.

mikelavigne May 17, 2005 05:18

VR9SE update; as of 4 days and about 150 hours (they burned them in about 60 hours at the factory before shipping).

Eric---the Manufacturer recommends a minimum of 30 days/24 hours a day breakin at relatively high volume. even then the subwoofer will require another month or so to breakin.

first, a few things i have learned. the VR9's completely disappear sonically.....no boxy sound, the sound seems completely apart from the enclosures.....even with relatively raw drivers. the VR9's seem to seamlessly integrate.....they are very coherent.....as the woofers breakin i expect the mid-bass integration to even improve.

that immediacy and viceral intimacy i had missed from my previous smaller room is back......the VR9's don't even break a sweat while pressurizing the room and really pulling me into the energy of the music.....yet at low volumes are still quite dynamic and able to do the frequency extremes.

the bass performance is astonishing by any standards. the drivers are still very tight so bass texture is not where it will end up yet.......my Kharmas took 5-6 months to attain their final bass performance in terms of bass microdynamics and texture. every day i hear a little more definition in the bass.

although the Kharma's are a more artisitic design than the VR9's.....in the black color the VR9 is a better speaker in my room as far as scale and mass.....it looks like it belongs. the whole feel of the speaker and it's sound seems to 'fit' right and sound 'correct' in the room.....i am happier than i expected to be with the 'look'. i must also say the that the build quality is about perfect.....the finish is flawless (as it should be for a $60k speaker) and the grills integrate perfectly but in the Piano Black color you don't see all the little 'grill mounting holes'.

are they as good at clarity and detail as the Kharma Midi Exquisites?

incomplete answer at best. if i were to predict my answer.....it would be that i will consider them equal but different when all is said and done in these two areas. it will come down to the different sound of the different drivers......the ceramic mid-range of the Kharma has more of a shimmer and hightened perception of texture and detail.....which i am use to and love.......but......the Aerogel mid-range driver of the VR9 is smoother and more closely resembles the real world. both seem to be equally open and un-veiled.

the Kharma mid-range is percieved by some to have a slight 'brightness' compared to neutral.......the VR9 mids are in contrast less detailed but maybe more neutral.

again, the tweeters are quite different......the Kharma's Diamond Tweeter seemed to have a prominence when i first tried it with the DarTZeel......as the Dart broke in the prominence was considerably reduced.....but there are no other ss amps that are as smooth as the Dart.......the tweeters (all three) on the VR9's are still kinda 'all-over-the-place'......but.....i have had brief views of tweeter heaven.

these views are kinda stabbs at this point based on my listening so far.......i reserve the right to change my mind as these beasts break-in.

at this point the speaker is a little different every time i listen. you have 6 drivers breaking in and lots of adjustments going on.....so far this speaker has a good chance to meet or exceed my highest expectations......but only time will tell.

mikelavigne May 17, 2005 05:15

congrats mike! and i think Wow! and holy shit are a great first impression :) can't wait for some new pics and some thoughts after break in. what does the manuf. recommend for break in?

eric

ericeash May 13, 2005 10:43

Congrats on the latest acquisition, Mike. I'm certain the VR9s will be quite the adornment to an already handsome room. Can't wait to see some new photos.

scagneti May 13, 2005 10:28

very preliminary first impression....

WOW!......followed by.....holy shit!

i know.....it's all the placebo effect.

i will stay away from any snap judgements or 'pronoucements' for now.....if i can just get this 'shit-eat'n grin' off my face i can get to bed.

mikelavigne May 13, 2005 07:20

Hey congrats Mike, they finally made it!! I know the VR9s will sound fantastic. Everytime I listen over at Hoopers place I still get an ear to ear grin. Happy listening!
-Dan

dlwask May 13, 2005 00:45

soooo.....i went home at lunch and met the delivery truck....assisted getting the '500 pound' crates into my room.

it took about an hour to disassemble the crates....install the integral ramp system.....roll the speakers out onto my floor, remove the protective packaging.....and see that they actually fit rather nicely into the aesthetic of my room.

alas...duty calls...back to the salt mines.....at least knowing that the beasties are there ready and waiting for later....all unpacked and looking mean as hell.

mikelavigne May 12, 2005 21:13

well, I trust your "aurial memeory". another words if two speaker's performance are so close that you can't tell the difference unless you side by side, then I will say it comes to personal preference other than quality of the music. wish you the best.

I am still interested in what you think of VR9 VS Midi Exquisite.

enjoy the music.

blueguitar

rubyjunior May 12, 2005 18:40

Albert, thanks. yes, i do expect that the VR9'will be at home in my room.

Greg, thanks for the feedback from the NY show.

Blue, yes...the (my) VR9's are on a truck in Seattle and will be delivered sometime today.

some slightly bad news; i had to pack up the Midi Exquisites last night and they are awaiting pick-up today for delivery to a buyer. it would have been preferrable to have them both at the same time but listened to the Midi's last night and i'll listen to the (not broken in at all) VR9's tonite in the same room. i trust my aurial memeory at least that much for comparitive purposes.

hard for me to complain much.....i've had a pair of $75k SOTA loaners for 4 months...my dealer has been more than fair with me.

a head to head shootout with both after breakin of the VR9's would have been fun though.......

mikelavigne May 12, 2005 14:26

Hi Mike
will you get your VR9 tomorrow? Im sure it's long wait for you. please post some pictures to share with us.

enjoy the music.
let us know how you like it compare to the Kharma Midi exquisite.
Regards
Blueguitar

rubyjunior May 12, 2005 02:33

Mike, just based on a short listen at the NYC show, I give the vr9 my highest rating as a truly nuetral transducer. While hanging around the hotel room someone commented on the small room. they claimed to have chosen a small room "on purpose." That I doubt. This was to demonstrate the speakers could shine in a small room. Wrong! Happy listening!

gregadd May 09, 2005 20:38

atlien, i am a working guy.....i manage (not own) a medium size retail company (car dealership). i work 55+ hours/6 days a week. i have been with the same company for 24 years.

one reason i am an audiophile is that it works well with my job; i can listen at night or whenever.....i don't need big blocks of time.....and it also offers great stress relief.

it has taken 10 years of purchasing to put together my gear....most of my upgrading has been 'revenue neutral' for the last 5 years or so. the room project was budgeted into my recent home purchase (but THAT budget was well blown).

many audiophiles have more financial resources than myself but have decided not to devote as much ($$$'s) to the hobby. don't confuse an expensive system with financial stability.....they are two different things.

my wife has been amazingly understanding.....i just tell her that my investment in the hobby only means i'll be working a few more years (than i would otherwise have to) before i can retire (at a similar lifestyle). those kind of decisions are very personal and many would not agree with my choice.

when i proposed the new room project i promised my wife i would be revenue neutral for a few years......so far i have kept my word for 2 years.

i once asked Andy Payor (of Rockport) about his typical customer for his Sirius III tt......surprisingly he told me it was guys like me.....not filthy rich....but working guys that really wanted to have the best and were enthusiasts that actually used them daily.

it takes passion to make that sort of commitment.

mikelavigne May 09, 2005 04:13

I'm honestly curious as to what you do, and how I can achieve this level of financial stability in order to achieve this level of audio bliss...

[email protected] May 09, 2005 01:42

I like the black, much nicer than the silver ones at Stereophile show in New York. Thanks for providing the link. Being the fan of black that I am, that's exactly how I would have ordered them.

Von Schweikert had pretty good sound in NYC for a hotel room. Your room may be the first place where these speakers have a chance to show what they can really do.

Good luck to you on this.

albertporter May 07, 2005 04:51