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6

 
CARPETED FLOORS

:  Install the spikes after break in – this is easily accomplished with two people, 

one tipping the speaker back while the other installs the spikes. 

Be careful not to let the M/T unit fall 

off the woofer module!  If one person installs the spikes, remove the M/T modules before attempting 
to install the spikes.

  Make sure that you level the speakers so they don’t rock, and use the locking 

nuts to make sure the spikes won’t vibrate loose. You will be amazed at the improvement to both the 
bass response and the image focus after installation of the spikes. 

 

WIRING

 

The VR-4SR Mk2 was designed to accept all forms of speaker cables, so you will find three pairs of 
binding posts on the back of each speaker system: two pairs on the woofer module and another pair on 
the midrange/tweeter module. See below for information on what these binding posts can do for you. 
 
SINGLE CABLE: 
Connect the speaker cable to the binding posts 

on the upper midrange/tweeter unit,

 then connect the 

supplied Data-Link jumper

 

to deliver the signal

 

downwards to the woofer module.  Note that there are 

metal jumper links that connect the bottom two pairs of binding posts together; these must be used 
with  the  Data-Link  jumper  in  order  to  transfer  the  signal  to  both  woofer  and  midrange/tweeter 
crossover boards when using the single speaker cable.  
NOTE:  we recommend using this only as a temporary solution, as we designed the speakers expressly 
for bi-wiring. 

DO NOT connect the main speaker cable to the woofer module, as you will be able to 

hear a loss of clarity in the midrange and treble frequencies due to three connections in the signal 
path instead of just one. 

 
BI-WIRING: 
Using two separate pairs of speaker wires to deliver the signal to the woofer and midrange/tweeter 
modules will result in superior image depth, cleaner upper midrange/treble, and a larger sound stage. 
These benefits are due to the isolation of the powerful bass signals from the more delicate treble 
frequencies as the signal travels up the speaker cables. Since there is generally ten times more voltage 
present in the bass signal, the generation of a magnetic field in the positive and negative conductors 
will interfere with the more delicate treble signals. This magnetic modulation is easy to hear on a high 
resolution speaker like the VR-4SR Mk2 but may not be as audible on lesser speakers. Using two 
separate conduction paths will enable the bass frequencies to be separated from the treble frequencies 
due to the high impedance “seen” by the signals due to the internal crossover networks. In other 
words, since there is a “high impedance” (to low frequencies) in the midrange/tweeter crossover, bass 
frequencies WILL NOT travel from the amplifier up to the midrange/tweeter unit, even though both 
speaker cables are connected to the same binding posts on the amplifier! The opposite effect occurs in 
the woofer cables, where no midrange/tweeter frequencies will travel due to the high impedance 
“seen” as the result of the woofer crossover.  Crossover filters work due to the reactances supplied by 
the inductors and capacitors; inductors generate a “high impedance” to midrange/treble frequencies 
and capacitors generate a high impedance to bass frequencies -- it’s like pouring water on the side of  
a hill: the water will never travel uphill against gravity! 
 

Summary of Contents for VR-4SR Mk2

Page 1: ... IO O W WO OR RL LD D C CL LA AS SS S S SP PE EA AK KE ER R S SY YS ST TE EM MS S F FO OR R A AU UD DI IO O A AN ND D H HO OM ME E T TH HE EA AT TE ER R V VR R 4 4S SR R M MK K2 2 I IN NS ST TR RU UC CT TI IO ON N M MA AN NU UA AL L Released October 2007 ...

Page 2: ...ser performer and producer s intent In order to fully benefit from the VR 4SR Mk2 s powerful magic please read the following instructions thoroughly Although the VR series may appear to be conventional speakers they have been designed to work with the listening room Being a Room Interactive design there are certain setup procedures which must be followed The VR series are engineered to replicate t...

Page 3: ...the speaker depends on free movement you may notice a slight brightness in the midrange treble area and mechanical heaviness in the bass for the first 100 hours The sound engineered into the VR s will take approximately 100 300 hours to achieve so we recommend that you not make a critical judgment of their sound until break in is accomplished Break in is best done by playing loud rock or jazz musi...

Page 4: ...ecessary for realistic sound reproduction ROOM CONFIGURATIONS If you have a room with fairly rectangular dimensions you can place the speakers on either the long or short wall If your room is cubic you will have far better results placing the speakers diagonally See next section ON LONG WALL Placing the speakers on the long wall enables you to achieve a very large and wide sound stage In fact usin...

Page 5: ...sure but may be necessary if you wish to achieve the ultimate in accurate frequency response Diagonal placement will prevent a portion of the standing wave energy from boosting certain frequencies since the reflection patterns are broken up in this configuration The distance to each side wall is critical and experimentation will be required with placement of not only the speakers themselves but al...

Page 6: ...midrange and treble frequencies due to three connections in the signal path instead of just one BI WIRING Using two separate pairs of speaker wires to deliver the signal to the woofer and midrange tweeter modules will result in superior image depth cleaner upper midrange treble and a larger sound stage These benefits are due to the isolation of the powerful bass signals from the more delicate treb...

Page 7: ...e have tried almost thirty different brands and types of speaker cables we can only give general recommendations due to the fact that the driving amplifier has as much to do with the type of desired wire as the speakers Since there are hundreds if not thousands of available amp wire combinations we are not in the position of having heard all of these combinations However in general stranded wire u...

Page 8: ...undary surfaces such as wood plaster glass and so forth Since the VR 4SR Mk2 s are quasi omnidirectional transducers designed to be the inverse of the recording microphone their sound output will react with the listening room in a positive manner only if properly placed There are two components of sound which reach the listener s ears 1 The direct arrival or initial wavelaunch of the speaker itsel...

Page 9: ...r image focus PINK NOISE LISTENING TEST Play a pink noise source such as a CD with test tones or an FM tuner set between stations with muting turned off The goal of this test is to determine whether the room s reflection patterns are interfering with the image focus built into the VR 4SR Mk2 design You will notice one of two sonic effects when listening to pink noise and 1 is what you want 1 If th...

Page 10: ...it since the image lock in is very obvious The pink noise will become a very strong ball of sound floating in between the speakers Keep moving the speakers until you hear this ball of sound As you move the speakers either closer together or further apart and experiment with toe in you will hear changes that enable you to know if you are headed in the right direction It isn t really difficult it s ...

Page 11: ...in the form of acoustic foam and Dacron fill must be compensated in both the driver design and the cabinet tuning alignment All VR Series use custom designed drivers with very high magnetic damping low Qes and stiff suspensions high Qms The tuning ratio is derived from a proprietary over damped Theile Small alignment with a total Q of less than 0 6 while the woofers themselves have a total Q below...

Page 12: ...ponse occurs when both the speakers and listener are at opposing ends of the room directly against the wall surfaces Since against the wall placement is not a prime location for soundstage openness and imaging focus we recommend placing the speakers out into the room at least 12 from the back wall to start Then playing a repeating bass line walk around the room in the general vicinity of the inten...

Page 13: ...ze However using silver cables will also tighten the bass The best possible bass response is obtained from high current solid state amplifiers making bi amping the ideal choice for the critical audiophile who wishes to have the best sound in every part of the frequency range See the section above regarding bi amping LACK OF APPARENT BASS In some rooms especially those with soft walls such as wallb...

Page 14: ... if you find that you need specialized help either in acoustical or electronic interactions not well understood by your dealer please don t hesitate to contact the factory by emailing your request to albert vonschweikert com A qualified engineer will assist you with any problems you are experiencing in achieving world class sound BRIGHTNESS A very common problem is brightness and is wrongly attrib...

Page 15: ... and the speaker cabinets This includes the ceiling walls and floor Hard plaster ceilings will reflect treble energy back down towards the listener and should be treated with acoustic tiles the soft and porous type or damping pads made from foam or fiberglass The walls can have a decorator rug drapes or diffusers at the first reflection point and the floor can use carpeting We have used artificial...

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