Von Schweikert VR-7-SE Owners manual

Von Schweikert Audio

World Class Reference Speaker Systems for Music and Film

VR-7SE

~ INSTRUCTION MANUAL ~

SHIPPING DAMAGE PAGE 2
BREAK-IN PAGE 3
INITIAL SETUP PAGE 3
ROOM CONFIGURATION PAGE 4
WIRING PAGE 6
BI-AMPING PAGE 7
PLACEMENT PAGE 7
PINK NOISE TEST FOR FOCUS PAGE 8
REAR AMBIENCE DRIVER PAGE 9
RIBBON SUPER TWEETER ADJUSTMENT PAGE 10
WOOFER TUNING/BASS RESPONSE ADJUSTMENTS PAGE 10
STANDING WAVES and “BOOM” PAGE 11
TUNING WOOFERS FOR TUBE AMPS PAGE 13
LACK OF BASS PAGE 13
CHOOSING ELECTRONICS PAGE 13
TROUBLE SHOOTING PAGE 14
ROOM PROBLEMS AND TREATMENT PAGE 15
CARE FOR THE FINISH PAGE 16
SPECIFICATIONS PAGE 17

hank you for investing in a Virtual Reality speaker system designed by Von
Schweikert Audio. The Virtual Reality design was perfected over a 24- year

T

Integration Network. Please visit our website at www.vonschweikert.com for further
technical information.

When set up correctly, the VR-7SE system can reproduce the sound of a live musical
event to an uncanny degree. However, since this model is extremely transparent, it
should be used only with electronics and cables that are transparent and neutral in tone
quality. Any coloration heard in your system is not generated by the speaker system, as
the VR-7SE is nearly a laboratory instrument. In fact, the VR-7SE is far more
transparent and neutral than most commercial recordings, although even average
recordings will allow you to hear the “magic” of the Virtual Reality Design!

period after several years of research at California Institute of Technology and
consists of Acoustic Inverse Replication and is driven by the Global Axis

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World Class Reference Speaker Systems for Music and Film

Since sound quality was our primary target, we used live musical instruments fed into
the speaker to assess its design target during the final stages of “voicing” the system.
When correctly installed, the VR Series will give you many wonderful years of exciting
musical reproduction, closer to the emotional truth of the composer, performer, and
producer’s intent. In order to fully benefit from the VR-7'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 that must be followed. The
VR series are engineered to replicate the recording microphone’s signal in reverse,
allowing the original sound field to be recreated in your home. This technology is
proprietary and will allow the full emotional content of the original performance to be
heard by listeners anywhere in the room. Please see our White Paper for more technical
information on the design. As with all high tech designs, there must be a commitment
from the user to fully utilize this product. The following instructions will enable you to
achieve world-class sound.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please read the following instructions regarding setup, as
imaging and bass response must be optimized to your particular room. Since there exists
no standard listening room dimensions or reflective/absorptive standards, each setup
will be different. A thorough break-in (250 hours) must be conducted in order to realize
the full benefits of the VR’s transparency and imaging accuracy, and several
experiments with placement must be undertaken. In situations where these instructions
are not followed, you may not achieve the ultimate sound the VR-4 can offer. Although
the VR series retail at very reasonable price points, they are capable of world- class
performance, far exceeding conventional designs. However, optimum performance is
only attainable by using the following instructions!

SHIPPING DAMAGE

Please note that the spikes are wrapped up in a cardboard box. Do not install spikes at
this time since you will be moving the speakers around extensively while determining the
correct place in the room for final installation.

After unpacking the VRs, please note any hidden shipping damage. If you find damage,
please notify the freight company who will then send an inspector. Do not discard the
boxes or otherwise alter the contents, as the inspector will want to see the damage as
you found it. Since Von Schweikert Audio has no control over the shipping companies
or their damage claim policies, it is imperative that you follow the instructions from the
freight company agent explicitly. Additionally, please retain all packing materials for
later use in the event of a move.

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Von Schweikert Audio

World Class Reference Speaker Systems for Music and Film

BREAK-IN

The VRs use premium European drivers throughout the system. Raw drivers are broken
in for roughly 200 hours at considerable volume to reach suspension behavior’s “steady
state” prior to actual loudspeaker development. By contrast, production units receive 12
to 24 hours of break-in. Since the fluidity and dynamic range of the speaker depends on
free movement, you may notice a slight “brightness” or mechanical “heaviness” to the
sound for the first 20 hours. The sound engineered into the VRs will take approximately
300-400 hours to achieve, so we recommend that you not make critical judgment of their
sound until break-in is accomplished. Break-in is best done by playing loud music or a
break-in disc for several days straight. If noise is a problem, place the speakers face to
face, with one speaker system wired out of phase. Quilts may be placed over the
speakers to reduce the radiated sound. This trick will cancel a lot of the sound that may
disturb others. However, please make sure that you are not driving the amplifier

into clipping or distorting the speaker— it is difficult to hear distortion when quilts
are used. Adjust the volume in advance!

Note that it may take several months or longer to break the speakers in if only

quiet music is played at background levels.

Classical music played quietly does not contain enough bass or dynamics (in most cases)
to do a proper job, so we suggest using a CD player on repeat, using a loud rock album
or break-in CD as the source. Please make sure that the amplifier does not go into
clipping, though, as the heat generated may damage the drivers over a period of time.
(Clipping sounds like buzzing or harshness). If the sound is “clean”, however, you can
put 200 watts of music power into the VR-4's over a long period of time without any
damage.

INITIAL SETUP

Please do not install the spikes until the proper placement has been determined. You will
be moving the speakers several times in order to listen to different aspects of the
optimization, and the spikes will only make the movement more difficult. Since the
spikes tighten the bass dramatically, and also increase the image focus, do not worry
unduly about these two parameters until later in the setup process. Without the spikes,
the bass may be too “thick” and the image will not be as tightly focused, but these
effects will be eliminated after break-in, correct placement, and use of the spikes.

Also, turn off the rear ambience drivers by rotating their volume controls counter­clockwise until the setup is complete. Please refer to the section regarding the REAR
AMBIENCE DRIVER.

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Von Schweikert Audio

World Class Reference Speaker Systems for Music and Film

Starting Location:

There are a number of considerations regarding initial placement, particularly involving
bass response and basic imaging. In general, bass response is strengthened when the
speakers are placed close to the rear or side walls, while imaging is enhanced by pulling
the speakers further into the room, away from walls. With your VR loudspeakers and the
following suggestions you will be able to achieve both deep and powerful bass and an
open sound stage.

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, using an equilateral triangle as your starting point,
you can space the speakers as far apart as the listening distance, even if this is 15 feet.
Since the VR's have very wide dispersion, there will be no hole in the middle effect.
Place the speakers about 2-5ft from the rear wall, with this distance being the bass
optimizer. If you wish to achieve more depth, move them further into the room. If you
wish more bass, place them either closer to the rear wall or closer to the side walls.

*Note: Do not use the same distance from the rear wall and side wall, as this
distance will result in too much boost at this wavelength. Stagger this distance
by 40-70%.

Do not toe the speakers in at first, place them parallel to the side walls. In general, the
sound stage will be constrained to the distance between the speakers, so if you have the
VRs only six feet apart, you will hear a small sound stage. Since there will be a lot of
overlap between the left and right channels, the center image will be very dense and
monophonic. To correct for this, separate the speakers further; 8 feet to 12 feet apart is
not too much in a large room, but remember, the spread depends on the listening
distance. If you have to spread the speakers well apart but can’t sit far enough back due
to furniture and cosmetic considerations, you may have to toe the speakers in, with the
tweeters aimed directly at your ears.

ON SHORT WALL: Placing the speakers on the short wall and sitting far back in the
long end of the room may give you a concert hall experience if your room is large. Long
reverberation times due to long distances from boundaries can impart a ‘grand’ sense of
scale with classical music, although smaller rooms might curtail this effect somewhat.
Also, too much boundary reflection will result in echoes that may interfere with the
direct sound and blur imaging somewhat. If you suspect this condition, clap your hands
while standing at the speaker position. If you hear distinct echoes, you may have to treat
the room with specialized tuning products from Michael Green, RPG, or the like.

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Von Schweikert Audio

World Class Reference Speaker Systems for Music and Film

If decorating is a consideration, try using rugs hanging on the side- walls at the first
reflection point, and behind the speakers, directly in the center. Your dealer can
recommend tuning products he/she carries and may be able to install them. If your
dealer does not offer this service, call the abovementioned tuning companies for further
information.

CUBIC ROOM DIAGONAL LOCATION: Rooms with mathematically repeating
dimensions (like 16 x 16 x 8', for instance) will have a mid-bass/lower midrange
‘loading’ effect due to the similar ratios of boundary distances. In this case, it will help
to locate one speaker on each side of a corner and fire the speakers diagonally into the
room. Note that you will also need to place your listening chair at a diagonal position as
well, at an equilateral triangulated distance.

Diagonal placement is an extreme measure 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 also your seating position and wall treatment. It may be necessary to use
absorptive or dispersive devices on the wall to ameliorate the wall reflections that may
cause tonal imbalances or imaging confusion. See your dealer.

FLOORING: If you have a hardwood floor, (especially without carpeting), there is the
possibility that vibration and resonance will be transferred to the floor, which will then
act as a passive radiator. The floor resonance will sound like extra mid-bass is being
added to the sound, and will smear the bass notes as well, since the floor will vibrate
long after the woofers stop moving. On bare hardwood floors, it will be necessary to
decouple the speakers with the spikes placed on the discs or rubber decoupling feet
supplied or products such as Sorbothane by Audioquest. The use of spikes is best

suited for carpeted floors and will result in some transmission to wood floors.

In two story homes with wood floors on the second floor, we have noticed a tendency
for the floor to absorb deep bass due to sympathetic resonance. In this case, the speaker
will sound like it does not have bass, so the cure would be to either move the speakers
closer to a boundary where the floor is not flexing as much or to decouple the speaker
completely from the floor. That can be accomplished by making a platform from wood
filled with sand, or using a granite base several inches thick. In addition to the induced
resonance, there will be upper frequency reflections that will affect the midrange/tweeter
balance, usually boosting the treble/upper midrange and destroying the image solidity.
If you have hardwood floors, installing a thick rug in between the speakers and the
listening chair will normally correct this problem.

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World Class Reference Speaker Systems for Music and Film

CARPETED FLOORS: Using the spikes after break-in and correct placement will
tighten up the bass and lock in the soundstage. Make sure that you level the speakers so
they do not rock, and use the locking nuts to make sure the spikes won’t vibrate loose.

WIRING

The best sound staging and transparency from the VR-7 series results from bi-wiring the
speakers, but if a bi-wire set is not initially available, connect the main speaker wire to
the upper midrange/tweeter inputs then connect a 36" jumper wire to the woofer posts.
However, we recommend using this only as a temporary solution, since we designed the
speakers expressly to be bi-wired. When bi-wiring you have two options. The first,
when using shotgun bi-wire is to directly connect to the upper Midrange/Tweeter posts
on the upper unit and woofer posts on the lower woofer cabinet. The second is to
connect two sets of speaker cables to each set of posts and join them together at the
amplifier end.

*If you connect the main cable to the woofer and then use a jumper upwards to
the M/T you will be able to hear a slight loss of clarity, since there will now be
two connections in the signal path instead of just one to the high resolution

tweeter.
Also, make sure that you make a very tight connection between the binding post and the
spade lugs on the cables. A loose connection will be apparent as a loss of depth and
sweetness. Use a contact enhancing fluid once a month on all RCA plugs and binding
posts for best results. There will be attendant increases in sweetness, air, soundstage
depth, and smoothness equal to an upgrade in cables, but at far less cost.

Although we have tried almost ten 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 these combinations.

However, in general, stranded wire usually has a softer, fuller sound, while solid
core wire has tighter bass. You can use these traits to “tune” the overall sound of
your system.

Please use your VR dealer’s expertise when selecting wires and cables, as he has the
experience with both the speakers and different amplifiers and can help you make an
intelligent selection.

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