VR-5 / VR-5 HSE  REFERENCE GRADE SPEAKER SYSTEM

The VR-5 is a four-way tower speaker system using the worlds finest drivers, crossover parts, and internal wiring. The engineering target was to design a system with the ability to replicate live music, yet look elegant in the most beautiful living room. Imaging and sound stage depth are state-of-the-art due to our proprietary Ambience Retrieval System tm and Global Axis Integration Network. tm Power handling and dynamic range are beyond that of other systems in this size and price category due to the use of heroic drivers. We use comparisons to live musical instruments to benchmark our speaker designs; consequently the VR-5 sounds spookily like a live musical performance! Dual pairs of Cardas top-of-the-line binding posts permit bi-wiring or bi-amping. If you are interested in owning the finest speaker in the world in this size and price category, you will want the VR-5 and no other.

CABINET
The 9" slender and elegant 42" wood tower is built to the highest European furniture standards and includes a new baffle decoupling design that eliminates resonance and "box" colorations found in competing systems. The finish quality is outstanding, using multiple coats of clear resin to provide depth and beauty. The MDF enclosure uses 1" thick walls and heavy cross bracing, with decoupled front baffle and top cap. The internal damping layer consists of 1" thick foam rubber and felt and is combined with Dacron stuffing to control bass resonance, eliminating boom and coloration that mar other designs. 

WOOFER SYSTEM
Twin 172mm (6.8") aluminum-coned SuperDuty woofers made in Norway reproduce the bottom octaves with authority and delicate clarity, using a modified triple-chambered transmission-line to achieve response flat to 28Hz (-6dB at 22Hz). If you seek deep, powerful bass but also want extremely tight control of each bass note, you have found the right speaker.

MIDRANGE SYSTEM
As this is the most important frequency range, over a year was spent engineering the worlds finest midrange driver. To eliminate distortion and ringing, a composite cone made from carbon powder, Kevlar, and cellulose acetate pulp was designed, driven by a highly advanced edge-wound ribbon voice coil. On impulse speed response tests, along with distortion analyzation, this Areogel state-of-the-art driver sounds far better than any other driver, cost-no-object. Vocalists and lead solo instruments sound like they are present in your room!

TREBLE SYSTEM
The soft dome tweeter used in the VR-5 is one of the worlds finest units, with the highest level of clarity and detail combined with a very smooth, lush sound quality. Using the transmission line principle, the fabric dome is internally coated with four layers of a proprietary damping compound to increase rigidity and eliminate flexing distortion that compromises lesser fabric domes. This tweeter's detail is stunning!

AMBIENCE SYSTEM
In order to duplicate the depth and air space of the concert hall, we have developed a dipolar rear tweeter and ambience derivation circuit. The Dimension Control can compensate for any acoustic condition and/or room placement and can be switched off if desired.

AVAILABLE FINISHES AND OPTIONS
The standard finish is a cloth wrap with hardwood end caps available in light or dark red cherry. The Deluxe Finish is a totally veneered enclosure with multiple clear coats, available in light or dark red cherry. The VR-5 Hovland Special Edition (HSE) includes special Hovland inductors and capacitors in both the midrange (bypass) and tweeter circuits. Highly recommended for these seeking the ultimate in transparency!

Magnesium Extreme-Duty Woofer Upgrade for VR-5

The standard aluminum woofer included with the VR-5 is an extremely high quality unit, with clarity and "punch" far surpassing paper or polypropylene woofers due to the aluminum cone's lack of cone flex. In addition, the Super-Duty aluminum woofer's motor (magnet and voice coil) is far superior to "stock" units. However, in some types of applications where extremely powerful bass is required, such as Recording Monitor use or home theater systems installed in very large rooms, we have designed a 7" woofer based on our VR-7 model ($17,500) to provide higher than normal volume levels and additional power handling at low frequencies.

IMPROVED CONE 
The magnesium cone is the lightest yet stiffest cone available, enabling high volume levels to be attained at very low frequencies without distortion or coloration. It is approximately 30% lighter and stronger than our aluminum cone. In addition, the textured surface damps wave energy and reduces ringing inherent in any smooth metal such as aluminum, adding to the clarity and transparency of each bass note. 

IMPROVED MOTOR 
In addition, the 50% larger copper phase plug and pole piece allow heat to be radiated from the voice coil more efficiently than our plastic phase plug used in the stock driver, lowering the distortion and compression. Furthermore, the motor system uses additional patented methods of eliminating "fringe" distortion caused by the movement of the voice coil in the fixed magnetic field, resulting in ultra-clear definition. This Extreme-Duty motor system consists of a solid copper phase plug and central pole piece, triple-wound voice coil, and a copper coated top plate. This new motor system enables the VR-5 to have the cleanest bass response in the world due to the elimination of distortion, in both the driver and the amplifier due to the elimination of back EMF distortion. The voice coil is 50% larger than the stock unit, and the magnet size has been increased by 50% to drive the larger coil. These changes add clarity due to the improved magnetic braking effect, and of course, add to the low frequency power handling. Although very expensive, this woofer upgrade will improve the VR-5's overall performance level and hence can compete with speakers much larger in size and several times more costly. 

PRICE 
To obtain the Magnesium Extreme-Duty Woofer Upgrade, add $1,000 to the retail price of the VR-5. Although expensive, this upgrade is well worth the cost if you are seeking the highest performance level available.