Von Schweikert VR 3

I had a pair for several years. Hard to beat for the money. Bass is excellent. Midrange is very good and they soundstage way above their price point. I'm sure some of this depends on what kind of music you listen to and your associated equipment. I sold mine only when I could afford to move up the VS line. Sorry, I have no experience with Vandersteen speakers.

I have a friend who owns the VR-3's and I have listened to them many many times. I have owned the Vandies and in my opinion, while the Vandies are excellent loudspeakers and virtually impossible to beat for the money, the VR-3's are in a whole other league, and well they should be as they cost considerably more than the Vandies, although that isn't always a guarantee of better sound. I did manage once, to convince my friend to bring his Von Swenkerts to my house to audition with my equipment which is very different than his. This was after I had replaced the 2Ci's but the VR-3's sounded much better in my system then I remember the Vandies ever sounding. Like I said a whole different league altogether.

I have a pair of VR3's and even though I moved up to VR4genIII's kept them for a spare system. The value of them used is far below the quality of their performance. Top to bottom they're excellent.