Why the switch from Kharma/Tenor to DarTZeel/VSA

Hey Mike!

I only have one slight caveat on your comment about the Kharma/Von Schweikert comparison:

VR-11s = $120,000

Kharma Midi Grand = $36,000 - 40,000

Do the math. The VR-11s BETTER be better for 3 times the price!!! This is like saying that I compared these two automobiles and that darn Mercedes SL 500 is better than that inferior Buick Regal. I know that when I sold the Midis and went to the Exquisites (also at 2-3 times the price), my sound improved in every parameter and justified my decision to buy them. However, I tried to resist the unfair comparison between the two for this very reason.

Hey guys, it is ALL personal preference. I have always liked and been very impressed with the Von Schweikerts I have heard and if Albert can do with the VR-9s and 11s what he's done at lower price points, they surely will be special. You must also realize that a NUMBER of VR-9s have been sold to the same people who own Kharmas by the same dealer that sold them the Kharmas and that they have not heard the VR-9s because there are no VR-9s even built yet. They have purchased either on the promise of the VR-9 garnered from the impressive twice the size and cost VR-11s (no problem with that) or from their trust in their dealer's judgment (no problem there either if he has done you right in the past).

The bottom line is that we are all chasing something - whether it's the best sound, the best deal or owning the trendy component du jour, does it REALLY matter? It is OUR money and we all have the right to chase what will make us happy for our money.

For me, I am always open to anything that betters my sound but, at least at this point, I don't see my speakers going anywhere for a while. But, as I know, things may change as I have been proven wrong too many times to mention.!! :-)

Hiya Frank,

I am not getting the VR-11's. I am getting the VR-9's which are half the price of the 11's, 2/3 the size, and use the same drivers. The 9's are what I was comparing the Midi's too. Yes, there are no 9's built yet but I am told by Kevin at VSA they use the same bass cabinets and are very simular in sound but that the 11's are for a much bigger room. They also use the Rives Audio room adaption. Not all VR-9 or 11's for that matter are going to former Kharma owners.

The Midi's with Enigma are now $47000 and if you want the diamond tweeter they are even more than the VR-9's at $62000.

I do notice that there are hardly ever any upper model VS's on the market but even before the recent interest in VSA I have noticed more than the usual Kharma's for sale. I do have the VR-4jr at home until the 9's arrive and I am quite impressed with these little guys and the best part is their price.

Anyway, I have heard the Kharma's top model Exquisites and I know it is unfair to compare them to say the VR-11's without the two of them being in the same room with the same electronics. Hopefully some reviewers will be able to do this in the near future. ;^)

Why do they have to be better just because they cost more? They just have to produce the sound the buyer is looking for. Regardless: From what I heard at the NY show, even the little vr 4, jrs exceed, and by not a small margin, the Kharmas midi-exquisites in realism, soundstaging, punch, slam, and dynamics. The Kharmas adjacent, with all the appurtenances of hi-end audio, including the Walker turntable, were, by contrast, delicate but lifeless.

Mike, I know you are getting the 9s. But the way your post read, it stated that you heard the VR-11s and then you go on to state your comparison to the Midis. I have no doubt you liked the 11s. Just remember, not every speaker in any Manufacturer's family will necessarily sound the same even if they use the same type of drivers. Since there are no 9s even built yet, it seems unfair to post a comparison to a speaker nobody has ever heard. Since you DID love the 11s, that is the sound you are hoping to get from the 9s. I just caution you because I liked the Kharma Midi Grands but never warmed up to the Kharma Grands - even though it was almost the same speaker with just another woofer.

So, there is no need for anyone to get their undies in a bunch and come to anyone's defense here - as you will note in my post, I always state that it's personal preference in the end. So when Gladstone decides, as a Maggie owner, to come to his buddy's (and my buddy BTW) defense, by taking his wack at the Kharmas, that's OK too, not everybody's tastes are similar and nobody needs to own any speaker they don't like or want - that is what this hobby is all about.

People need not justify their purchase here - THAT is what I was saying in my post.

Mike, I know you are getting the 9s. But the way your post read, it stated that you heard the VR-11s and then you go on to state your comparison to the Midis. I have no doubt you liked the 11s. Just remember, not every speaker in any Manufacturer's family will necessarily sound the same even if they use the same type of drivers. Since there are no 9s even built yet, it seems unfair to post a comparison to a speaker nobody has ever heard. Since you DID love the 11s, that is the sound you are hoping to get from the 9s. I just caution you because I liked the Kharma Midi Grands but never warmed up to the Kharma Grands - even though it was almost the same speaker with just another woofer.

So, there is no need for anyone to get their undies in a bunch and come to anyone's defense here - as you will note in my post, I always state that it's personal preference in the end. So when Gladstone decides, as a Maggie owner, to come to his buddy's (and my buddy BTW) defense, by taking his wack at the Kharmas, that's OK too, not everybody's tastes are similar and nobody needs to own any speaker they don't like or want - that is what this hobby is all about.

People need not justify their purchase here - THAT is what I was saying in my post.

Frank

PS - to be fair, you could point out that many of those Kharmas here for sale are yours and others who have switched to the VR-9s and 11s - not exactly a fire sale.