Boston Acoustics VR Series. [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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jwh917
07-29-2005, 09:12 AM
Anyone have the chance to listen to the Boston Acoustics VR series speakers.I'm interested in the VRB bookshelves.No dealers have them in my area.Would like to know how they would compare to the Paradigm Studio 20's or BMW 600 series if anyone knows.They appear to be a mid line speaker in between Boston's lower CR series and thier top line VRM.I was quite impressed last year when i listened to one of Boston Acoustics VRM floorstand speakers.That was at Tweeter and now thier out of business.Thanks in advance.

SlumpBuster
07-29-2005, 10:24 AM
I am a big Boston Acoustics fan and was particularly fond of the VRB and VRM series when I auditioned them. Between the three you listed I don't think you can go wrong. I did listened to all three ranges just last summer. Between the three I would have gone with the Studio 20, which is a very popular speaker for a reason. It sounds and looks good. The VRB is signifigantly less expensive then the Studio 20 though, but I don't think it looks as nice. I think the B&W 600 series does not have the cost/benefit ratio of the Paradim and the Bostons, which both represent very good value. But, I ended up getting a set of towers and buying based almost entirely on looks, so I may not be that credible of a source. ;) But, the Bostons I do have are twelve years old and still sound great.

matt39
07-30-2005, 12:39 AM
Hi jwh,
I recently auditioned several speakers in the Boston Acoustics VR line. I have also listened to the Studio 20 and the DM 601 and 602 S3 speakers quite a bit. I feel the VRB bookshelf is a pretty good speaker which holds it's own against the B&W's. The Studio 20 is a better speaker but, again, the VRB compares pretty well especially when you consider the price difference. The VR series is very efficient and easy to drive and have a nice clean sound. They are built well and I thought they look good too especially in the cherry finish. The best buy among these speakers is difficult to choose since I feel it is more a matter of your taste in sound than anything else. All this being said, if it were me, I would consider one of the floorstanders in this series. The VR1 is only $600 and sounds very nice but the VR2 is the real winner to my ears. The step up to 3-way sound really makes a difference as the mid-range driver gives a more open and detailed sound. At $850 it is very competitive with the Studio 20 in price. I think in a small room one of the bookshelf designs or the VR1 would be pretty good while in a mid or large size room the VR2 might go pretty well. One thing to keep in mind is that I was not able to compare these speakers to each other directly as they were at three different dealers. My impressions might change if I could have done some real A-B comparisons. I hope this gives you a little help but I would suggest that you try to hear the Bostons yourself before buying even if you have to do some travelling. If you have to order them without an audition, do so from an authorized dealer and make sure you can return them if they're not to your liking. Good luck.
Gary

jwh917
07-30-2005, 10:02 AM
Thanks very much to both of you.Guess i'll just have to do a road trip to find them to have a listen.