Boston Acoustics VR975 Speakers: Not What I Expected
Written: Nov 20 '00 (Updated Nov 20 '00)
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Pros: good bass
Cons: female vocals sound pinched; imaging not particularly impressive
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| Horswispr's Full Review: Boston Acoustics VR970 Tower Speakers |
Note: This review is of the Boston Acoustics VR975, not the VR970 listed on epinions. The picture suggests that the two are very similar.
I was cruising through Good Guys recently, waiting for a Guitar Center to open, so I decided to do a little listening to the best speakers offered by this large chain (Good Guys, that is).
I was pleasantly surprised to see Boston Acoustics speakers among their lineup, as Boston Acoustics has turned out some great speakers over the years. If a friend of yours is selling older (mid-1980s) Boston Acoustics bookshelf speakers, definitely give them a listen. They were among the best of their time.
But on this day, Boston Acoustics failed to impress.
Among the best speakers available at Good Guys were the Polk RT2000I ($1700/pr), the Energy APS5+2 ($1800/pair), the Energy Veritas 2.4 ($3500/pr), and the Boston Acoustics VR975 ($1500/pr), the speakers reviewed here.
Among the music listened to was: The Titanic sound track; "Ophelia" by Natalie Merchant; and miscellaneous jazz selections.
First, the good news: The Boston Acoustics VR975 had ample bass, and it was both tight and deep. On jazz music, the cymbals sounded fairly natural, and there was decent snap to the drums. These speakers did not sound "slow." The speakers are also fairly attractive, and will fit well on either side of a television or entertainment center, should you decide to use them as part of a system for playing movie sound tracks.
But now, the bad news: Female voices sounded "pinched" through the Boston Acoustics speakers, especially compared with either of the Energy speakers, which made female voices sound round and full. This "pinch" suggests a lack of energy in the lower midrange, coupled perhaps with a peak in the upper-midrange and lower treble. CD "hash" was also exaggerated through these speakers. I found myself gritting my teeth while listening.
Imaging was also less satisfying than I had expected, given the slim profile of the speakers. Audiophiles have long known that skinnier speakers tend to image better, presenting the music in a broad soundstage, with individual instruments placed firmly within that soundstage. This was NOT the case with the Boston Acoustics VR975. Images seemed bunched toward the middle, and this, coupled with the "pinched" quality, led to a very emotionally UNinvolving performance on some very nice music.
I won't belabor the point. At $1500/pair, these Boston Acoustics speakers face stiff competition from manufacturers like Snell, Thiel, Vandersteen, Energy, Magnapan, and others. I do not feel that they compete well with the current offerings from those manufacturers.
However, I WAS impressed with Energy's speakers, and I will review those at a later date. I also stand by by recommendation of older Boston Acoustics as excellent bookshelf speakers.
Happy listening!
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 1500
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