Audiophilepure

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0522/Von_Schweikert_Audio_Endeavor_SE_Floorstanding_Loudspeaker_Review.htm

One might get the impression that I’m a “Fan Boy” of VSA. In that, I’m a huge fan of reality in the presentation of recorded music, and VSA makes the creation of such one of their primary objectives in speaker design, then by association, yes, guilty as charged.

Kevin Hayes of VAC has been quoted as saying VAC audio instruments are designed with the hope that they will one day be considered family heirlooms, handed down to the next generation, and I admittedly acquired my Statement 450S iQ amplifier with this in mind – an end-game investment, IMHO. Similarly, I consider the quality and investment of VSA speakers to be of the same league — a true heirloom investment, regardless of budget.

I felt privileged to acquire an example of the VSA team’s work, and now very excited to retain the Endeavor Special Edition in our home. My professional instincts told me they and I strive for the same outcomes in high-end musical reproduction, coming from similar perspectives. I thank them for their efforts and congratulate them on this exceptional achievement and offering within high-end audio. For me, it truly represents realism in the reproduction of recorded music. It is, in fact, a portal to experiencing the joy of live music.

Occasionally, when playing sonically darker recordings, I wished things were a hair brighter. I would MUCH rather have a smoother vibe than even the smallest amount of additional air or zing up there as long as the resolution is high, which is definitely the case for U55s. Furthermore, this was only in evidence when I used amps with an overly smooth or rolled off top end such as the Qualiton or the ampsandsound Nautilus. In a universe of options with regard to where the high frequencies should fall, given varying tonalities in amplifiers, source components and recordings, I’ll give the U55s chosen high frequency voicing an A+.

Midrange and the handoff to tweeters and woofers was invisible and seamless. Imaging was gorgeous and captivating. I got solid, floating-in-air, center images which is important to me. I heard lots of depth and space when it was there in a recording. There was a strong sense of a 180 degree arc of instrument placement that extended towards my listening spot and beyond speaker edges.

Like practically all the other elements of the Von Schweikert Ultra 55 performance, I found dynamic portrayal to be top notch, without calling any undue attention to that part of reproduction. VSA lists sensitivity at 89db. Although to my ear, this seems conservative, owing to the 5 watt Nautilus being such a surprise in how it powered the speakers.

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/perlisten-audio-r5t-loudspeaker-and-d15s-subwoofer-review

In all other respects. The R5t’s performance when used in combination with the D15s subwoofer equaled or exceeded its performance au naturel. As noted earlier, I would have liked a little more top-end air, but in no way was the sound closed-in or dull. In fact, it may not even be the best choice for those who prefer a more forgiving, warm presentation. But freed up by the subwoofer from handling the bottom two bass octaves in my listening room, the R5t tower’s transparency, lack of coloration, and ability to throw a wide and convincing soundstage was beyond criticism.

But even that description doesn’t do full justice to the superb dynamic range capability of the Perlisten R5t/D15s combo, which was screamingly evident when I fired up the whole surround sound system (supported by non- Perlisten speakers for the center channel and surrounds). When I dropped the Ultra HD Blu-ray disc of Dune (2021) into the Oppo player, all Hades broke loose. The quiet scenes were effectively rendered, of course, but the opening bass attack of composer Hans Zimmer’s punishing score, the subterranean groans of arriving spaceships, the buzzing of the mosquito-like ornithopters, and the rescue of the spice-mining harvester from a sandworm attack, all of it played back at a higher level than most civilian listeners can tolerate, left me worrying about the structural integrity of my house.

Given this philosophy, it’s not surprising that the line tends to be self-effacing in nature. The folks at Bowers & Wilkins aren’t interested in creating a particular sound; they’re into building good drivers and giving them the best possible environment in which to thrive. The 805 D4 is firmly in keeping with this tradition. Its cabinet is the quietest it’s ever been, and the drivers are more linear and well-behaved than ever. As a result, you don’t hear them. 

That’s not to be construed as implying that these speakers are dull. Far from it! They have a wide dynamic range and plenty of rhythmic pizzaz. But they also allow more subtle musical flourishes, such as tiny dynamic nuances, to emerge in a natural, unshowy way. I suspect this is down to the diamond tweeter, which isn’t as extended as some I’ve heard but is incredibly smooth and never etched.  

https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/mission-qx-2-mkii

Now it’s time to answer the big question. Do the new Missions still have the magic of the old pair? Well, they’re still a very entertaining and fun-sounding pair of speakers. They waste no time punching out the lively piano play found in Kate Nash’s Foundations. Upbeat guitar strums and percussion also combine to get the track rolling along at a rapid rate of knots. There’s a good sense of solidity to the overall sound and the Missions do a fine job communicating the sarcastic, slightly annoyed tone of her vocal.

Switch to Kanye West’s Black Skinhead and the QX-2 MKII construct a robust soundstage, flexing their muscles from the very first note. In Hulk terms, they’d be looking for a new shirt and pair of shorts. The Missions are capable of delivering a big, muscular sound – they not only summon an impressive amount of bass weight to hammer home Kanye’s stompy bass arrangement but they also probe surprisingly deep too, painting notes with a nice amount of texture.