Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Cerwin-Vega VS

Model:	VS - 150
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$599.00 pr
Description:	15 Inch 3 Way 101 db Efficient 4 Ohm Kick Ass Speaker
Manufacturer URL:	Cerwin-Vega

Review by ka7niq on March 17, 2012 at 18:13:45
IP Address: 24.26.79.130 Add Your Review
for the VS - 150

Over nearly 30 years in high end audio, I have made several friends whose ears I trust. I was told about these sleepers from the older Cerwin Vega lineup. I just laughed, but my friends persisted in their demands that I try and hear a pair. I found a used minty pair of VS 150's on Craigslist for 150.00, so I thought WTF ?
Ok, many big Cerwin Vega's play really loud, and are well known for their kick ass bass. But High End, they are not.
Many are really hard sounding and foreward, and some are just plain bad.
But guess what ? The Cerwin Vega VS 150 is a real Sleeper.
Cerwin Vega gave their old flagship it's own midrange driver. It is used ONLY in the VS 150.
OK , the VS 150 does not image like a B&W Matrix 801, nor does it have the transparency of Big Magnepans or Electrostats. But guess what, these big ugly bastards are Musical !
Cerwin Vega got the midrange right on these, and you can listen to them all day long w/o fatigue.
They have sort of a "Wurlitzer Sound". That means warm and musical. The tweeters are simply no match for the B&W Matrix 801 tweeter (What is ?") and have no where near the speed of the Magnepan MG 3 ribbon tweeters.
But they do ok with a minimum of tizz, and their errors are ones of ommission vs Commission. They blur detail just a bit, but are not offensive in any way.
The Cerwin Vega VS 150 woofer is a heroic die cast paper cone, and the midrange is made out of paper too. This means all the sounds are coming from ONE type of driver material, and this makes a difference.
The crossover is seamless.

One big mistake people make with Cerwin Vagas is not remembering they are a 4 ohm load. They require a high current amp to sound best, even though they are 101 db efficient. My Cerwin Vega VS 150's sound just average with a receiver at lower volume levels. But, with my high current amps hooked up, they really show what they are capable of.
I am not just talking the ability to play loud guys. I am talking the ability to play really loud, and sound great doing it.
FEW speakers can even begin to Rock like these can.

Let me put it this way, I have several pairs of high end speakers, but my non audiophile friends like these the best.
If you like Rock played like it is supposed to be played, few speakers can touch the Cerwin Vega VS 150.
And, when you are not listening to the Scorpions or Judas Priest, they flat sound good on Jazz or female vocals.
There is a Cerwin Vega Forum dedicated to nothing but Cerwin Vega Speakers.
It is widely accepted on that that the VS 150 has the best midrange of any Cerwin Vega Speaker ever made.
These speakers can still be found for under 250.00 a pair. Some may need a re foam, but that's no big deal since Cerwin Vega still makes the right refoam kits for these.
Even stock, these speakers will come into your home and take it over, unless you are a crazy audiophile like me with 11 other pairs of high end speakers.
There are some easy to do mods you can do to make these sound even better, but you will not be disappointed using them just the way they came.
Hold out for the VS 150 ONLY, do not think other similar looking big Cerwin Vega's with 15 inch woofers are "just as good" because they are not.
The Cerwin Vega VS 150 was Cerwin Vega's crowning achievement. It was the Flagship of the older VS Line.

In closing this review, if you have been looking for a speaker that will rock like no other, and sounds good doing that, as well as playing all other music, that sounds good watching TV and Movies, you may have just found it.
Feed it with a real amp, and enjoy!

Product Weakness:	Needs high current amp, a little boxy, slow tweeter, Ugly and Big,
Product Strengths:	Nice Midrange, male and female vocals, fast, deep, and room shaking bass, high efficiency and power handling, decent imaging, fatigue free, warm and romantic midrange.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Parasound
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Parasound and Tube Preamp
Sources (CDP/Turntable): CD
Speakers: B&W Matrix 801
Cables/Interconnects: Monster
Music Used (Genre/Selections): All Kinds
Room Size (LxWxH): 24 x 20 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments: le/de
Time Period/Length of Audition: 1 year
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): none
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition): None

Amplifier:	Parasound
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Parasound and Tube Preamp
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	CD
Speakers:	B&W Matrix 801
Cables/Interconnects:	Monster
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	All Kinds
Room Size (LxWxH):	24 x 20 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	le/de
Time Period/Length of Audition:	1 year
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	none
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition):	None

REVIEW: Cerwin-Vega VS - 150 Speakers