Montreal Audiofest 2025

I remember when everyone but my grandmother wanted a pair of Von Schweikert VR-4 speakers. They were the talk of the town. The press loved them, customers praised them. And they weren’t too expensive. Things have changed since, of course—the VR.thirty on display at the Audiofest costs $88,000/pair, but it’s also quite a bit more ambitiously designed than the VR-4 was. The VR.thirty also sounds ambitious.

Along with a Network Acoustics Muon Pro Ethernet filter ($2760), a Yeti Acoustic Reference switch ($3240), an Antipodes Oladra server/streamer ($39,995), a Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature DAC ($38,000), a WestminsterLab Quest preamp (starting at $41,000) and a pair of 100W REI monoblocks ($55,000/pair), plus a full loom of MasterBuilt cables, the VR.thirty delivered sound that was tactile on my eardrums, rhythmically engaging, and spatially layered with no sonic smearing.

Timbre, such as that of piano notes and female vocals, sounded authentic and vivid.

Prices listed in CA$.