Hi Kantz
I have heard them three times at a dealer in the UK. After enjoying my own system for a number of years with Proac speakers, I found the VC7 to be something of a shocking eye opener. They revealed just how much I had been missing from any other hifi that I had heard before.
In the first demo, they were powered by a circa £1200 valve amplifier (I can't remember the make, sorry) and just played music. It wasn't a properly booked demo, rather I happened to walk into the shop when the dealer was experimenting to see how they would work with a relatively inexpensive amp.
Second time around was a proper demo. He used a £4,500 Mimetism CD player and £10,000 Jadis valve amp to power the VC7s. We tried a range of music from P!nk to Eric Bibb to Alison Krauss to Beethoven.
Impressions? First, voices. The subtle detail, texture and intonation of voices was so much more lifelike and real than I had experienced before.
Bass lines sounded effortlessly clear and articulate. No matter how low the note, the bass line remained clear and sharply defined, whether from bass guitar, double bass or the bottom octave of a grand piano.
Treble harshness? No, none. Just clear, natural and effortlessly insightful.
Issues with integration of the drive units, or a lack of coherence? Again, no.
I have never heard a speaker sound more lifelike with human voices, with string instruments (violins, double bass, acoustic guitar) or with the piano. Quite remarkable.
Weaknesses? If you like hard driving rock & pop, then I suspect that the VC7 may not be the fastest speaker, but it ranged from very good to sublime on everything I tried. Then again, I am used to Naim amplifiers, so the difference in speed could be down to the amp rather than the speakers.
The third occasion was when I went in to audition the Sonus Faber Cremona M versus Wilson Benesch Curve versus Brodmann VC2 (the VC7's smaller brother). The Curve did nothing for me. The Cremona M and the VC2 both sounded very good but not great to me, so we popped the VC7 back on for a quick blast. Damn; it was so much better than the others that I burst out laughing.
In summary then, the VC7 was the best speaker by far that I had heard at the time. It remains one of the best that I have heard since.
Did I buy a pair? No, but I did try. The dealer went bust, then the dealer's parent went bust. I then contacted the importer to arrange a home demo but he didn't have any VC7 and couldn't demo a pair unless I bought them first, which negated the point of a demo.
I have heard Sonus Faber Guarneri recapture the beauty of the VC7's midband but not its bandwidth. In hifi terms, the Wilson Sophia is "faster" but less captivating to listen to. The ART Alnico Signature is a bit special but with a price tag to match.
If you have the chance to listen to the VC7, please do so. They may or may not be for you but they really are special. One day, I hope to be able to hear a pair in my system at home. If that day comes, I'll probably buy a pair for myself.
Hope this helps, FT