Von Schweikert (VS) DB-99 Mk II full-range, bass-amplified Speakers

Von Schweikert (VS) DB-99 Mk II full-range, floor-standing speakers

Summer is over. Time to upgrade your main stereo speakers. I and many audiophiles consider these as a competitive alternative to the well-regarded Vandersteen 5As. The excellent audiophile-grade Vandersteens give you a tad flatter bass near 20 Hz and a more extended high end above 20 kHz but are more difficult to set up properly in a real room. The DB-99s are easier to optimize; are high efficiency designs so they mate well with low or high powered amps; reproduce all musical genres well with excellent detail, transparency and fast bass slam (for jazz); and you can add Von Schweikert's ribbon super tweeter tower if you need extended frequencies out to 50 kHz (I didn't). Rarely offered for sale used anywhere, they are an extremely attractive value at my asking price and more usable in typical homes. Thus, don't pass up this opportunity to experience their excellent performance in your home.

Indeed, this is a gorgeous pair of classic VS DB-99 Mk II stereo speakers finished in automotive alabaster silver. This pair is in very fine cosmetic and operational condition (they were hard to photograph because they reflect other things in the room so view the photos carefully). I’ve never had any operational problem with them, and they were always used in a smoke and pet-free environment. Other competitive speakers manufactured today would probably retail new above $16K. These speakers in this condition & color rarely appear for sale on A’gon. Conservatively rated 8/10 for age as a classic, but actually better as a product.

Their design objective was accurate, audiophile quality, full-range audio performance with versatility in room placement and amplification for non-bass frequencies. Their high-performance comes from covering the full frequency range; special cone drivers modified to be accurate and transparent; and using no grilles that would muffle the higher frequencies. This results in accurate tonality and very fast, life-like dynamics. The DB-99’s versatility comes from having a 300-watt powered woofer built in so the unique mid and high frequency drivers can be driven separately either with low or high-powered, solid-state or tube amplifiers, and adjustments on the speakers' rear plates can compensate for room placement effects. This speaker received rave reviews and offers single-ended amplifier devotees an alternative to horn-loaded speakers without horn colorations and other problems. Von Schweikert’s speaker and driver designs invariably receive high ratings by critics because he is a uniquely musical, theoretically-informed, and experienced designer of numerous drivers and speakers.

On a personal note, these speakers finally satisfied my audiophile search (itch?) for one speaker model that works well with all musical genres in a home environment. And I’ve owned (for long-term listening at home) various models of Quad and Innersound electrostatics; and various upscale coned models from B&W, Fried, Snell, Vandersteen, Sonist, KEF and others. Now in retirement and living in a smaller house with fewer, smaller rooms providing less storage space for saving large, original shipping boxes; weaker muscles to move heavy speakers around; and some age-related loss in HF hearing, I’ve decided to downscale and let some other audiophile enjoy these speakers. BTW, I am a long-time A'goner with a previous, perfect lenghty multi-year transaction record, but I have been transaction-dormant for several years now.

I will ship to CONUS only and the buyer can make arrangements that satisfy him. Please notice in attached pic how each speaker is cradled like an egg in its original coffin-like, well-padded, almost-molded heavy cardboard manufacturer’s box (55"H x 23"W x 28"D & 130 lbs). User Manual and screw-on floor spikes are included inside one box. Thus, the speakers should suffer no shipping damage. I will take suitable photos before closing up the boxes as well as all external faces of both boxes as a shipping precaution.

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