2017 ‘Keeper’ speakers under - $25K

I personally was the guy looking for the best sound under 25k too.  I auditioned sooooo many speakers.  I went crazy over the course of a few years.  I ended up with a  speaker I never would audition in the past.  I got Vandersteen Quatro's  (after a year or more with Treo's while I saved money).

I feel it's their best value speaker. I put it up against still competition in the 35k and under range like the new Paradigm 9H (also a semi active) and the bigger Wilson's, the Magico S3 for around 30k, B&W and Sonus Faber to name just a few.

I felt it was the most coherent speaker.  Sounded like the point source speakers I auditioned and it had the best tonality, pace/timing and rhythm.  It just did things correctly.  As I bring in better components, I hear the differences (good and bad) in spades.  I'm in shock as how good things sound in my room how with the tunable bass.  I now realize how important it is to be able to tune the bass in my room.  Bass is the most expensive part of the chain for all products and to have ability to tune is sweet.  I have heard the digital correctable speakers and it's nice, but I still can hear it in the chain.  I don't hear the analog type of correcting that Vandersteen employs.  There was another manufacturer who does something similar in analog and not digital and I didn't hear any problems there either.  

So much depends on your room.  I know folks always say what type of music to you listen to, but should that really matter?  So many of us just listen to music and don't care what 'type'.  A great speaker, especially at these prices, should do it all. 

I wonder if this is why we see so many folks buying and selling on Audiogon.  They buy into what others say and don't go listen on their own.  Yes, I love Vandy's as do many of us, but folks need to go listen on their own and be sold or not.  JMHO

RX7, great way to put things. 

I think the reason I appreciate the Vandersteen speakers is because stats as well as Maggies have some issues in the bass and are nearly impossible to integrate with any sub.  I know many claim that they use subs and they are just as fast as the panels, but for MY ear, I have never heard any of them integrated properly. That was my biggest problem with the Apogee's back in the day.  they had a couple of more affordable ones that had cone subs and they weren't coherent like a Vandersteen is.  Richard has just figured it out and it's not easy to do.  On certain music though the Maggie's are really special.  I just listen to a lot of different types and need a true full range, coherent, point source sounding speaker that is full range and tonally balanced from top to bottom.  Very few speakers actually can do this and then also disappear in the room and can be put up against a wall.  The tunable bass on the Quatro's (my new ones for those who don't read the whole thread) on up let's you even adjust the bass to your room and smooth it out.

Great article a bit over a year ago in Stereophile.  They interviewed a friend of mine, Billy Drummond.  Billy is a Jazz drummer and teaches music at Juliard I think it is.  He personally owns both Maggies and Vandersteen's.  Neither one are expensive. He goes into a bit of why he has both.  I know that he would kill to own my Quatro's, lol.  And I'm sure the 20's as well.  I'm sure if you Google it you will find it.

Jim,
Here is the Brutus award winner for Dave Clark of Positive Feedback:  

Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT loudspeakers (Read the review HERE)

Nothing to add that hasn't been said in my review and elsewhere by other reviewers... simply amazingly musically killer. We bought the review sample.

Here is the whole review:  http://positive-feedback.com/audio-discourse/vandersteen-audio-quatro-wood-ct-loudspeakers/

He and his wife bought the review pair.  As for even the Treo's, like I said the bass goes down into the 30's before giving up steam.  It's not a huge woofer and the laws of physics apply, but it gives satisfying bass all the way down.  Never muffled or woolly.  It's just not the Quatro with the built in subs and the 11 band eq.  I personally haven't heard digital EQ done properly.  That's one of the things I didn't love about the Persona 9H.  They were like most Paradigms for ME, in that the highs were accentuated too much, but the bass wasn't fully coherent with that Anthem EQ. Again, that's just me.  I found the Treo's were driven nicely at reasonable volume, in my room with a 60 watt Ayre AX7e I had before upgrading to the AX5/20.  It's a zero feedback design which I prefer in amps and it's got plenty of current to drive speakers, but the Vandersteen's spec out nicely and are actually very easy to drive. I've heard Treo's driven by the 1800 Belles integrated NICELY as well as the mid level NAD integrated.  The Belles crushes the NAD IMHO, but you can easily put together a satisfying system using these amps with them.  

Again, they may or may not be YOUR cup of tea.  I didn't even like them when I first started my search for speakers to replace my 20 year old Proac's a few years ago.

As for horns, they are the most exciting speaker type on the market.  You can run them with flea watt amps and they are a blast. I finally got to hear a set a few months ago. I understand why folks love them, but they just don't do justice with vocals.  Their mids are not as good as a panel or a great dynamic can do. Even folks who sell them and love them will tell you that if they are truthful.  They are an easy sell if someone just wants a fun, dynamic speaker to listen to big music with.  There is a great market for that and it's why they have been selling so well for years and years and years. Heck, my first 'true love' speakers were the Klipshhorns in 69.  I wanted any of them.  I couldn't afford them at the time, but i got my buddy Frank to get a pair of the Heresy's with our Yamaha CR 620 (a top vintage receiver) that my former brother in law still runs daily and loves with newer speakers.  Franks system was fun to listen to rock with, that's for sure.  

Again, JMHO's on all of this.  I have changed how I listen over the years as I learn more.  I just listen differently than in the past. 

What are you talking about?  If you are trying to discredit the speakers, good luck.  The cost is squarely on the site at 14,900 a pair in many wood veneer choices.  Painted, like mine, are an upcharge.  He hides nothing and never has. That's why he has the best selling speaker in high end audio in his 2's. 

Is a legit review one that you do?  Do you listen to music or read specs?  What is a national security issue to you?  

If you are asking if specs and numbers are important to Mr Vandersteen, the answer is obvious to most how have ever listened to interviews on panels at shows.  Very transparent as you seem to question his transparency.  That's how he invents new models and tweeks the ones he has now.  

I was trying to answer a question that you asked and you came back with a very rude and snarky remark.  I expect that from trolls on the internet Jim and that's how you come off to be honest.  

You seem to be very lazy Jim.  Everything you asked for is on the Vandersteen site, clear as day and if something is missing that you think is important in an audition, then just go to the ask Richard board that is clearly marked on his site and he will PERSONALLY answer your questions.  All questions with total transparency.  

I don't know Clark, but who are you to discredit a reviewer?  Are you above everyone else?  I've gotten two emails from folks who also are reading this thread and they laughed at your troll response.  Maybe you want me to only post a negative review on the speaker?  I can't find one anywhere. I personally don't care about reviews, but you asked and you received.  Next time, but list all the reviewers that you want to read about and then go search, cut and paste for yourself if you don't like what others do.  

I did get a good laugh out of your rudeness though, so I can't wait for the retort, ;).  

If you want to discredit the speakers, please share why and when you last auditioned them and with what gear and please share the specs of the room you heard them in.  Transparency goes both ways I guess, lol... good day sir.

Thanks for the explanation.  Vandersteen does list theirs right under the picture of each speaker when you scroll down the page.  Very easy to read and understand, lol.  

Funny you bringing up the foreign markets.  I have spoken to many companies about pricing their units for the Asian market.  All have said they have to inflate their prices at least 50% as the Asian market kind of demands major discounts in order to sell.  All have said this who do business there.  They end up being over priced for the US, but the dealers will will then discount them the same 50% and make people think they are getting the buy of a lifetime.  I hate that type of situation and won't do business with those companies. I understand their dilemma for sure, but I like a company to do a fair mark up and then sell their gear without the huge discounts, which also helps the resale value much of the time. 

Guys, Maybe I miss understood the original posts and that can easily happen.  As most know I do have MS and cognitive issues, so often times I do misunderstand.  Jim, condescension is how I read your posts, but maybe I was wrong. I'll reread and if wrong, I am sorry, but I do hope you feel better with your posts back at me.  

On to the topic.  Guys, who are looking at new speakers, just I personally feel the Ayre gear or Aesthetix gear (if you want tubes) are great with the upper end Vandersteen's.  My biggest thought of Sasha vs Quatro is that the Wilson's will be exciting, but have much less detail than Vandersteen.  Make sure you bring your own music that you are very familiar with and listen for the micro and macro detail.  Have something with you that has decay and try and remember each speaker (I know you most probably already know this, but it never hurts to hear again, lol).  Wilson has done a great job in their new tweeters as they are much easier to listen to for ME.  

As for Marteen, I too like their sound, however I personally don't like how they run their company. They have messed over a couple of dealers I know of (feel free to Google as I think you can read about another dealer they messed over). I chose not to do business with folks who screw others over, but again, that's just me.  The problem is that it can very easily devalue the products.  Again, that's just me.