Here ya go......
Listening notes Vandersteen M7-HPA amplifiers
Crates on a custom pallet, ratchet ties downs, cushion skid, heavy shrink wrap....get out the screw gun !
Unbox straight forward, two person lift out of the box, the handle on front and orientation of rear handle are genius - especially compared to the smooth featureless obelisk of the 92# Ayre. Included are aluminum floor saver discs for those on tile or wood and spacers to gain cooling clearance over carpet.
Since they came out, I was ambivalent at best about the amplifier Aesthetics- yes I love my Model 7 mk2 painted in Audi Phantom Black pearl automotive grade finish. When located next to the 7 with the carbon fiber amplifier covers painted to match I began to really appreciate just how cool they ( the amplifiers ) look and feel
For example the carbon fiber cover must be removed to unlock the HRS suspension. Remove 10 aerospace grade fasteners to reveal the inside structure with a co-cured bulkhead stiffener and all ten precision nut plates epoxied in exactly the right location. Remove 4 screws and some plastic shipping blocks ( clever - there is storage accommodations inside the cover) and free up the isolation system - same technology that goes into HRS racks and amp stands except built in, so you save $$$ and it sounds better out of the box!
Note I violated the cardinal rules of changing two things at same time - Amps and Audioquest Wild cables, no avoiding that...as I went stereo amp to monoblocks necessary longer cables
And due to travel, I have not heard the 7 in my system for almost 3 months
I also violated the cardinal rule of cable break in...as I needed longer XLR to reach the right speaker I had to change cables from my well known and well worn “ affordable “ reference AQ Niagara.
Holy Wow!!!!!!
Bass, mid bass pitch definition +++
Image depth much greater and individual voices / instruments better delineated in space
The music:
Piano much more percussive, especially in lower 1/3 of registers
Image depth changes vocal perception greatly - not singing into the mike much more apparent or different microphones used in varied locations more apparent
Very high definition, hearing some things I never heard before
Audience vocal intelligibility greatly improved - Jackson Browne -Birds of St. Marks audience...
Delineation between instruments and voices ( try any 2L massed chorale ) is fantastic
Treble very rolled off when cold/ cold, but not when coming up from standby which is the norm after you get them setup
Coolant Pump totally silent
Stock factory cords ( beefy ), why cream color ? I have no great desire to change them.... on my Ayre a high end MIT choked the soundstage....
While I have 3 Dedicated circuits for subs and each channel, I am currently running them on two with the switching amp and analog each on a separate circuit- will change and listen....
Loving what they do !!!!!
