Zanon, OP may not have an comparative context for the price - simply listening to the combo, and if a beginner, he won't be able to assess how good they are versus other options in the price range. I think they are much better than "decent" for the price - some might argue they are the best sub $1000 speaker with any semblance of full-range bass. Might be one of the first choices I would pick for a non-audiophile that wants a good, full range-speaker (with an NAD or Rotel 100 watter) and then wants to stop thinking about audio and the next upgrade.
The MC30 is a wonderful amp (good enough to look for a speaker that is likely to mate well with it), that may have just enough power, but my sense is that Vandersteen in general really needs SS or a very high power tube amp to deal with the large impedance swings and low impedance (2 ohms or so?) in the bass - not to say you won't like it, but you might not know what the 1s are capable of without trying them 100 watts and high current output. Personally, I think your amp deserves a better and better matching speaker (though the VS is very good for the money), the MC30s are first rate, with a little maintenance (cleaning, capacitor replacements, etc) they should last you a long time. Let us know if you ever think of selling them. One of the great vintage amps!! Really in another overall league than the VS1s IMHO. |
My Bad, I misread the VS1 impedance data, it does seem it would be easy to drive and should do fine with the MC30; I owned the 3A Sig which I would certainly not drive with the MC30 - so yes, it should work fine in terms of power and especially off a 4ohm tap should have no problem with bass -sorry for causing confusion on that point. I still say the VS1 is a good entry-level speaker and your amps are great and good enough for wherever you choose to take your system in the future - as long as your speakers don't need too much power. |
What would work beautifully with those amps would be a pair of used Merlin TSMs - they are small monitors, and will not have the bass of the Vandersteen, but they are phenomenal speakers down to about 40Hz and easily driven by the Macs. I think with those amps you own a piece of history and they sure did know how to make amps back then - with a few parts replaced (capacitors, fuses, maybe tubes)you truly have a great 30 watt tube amp. Find speakers 89db and above sensitivity, with smooth and highish impedance (8 ohms nomiminal or higher, like Merlin)and you really have something worth holding on to, and rarer as the years go by. Manley Mahi? Snapper, etc are fine amps, but MC30s are iconic. Good luck. |
Adam18, OP may very well love the Vandersteen/MAC combo, they are certainly great amps and hard not to have a ball with those beautiful monoblocks, but the Vandersteen 1 is not an ideal speaker for a low wattage tube amp, that isn't simply a matter of opinion with tons being equally valid, all Vandersteen speakers need high current power to sound their best, and that is not what the MC30s will provide. Whether you like a certain type of sound or not, and which is better in in many cases simply personal preference, but matching an amp to a speaker in terms of power (for loudness) and current (for frequency balance) is a bit more scientific and measurable than simple preference. I think OP has a very good entry-level speaker, and an all-time classic amplifier, but they are not ideally suited to each other - but I don't think that will keep him from being moved by the music. OP has much to be content about, but after all, this is a froum for audiophile nudnicks and system building (and the MC30s can be part of a great, not just good system) and he solicited opinions about the pairing. |
But your not selling the Alexandrias, right? Actually, I did get my brother into a pair of 1Cs with Rotel integrated and CD and he is perfectly happy with no intentions of becoming an audiophile or opening his wallet anymore, he already feels that what he spent is ridiculous. Vandersteen new his market well, and now with the 5s and 7s, he pretty much hits all the market segments across the line. |
Then I think OP is in for a real treat, if you can't tell, I really love the idea of those amps! and it sounds like the price was right for the combo!! |
Yeah, an audiophile "friend" said....and, before you know it I opened up my wallet...:) One thing I noticed about Vandersteen owners, is that they do seem to move up the line as their finances permit, that speaks well for the brand. I would not be surprised if Audioconnection sells more Vandersteens than any dealer in the U.S., I'm sure he has helped many folks with that upgrade path.
P.S. Audioconnection is right, I did overstate the bass response of the Merlin TSMs, it is closer to 55Hz -2db without wall reinforcement - it is a very high quality small monitor and not a full-range speaker. Whether one would prefer Merlin to Vandersteen is for another thread, though I think they appeal to different types of listeners and rare that the choice would be between them. |
What naysayers? Everyone agrees the Vandersteens 1s are very good for the money - I did make a mistake regarding its impedance making me think a 30 watt tube amp would not work, but I acknowledge that mistake, so I have no doubt it will work with these execeptionally good amps, like your Quicksilvers. Will the OP like'em, well, that is as simple as plugging in as listening for himself. Now the OPs question was if the VS1 were any good and worth trying - of course they are. They are however entry-level speakers and if the OP is interested in better performance, there are certainly other choices down the road that will take him beyond with the VS1s can provide - the VS1s are a heck of a good speaker with close to full range performance for under $1,000 and should be on anyone's shortlist for speakers in that price range. |
Rrog, you would take a VS1 with 2Wq sub over a 3A Signature? John R? |
Rrog, staying on OPs topic is as simple as saying yes to both questions asked, they are good and they are worth giving a go with the MC30s - that is the answer and the end of the topic. But it would be boring to stop there, and we needn't and you didn't, by introducing the notion of the "next step", which would be to consider a VS subwoofer down the road, and a perfectly reasonable next step, that would certainly improve mid-range clarity and make life alot easier on the MC30s. The question I posed, was (given adequate finances, and a room large enough to give the 3As the space they need) if the next step to really improve upon the 1 would be to sell and trade up to the 3A or add a subwoofer. Not sure what the price differential would be, but the 3A to my ears is a significantly better speaker than the 1, most notably in much more resolved midrange (and of course deeper, more dynamic bass), so if it were my money and I was contemplating my next move, not that the OP is looking that far ahead (yet), I would argue that the 3A Sig is the better next step, IF one chooses to stay on the Vandersteen roadmap, absent financial considerations, or too small a room.
I trust the OP has been given enough encouragement to hook this stuff up, sit back, and enjoy - he is very much into the hi-fi venture with his equipment - and if he is truly a newbie, much better than he knows. |
Agree, if he stays with the MC30s in the future (and why not), the 3A Sigs would not be an ideal match. |
I've only heard the 1Cs, but (and I'm sure Audioconnection, John Rutan can answer this) although the Vandersteens have improved over time, making them such "well sorted" speakers with years of evolutionary development, I think your 1s still carry the basic house sound and that you really will get the essence of what the current 1C has to offer - I odn't think it is night and day, but again, I suspect JohnnyR has heard every VS speaker ever made.... In other words, they might be different, but not "much" different. |
