New speakers? No thanks.


Last week while chilling with my wife, listening to music, she turns to me and says,” you haven’t bought any new speakers in years.  You should take our tax return and get some”.  Did the planets just line up?  Or was it the two bottles of wine?   Who cares!?!

Ive been totally satisfied with my speakers,Vandersteen Quatros, but wasn’t gonna waste this opportunity to shop. So I hit up a couple of shops in Seattle.  I listened to the new Tannoy Cheviots and DC10a.  I tried some Devore Gibbons.  Listened to Martin Logan’s, Sonus, Living Voice, and Usher.   

None of these sung to me like my old Vandies. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t close. While they all had their attributes, none checked all the boxes.   I know it’s system and room dependent, but you can get a decent idea in showrooms.   

I think I’ll just save my pennies, and try to get my wife wasted enough someday to get some new Quatro CTs.  
bigboltz
I love Vandersteens. Still have the Model 4's (mid-'80s model) that I had set up in previous house. That was a high point in my audio life.

No room in new house for that system, so it has all been desktop audio for past 10+ years (before then it was computer speakers, and the less said about that, the better).

There are advantages to this smaller, near-field world: mainly that if I get curious about another pair of speakers (of anything), I can get it and swap into system (storing the other unit for time being). For example, my mains are now the very good ATC SCM Pro 12s (best 2 way I ever heard, almost too big for desktop). I just purchased a considerably less expensive pair of speakers, the Wharfedale Diamond 225s, because so many people say such nice things about its sound. I'll try them, and that doesn't work, either store them for a rainy day, or sell.

I do miss that big living room system, though.
Thank you for not saying "the wife." Probably a little part of why she's open to you pursuing your passion, something she seems to enjoy as well. Good on ya...

Well I didn’t get new speakers...yet.  But guess who got a new car yesterday?   I’m pretty sure I’ve been hustled.   Nicely played, Dear.