Treble of Vienna Acoustics Haydn Grand?

I don't own the Haydn Grand, but I own the Beethoven Baby Grands and I've heard the Haydn fairly extensively, but not in my system.

The character of the top ends of these two speakers is very close, IMHO, which is not soft and lacking dynamics. VA speakers like a good bit of power and high damping factors from the amps. With Bryston, Conrad Johnson, Primare and Rowland, for example, they work very well. The yield a smooth, detailed, transparent and highly articulate top end. They're not "etched", just musical.

Dave

They need to be raked back a little, say 10-15 degrees. The non-floor standers need a stand that gets the tweeters around 36-40" off the floor.

Dave

There's always room for improvement, but your rig should work nicely with the VAs, IMHO. Remember, toe them in so that you just see a sliver of the inside sides from you listening position and rake them back about 10-degrees.

Unless you room is really large, you'll have enough power and control of the drivers. In a larger room I'd like to see 200+ watts continuous into 4 ohms. Ignore that "dynamic power" crap that NAD spouts. However, you're in good shape in most rooms.

Dave

02-16-08: Campton said:
"Thanks...
yes, but with the VA's have an open and airy top?
The 3 reviews ive reading claim this is their shortcoming.
They say the top is too soft and laid back...no real detail."

Interesting. I thought I'd read all the VA reviews and I never saw that. Fortunately I was able to make a choice with my ears and that was not the case at all.

How anyone could criticize the mids and highs of any VA speaker in the two-channel line is beyond me. I consider it one of their strengths.

I play trumpet in several serious groups, ranging from funk/rock/soul, to Copland & Stravinsky, to church and Hefti. I also attend lots of live musical events. I love sopranos and vocalists in general. If the Haydns highs were soft I would have heard it right away. I'm very sensitive to this area of the frequency response curve.

Still, you may not like it. As Guido says, different strokes for different folks.

I write reviews of guitar equipment for Just Jazz Guitar and I found that their tend to be different "camps" of sound. Guitar amps are purposely colored so I try to describe how might sound by reference to famous guitarists that all the readers will know. With the VA I'll just tell you that Wes Montgomery will sound like Wes and Jim Hall will sound like Jim. Clifford Brown will sound like Brownie and Arturo Sandavol will sound like Arturo.

Dave

Yeah, that Mojo guy is interesting. The fact that he sets of speakers using measurement speaks volumes to me. No one can measure there way to speaker placement, IMHO. He criticizes others for letting Sumiko place the speakers, but I think his thinking is flawed.

My experience is in line with TAS. Of course, I've only heard them set up by a Sumiko expert, using the Sumiko Master Set technology. Set up is critically important for ANY speaker. If I were a professional reviewer I would learn how to do the Sumiko Master Set so that I'd be certain to review each speaker in their best light.

Dave

Stereomojo said:
"I then set them up in Room B or the small room, well away from the back and spies walls and in an equilateral triangle position with the listener. 20” stands were used to prop them up."

That's pathetic. Almost any speaker will sound like shit if set up like that. You have no idea what you're doing. You need to place the speaker in the room so that the interaction with the room and between the speakers balances the bass and midrange performance. The highs are dealt with with rake angle. You also need a stand that'll get the tweeter up around 40" high.

Anyone considering these speakers should buy them through an independent Sumiko dealer and avail themselves of the Sumiko Master Set to properly place the speakers. BB is only an option if you know how to set them yourself. Don't look to Stereomojo for guidance...

Beerad, congrats on thinking for yourself and working to make the speakers work. I love my Beethoven Baby Grands.

Dave