I purchased the Andara II's about 3 months ago and there is no doubt that the first thing about the speaker that strikes you is its overall tonal balance followed by how natural the tweeter sounds (although I would have to believe that an excellent crossover comes into play here as well). With solid electronics in front, cymbals sound like cymbals (not irritating metal hash).
I came off of Quad ESL-2805's (just couldn't live without deep bass response and extended highs that I was used to, even after adding a sub - which creates integration problems) which are midrange killers. The Quads are simply at the top of the list when it comes to midrange performance (especially vocals).
Eggleston has done an excellent job at integrating the 6" drivers with the Esotar tweeter to create a high level of transparency and midrange clarity (maybe not to the level of a Quad but I much prefer the overall presentation of the Andra II). I do not find the woofer to get in the way at all and in some ways I wish it was a bit more pronounced in the presentation - however if they did that I think it would have a greater likelihood of making things muddy, which is currently not the case.
I am always looking for weaknesses in my system but for now I am focused on electronics and cables as I find the Andra II's to be simply outstanding speakers.
I have heard the Vandy 5A once but not long enough to give you a good evaluation.
Hope it helps
I came off of Quad ESL-2805's (just couldn't live without deep bass response and extended highs that I was used to, even after adding a sub - which creates integration problems) which are midrange killers. The Quads are simply at the top of the list when it comes to midrange performance (especially vocals).
Eggleston has done an excellent job at integrating the 6" drivers with the Esotar tweeter to create a high level of transparency and midrange clarity (maybe not to the level of a Quad but I much prefer the overall presentation of the Andra II). I do not find the woofer to get in the way at all and in some ways I wish it was a bit more pronounced in the presentation - however if they did that I think it would have a greater likelihood of making things muddy, which is currently not the case.
I am always looking for weaknesses in my system but for now I am focused on electronics and cables as I find the Andra II's to be simply outstanding speakers.
I have heard the Vandy 5A once but not long enough to give you a good evaluation.
Hope it helps