Agreed that the new 1Ci is a great speaker and a great value. Vandersteen keeps trickling down its technology. I'm probably the only person in history to have stepped down from the 2CE Sig II to the 1Ci (I prefer the better off-axis coherence of the 2-way), and I love them. Johnny R was kind enough to sit me and my wife down to listen to the Model 7 the day we bought our 1Ci. While the 7 is amazing, I'm still smiling every time I sit down in front of my $1K Vandersteens.
Vandersteen Amp?
I've seen pictures on line of the new Vandersteen M7-HPA. It's a hybrid amp putting out 600 watts as I recall but designed to only play above the 100 Hz frequency levels. It's intended to pair with his speakers utilizing a powered sub, especially the Model 7 I would think. Projected price $35,000-$40,000.
The pictures I've seen look like a pure prototype. Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with these monoblocks in operational form? It sounds like an interesting concept, eliminating the need for the high pass filter between the pre amp and amp. Still, it's significantly more costly than the Ayre MX-r and the Audio Research Ref 250s both which work very well with the Vandersteen speakers. Will this be worth the price for a manufacturer's first step into the realm of stand alone power amps or for a pair of monoblocks only for use with speakers having a powered woofer?
My guess is that any Vandersteen product is a pretty safe bet.
The pictures I've seen look like a pure prototype. Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with these monoblocks in operational form? It sounds like an interesting concept, eliminating the need for the high pass filter between the pre amp and amp. Still, it's significantly more costly than the Ayre MX-r and the Audio Research Ref 250s both which work very well with the Vandersteen speakers. Will this be worth the price for a manufacturer's first step into the realm of stand alone power amps or for a pair of monoblocks only for use with speakers having a powered woofer?
My guess is that any Vandersteen product is a pretty safe bet.