Vandersteen or not to Vandersteen


I have been looking around the market for a subwoofer and I think I like the Vandersteen, 2Wq. I have heard one and I have the opportunity to take one home and try it, so, so far so good.

Ok, so I read that the Vandersteen 2Wq must be integrated with my setup so that I can get the right crossover settings and after that, I contact Vandersteen with the crossover settings that I want, pay them some money, and they send me some nicer crossovers to use, correct?

Well, what if I am planning to upgrade my amplifier for January 2004? I am buying something really nice (Audio Research is what I have my ears on) and I can't afford that high right now, but I can afford a Vandersteen. Right now I have some ok-sounding tube amps.

If I upgrade my amp, in 2004, I have to retune the Vandersteen and possibly need another set of crossover cables, right? And, if I upgrade my main speakers, which I also want to do, does that mean I have to retune the Vandersteen, again and possibly buy ANOTHER set of crossover cables?

Bottom line is that I not only have to retune my Vandersteen to whatever I upgrade(which you do with most anything you get), but I have to possibly buy another set of crossover cables for the Vandersteen when I do?

Geez, if this is true, the Vandersteen ends up costing me more than if I just bought a Rel to start with(Rel is my second choice). The Vandersteen sounds like a very high-maintenance piece of equipment. It seems to be very high end for 1300, but then with all the extras that you get for it, the price keeps getting higher. It is almost like a car dealership that makes most of its money from the service department.

So, tell me I am wrong!
matchstikman

Showing 1 response by matchstikman

I appreciate all the good info, but I am lousy with solder and anything of that sort. I just want a system that is easy to install and then nice to listen to. I am willing to trade less sound quality for less hassle. I am now considering a Rel as my first choice. Of course, Rel is nothing to sneeze at.