After having read all the previous posts,I decided to chime in with my opinions.I'm a Model 3a owner,and have them situated a 18.5L' x 14'w room.I sit 10'away.The speakers are located 24" from the sidewalls to the nearest side of the cabinets,and 32" from the rear walls to the front baffle of the cabinet.My room simulates the L.E.D.E.concept(live end,dead end)with the area behind the speakers representing the dead end.This entire wall is treated with 1" thick slotted foam that was used to ship optical lenses to my place of work.They really don't absorb much,but serve to take a little edge off things,and aid in reducing slap echo.Sidewalls are treated with ASC panels at the reflective points.Rear walls have one ASC panel behind my head,and difussors where the speakers are aimed.I use home made cubicle panels painted on the outside and absorbing on the back as bass traps in the front corners behind the speakers.The net results are superb.Even though the speakers are reletively close to room boundaries,they virtually disappear.Soundstage,depth,center fill,detail,all the audiophile attributes we all desire are there in spades.Yes the room treatments improved things,but they sounded very good in the untreated room before hand.My point is I think they can be made to work in your area also.Follow the placement guide in the Vandersteen manual,as it offers a good starting point.I also belive the use of room treatments is going to enter into play.You may experience an increase in the amount of bass in a smaller room like yours.Last I see no reason to go with the 2ce's.I owned them before I obtained the 3's.If you could get them to work in your room,then the 3's will work as well.
Vandersteen's, optimum placement, room limitations
Category: Speakers
I'm thinking of switching from Thiel 2.3's to Vandersteen 3A sigs with their subwoofers, or possibly the new Quatro's (have to demo). My problem is that in my city apartment, my listening room is only 12' 8" wide. I've listened to the 3A sig's under varying conditions (once 20 inches from the walls w/ good results, once the same distance w/ terrible ones. In both cases I was able to sit more than 7 to 8 feet back from the speakers, which is the current/maximum distance in my listening space). I can't afford to put the backs of my speakers more than 18-20 inches from the walls in any case.
I currently have an Ayre CX-7 cd player and Rega P3 Turntable, Ayre K-3X preamp, and Ayre V-5x amp, w/ Ayre and Cardas Golden Reference interconnects plus Cardas Cross speaker cables. I think the sig's might be quite nice in my system, but the distance/set-up thing? I don't know...
I'd appreciate anyone's feedback on this.
I'm thinking of switching from Thiel 2.3's to Vandersteen 3A sigs with their subwoofers, or possibly the new Quatro's (have to demo). My problem is that in my city apartment, my listening room is only 12' 8" wide. I've listened to the 3A sig's under varying conditions (once 20 inches from the walls w/ good results, once the same distance w/ terrible ones. In both cases I was able to sit more than 7 to 8 feet back from the speakers, which is the current/maximum distance in my listening space). I can't afford to put the backs of my speakers more than 18-20 inches from the walls in any case.
I currently have an Ayre CX-7 cd player and Rega P3 Turntable, Ayre K-3X preamp, and Ayre V-5x amp, w/ Ayre and Cardas Golden Reference interconnects plus Cardas Cross speaker cables. I think the sig's might be quite nice in my system, but the distance/set-up thing? I don't know...
I'd appreciate anyone's feedback on this.