Vandersteens, PSB or something else?


I’m looking to upgrade my speakers and would appreciate some input. My system includes ayre amp, aesthetix calypso preamp, and vandy 2c sig IIs. The room is relatively large at 23’ wide (speakers on this side) by 27’. I would like speakers that are good at both music and home theatre. I plan to run HT pass through and 5.1 overall. For music, I listen to a lot of classic rock, blues and jazz. Not too much classical. I do enjoy live Dead and Allman Brothers. I’d like the speakers to image well and present a nice soundstage but also really draw me in emotionally to the music. For home theater, I’d like to be able to include a center channel and get a decent theater experience. The vandies, really no complaints, they have served me very well. But I have budget to take the next step and was thinking maybe the Treos. But once I make this next step, I would not be making any moves for a while, so wanted to explore other alternatives as well. The PSB Imagine T3’s seem to have been reviewed well and may be worth a test. My budget would allow for these, and I guess I could possibly go up to the quatro for the right deal. Any other ideas that, given my musical preference, room, budget could be worth a shot? I have to admit, sometimes I do wonder if the live recordings that I’m listening too would really benefit from a big upgrade to the speakers.

sb_caribou
Stewart, If you have a chance to audition the 5 and 7's in a home system or at a shop, I think you'll find out how awesome they can be.  I have found that often times folks listen to the 5 and then the 7's and dont' fully understand how great the 7's are. They are subtly so good.  Their attack and decay is amazing to me.  Using Richard's amps with a  great pre, you will be able to relax into the music.  It's got dynamics out the wazzou too.  It gives so much information without smearing that it's almost hard to 'get them' as you aren't used to hearing that type of sound.  I dont' even know how to put it in words, but if we were listening together, I think you'd fully understand what I'm trying to say.  Tomic has the 7's and can better explain. 

I went from Treo's to the Quatro's and it's just blowing me away. That carbon fiber cone is just amazing in it's recreation of mids.  They just become part of the room and the best part is that they love to be pushed into the corner and up against a wall.  No need to pull them out into the room as you can eq the bass.  That's just a great thing to have.

I hope you get a chance to audition them in a non show environment as I think you'll have a blast.
+1 audiotroy

I am a dedicated Vandy guy, and I agree 100% that Vandies are not the choice for HT. Love Maggies too, but they're not meant for HT either.
Horns, cones, sensitivity, efficiency, durability for HT, IMO.

Now, for listening to 2-ch music  like I do, I only listen to Vandersteen. If I had a larger room, I would also consider Magnepan.

Tom
Having one room for 2-ch music and HT will by necessity yield some compromises for both.
My BMW M3 was not meant for off-roading,
My lifted Land Rover Discovery was not meant for autocrossing...

Tom