Vandersteen Model 7: has anyone heard?


I won't have $45K to spend on a loudspeaker in this lifetime or any other I imagine but the little snippet in TAS peaked my curiousity. Has anyone heard this speaker and would be willing to offer their impressions?
russellrcncom
I just recently heard the model 7 at AUDIO CONNECTION in Verona NJ.

Mr Vandersteen was there giving us a lesson in speaker design, and he spoke all about his new creation, The 7. I couldn't believe how much r&d went into these speakers from the design of the chassis to the materials used for the drivers.

When we finally went into the listening room, owner John Rutan gave us a wonderful demo using the top of the line Audio Research gear, and all I can say is WOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW !!!!!!!my mouth was wide open. Hugh wide open soundstage, natural , beautiful midrange, effortless at all ranges. The refinement level of this speaker is the highest I have ever heard. John had put on a cd of a wonderful female vocal, and I was floored. Besides the wonderful tonality of her voice, I found myself thinking of what this woman looked like! As i listened I turned to John, and asked him how old he thought this singer was. These are the kinds of images these speakers project. It is hard to imagine the emotional involvment I felt with these speakers.

Do yourself a favor, and go listen to these speakers. They are really wonderful.
Heard the 7's at RMAF this year in a very small room - surely too small for a speaker this size. They were powered by all ARC electronics. There were maybe six chairs in the cramped space and attendees were fighting over them because the sound was amazing. Crystalline clear, precise, nothing overdone or out of place. The sense of desire in the room was palpable. Heard the 9's last year in one of the large salons and they were equally incredible.
ive heard them! 2 weeks ago 10/6/09 mr vandersteen himself held a seminar and listening demo in my neighboring city (verona,NJ / audio connection). while i like and enjoy the vandersteen sound ive never owned a pair ive heard th 2c's upgraded and the new 7's. the demo pair witnessed were stunning in all aspects - looks, sound, dept, highs, AMAZING LOWS, soundstaging unbelievable. seriously, everything! mr v said while they can be used with tubes they prefer ss b-cause of their fairly low efficiency (83db?). they were run off really high end sh**. enormous audio research mono blocks (huge) ar pre-amp, ar cd player. the soundstaging was astounding, the mids + highs phenominal and the bass/ room & body shaking extremley pricey but i guess if u can afford them a good buy!
should u ever have the opportunity take a listen or if in the nj area stop into audio connection.
I recently spent some time listening to the speakers during a event hosted by John Rutan of Audio Connection in NJ. Richard was there with what he said was the first production pair of Vandersteen 7's (The earlier pair shown at CES in Cherry Red were apparently pre-production and made for his wife).

Before I even listened to the speakers, I was taken aback their beauty. As a 5A owner with a slight preference for more involving designs, I can tell you the 7 is truly built with an eye toward form and function. Even the pair on his website does not do the speaker justice.

The pair displayed was a metallic sapphire blue and unlike any speaker I had ever seen. After Richard shared the design philosophy behind the speakers along with some highs and lows of his twelve year effort to produce them, a number of us had the opportunity to listen to his latest creation.

After more than 25 years in this hobby, I can tell you that the quality of sound reproduction was unmatched by anything I have ever heard. Upon first hearing the speakers, it took my brain some time to catch up with the emotions. The accuracy and lack of any coloration is immediately noticeable. Music appears effortlessly, and with all the impact of the original performance. You immediately sense the scale, impact, and meaning of the music.

There is an audible ‘family signature’ in the sound of the speaker, but the execution is just perfect. Richard shared with the audience his design philosophy and suggested that it has not changed much with the 7, but that the difference lies in the application of new materials, and cost-no-object design. This philosophy allowed him to place in the 7 the very best components for each application.

As the Snapple Ad’s says…. ‘Made from the best stuff on Earth’ and now they found (or in this case designed and built) ‘better stuff’. The same seems to be true for the 7’s. As for me, I am saving my pennies.