Vandersteen 5Aa Carbon--any 5a owner's opinions?

Don't forget there is always the possibility that you could sell your 5as. I traded mine in when I bought the 7s. This helped put me in the ball park of the
kind of price you are talking about. I'm a retired teacher in California, not exactly
Donald Trump. I listen to alot of live music. When I heard the 7s I was hearing
the kind of sound that I hear at the live event. Yes, the price of the 7s is quite
a bit more than the 5a, but the carbon and driver technology used in the 5a carbon and 7 cost much more as did the research and development that went
into the creation of that speaker. Even without the trade in, I would have found some way to purchase the 7 or the 5a Carbon. It was worth that much to me. Just a thought.

Sonofjim, TY for restarting this.

After almost 2 years, I love these 5As more than ever. I've improved one trio of bypass caps in the very complicated crossovers, replacing one pair of Dynamicaps with MultiCap TRXs pypassed with small SoniCap Platinums, and another Dynamicap with a 1 big Platinum. Speakercable is a 3-size wind of Neotec UPOCC solid silver on the upper freqs. and a 3-size wind of silver-and-copper Neotec UPOCC for the lower freqs. I went thru several quads and pairs of poweramps and quit looking when I connected a pair of McCormack DNA-750s. Of course, I had to improve the '750s, and they sound even better. I've since improved a bunch of IC, too, and my system sounds so transparent, so real, so natural, so you-are-there I can hardly believe it.

Maybe 5A Carbons sound better, but at age 69, I suspect my days of spending big bucks to improve my system are about over.
.

To my ear, the 5s's were heavier in the midrange than even say, the Quatro which I liked better in the mids. Those same 5a's were upgraded to carbons, and the midrange just took off. No changes in the room, just the speaker itself. The mids were WAY better and more "correct" in timber and weight. The model 5 bass is to die for already, so add the midrange and the speaker is killer for those who have a "spot" in their heart, a spot in a room, and a spot for you in that room.

5a carbons are definitely in the rhelm of truly good speaker everywhere. If I had 5a's, I'd go carbons in a FLASH.

Rower,
Thanks for your input. You've obviously had a chance to hear the 5A Carbon at some point. I've never had any objection to the midrange on my 5As but if the new driver makes it notably better it's definitely worthwhile. The biggest downside to the upgrade process is how long I'd be without my beloved speakers.

I need to find a pair of 5A Carbons and 7s to audition for myself which for me would involve traveling somewhere. Anyone know which dealers have either set up? It sounds like Audio Connection in New Jersey may be one. Pearl Audio in Portland? I'd rather hear them at a dealer than a show.

Have any of you guys upgraded from a 3/3A to the Quattro?

Anyone upgraded a Quattro to the 5/5A or 7?