I’m a fan of the Vandersteen sound as well. I like them with ARC or Ayre amps. I spent years with B&W culminating in the 801 Matrix series 3, then on to Genesis 500 and ProAc Response floorstanders, then auditioned Vandy Treos and Quattros but by the time I was ready to buy my dealer had retired and I ended up with Audio Physic Avantera+ from the one remaining dealer in my area. I don’t know if there’s a detectable pattern in my listening preferences from this journey but I’ve always thought I am a fan of what used to be called “the British sound.” I also have always loved Ayre equipment with all of my speakers.
For Vandersteen owners & lovers: Which other brands do you like?
If you didn’t own Vandersteens, what would you own instead and why? Or, if you switched to another brand what did you choose?
First, let me say that I am a Vandersteen owner for 20+ years, now on my 2nd pair of the 2CE, the Signature III. I have owned other brands, and heard many others and even liked some. 😀 I don’t change gear frequently once I settle on something. Lazy & frugal = me.
I am on the verge of being on the verge of getting the Vandy Treo CT. I have auditioned them at length. I have also heard the Quatro CT and if budget allowed (including upgrading my front end) I would get them for sure. I’m not a fanboy—there is a reason why Vandersteen has sold something like 100K pairs of the 2CE. They sound very good and all of their models are a real bargain/value in their category, imo.
I have heard and liked, for different reasons, Maggies, Magicos, Harbeths, Focals, Linkwitz-Riley, and other brands. Others that I have not heard intrigue me too. I keep circling back to Vandys—maybe it’s what I have known the longest. I have flirted with the Larsen 8 or 9, which is a totally different design (AbSound has reviewed them well), and also the MBL 120 and 126 (omnidirectionals).
I know I could be happy for life with Vandersteens (Treo, Quatro, or dreaming—the Kento or 7). I am interested in detailed opinions of alternatives in the $10K range though. Thanks!
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I haven’t owned Vandersteens to-date but at this point am planning to get either Quatros or Kentos into my primary system, hopefully in the not-distant future. My primary system has had Vivid B1s for a few years now, and they’re friggin’ amazing IMO. I’m only (likely) switching to the Vandersteens for their powered, contourable subwoofers that are essentially full-range (my Vivids don’t go down quite as far and don’t have the bass equalization factor), plus my liking for the Vandersteens’ time/phase coherence (am especially excited to get them for my classical music listening, which is about 40% of my total, predominantly orchestral works). Both lines of speakers (at least the better Vandersteens) use pistonic drivers and offer what I regard as exceptionally balanced and spacious sound with great timbral accuracy. The Vivids are exceptionally dynamic, the comparable Vandersteens a bit less so. Some years back, Peter Roth at Soundstage Ultra did a wonderful comparison of the house sounds of the two speaker lines. Tradeoffs! |
I hope you get the Vandy's. I doubt you'll be disappointed.-Though I have no experience with Vivid speakers, but if you have listened to Vandy's and liked them, then I am sure it will be an upgrade. Yes, the equalized bass is pretty sweet. I own the Treo's with Sub 3's and couldn't be happier. I was going to start a new thread on the Vandy VLR's, but saw your post first and wanted to comment. Bob |
@aubullience there are a few pistonic cones. And Purifi has a slick surround which does not change effective area as the cone moves in and out… as well as a more linear motor I have not seen distortion measurements that I recall for Vivids nor any recent Vandys, but a high distortion could possibly come across as dynamic… I’m Not sure… I am also unsure what exactly what makes timbral accuracy. The Vandy time domain accuracy is stunning, but the FR on the older speakers was not ruler smooth. One cannot clean up time domain easily with a DSP… but FR is pretty easy. I suspect that the time domain is more important for my ears…? I am also looking at the Quatros and Kentos… but the old 2C are still pretty nice. kind of first world problems to have. Since the thread is about what other speakers… I am not sure how many are using the Purifi motors, and most that are seem to be on LR2 or LR4 crossovers (XO). i have been thinking about a DEQX active XO, as they are coming out soon. I am not sure there is a lot better on that front. but as they say, there are a hundred ways to skin a cat.
as the advocate of devil… one could maybe add the Vandy sub to the Vivids if their XO alignment was amenable to it? Are they 1st order XOs? 101 cats now… or was that Dalmatians? |
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