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Vandersteen VLR (non CT), my opinion

My office system consists of the VLR's, Belles Aria monoblocks or Atmasphere Class D monoblocks, Belles Aria Signature, Innuos Mini Zen with power supply and Innuos Phoenix USB. A pair of HSU subs are fed via the preamp.

I stream Qobuz via Roon only.

I wanted to report to the forum that I find this is one very capable system. 

I do so, mostly because the Vandersteen VLR's don't get the press that they deserve.

Due to space limitations, I have the speakers mounted near the ceiling. I played around with angling them, but John Rutan suggested they be pointed forward. 

I have to say, he was correct. They sound amazing without any toe in or angling downward, in fact they sound better.

Bass reinforcement from corner placement almost makes having subs unneeded. But, adding a sub or two will definitely flesh out the music.

Those of you who have followed my posts know I am partial to the Vandersteen sound. But, if you are in need of a really 'sleeper' bookshelf speaker, you should try to demo the VLR. They come in either standard or CT tweeter. IMHO,Either way, you can't lose.

Bob

 

gdnrbob
gdnrbob OP
4,411 posts
 

Thomson rotary sub

Are those the ones that use a fan like thing in a box?

 

In any case, for such a simple box and driver, they perform amazingly well.

B

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

Yeah Bob, but they were like $20k … 😶

tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,796 posts
 

@holmz it might to help clarify who the “ they “ is…..Amir in those last few sentences….. 

I have heard VLR in many homes w and w/o subs… always excellent imo….

Jim

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

@tomic601 the they I was refering to where the Thompson subs.
“They” as in a corporation.

Nice humour JT… that was very well done.

~Holmz
Pronouns: Was/Were


(Corporations are afforded legal protection like people, but I refuse to call a corporation He or She. Maybe “it” would work for a corporation? 😁 )

 

 

I am thinking about the VLRs for the front room, but I need to let the haus-boss finish filling it up.
I’ll likely have no room for a sub, but I could put a tactile transducer on the floor, which is the opposite of those speaker floating decouplers that the Carbon guy spruiks.

chenry's avatar
chenry
98 posts
 

Re the ASR review of these (VLR "Wood", not VLR CT), Amir tested the speakers without the grilles in place, which is his standard practice for all speakers he tests using his Klippel Nearfield/Spinorama protocol. Unfortunately, the grilles are different in the VLR speakers, having a thick MDF panel with a waveguide contour at the cutout for the coaxial cone mounted with polymer pins to the speaker box over which is stretched the grille fabric, which is a thin woven material.The grille assembly is essential to the speaker design and leaving it off in this case is removing an important component of this small speaker. Unfortunately as well, Amir did not test the unit both with and without the front grille assembly. So I do not think it is possible to give much weight to his review unless the second testing is done to show performance of the speaker as it is designed to be used. IMO, this review should have been taken down due to its methodological flaw until at least a repeat testing with the grilles could be done and shown.  As usual, there was a peanut gallery full of comments by people who did not listen to the speaker trying to pan something they had not heard based on a flawed test.

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