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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!

128x128patrickdowns
tomcarr
1,522 posts
 

I've owned 3 pairs of Vandersteens (1B, 2C and 2Ce Sig II). Also owned Electro-Voice, Genesis, Boston Acoustic, Acoustat, Klipsch, Mission, Monitor Audio, Pioneer and B&W.

Just sold the 2Ce Sigs. Still have the Pioneers (living room), the Monitor Audios (bedroom), and recently purchased the B&W 803 D3 for the dedicated listening room.

For me, the 803s do everything I like a speaker to do. They were the store demo models and I got them for close to your budget ($11K).

Compared to the Sig IIs, the 803s are more dynamic, have more bass, have cleaner bass, mids, and highs, image better, play louder, and just flat out sound better. As they should considering they cost $20k new vs $3.6K for the current Sig III. That's how I hear them. I LOVE how they sound. Just my 2c. YMMV

gdnrbob
4,447 posts
 

You should post this on the Vandersteen forum (go to website and look for the forum tab).

I own the Treo CT's and Sub 3's. They really come pretty close to a pair of Quatro's. So, if you don't have the budget now, you can buy the Sub 3's later and still get the sound you love, at a very reasonable price.

Other speakers I wanted:
Magnepan, Sound Labs, MBL.

(working on getting the latter, but not in a rush).

Bob

 

stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,468 posts
 

I have 5A's.....use Ayre electronics with great satisfaction

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