Need Preamp and Amp to Match Vandersteen 3A Signature Speakers

owned 3a sig for about 8 years. Hopefully you got the massive and essential sound anchors with them and are religous about following the IMO excellent Vandersteen setup manual. I would suggest a Leica Disto laser to make your measurements easy and I also suggest downloading Vandertones and getting the analog RS SPL meter - you would be suprised how you can tune bass w data and careful placement....but they will sound great and with enough go juice rock! I ran mine w a Mc 202 amp rolled them to brother when I upgraded to 5a

his system is SOTA w Jelco, Ortofon black, ARC SP-15 into Threshold T-200 into Vandersteen 3a sig, cables are Audioquest
Hiss ervers are Aurilic, NAIM and his DAC a tube Lampizator....

sounds incredible..

i have heard 3a with Mc, Ayre, Quicksilver, PSE, Threshold 400A and T-200, Rogue and an ARC ref 75

I suspect Johnny will point you to low global feedback designs which preserve the phase and time integrity so important to Vandersteen....

have fun, enjoy the music....you have the vaunted model 5 tweeter and mid and a muke kick low end...best value in an affordable big speaker IMO.....

Audio Research preamp & amp.

John Rutan played them for me on several occasions with different gear, but one night, we were chatting, and he played them with an Audio Research 100.2 amp. It was amazing! Ever since then, I have wanted that amp. So alive and colorful, great pace and bass control, which can be an issue with those great speakers.

McCormack amps are also known to sound good with the 3a sigs.  When I had them I drove them with a DNA-0.5 Deluxe and they sounded fantastic.

ya the Mac and the big Threshold have vise like control of that bass coupler...dial it into the sweet spot and BAMMMMMM...