Quatro Wood CT VS. 5A's

Johnny R ... I don't understand your explanation about using a rear firing tweeter. Stan's question seems reasonable.

I thought the main technical underpinning of Vandy speakers is that they use time coherent drivers. If a tweeter is firing backwards, doesn't that undermine the time coherence of the treble viz the front firing tweeter, ... aside from creating more sonic reflections?

Just askin' a question.

BIF

Guys, It's spoken about in the owners manual. It says that using the rear tweeter adds 100% distortion, because the front tweeter has reproduced all of the info in the recording. In over damped rooms one has 2 options. 1) play the main tweeter louder but then the first arival (most important) info is skewed and no longer an acurate representation of what was on the recording. 2) use a rear tweeter that is adjustable in amplitude and high-pass frequency to add a small amount of energy into the reverbarent field.

Richard believes the second option is better in over damped rooms because it preserves the direct sound as recorded. It is very rare that this should be used but the Model 5 in its day was his flagship and if this feature helped offer a better balance in 1 out of 100 system it belonged. The same is now true of the Model Seven. It is important to note that the best option is to fix the acoustics of the room and turn the rear tweeter off.

Tom, the 7 carbon tweeter looks different than the carbon tweeters in the 5a Carbon and the Quatro CT. For one thing, the latter two have a phase plug and look just like the Vifa ceramic-coated metal domes. My guess is the 7 uses a true "C sandwich" (like a radome), but the 5a and the Quatro use either a monolithic carbon dome or he coats the metal dome with one or two layers of carbon pre-preg, and then cures it.

In any case, what I'd like to know is how the 5a Carbon and 7 compare in high frequency, and whether the $1500 for the CT in the Treo is really a sonic improvement or just an expensive black coating on the regular metal dome tweeter.

on the question of tweeters from a how are they made point of questioning just call Richard - he answers the phone....
Cant say I have heard all three side by side in same room w same front end. The 5 a Carbons currently for sale on Agon seem like a deal.
I know some differences between 5 a carbon and 7 is grading...but not sure about tweeters....next time i call I will ask if I remember.
On the question of measured performance - you will find waterfall plots for each model on website.
pushing the breakup and ringing mode out is a HIGH priority of his a designer.
7's are breaking in nicely....couple a three hundred hours on them and changes are subtle...diffusers at first reflection points R and L at ear level are maybe next.....

Thanks, Tom. I heard Randy's Vandersteen 7 pair at Optimal Enchantment in Santa Monica a couple years ago with both analog (Basis TT with the Airtight MC cartridge) and digital (dcs) sources, using Audio Research electronics.

They are pure magic, and are very characteristic of Richard's "junior" speakers, (that's a complement). Nothing splashy, just pure music.....like hearing it live.

I would love to have a pair, but I'd have to sell my new Corvette (C7) and that would kill me. BTW, if you ever get out to LA, look Randy up - he is a wonderful host, and has the best collection of vinyl I've ever seen !