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Vandersteen help needed

I posted here a couple of months ago looking for assistance on building my first hi-fi system. Based on the feedback I received and auditioning a fair amount of equipment, I settled on the following components:

- Vandersteen 1ci speakers
- Belles Aria integrated
- Rotel DAC
- Audioquest cables and interconnects
- Source: Mainly streaming tidal through my phone

My room is 12’-10" wide by 11’-2 deep. I am setup on the long wall.
The speakers are 27" from the front wall and 22" from the side walls measured from the center of the speaker. The speakers are 9 ft. apart and about 8 and a half feet from my ears.

I’ve read the user’s guide thoroughly and spent a great amount of trial and error with speaker placement. I believe I have the correct tilt back of 2" and the speakers are towed in ever so slightly.

As for room treatment, I’m using the GIK Acoustics diffuser panels at the first reflection points. Nothing on the second reflection points. I have GIK absorber panels directly behind the speakers. I’ve also tried removing them from the room as well.

Here is the problem:

Instruments around the 1k frequency can be at times subdued and sit further back in the mix. What I’m talking about specifically are the lead vocal and snare. I never really get that crack from the snare drum. (I’m a drummer BTW).

Other times I feel like some of the higher frequencies get a bit muddled. I’ve heard others describe their experiences with Vandy’s as it sounds like there is a blanket over them.

By the time I turn up the gain so that these frequencies stand out a bit, the low end is exciting the room and the sound starts to become unbalanced.

I’ve begun thinking of adding 1-2 Vandy subs so that the low end can be offloaded from the 1ci’s and they can be left to focus solely on producing the mids and highs.

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to get more clarity out of my system?

Much appreciated,

Joe

128x128audionoobie
knghifi
1,668 posts
 
@audiotroy +1
gdnrbob
4,444 posts
 
@audiotroy, 
He can buy a Codex used for $1,300.
Or, a 2w sub for $400. The fixed crossover is $200 or so.

I would second tomic's post. Let Johnny do his magic.
Bob
audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,778 posts
 
The guy just spent $5k at  his dealers, his dealer should fix it for his customer.

Yhe man who in good faith bought a complete system and now he has to fix it himself by uping his budget and trying to find used the products in the first place that would dramatically increase his budget?

If you go to a dealer, you should get the service and support as well as the sound you have paid for.


donvito101
278 posts
 
Vandersteens aren’t everyones cup of tea. You best off trying another brand. It sounds like you are looking for a brighter speaker like a B&W or that type!
bondmanp
1,808 posts
 
I went through the same type of thing with my 1Cs, which I bought new in 2000.  I improved everything in front of them, did some room treatments, and added a pair of 2Wq subwoofers.  I even added the MHP-5 battery biased crossovers for them.  My complaints were somewhat different than yours.  I was missing a degree of detail, and at higher volumes, the sound got congested and pinched-sounding.  The spacial presentation was good, but I just could not listen very long without suffering from listening fatigue.  I got to a point where I felt I had taken the 1Cs as far as they could go.  So, after living with them for nine years (in a full 5 channel Vandersteen audio/video system), I replaced all the speakers except for the subs, which I still own, and will never let go of.  I wish I could be more optimistic, but, like another poster said, Vandersteens are not for everyone.  The Model 7 is one of the best speakers I have heard, but in my more pedestrian price range, there are other choices that appeal more to me than the lower-priced Vandys.  YMMV, of course.
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