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Vandersteen

After hearing many good things about Vandersteen speakers I purchased a pair of 3a signatures. They sound beautiful with chamber music or small group jazz but quickly fall to pieces with symphonic works or rock. Have other people noted this deficiency with Vandersteens? 
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keithtexas
352 posts
 

Here's Linkwitz's quick overview of power response, which stated briefly is smooth, consistent output of all frequencies at different volumes. 

http://linkwitzlab.com/speakers.htm

The best way to achieve this is usually with active crossovers and speakers (studio monitors) - like PMC, Genelec, ATC, etc. But often, people perceive these speakers to be "too" truthful/less musical, and as we all know, we often can't handle the truth. The 'problem' with studio monitors is that they reveal that often, [rock or other] music is recorded with dips and boosts in frequencies which are easily heard at loud volumes. (More cymbals and more cow bell :D). I suspect some Vandersteens have a declining power response as frequency or output rises.


tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 
For all the 2C lovers I know of a nice pair in San Diego for not much $$$$$

tots
26 posts
 
I have the 2Ci, on their original "T" shaped metal stands. I drive them with other vintage, Harman Kardon 17s pre-amp and 16As amp. I am very pleased. I do classical and jazz. I can even do the Telarc LP of the 1812 with the cannons, and feel them, plus hear the small tinkles of a triangle in another part. I assume what you have is a successor to my speakers. The H-K amp is biased further in to class A than many - I don't know if that makes a difference. I run them through the original Monster cable - the big round one the diameter of a garden hose. However, I also have heavy duty jumpers at the banana jacks, so not bi-amped.
walt1
2 posts
 
I bought Model 1 (yes) in 1990. I had to have new drivers put in in 2010 as the LA smog at the cone rubber surrounds. Cost $ 200 and the Tweeters were improved. The surrounds of cones were in tatters. Now 11 years latter one of the mids again is loosing the rubber surrounds. Have a cheapo sub that comes on pretty much only on car crashes in movies, so who cares.  Still using 30 year old PS audio 1 and 2. Will  spending 10K on 3As and newer amps make me that much happier? I am looking for DACs that will be fed from computer. The prices of that are not in balance with the sources from the net like Tidal master.
and yes location etc of speakers is very interesting. I have a huge  15x50 with 30 ft ceilings untreated room and even there location and toe-in ( not tilt) and ear-position is critical. They are time-aligned which I don't know if anything else really is.
walt1
2 posts
 
who can repair Model1 and 2   pre and power amps by Dean Kleinfelter of Minneapolis. he is getting too old I am told. 
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