Vandersteen Quatro CT

I missed the part where you said these things were said in confidence. My error?

Why would it be an error? Maybe that was sarcastic, but I don't think so. What designer/manufacturer would want their name attached to what I posted? I've heard it from more than one designer/owner. It's not that their largest speaker isn't worth it or isn't a great speaker. Personally I've heard some folks largest offering an not liked it, but I have liked their 60k or so offerings better. Very few people or dealers have a room that can even handles many of the larger speakers offered. I was with a dealer last week who spoke about the sore spots in his room and how much it would cost to rebuild it and that most of his customers don't even know it. Very few dealers I've been to around the country don't have a problem with that 50-60hz reverb. Most rooms also seem over damped or don't diffuse early wall reflections so you get a lot of ringing. Again, we all have different takes and maybe you have never heard these things.

I don't think it's fair to simply call the Quatro CT just a speaker (and to compare it to other speakers). It's part of a system with many components that aren't required / included with other speakers.

Yes, it's a 3-way speaker. However, it also includes a powered sub (one in each speaker, actually), a bass management equalizer (as part of each sub) to address low-frequency room issues, and it requires bi-amping though high-pass filters before the primary amplifier (and inversely addressing that low-end rolloff with the integrated sub amps). All of these features add to the Quatro CT's greatness.

So when you listen to a set of Quatro CT's, what are you actually hearing? An excellent time and phase coherent 3-way speaker? An amplifier releaved of low-frequency reproduction duties? Stereo subs? A bass management system? Trick question. The answer is "All of the above".

I'm driving mine with just an Ayre AX-7e. All I can say is "Wow!" (and I probably only have them half broken-in).

Agreed nrenter.  

I started this post with the typical fever of someone looking to get a new piece of gear.  I ended up finding a pair of almost new Quattro Wood (non-CT) in Ebony about 12 months ago.  I've been really enjoying them.  I really liked my previous speakers, Legacy Audio Focus SE but they were too big looking.  Shallow?  Perhaps but it was like having two soldiers standing guard in the room.  The Quattros are so much more discreet, even five feet our from the front wall.  Like the Focus, I am driving the Quattros with a Pass XA 30.5, the difference being 94 db efficiency for the Focus SE vs upper 80's for the Quattros. It does take a little more dB's for the Quattros to really open up compared to the Focus SE.  But I don't think they are a more difficult load for the XA 30.5 due to the reduction in low frequency duties.  

One thing that was surprising was the different nature of the the low bass between the two speakers.  The Focus have 48" of woofer staring at you (2 x 12" per speaker)  and you just assume it can do anything in the lower frequencies. But with the Quattros, the bass is bigger!  Much more forceful feeling.  Nice impact without sounding unnatural. The Focus never locked into the room like the Quattros.  I'm sure that some listeners would prefer one presentation over the other but for me the Quattros are better. 

The only aspect I miss about the Legacy Focus sound is the tweeter.  Those ribbons really sounded great in my room. Not that the Quattro is a slouch but it is not the same level of clean, crisp, natural sounding as the Focus SE.  Which is why I still think about the Quattro Wood CT!  Would it match or surpass those AMT ribbons?

I think what's most interesting about the low end is the articulation. I have a home made test disk that goes from 10 Hz to 300 Hz in 1 Hz steps. From the mid-20's up, the change in frequency is EASILY discernible. They don't produce chest thumping bass, but that's just because of how I have them set up. It just sounds right. Top to bottom. 

I'm an imaging freak, and the Quatro CTs present a crisply defined soundstage. Twice while listening today I turned down the volume because I thought I heard something I the house. Nope, it was in the recording. At another point, the dynamics startled me. So much fun.