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
tomic601:  Not sure I understand your post, but, sure, Ohm Walsh is a completely different loudspeaker than the Vandersteen designs.  I needed a narrower profile speaker than the 2Ce Sigs, and my search eventually brought me to the Ohms.  I compared the two in my room with my gear, and ignored the designs of each.  I focused instead on the sound of each, and, overall, I preferred the Ohms by a wide margin.  I will admit, though, that I did not have the benefit of John Rutan's assistance in positioning the 1Cs.  That said, placement options in my room are quite limited.  So, perhaps, the Ohms were just a better match for my room than the 1Cs.  And I have never heard the 1Ci, so maybe they are significantly improved over the 1Cs that I owned.  I don't know.  And I completely agree that everyone's personal preferences, in audio as in all things that are subjective, are, and ought to be, different.
I'm also using all AQ cables with my Treo CT. I when with he double run AQ GO4 speaker cables per Rutan's recommendation. Interconnects are AQ Earth. Very happy with the setup.  
No shade thrown at your choice at all Bondman
my point was and is you could not have picked two more divergent speakers from a design and sound perspective.
sure the i version is better than the older 1C but I expect Ohm also work hard to improve their product as well.
that you are happy, they work in your room is super cool !!!!


Good thread.  Great dealers will make sure that you are happy.  In this day and age of real time posting on boards, it makes me realize that sometimes we have to let things play out a bit.  I know that all the dealers I purchase from are there for me whenever I need them. As much as folks think I only purchase from Johnny, I also have gear from at least four other dealers for various reasons as I try to also respect manufacture's boundary rules, lol.

As many know, I travel around the country when I'm able to physically (MS) and get to meet many top dealers and I get to hear a TON of cool gear this way also.  The majority of dealers do care about their customers (Lyric HiFi in NYC is one of the only places that left me shaking my head and a place that I'd beg friends to never do business with).  

Just glad that you are getting what you feel you paid for and in time will probably be even happier as you sit and enjoy your music.  Congrats.