Are the folks at Vandersteen ok?

RV is a savant at what he does.........I've owned various versions of 2s
and a pair of 5s for a time.....

My phone calls to him have always been the same: He's annoyed, short
and extremely curt.

It's a well known fact of audio lore, and nothing he did for you Stringreen will change the fact that the best thing RV could ever do is get someone else to talk to customers........

It didn't really move me away from the brand, but it certainly didn't help keep me either.....I now own Magnepans and they're pretty much just as bad if you ever do call......

I met RV about 5 years ago, at a local audio event demoing these huge 750w SimAudio amps on the Model 7's. He had flown himself into town for something else, so just happened to be able to be there. I was chatting with him after the demo, but I was also expecting a text message. The text came in, so I glanced down at my phone...Richard immediately walked away from me, practically mid sentence. ha! I learned my lesson! ;) No matter. I could tell he was/is a straight shooter. 


To the point-- I have run into more and more companies (not just in audio) that are doing well enough, with plenty of work, so they do not need to update their website, nor do they care about the constant social media updates people expect these days... Online presence does not always mirror a companies status. Especially smaller operations. 

Beyond OK
richard and I talk about every other week
does he have strong opinions - yes
is he direct but blunt - sure - think of it as verbal and emotional efficiency - he has dealers to apply sugar - not that his product needs it IMO
do we always agree - no
is he running a fantastic business with great products - yes
is he sourcing almost everything inside USA - yes
does he employ more than two handfuls of fellow Americans - yes
He is
working on cool new products

i love our 7 mk2
working up to his amps after I get the triplaner arm bolted down....

+1 stewart0722  RV has a singular vision of what he wants out of his creations and once he fixed upon his philosophy of speaker design it has and continues to be a quest to perfect that vision.  He is regularly updating his various speaker designs to get the highest level of performance that is possible at the time.  In fact, it is that quest that I believe drives him.  Is he a great phone call, No.  Do I care?  Not a whit!  His employees speak well on his behalf. Just let Richard be Richard.  

Yup, he can be a bit curt, and I do think he rubs people the wrong way, but I can tell he is a straight shooter. 
He can't delegate the PR to someone else, because he knows what he knows from experience-unfortunately that is something that can't be taught to just anyone.
If you need someone with a bit more bedside manner, then PM or call John Rutan at Audioconnection. He can give any Vandy information that you need to know.
Bob