Are the folks at Vandersteen ok?


No updates in their website and facebook for a while.  Used to have frequent updates.  Hmm or maybe I have too little to do these days..
asturias00
Look, RV is a master speaker designer and business owner.  He is not running for office.  His nature is to be succinct and to the point.  That said, he has never been anything less than pleasant and courteous to me whenever I have spoken to him in person or on the phone (a few instances of each over the years).  I would rather have someone like him running an audio company than some glad-handing guy who is all smiles but lacks knowledge or accessability.  My $0.02. 
Importantly, people are singular human beings, and their time is limited. They have to work, not just communicate.

Different mental states take time to switch between and doing so constantly is stressful....and time consuming on it’s own.

When I (Ken, not Taras) was involved in running Goo Systems every day, the phone calls alone would have amounted to 50 or 70hrs per day, if not more - if I let people talk to me as much as they wanted to. Calls which were about Home Theater, Home theater audio, acoustics, projection, screens, projector technology, making of rooms, isolation of rooms, contrast, realization of contrast, seating, electrical systems, the intricacies of eye and ear function in science and mental wiring, and a hundred other things they wanted help with or wanted to share.

When I finally quit answering the phone as I was going mad and had zero spare time...there were 56 unanswered calls on the system. This is with me editorializing in real time and keeping people on track and limiting or zeroing verbal digression. This is with me dissuading people from taking my time but trying to remain viewed and known as a good guy who helps out.

Audio conversations from customers are arguably worse than that. When one possesses answers to questions which can fill in the blanks for others and thus open up even more questions, people tend to want to stay in that mode and just eat it up. Then they want to go back and do it again. Audio is emotions so it’s a deep hook.

It’s great to converse with people who have a deep knowledge of the field but it can also be quite draining for the ’knowledge resource’ person, with regard to life that is eaten up. It has to be moderated by one or both parties in the given moment or overall scenario.
Here's my recent Vandersteen story....

I bought a pair of Vandersteen model 3 for a very low price. The seller told me they had a problem, but the price was right and I could part them out for much more than I paid for them. I listened to the speakers, did a bit of testing and found one of the tweeters was not operational. I called Vandersteen, got their VM and received a call back on my VM from Richard. He left a brief, but detailed message regarding how to send the unit in for service. Jump ahead a month......

I followed the instructions on the Vandersteen website regarding sending a driver in for service. Shipped the tweeter on Thursday, 9/7/2017 and the tracking information showed an estimated delivery date of Monday 9/11. Early afternoon on Monday 9/11 (Eastern time) I received a call from Ray at VA. They had received the tweeter that morning, repaired it and Ray was calling to confirm the total COD fee for the return shipment. He also said the tweeter would arrive back to me on the following Friday 9/15. Sure enough, on Friday 9/15 the tweeter arrived and I gave the cashier's check to the UPS driver. Deal done. No drama, no issues and everything went EXACTLY as the folks at Vandersteen said it would.

In my opinion, the folks at Vandersteen are top-notch - I've never gotten better support.


I asked a similar question years ago about a prominent high end audio manufacturer as I was unable for a week or so to even get a call returned regarding info on a device I was intent on acquiring. And did buy it shortly thereafter.

The maker’s worshipers and sycophants descended en masse. Each one Flamed on intensively disregarding the content of the post and construing only their own imagined negative inferences and posted unintelligent disassociated and often condescending blurbs


It turned out the Place was experiencing exceptionally bad weather and were unable to travel to the offices for several days.

Who knew? AMAZING!

Walking away from someone you are engaged in conversation without mention. Being although easily annoyed, short. Curtly answering a question then hanging up. Being condescending if the particular question seems rudimentary. These are without exception clearly thoughtless and rude behaviors.

Kindness costs nothing. Not one thin dime, and takes little more than a second or three to provide, and or at least be considerate, it will reap great dividends. When kindness, or interest, is feigned or is in earnest, can be displayed to another. Even briefly it is always well received.

Winston Churchill said “good news takes time to spread. A bad news rumor can get around the world before you get your pants on in the morning.

When I ran a retail store it was said often, “Good news travels well, bad news travels better.” One satisfied customer may tell others of his or her experience. If however it was a bad one, they will tell everyone they meet… stopping strangers on the street to do so.

If your neighbor, a relative, office worker, co-worker, store rep, mechanic, or some friend of a friend had the social shortcomings or character defects being listed for Mr. Van, not one person here would be making excuses for those likewise afflicted people. None. No one would condone behaviors like that for long. Nor should they.

Let’s be real for a moment. You would avoid them if at all possible. Have as little to do with them as you could. I think too, you would let those folks whose social skills are so often reticent make their own excuses for their ongoing obvious, lack.

In fact if recurring contacts were at hand with these people in our personal lives, we would all likely mention their character shortcomings to them at some point with the hopes of change taking root. Or simply stay away from them.

Ignoring an instance of untoward disaffection from a person is one thing. Making excuses for them is something else entirely.

It’s almost like dating. A nice looking date can get away with being late 5 to 10 minutes without much grief. A very attractive date can pretty much get away with being late by as much as perhaps half an hour. But if you have an exceptionally gorgeous date, so long as they show up before sun rise, all is well.

If it’s a gorgeous fantastic looking porn star I’d even sit in the rain while waiting. If asked. Even by text.

It seems the same goes for their character defects. They get ignored. Why? That dynamic is too big to delve into here or to dwell on. It does point to both parties having some real issues which need addressing. Usually, it revolves around one wanting something from the other, and the other one knowing or presuming it.

Doubtless, we won’t buy whatever truly desired product because of or in deference to, the personality of the maker, be it nice or off-putting.

There was an attitude years ago that prevailed throughout high end audio which was and remains a decided turn off IMO and that was arrogance. Elitism. Some would even run down competition. Even competitors they sold in house sometimes.

I’ve been told face to face, you don’t want to buy those ABCs…. If you were really serious and a mature audiophile you would buy the XYZ’s instead. As well, “those are for the hobbyists”, or “These are plainly entry level fare”, and or “if it ever breaks down you are going to be screwed trying to get it fixed as their service takes forever and it sucks.””.

Or, if you owned anything other than what the house was selling you knew little or nothing about audio and they would say as much while smirking smiling or laughing out loud.

God forbid you proffer your inclination for tube powered gear when they don’t have a stick of it on the premises. I did that once. It was met with bald faced ridicule.

I’ve gone so far in some of these ridiculous discourses to reach in my pocket and pull out several grand and use it to wave bye to them as I walked out of the store.

Time is too short. There are way too many other options to contend with such intentionally demeaning conduct.

I’d not expect anyone to kiss my foot. Hold my hand. Just be professional knowledgeable about more than merely what they attempt to sell, and congenial. A willingness to bargain is a big plus.

Even in the small and eclectic world as is upper end audio, there are tons of choices in nearly every arena. Of them all choosing a speaker system is probably the one with the greatest number of entries from which to select.

Timely efficient support is not optional, it is expected and should be demanded, especially given the expense some of these products appear to warrant.

At times, after the sale support is like eating at restaurants. If you ever go into the kitchen of your favorite restaurant it is doubtful you will ever eat there again.

Why folks don’t take the time to call the company making the item of their dreams to get a feel for them prior to buying it, always astounds me. Finding out about who is doing what behind the scenes first is how to go about it if support matters, and it does indeed.

Even Rolex’ & Bugatti’s break down. What happens then is as important as is their performance, and what was implied you would receive when you paid for it in the first place, if or when necessary.

Personally, if a maker or their support resources do not have time for me after the sale, then I have to feel I have spent my money unwisely. Apart from one extreme deleterious episode in this past time, many years ago, I’ve had many exceptional ‘after the sale’ interaction with any number of well established manufactures and all have been incredibly polite, thoughtful, understanding, empathetic, helpful, timely, efficient, and most importantly, available.

Most all to date I’ve had contact with have even been helpful with a piece I’ve bought used. If they can’t be at least cordial, as was already said right here, let someone else pick up the phone as it is obviously .not their strong suit.

It’s good to hear service has been great for those who have had need of it from VDS and commensurate with their product lines overall reputed performance as posted here. I’d not go so far as to make excuses for any company whose people skills were subpar though. That’s not my province.

Sell enough stuff to enough people and there will be those inconsolable hard to please sorts who will by their very nature become outspoken thorns, squeaky wheels, etc. it just happens. Today it seems to happen more and more viciously given the dark web and it’s none descript casual availability. It’s too bad too. Oil well.

Don’t worry. Barring unforeseen tragedy, I’d think VDS will be around for a long while. Despite what anyone says or thinks. Or how good or bad is their web site info or social updates.

Blindjim......interesting read.   I agree everyone should be nicer to each other.  On the other hand you don't really know the situation Stereo5 et al is talking about. Dealing with the public can be very tricky and nuance has a great deal to do in communication with typed words...  There are many that have good experiences with Vandersteen.  He answers questions on his website continually, can always be contacted by phone if he's in his office, and in truth has provided great value with his products at nearly every price point/performance level, and is apt to stay in business for many years.   He provides updates to his products when economically feasible for his customers.  He attends seminars around the country.  Vandersteen is valuable for us in the audiophile community, and I and many others wish him continued success.