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Vandersteen's new affordable mono blocks at the CES 18

Just got an email that his new amps will be unveiled at the CES.  Here is what I got.  I can't wait.  He has adjustable crossovers so you can use them on any speaker that doesn't go down to 20HZ, which is 99% of teh speakers on the market.  Here is what they said:

Vandersteen Audio Introduces the Next GREAT Amplifier at CES 2018!Venetian Suite 29-203
Vandersteen Audio shook up the audio world with its liquid-cooled M7-HPA monoblocks, a radical advance in power amplifier design and loudspeaker performance that is Stereophile Class-A rated as a true reference.Vandersteen is doing it again at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, where you can get the first look and listen at a pre-production pair of the upcoming M5-HPA (High-Pass Amplifier) monoblocks! The M5-HPA is a solid-state design descended directly from the flagship monoblocks. It will be substantially less expensive, but will offer an astonishing amount of the flagship's sonic magic. While the M7-HPA is designed specifically for Vandersteen's Model Seven Mk II speakers, the M5-HPA will work with a much wider variety of loudspeakers and Vandersteen powered subwoofers. To accomplish this goal, while the M7-HPA's high-pass is fixed at 100Hz, the M5-HPA's internal high-pass filtering is adjustable to any of the following five settings: 20Hz, 40Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz.Vandersteen for years has employed high-pass filtering with powered subwoofers for the ultimate in powered-bass performance. When paired with a Vandersteen powered-bass speaker like the Quatro Wood CT the M5-HPA forms a complete powered-bass speaker system in which the amplification is perfectly optimized over the entire frequency range.
Richard Vandersteen is responsible for the M5-HPA’s overall design and architecture; the amplifier was developed and is built in partnership between Vandersteen Audio and Dean Klinefelter, a talented designer and engineer in his own right. 
Vandersteen powered-bass speaker systems are the ultimate expression of Richard Vandersteen’s philosophies on design and performance, formed over decades of industry-leading design & research & innovation.
M5-HPA's technical attributes:
  • Zero-Feedback Solid-State Design With Dual Single-Ended Circuits Connected By The Speaker Load
  • All Signal Transistors N-Channel Bipolars 
  • No Emitter Resistors
  • Minimal Circuit Path- Only 5 Parts In Signal Path Per Phase
  • 10 Separate Power Supplies
  • Adjustable High-Pass Filter (20Hz, 40Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz)
  • 300-Watts Into 4 Ohms / 150-Watts Into 8 Ohms
  • Made In The USA


ctsooner
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,869 posts
 
@bdp24  Eric the DMM Buddy is sublime, I will post up complete thoughts later this weekend over in the Music section, you know where I hang out 99% of the time....
earthtones
104 posts
 
I just put in an order for a pair! It’s going to be a long next three weeks.
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,869 posts
 
@earthtones congrats, how wonderful!!!!! Enjoy the music !!!!!
gdnrbob
4,421 posts
 
@tomic601 ,
How would you describe the differences between the Pass, Ayre and Vandersteen amps?
I have never heard the Pass or Vandy amps and am curious as to how they perform.
Bob
ctsooner OP
2,480 posts
 
That's awesome earth tones.  Can't wait to hear your thoughts.  What is the rest of your system?

Pass is all over the place from what I have heard.  It depends on which line of theirs you are listening to.  Most are a bit warmer and very nice.  Good dynamics and a fair amount of detail.

Ayre also changes a bit depending on which model.  The 20 series takes them to a different level in my book.  They are detail monsters and can be a bit let warm than the Pass amps.  They are very very fast and match up well with most speakers.  Some feel they are too neutral, but I like that with many speakers.  I personally enjoy how 'fast' they sound and how much detail they give you.

Sounds like the Vandy's are a bit of both.  Musical, fast, engaging, large sound stage or smaller if that's what the signal calls for.  I'm sure Jim will have a much better review, lol. ;) 
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