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can the VA Beethoven Baby Grands ROCK?

hello, I've recently auditioned the Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Baby Grands and absolutely loved them. unfortunately I didn't have enough time to check out all kinds of music I listen to.
hooked up to my Krell 300i they sounded fantastic playing the likes of David Bowie, Mark Knopfler, Pink Floyd or even some RHCP. smooth and yet dynamic with zero listening fatigue.
I'm wondering though... can they really rock? I mean I still have hundreds of CDs from my younger years - lots of hard rock, some really heavy stuff, Slayer and such. I usually don't listen to them at home but once in a while... :-)
I've come across many opinions that the Viennas are too laid back and "polite" to rock and roll. Forgiving of poor recordings but lacking expression. I'd love to hear some opinions from VA users who listen to rock music.
micjo
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
"sounded fantastic" - they are probably the right choice for you. The laid back sound will be suitable to rock.
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drubin
3,274 posts
 
Can you go back for a second audition and take some of that other music with you?

If you heard the Viennas at a dealer, you should know that good Vienna Acoustics dealers use a special setup procedure that generally gets great results. If you buy from them, make sure they include the Master Set setup in your home.
lrsky
1,118 posts
 
Are you seriously asking if a speaker with a six inch woofer, can ROCK? Really?

No.

Larry
kbarkamian
647 posts
 
I beg to differ, Larry. Rock isn't all SPL and bass output. Speed and precision armore important to me, and my catalog is 99% rock.

Micjo,

I'm not the biggest fan of Viennas. They're a bit too smooth, warm and slow sounding for me to keep my interest for any length of time. They're a very pleasent sounding, rich and full speaker. Sound great in a demo, but I know I couldn't live with them for the long haul.

Buying a forgiving speaker to smooth out poor recordings is a good concept on paper, but it ruins good recordings IMO. Even bad recordings benefit from honest speakers, as they'll highlight anything good in there too.

My system is a Bryston B60, Theta Cobalt DAC, and Audio Physic Yara Evolution bookshelves. The system is very honest and revealing. Slayer's albums aren't exactly recorded well, yet they sound far better on this honest system then they ever did on my previous NAD and PSB systems, which were warmer, smoother, and far more forgiving.

That's my ears, room, system and music. Everyone's tastes are different.
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