Vandersteen 3a Signatures compared to Treo’s
I have a new pair of 2CE SigIII’s that replaced a 25 y/o pair of 2CEs. I really wanted Treo CTs but couldn’t afford new ones (I hemmed and hawed over a 1 y/o mint pair for $6000 on A’gon, and they sold ... bummer). I still wonder if I screwed up, BUT, I do love the bass extension of the 2CE vs the Treo (w/o subs). I auditioned both together at length, and the Treo CT really is special, but the 2CE wasn’t chopped liver in doing A-B testing. Not at all. If I got Treo’s I fear I’d miss the bass, then might add a subwoofer or two, and then wonder why I didn’t just get the Quatro CTs which I def can’t afford! Lust though. Vandersteen, I just can’t quit you. My dealer says they think the newest 2CE SigIII is better than the 3A now, and the latter probably won’t be updated again. Don’t we all envy tomic601 ... in a good way?! Tomic, I am in Seattle and when we finally get COVID under control I’d love to hear your V-7’s! I am on the Olympic Peninsula, if you’re ever out here. My system is modest though... you won’t be awed but I do the best I can on a beer budget :) ---->> QUESTION, re amps for Vandersteen: I ran a McCormack DNA-1 Deluxe for decades (I don’t change up my system too often until lately), and it died. I made a mistake by not having Steve Mc rebuild it to his latest and greatest which is said to be superb (he’s working with David Berning now, on special projects, and Berning’s ZOTL tube designs have made him a legend). Anywho, I had an Odyssey Audio Khartago++ built (and since upgraded to the top Kismet level) by Klaus Bunge. His amps get a top affordable recc from AbSound, and so far I am fairly happy but wondering if I can do better. So... I am thinking of the Benchmark AHB2 amp, which many reviews rave about, or some sort of affordable monoblocks like Schiit (Odyssey does them too). The Benchmark is apparently very neutral (too much for some?) https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/benchmark-ahb2-amplifier/ The Benchmark also uses Neutrik amp cable attachment along with a very tight, hard to use binding post. Non-standard, PITA for bi-wires? My DAC/preamp (Audio Alchemy DDP-1) has balanced connections, and so does the Benchmark while my Odyssey does not. I’d like to be able to go balanced. zimick I know Ayre is a good match for Vandys but out of my price range. I thought about Pass Labs too. I am also intrigued by the Linear Tube Audio integrateds, though I have never had tubes. Their most powerful amp is 40WPC (conservative) so I wonder if it’s beefy enough? It gets superb reviews and a bonus is the world-class headphone stage built-in. https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/integrated-amplifiers I also thought about pairing the LTA preamp with a SS amp to get the best of both worlds. ANYONE have sage advice on amp pairings for Vandersteens? I would sincerely appreciate it! Thanks. PD |
If you liked the sound signature of your McCormick and now Odyssey you will find the Benchmark to be completely different. I owned three different Vandersteen models from 1998 to 2015 with the last being Treo CT's. Went through quite a few brands of amps and to me found the Odyssey's and Belles to be the best match to my ears. |
@patrickdowns - my selection process was much less thought out than yours. I had a Krell Preamp and an Adcom 5800 amp paired with my 3a’s for twenty plus years with really no changes. I was definitely satisfied but figured that over twenty years that , like in everything technical, the price to performance metric had shifted to the more for less. I started looking and reading reviews and the Benchmark , especially the amp, jumped out of the pack to me as a value. An amp that cost 3k was being lumped into “ one of the best” “ reference” level with other unlimited budget amps. The negative that people repeatedly bring up is that the amp and dac ( dac used as my dac and control unit) is that they are “ neutral”. That sounded good to me as I like my listening to sound real and if that is a bit raw balanced with detail and life then that’s good to me. Got the dac first as the amp was back ordered and it was a solid gain to me and the amp in unison made a huge leap in my system. Detail, soundstage, depth... and no harshness or too neutral/ dry sounds. Yes, if the recording is crap then that is magnified, just like it should be in my opinion. Probably have not answered your question but I am very happy with my benchmark stuff including their balanced cables and speaker wires. As a slight aside I have a set of their balanced connectors, 25 feet and super inexpensive. I am prettying up my listening room and wanted to go a bit longer with the interconnects so did a ton of “ research” and bought some well thought of cables that cost many multiples of the benchmark ones. I have done a few A to B swaps and maybe, maybe I hear the tiniest soundstage difference with the lower register stuff. Maybe. as a FYI my 3’s are latest spec, all new intervals per Richard. |
@patrickdowns If your Audio Alchemy is not truly balanced but just a single ended design with a pair of XLR outputs, as it appears, then you are not really gaining anything by swapping to a balanced amp other than a cable change. You also have the option of having Klaus swap the guts of your Kismet amp to a Stratos case which does have "balanced" inputs. |
