For Vandersteen owners & lovers: Which other brands do you like?
If you didn’t own Vandersteens, what would you own instead and why? Or, if you switched to another brand what did you choose?
First, let me say that I am a Vandersteen owner for 20+ years, now on my 2nd pair of the 2CE, the Signature III. I have owned other brands, and heard many others and even liked some. 😀 I don’t change gear frequently once I settle on something. Lazy & frugal = me.
I am on the verge of being on the verge of getting the Vandy Treo CT. I have auditioned them at length. I have also heard the Quatro CT and if budget allowed (including upgrading my front end) I would get them for sure. I’m not a fanboy—there is a reason why Vandersteen has sold something like 100K pairs of the 2CE. They sound very good and all of their models are a real bargain/value in their category, imo.
I have heard and liked, for different reasons, Maggies, Magicos, Harbeths, Focals, Linkwitz-Riley, and other brands. Others that I have not heard intrigue me too. I keep circling back to Vandys—maybe it’s what I have known the longest. I have flirted with the Larsen 8 or 9, which is a totally different design (AbSound has reviewed them well), and also the MBL 120 and 126 (omnidirectionals).
I know I could be happy for life with Vandersteens (Treo, Quatro, or dreaming—the Kento or 7). I am interested in detailed opinions of alternatives in the $10K range though. Thanks!
Yep I've lived in the same shack here on West Beach for 29 years. I've had plenty of time to work on my system in all these years. Had to have my woodstove moved to a side wall so my system could be located on the end wall of my living room. House is only around 1200 sq. .ft; but the living/dining/ kitchen is all located in one long room, though the ceiling is lowered in the dining room and kitchen. Living room is cathedral ceilings. I have a wonderful system, and the house is a very big reason for that. I have not needed to provide any room acoustic treatments, I feel very fortunate about that. I'm 75 years old, taking care of my Dementia addled wife (still a lovely person, though), I've had a stroke a couple of years ago, my right side of my body is numb, but I can still walk, talk, and look the same, but its cut my activity level down a great deal, but my hearing is still good, thank the Gods up there. Music has been a constant my whole life, even though I wasn't able to pursue a carreer in it, it's a major factor in my quality and enjoyment of ilfe. I listen to classical, jazz, blues, and a bit of rock 'n roll. Listen largely to CD's but I also use my DIY Garrard 401/Denon 501 quite a bit too. It has amazed me lately at how it sounds with an Acutex M320 III STR cartridge. Lots of fun (I hope for you too), regards, Dan |
In the '90s, I was in the market for a pair of speakers. It was between the Vandy's and Magnepan, when a pair of Apogee Duetta IIs fell into my lap. When they died, I auditioned again Vandy 2CE Signatures and Magnepan 1.7is, both within my budget at the time. The Maggies won out by a lot. I did get the chance to listen to the Trios, and they are a very different beast compared to the 2CE or even the 3As. I'd love to compare them to the Maggie 3.7is. To me, there's just something about the planar sound that keeps drawing me in. |
@patrickdowns Switched out the PSA S1 for An Audible Illusions Modulus pre, then a Nagra Jazz. Switched it the PSA S2 for VTL Monoblock compact 100s, then Primaluna Dialogue HP Premium. And used an old NAD and some class-D on them at times.. They seem to sound pretty good no matter what is driving them… I have not tried Bryson, Ayre or the other usual suspects.
The March Audio “Sonituva” are pretty good. But they are about the vest I have heard in the <5k range… so one still needs a sub below for <40Hz… |
