I’ve owned the Vandersteen 2c and 3a. Placement was always a PITA. If you have a Spendor dealer in your neck of the woods you should give them a listen. If you like the sound of Vandersteens I think you will like Spendors!
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!
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- 75 posts total
emrofsemanon
That hasn’t been my experience with 2CEs. YMMV. I’ve run mine in a 18x22’ LR with 16’ ceilings, in a slightly smaller room with 10’ ceilings, and in my current 12x15 room (speakers on long wall, so a 9’ throw to listening chair), and with careful setup they’ve never been "shouty." Vandersteen provides precise suggestions for setup and placement, which works. Tilt-back matters, as does toe-in. Mine are about 30" from front wall to front of speaker. IMO, the sweet spot isn’t super narrow, but there is one. (For that reason, the Larsen speakers appeal to me because they are much more placement friendly incl up against front wall, and have a wider sweet spot and when you’re out of it they still sound good.) I get an excellent soundstage (width and depth) from my 2CEs, with very nice phantom center imaging (all dependent on the recording, of course). Ones front-end is also a factor in what the speakers produce.
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yogiboy
I'd forgotten how they got the same Spendor! And then there was the evolution, the "family tree" of the other BBC-type speakers, the Graham and Harbeth, and some of those folks were actual family of Spencer and Dorothy, iirc. I have heard and liked Grahams and Harbeths. If I was interested in a 2-way stand mount monitor, they would be on the list. I'd have them for a smaller 2nd system for sure. Different flavors are good! I have no experience with the Spendor floor standers. |
Jim and Richard were friends ( RIP Jim - another on the list of greats lost early ). They certainly shared many design objectives; First order filters, minimum front baffle, time and phase correct. They differed on a few points but much more in common back then. … Until recently i maintained a set of CS 2.3 + in an ancillary system w Quad ESL 63, Apogee Stage, Magnepan LRS, Heavily modified Cornwall…well the list is long…. and what did i say about casting a wandering ear ? Probably the biggest Theil design departure is the philosophy of flat at listening position…. which presents as bright to some people in some systems in some rooms. Both Jim and Richard are measure AND listen guys…. these are just facts… Vandersteen do make a coaxial speaker w cabinet in cabinet the VLR - Signature which incorporates the carbon tweeter. They are designed for near wall, stand mount and pair extremely well w Vandy subs 3 or used 2’s. A set of stands from sound anchor and away you go. Can’t say who but a guy w many platinum records use VLR on his mixing board…. It’s ALL fun… Enjoy the music Jim
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tomic601 / jim
I have read about these, and they deserve a listen. I don’t have a place for a 2nd (or 3rd!) system. In my dreams, I’d have the main system, and the 2nd one would employ a variety of speakers and amps to mix and match for fun. Wait—I tell myself that I’m not a gearhead so what am I saying! 😎
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- 75 posts total