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!

128x128patrickdowns

Top tip for the Vandy lovers with external subs (2WQ or Sub3), I recently upgraded my M5-HP filters to M5-HP TEF filters. This is the same high pass filter circuit and capacitors used in RV’s M7-HP filters in a more modest enclosure. The difference is SIGNIFICANT. The bass is so much tighter and punchier (traits often at odds with each other). The mids are more airy and expressive. Accuracy of all musical details notched up a level. I use them with 3A Sigs with two 2Wq subs. Highly recommended and a modest investment compared to the sonic returns.

RE: VLR-CTs. I used these in my room with a Sub3 at AXPONA this year. I received many positive comments about the sound in my room from attendees that spent days listening to systems 10x to 25x the cost of my room equipment. They like backwall so placement is friendly. They are great by themselves in a small room. Add a sub and they continue to perform in medium to medium-large sized rooms. At AXPONA, I was asked repeatedly if the sub was “on” or “connected”. This wasn’t due to limited low frequency representation, rather, how seamlessly the VLR-CTs and Sub3 worked together.

Top tip for the Vandy lovers with external subs (2WQ or Sub3), I recently upgraded my M5-HP filters to M5-HP TEF filters.

@raindog911 are you moving your older (non TEF) crossovers on?

another vote for the teflon high pass filters ;-) I call them the Kento filters but they are as @raindog911 pointed out a great low cost upgrade. I run them on my Treo CT / sub3 system, the 7 high pass amps in my reference system have a built in high pass.

Enjoy the music !

another vote for the teflon high pass filters ;-) I call them the Kento filters

 

Dang it, I should have bought a set when they came up for sale a year of two ago.

In any case, I am in the process of literally reinstalling the Treo’s. I found some inexpensive granite Surface Plates on Amazon. So, I will start from the beginning and set them up using the Vandersteen manual. (I need to call John Rutan to order the Vandy pucks and felt, but things have to be running for T’day).

Wish me luck...

@patrickdowns , thanks for the kind words. As you know, the price was very, very good, and the seller is a really nice guy. All I can say is to do what I did, keep searching HifiShark daily.

Bob

another vote for the teflon high pass filters ;-) I call them the Kento filters but they are as @raindog911 pointed out a great low cost upgrade.

Ah JIm - I see my problem now, the exponent on “my low cost” differs.
(The mantissa is ok though.)

 

I run them on my Treo CT / sub3 system, the 7 high pass amps in my reference system have a built in high pass.

Enjoy the music !

I am assuming that those amps are balanced them, as the HPFs appear to be balanced/XLR.

And I am looking to use some balanced amps to replace the single ended tube amp/amp(s)… 

Was it Bryson or Belles that builds in the XO ?
Maybe that is something I should consider??