Hey guys. I am planning to purchase a pair of Vandersteen Treo CTs and looking for guidance from current owners about pairing them with my current equipment: 1. Simaudio Moon W-3 Solid State 2. Conrad-Johnson PV-14L Hybrid Pre-Amp 3. Oppo BDP 105D CD/SACD/DVD 4. Kimber 8TC speaker cable 5. Kimber Silver Streak Interconnect 6. Synergistic research interconnect 7. Current Speakers: Vienna Acoustics Mozart (originals) 8. Room dimensions: 14W x 23L x 9H
Once I replace the Mozarts with the Treo CTS, I have a few questions:
1. Will my components be able to drive the Treos? 2. Are these components a match for optimal enjoyment?
I would appreciate any other advice or recommendations you can provide. On a side note, Once I purchase the Treos, my budget is blown, so no upgrades for a while.
My Treo CT’s are amp agnostic, playing well with many amps. I do believe they appreciate a lively amp and my Hegel 160 is a little too gentlemanly, whereas the Job Integrated makes them sparkle. The Pass 30.8 is somewhere between the two and so much more, and my favorite.
Steve: there are a lot of happy Treo and Treo CT owners here, so I expect they will weigh in with a wide range of user experience, system diversity and of course expectations....
call me biased with 3 pairs of Vandersteen including Treo CT. while I don’t listen very loud in a condo, I have heard them with > 100 wpc tube and SS power. I think they will shine with your neutral power amp. love the CJ also :-)
i am running mine on 40 WPC LiL Mule kicker NAIM amp but have also used a MC240. They are very neutral, image quite well even close to back wall and like most Vandersteen reward careful setup. Mine are wired w Kimber 12 TC in an internal biwire.
my reference system includes both the 7 speakers and power amp and I can say I listen to the Treo for many happy hours on end :-)
You should be alright with over 100 watts/channel. They aren't a difficult load for an amp. Though, when funds allow, you might consider Audioquest for cabling.They seem to be a very good match with Vandersteen. Bob
If you are in NYC, contact John Rutan (his Agon name is Audioconnection, also the name of his store). He knows Vandies inside and out, and know just about every manufacturer. I trust his judgement implicitly. Bob
Thanks for the sound advice guys. Tomic, I saw your system and the Treos look phenomenal. I'm leaning toward the zebra wood finish. Any ideas on the additional cost over the regular price?
My set-up is a triangular configuration of: speakers 10 feet apart and listening distance of 10 feet from the center stage. Should work pretty well.
Bob, I appreciate your feedback. My W3 has about 120WPC and should be able to easily drive these babies (at least they will be to me). I did take the opportunity to meet John Rutan at Audio Connections for the Vandersteen discussion. Wow is all I can say about the presentation, sound and commitment to quality that Vandersteen seems to adhere to.
They are definitely the dealer I will be working with. Thanks and keep up the great discussions.
Steve - veneer prices change every day - that will be the driver....the really exotic stuff can double the price of TREO, really exotic... The ambrosia maple I used was I recall about a $500 upcharge. I am sure Johnny R can point you to the veneer vendors website and get you a quote.
I only recently listened to Vandersteen speakers -- spent a day with Johnny R. and he played the whole line for me - Wow! He was super knowledgeable and willing to share his knowledge -- it was a really enjoyable day (for me at least). I'm trying to decide what speakers I will buy (or if I'll keep my current speakers) but Vandersteen Treos are currently the ones to beat at that price point, and no question in my mind that Audio Connection is the place to get them.
You will be very happy with the Treo CT's. I know this has been said many times about Vandersteen, but proper set-up is extremely important. Most notably the back tilt of them. Your choice of equipment looks pretty good. As Bob said you could experiment with Audioquest cables, but after listening to Jim's (tomic601) system with Kimber, you will do just fine with what you have. About the only suggestion I would make is maybe try a CD player that has just a tad warmer sound than the Oppo you have, all though I see nothing seriously wrong with it's sound. I use a Ayre Codex Dac, which makes the overall sound a little less "digital sounding" if that makes any sense to you. Good luck, and enjoy the Vandy journey, you're in for some great sound and fun!
Greetings Tomic. I am leaning towards the Zebra Wood, which is nice and neutral for the room they will reside in. Planning on making the purchase in March.
Spent a few hours with Johnny R at Audio Connection Saturday. After listening to a wide variety of music in various formats, I went all in on the Treo CTs in Zebra wood with the grey covers. Can't wait to make them my own. John answered many questions, was patient and extremely helpful, which I really appreciate.
Thanks to all who offered their advice and guidance. I'll report back on initial thoughts then again after the break-in period. Looking forward to joining the Vandersteen club.
Steve - congrats man!!!!! How cool and fun :-) enjoy the journey and the music!!!! post a photo in the virtual systems area also as I am sure the veneer will be stunning !!!! jim
rsure, The Naim Uniti Atom is a terrific integrated. tomic601 has that amp on his Vandy Treo Ct's. I've been to his place a few times to listen to that system and all I can say is WOW! What a superb sounding set-up! Naim pairs wonderfully with Vandersteen. IMO.
Bob, Yes, the Naim Unity Atom is 40 w/ch. It drives the Treo's with ease. It produced volume louder than I could handle when turned up, burt even at loud levels, it maintained it's clarity.
@ekimg brought his 22 WPC DHT Line Magnetic over and it was also up to the task.....
but yes, the LiL powerhouse NAIM Atom does well driving the TREO CT w just 40 WPC.....listening to Babylon by Bus right now.....groove on.....
this system resides in a condo, so massive eviction level SPL is never my goal....ha. But I am dying to bring my highly modified 40 WPC 1961 MC240 down for winter listening.......
Wow, I am impressed. Mr. V. really knows how to design a speaker. Even my little VLR's kick some serious butt. I can spend hours in my office and never tire of them. I guess my MX-R's and MA-1's are overkill, but after years of budget systems, I really get a kick out of having lots of headroom.😜 Bob
I will see him this eve at Stereo Unlimited- he ran his model 7 for years with the vaunted MXR before creating his own amp. i expect at least a chuckle when I mention even the lowly ( my words ) VLR demand MXR grade power !
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