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Vandersteen help needed

I posted here a couple of months ago looking for assistance on building my first hi-fi system. Based on the feedback I received and auditioning a fair amount of equipment, I settled on the following components:

- Vandersteen 1ci speakers
- Belles Aria integrated
- Rotel DAC
- Audioquest cables and interconnects
- Source: Mainly streaming tidal through my phone

My room is 12’-10" wide by 11’-2 deep. I am setup on the long wall.
The speakers are 27" from the front wall and 22" from the side walls measured from the center of the speaker. The speakers are 9 ft. apart and about 8 and a half feet from my ears.

I’ve read the user’s guide thoroughly and spent a great amount of trial and error with speaker placement. I believe I have the correct tilt back of 2" and the speakers are towed in ever so slightly.

As for room treatment, I’m using the GIK Acoustics diffuser panels at the first reflection points. Nothing on the second reflection points. I have GIK absorber panels directly behind the speakers. I’ve also tried removing them from the room as well.

Here is the problem:

Instruments around the 1k frequency can be at times subdued and sit further back in the mix. What I’m talking about specifically are the lead vocal and snare. I never really get that crack from the snare drum. (I’m a drummer BTW).

Other times I feel like some of the higher frequencies get a bit muddled. I’ve heard others describe their experiences with Vandy’s as it sounds like there is a blanket over them.

By the time I turn up the gain so that these frequencies stand out a bit, the low end is exciting the room and the sound starts to become unbalanced.

I’ve begun thinking of adding 1-2 Vandy subs so that the low end can be offloaded from the 1ci’s and they can be left to focus solely on producing the mids and highs.

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to get more clarity out of my system?

Much appreciated,

Joe

128x128audionoobie
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5
1,611 posts
 
At the risk of sounding repetitive of previous posts, John Rutan is great with Vandy set-up.  You deserve good sound and it is attainable. When I picked up my Treo CTs at John's shop, my most memorable listening experience was to the the 1Ci's.  He has it figured out!
gregorybraun's avatar
gregorybraun
21 posts
 

Joe,

You stated "The speakers are 9 ft. apart and about 8 and a half feet from my ears."

Like others here, I'd suggest moving them closer together with more distance to the side walls.

A general rule-of-thumb when it comes to speaker placement is to start with the speakers spaced at 85% (center to center) of the distance to the listening position.

So if your listening position is 8' 6" away (102 inches) try spacing them approximately 7' (84 inches) apart.

From the dimensions you've given for your room and your speakers placement within that space it would seem your sitting with your back almost up against the rear wall.

You might want to re-think things and place your speakers along the short wall so that your listening position is at least a foot or two in front of the rear wall.

    -gb-

patrickdowns's avatar
patrickdowns
15 posts
 
Joe, I have 2CEs in a room that is about 11x14, and I have them on the long wall (short wall won't work due to a door and windows). I’ve always used Vandersteen’s owner’s manual setup instructions on placement... do the chart and the math, and experiment with the variations it gives you on placement. I actually spoke to Richard V about the proper distance to the back wall, worried that my 12-18 inches might not be enough, and he said "No problem!"

My center-of-speaker-to-ear throw/distance is about 8-9 feet like yours. I don’t use any toe-in, and almost no lean back (maybe .25-.5 inches).

Good luck!
lous's avatar
lous
82 posts
 
Unfortunately the best solution to Vandersteens is to sell them. I had 1C and 2 CE Plus speakers years apart. I just sold the 1C speakers, back then I didn't tweak equipment. The 2CE speakers I bypassed some caps for the tweeter and ended up with ear bleaders. Just for the heck of it, and I know all the reasons I shouldn't have, but I installed a set of Hiquphons in them. A friend was over at the time and wanted me to sell them to him on the spot, which I did, because he understood that the tweeter was at it's limit, and that the crossover was imperfect. I'd sell them and get any decent B&W Matrix Series speakers you can afford. You should replace the electolytic caps, and bypass them with something like Audyn's copper foil capacitors, very nice capacitors and they are not crazy expensive. Vandersteens really are nice speakers in so many ways, but they just come up a but short, as you have noticed, in detail.
frozentundra
129 posts
 
aN;

You need to buy buy all new stuff..........
Great Suggestion!!

Our audio group here has expanded my horizons. All things effect the sound

it sounds so stupid saying it, but it's true!  
power, cable, etc all effect sound 

The biggest variable  is the room

Get REW room measurement software ( free) and a USB mic $60 they recommend.......
Then move stuff around and take measurements.....It amazing what 2" will do for sound

You will find the right spot & be very happy


1st try...... spread Speakers as far apart as you can, and aim at your ears or behind your head a foot

Jeff


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