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Initial impressions of my new Vandersteen Quatro's in Audi Havana Black

I will post pics when I get more time on them.  I had them delivered and set up by Johnny Rutan of Audio Connections.  He moved them out to the corners of the room and close up against the back wall. I love the look as does my wife.  I also LOVE the HUGE soundstage these things can now throw.  NO SUCK OUT either.  I was shocked at that aspect. I was scared to death when he started them in the corner of the room. I have a very difficult room for bass as it's an open floor plan. I lose a lot of bass on the right channel as it's by a stair case.  I'm putting up a temp wall by the railing.  I am using a screen right now, but I need treatment of some sort still. 

That said, it only has about 30 hours or so and it's already starting to sweeten up.  I'm hearing so many things that I haven't heard in the room before.  I'm hearing bass passages that hasn't been there before.  On one passage of a  Bela Fleck song, the room just moved.  The thing is that I've heard so many of these songs on Wilson's and Magico's and B&W"s and Focals, Paradigms, Legacy's and so many other speakers, but the tonality of the Vandersteen bass is just special.  It's so accurate. What so many don't know is that the way he designed the bass amp, you still have the same sound as YOUR main amp.  Not sure how he does it, but he does.  You don't hear the difference. 


I think that the reason some don't get the Vandersteen's at first listen is because it's not like other speakers.  We aren't used to hearing a speaker that isn't 'hifi' sounding.  Its very organic. To me, it's like analog vs digital.  Both can sound GREAT, but digital is still digital and that's why vinyl and reel to reel are still going strong after all of these years.  Kind of reminds me of a plasma TV vs the LCD TV's when I went to purchase mine.  I was originally taken by the brightest TV's in the showroom, but I keep going back and watching all the Plasma's in the darker room that Magnolia was showing them in.  I wanted the Pioneer, but could only afford the Panasonic's. I have two of them and love them.  People actually ask me why their TV doesn't look as good.  I first ask if they had it calibrated professionally.  The answer is always no and then tell them it's a plasma.  

Set up isn't fun for me, so Johnny does it for me.  I'm digging my new set up and will write more later, but i am Jonesing to go up to the loft to listen some more.  I'm really loving the organic sounds of my system right now.  All genres too which is just awesome.  Not taking any digs at others systems, just loving mine.  We all hear differently and I get that.
ctsooner
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gdnrbob
2,421 posts
 
Patrick,
I would ask that you consider the Treo's or Quatro's, They not only look nicer, they sound better/. The non-CT versions can be gotten for not and much more than the 3a sigs. Even Richard said it would be a better route.
And, yes it was on a call he returned when I had a question.
Bob
desktopguy
101 posts
 
Back in the mid- to late-1980's, after the audiophile bug hit me hard, I picked up a used pair of Vandersteen IV's, his then-flagship. It was a revelation to me then, and in some has yet to be surpassed.

Every speaker mfr "voices" their speaker. Vandersteen certainly does, and I agree with his voicing more than most. But it's more than that. His consistent use of 1st order crossovers & fabric/soft tweeters gave the music an organic, unforced quality--power without brightness or hardness. It really sounded so much like real music from the symphony hall...I just relaxed into whatever I heard through those speakers,

It didn't hurt that I used tubes biwired to mids & treble + SS on the subs.

Several years later one of the technicians at my company asked me for a speaker recommendation, and I advised him to get Vandersteen 2C's. He did, but (very politely) complained to me that they weren't "forceful enough" for him. I understood that I'd made a mistake: this man came from the audio of lower-end Japanese & Korean manufacturers; he simply couldnt handle a sound that wasn't bright, assertive, dominant (he also adored early digital, which I thought was pretty miserable. What could I say? I apologized.

PS: I own and love a Pioneer Elite 42" (720p) which renders things in the most beautiful Rembrandt-like tones. Also have a 50" Panasonic 1080p model from 2012 (one of the last ones). Both caress my eyes, rather than assault them, as even the best LCDs do.
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gdnrbob
2,421 posts
 
@desktopguy,
I would have inquired as to what your tech friend was using to drive his Vandie's. With the right equipment, they can be pretty 'forceful'. Though, as you say he may have been wanting something else.
And, I agree, Mr. V has a great ear and produces some fine speakers for a reasonable price-made with great quality. Those who fall under his sway, seldom leave.
Bob
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gdnrbob
2,421 posts
 
@ctsooner ,
How much of a difference is there
 between the 
 non-CT Treo's and your CT Quatro's?
Bob
ctsooner OP
2,104 posts
 
Bob, for 7k more or so, it's a huge difference.  By upgrading to the built in subs, you get a much much more dynamic system with huge depth and it frees up my amp so it only has to handle 100hz on up.  It's a killer speaker AND it makes the amp better.  I personally love an active system if implemented properly.  Doesn't mean that all active systems are great as some I've heard are still too bright for my ears or when done in the digital domain, it masks the sound a bit and throws it off.  This is why I personally don't like speakers like Persona and some others that are using DSP.  I have personally never heard any DSP sound as good as without.  

Bottom line is that it's smoother and more natural.  Those Treo's you have are outstanding.  The tweeter difference is big, but in an incremental way not a night and day per say.  
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