Just got ruined by a pair of Treo CTs

Hifiman5 - "Gestalt" aptly describes the nature of the Vandersteen 1; the sound emanating from the speakers belies the no frills exterior, as well as the affordable price. John Rutan demoed the Belles Aria with the Treo's (non CT version if I recollect correctly) and that convinced me to buy the Aria. Couldn't spring for the Treo's, but the 1's sound pretty incredible in their own right. Amid all the audio rhetoric and hearsay, John Rutan keeps it simple and brings clarity and expert guidance to those who have the good sense to visit his shop.

would be a hoot to take the 1, Belles, some copper DBS audioquest cable, decent $1 k ish VPI table and $600 Grado etc to a show, put it behind a black grill cloth.....and blow people away !!!!!!!

big  fun

But speaking of Treo CT
the Music room in Colorado an Agon dealer has a Walnut pair for $5,800
i have no affiliation besides buying and selling a bit of gear to them.....

fyi

tomic601
It's possible to get close to 90% of the the best out there for 90% less money, more or less, but anywhere close to that figure is amazing when you consider the stratospheric prices a lot of this audio gear costs.  My goal was to discover an amp and speakers whose quality and performance was out of all proportion to its cost. I think what I have meets that criteria. Other brands offer great bang for the buck I'm sure, but the Belles/Vandersteen combination made me forget the equipment and get lost in the music, so there you go.

No doubt that if you remove - from view - the gloss and the glitter and the massive build quality by hiding behind a screen, many people would be pleasantly surprised by the sound quality. More money doesn't mean better sound, but some people just have to have that designer label to stare at to validate the worth of their system.... and themselves. 

@2chfreak  +1   John Rutan is everything people say on A'gon.  He has a comprehensive knowledge of both gear and tunes.  He know how to set up a system to maximize its abilities and is an absolute straight talker.  No BS from him.👍