Questions for Vandersteen 5A owners...


I finally got to audition 5A's yesterday. Involved 9 hours of driving, but it was worth it. :-)

I realize no speaker is perfect and it's a matter of tradeoffs. I am attracted to Vandersteen because of a strong reputation and the fact that it includes a powered bass module with 11 bands of EQ per speaker. I have a troublesome room. Currently have Aerial model 9s - a great speaker but not ideal for my room.

Anyway, I wanted to post my impressions and see what owners have to say.

1) Larger than life sound. Holy big imagery. High hats sounded like they were 3 feet in diameter.

2) Wide dispersion of sound (i.e. large sweetspot). Vocals stretched from speaker to speaker. Panning of instruments off center was hard to pinpoint.

3) Bass seemed EQd well (couldn't hear any notes being louder than others) but all in all it wasn't as articulate as I expected. Bass was very fat sounding.

4) Problem at loud volumes? It might have been the 200 watt amp, but when the volume was cranked it was very distorted. I notice that Stereophile recommends the speaker but says "won't play as loud as other speakers". I have never experienced a speaker that had a volume limitation per se, so I'm not sure what to expect - distortion or were they simply meaning it wasn't very sensitive? I don't listen to music at crazy volumes, but these would also be used for home theater - where speakers should be able to handle loud peaks. Have any of you noticed this?

5) A lot brighter than I expected and very revealing. Highs sounded less smooth/laid back than I expected (or was used to for that matter). Almost harsh at times. Could have been the recordings, but I played stuff I was very familiar with so I'm puzzled here.

6) Midrange was very nice.

Anyhow, I'm interested in others' perceptions here as I can't audition these in my own home. I do believe that the dealer could set up the bass well in my room, but am generally worried about some of the points above.

Thanks in advance.
madfloyd
Madfloyd,

Here are two things to pay extra attention to when setting up the 5As. They probably apply to a large extent to any speaker setup, but I found they are especially important when setting up the 5As.

1. To get maximum benefit from the time alignment, these speakers need to be vertically parallel to each other, both side to side and front to back. Even small errors can cause readily discernable variation in the image as you move your head around.

Don't assume that the speakers are vertical just because they are on 3 cones resting on the carpet/floor. Tighten the cones, remove the grill top, and level front to back and side to side by readjusting the cones. You might be surprized at the amount of adjustment needed.

2. To maximize the phase integration in the image, these speakers need to be the same distance from front and side walls, and have the same toe in. Minimizing variation in these distances, while unavoidable in unsymetrical rooms, adds to image clarity and depth.

A small lasor is very helpful for setting toe in. Measure and place some tape on the back wall where you want each speaker to be aimed, and use the lasor to get a precise alignment.

These are refinements and you can do them after finding the preferred location of the speakers and getting familiar with the image and sound. They are good rainy day afternoon tweeks that will bring satifying results.
If this all comes to pass, I think I might consider the upgrade path depending on the price. A $40,000 flagship kind of flies in the face of the principles I've come to know Vandersteen for. I've always been impressed that they make a more accurate and satisfying product than the megabuck designs and sell it for a realistic price. I'm sure Richard wouldn't do this if he didn't see it as a worthwhile pursuit. I'll bet 80% of that performance would be enough for me assuming the price is right. Then again, it's hard to complain about what I have now. I assume that this would not be a user installable upgrade path and would require shipment back to the factory?
I agree with you Sonofjim... I was just listening to my 5A's and they are so musical and satisfying, I can't imagine them to be any better...from the deepest lows to the most etherial highs. Richard says that the new 7's are more "pistonic" and that all the drivers are made of the same material so there is a smoother transition from one to the other. I haven't heard the 7's but to tell you the truth, I can't tell when one speaker starts and the other stops with the 5A's especially since, the Vandersteen crossovers are overlap so... I suspect that the differences between the 5A's and the 7's are subtle. The 5's to the 5A's were, and I can't believe there would be a big difference in the new speakers. I for one would probably go for the update and not get a complete 7...my net worth is not what it once was.
In reply to Zargon, I have never came across a pair of 5A's that had any toe-in....atleast none of the 8-10 systems I have heard them in.
Madfloyd,
Pardon if I've missed this but where did you audition the 5A? Nine hours is a long drive. It seems to me you're out east somewhere. Is that right? For me, even in Iowa, there are two dealers within a 4 hour drive(Milwaukee and Minneapolis). I would urge you to check the Vandersteen website and see how many dealers may be within range. I thought they sounded good on 1st audition in Milwaukee but also checked out Minneapolis and that's where they really sang. Set up is probably even more important than associated equipment. Also, even in the same set up, they may sound different to you any given day. I would really recommend hearing these in as many different situations as is feasible before making a decision.
In addition, if you haven't already, read a good review that details the technologies implemented here(Richard Hardesty's has a link on the Vandersteen site). Once you read and understand what went into this design, I doubt you'll be able to look at speakers in the same way again. I know as I page through an audio magazine and see speaker adds I can usually pick out several major design flaws(in my opinion)from one picture.