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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
sonofjim
557 posts
 
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?
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
5,112 posts
 
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.
chadnliz
3,736 posts
 
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.
sonofjim
557 posts
 
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.
madfloyd OP
411 posts
 
I heard the speakers in NJ; I live in Massachusetts. It was 4.5 hours each way.

The dealer was excellent as was the speakers (overall). I'm sure setup could be tweaked a little - as it's subjective to a certain degree (apparently you smooth out humps, not flatten them or it will sound EQ'd)

I agree that it would be good to re-audition them - even if in same room, with same equipment. I considered Rockport Ankas and auditioned them 3 times. I'm not up for that much driving anytime soon however.

Overall I liked the speaker a lot - I just wasn't expecting such huge, larger than life imagery or the distortion at loud volumes. That being said, my Aerials produce a smaller-than-life soundstage, although they image very well and timbre is great. Piano sounded different on the 5As - another aspect I would like to audition again, but I don't know that the timbre was incorrect - I might just be too used to the Aerials. Sometimes you have to get used to the sound of a speaker.

I agree that in theory, the design of the 5A seems excellent.

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