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Vandersteen's new affordable mono blocks at the CES 18

Just got an email that his new amps will be unveiled at the CES.  Here is what I got.  I can't wait.  He has adjustable crossovers so you can use them on any speaker that doesn't go down to 20HZ, which is 99% of teh speakers on the market.  Here is what they said:

Vandersteen Audio Introduces the Next GREAT Amplifier at CES 2018!Venetian Suite 29-203
Vandersteen Audio shook up the audio world with its liquid-cooled M7-HPA monoblocks, a radical advance in power amplifier design and loudspeaker performance that is Stereophile Class-A rated as a true reference.Vandersteen is doing it again at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, where you can get the first look and listen at a pre-production pair of the upcoming M5-HPA (High-Pass Amplifier) monoblocks! The M5-HPA is a solid-state design descended directly from the flagship monoblocks. It will be substantially less expensive, but will offer an astonishing amount of the flagship's sonic magic. While the M7-HPA is designed specifically for Vandersteen's Model Seven Mk II speakers, the M5-HPA will work with a much wider variety of loudspeakers and Vandersteen powered subwoofers. To accomplish this goal, while the M7-HPA's high-pass is fixed at 100Hz, the M5-HPA's internal high-pass filtering is adjustable to any of the following five settings: 20Hz, 40Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz.Vandersteen for years has employed high-pass filtering with powered subwoofers for the ultimate in powered-bass performance. When paired with a Vandersteen powered-bass speaker like the Quatro Wood CT the M5-HPA forms a complete powered-bass speaker system in which the amplification is perfectly optimized over the entire frequency range.
Richard Vandersteen is responsible for the M5-HPA’s overall design and architecture; the amplifier was developed and is built in partnership between Vandersteen Audio and Dean Klinefelter, a talented designer and engineer in his own right. 
Vandersteen powered-bass speaker systems are the ultimate expression of Richard Vandersteen’s philosophies on design and performance, formed over decades of industry-leading design & research & innovation.
M5-HPA's technical attributes:
  • Zero-Feedback Solid-State Design With Dual Single-Ended Circuits Connected By The Speaker Load
  • All Signal Transistors N-Channel Bipolars 
  • No Emitter Resistors
  • Minimal Circuit Path- Only 5 Parts In Signal Path Per Phase
  • 10 Separate Power Supplies
  • Adjustable High-Pass Filter (20Hz, 40Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz)
  • 300-Watts Into 4 Ohms / 150-Watts Into 8 Ohms
  • Made In The USA


ctsooner
Post removed 
rcprince
2,830 posts
 
Judging from what I heard of the 7HPA, I think that these should be excellent amplifiers.  But I would suggest you title your post "more" affordable--the price hasn't been set and even if they are half or even a quarter of the price of the 7HPAs they still will be very expensive. 
cedargrover
255 posts
 
Agree that price is a big open question here. When JA reviewed the 7HPAs, he pined for a version with broader applicability....let’s see what he says when he gets his hands on these.

Also, the nitty gritty of the 7HPAs (and I assume the 5HPAs too) was deigned by Dean Klinefelter, who's no schlub.   I think RV set the design parameters and DK implemented.
ctsooner's avatar
ctsooner OP
2,104 posts
 
I'm guessing in the 15k range.  I know how Richard designs and he took 30k amps and made one that he and the other designer felt was better.  He's been working on this one for a while now.  I have spoken to someone who's heard these and said they are a game changer for the price range they are in.  

I'm currently using the Ayre AX5/20 integrated and I like it a ton. I got it over most of the 15k amps out there as I was also willing to get a used Audio Research or Aesthetix preamp to go with it.  For me, the difference in SQ wasn't worth it, so I went with the Ayre.  I have a feeling that this one will be for me as I know and trust the person who shared with me. 

I personally may share reviews on forums, but I never audition based on them. The are just fun to read.  There are only a handful of folks who I know and trust who review, but that's me.  I get out and audition a ton, so I have a great idea how they will sound to my ear, compared to teh competition.  

BTW, Richard is a great designer. Just because he has designed only speakers up to now, don't think he can't design great electronics.  He even brought in another designer to help out.  He's packed a lot into these amps.  I'm pretty stoked to get to hear them once he gets teh full production models out.
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
2,164 posts
 
the new amps are factually $15 K the pair, the CES flyer will say preliminary pricing but if any of you have ever built anything of substance with hundreds of parts and a complicated supply chain that should be understandable. I have not heard them yet but I have spent the last three very enjoyable days and evenings ( very late sleep deprived listen all night kind of evenings) listening to his M7-HPA in my system. They replaced a no slouch Ayre VX-R Twenty.....

i will write a detailed review at some point but so far on no parameter would I go back to the Ayre.

on the point of amplifier chops. Dean is the man behind PSE which were giant killers, try to find one - people dont sell them for a reason. i think RV’s unique speaker and amp designer experience ( where do you think all the feed forward, power factor corrected sub amps came from ? ) drove some very unique engineering solutions into the M7: liquid cooling, no emiter R, cyclotronic SS topology, tube front end, built in power conditioning, DBS and HRS isolation....the list goes on

ya i am biased...

but wow am i happy listening...

now back to The Wayfaring Strangers - Shifting Sands of Time....sounds like microphone feeds off my high speed Revox



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