What first attracted you to the Vandersteen?

[ctsooner]

I haven't been up there since I too my daughter to see Brown when she was a Soph in HS.  She's now 27, lol.   I even bought a nice Lamy pen on sale at the stationary store down the street. I loved the restaurants up there too.  They used to have a lower end audio store right up the street from Bruce's that I sold gear for before even meeting Bruce.  The money was good and they had decent mid fi gear.  

[Ken K]

It's been some years since I spent time in Providence.  I grew up a few towns over and the Brown area was always a good place to hang out.  I do remember some pretty good restaurants and, back in the day, a bookstore or two or three as well as a few good record shops nearby.  

Pete -- we're not quite neighbors, but it's a small state.  I probably got a similar deal to yours.  Bruce was moving to Cranston and I bought his demo pair of 2CEs just before he moved.  He didn't carry Vandersteens over to Cranston.  He did carry Benz and he was my go to for cartridges until he closed altogether.

I also did some listening at Sound Images in Westport MA, not too far from Providence.  That was a nice space too.  I heard Meadowlarks there and, if I hadn't already heard the Vandersteens, I probably would have ended up with Meadowlarks.  They didn't, to my ears, capture the weight I was looking for in the way the 2CEs do (I listen to a lot of orchestral music), but they seemed very musical to me.  Do I remember correctly that Meadowlarks were first order, time and phase correct?  

[ctsooner]

Yes they were I think.  I hear them in their first year in LA (they were from SD if I recall).  I loved them and for the cost, they were well worth it.  I was shocked that Bruce didn't bring the Vandersteen's over too.  I was pretty surprised that he made that move, but he wanted to have a larger store and specialized room etc...  He started to go the Focal route etc...  He and Dwight really loved bright speakers.  He loved Krell and I really didn't (other than their smallest amp the 50 I think it was).  Bruce and I used to have some spirited debates on audio gear.  

[Oregon]

The main attraction to these loudspeakers was the minimum baffle. During the eighties I belonged to an audio club in Southern California which would gather at the members homes. During that time Albert Von Schweikert would bring to these meetings his prototype baffle-less speakers.

These effectively alligator-clipped together conglomerations sounded more like life than anything I'd heard in Southern California's high-end stereo stores. Von Scheikert's prototype was effectively a bass cabinet with a stick stuck on top, along which the individual drivers were attached, consider a Brussels sprout stalk. Like Vandersteen loudspeakers, they did not sound like boxes. They were the finest sounding loudspeakers I had heard up 'til then. What a lesson!

[Ross B.]

I spent an afternoon at Hawthorn Stereo in Seattle listening to speakers from their used room. I'd wander around and point to something that looked cool, and we'd go set it up in their demo room. It was the 1Ci that hooked me. Of all the speakers there, it was the only one that didn't sound "wrong" somehow. And the clarity... my god, those are still the clearest speakers I've ever owned, probably due to the 2-way design and high quality tweeter. Excellent for EDM music, ironic as it may seem.

They were lacking in midrange however, and since I knew I liked the sound, I upgraded to a pair of 3A's, which were a bit less clear at the top end, but have a rich, full midrange. Now I'm looking at upgrading again, and of course I'll be staying in the family!

[Richard Vandersteen]

1 hour ago, Ross B. said:

I spent an afternoon at Hawthorn Stereo in Seattle listening to speakers from their used room. I'd wander around and point to something that looked cool, and we'd go set it up in their demo room. It was the 1Ci that hooked me. Of all the speakers there, it was the only one that didn't sound "wrong" somehow. And the clarity... my god, those are still the clearest speakers I've ever owned, probably due to the 2-way design and high quality tweeter. Excellent for EDM music, ironic as it may seem.

They were lacking in midrange however, and since I knew I liked the sound, I upgraded to a pair of 3A's, which were a bit less clear at the top end, but have a rich, full midrange. Now I'm looking at upgrading again, and of course I'll be staying in the family!

Ross,  Model one series speaker is our entry level product, so I deliberately voiced them a bit hot for the newbies'.  The tweeter is the same as the one used in the Model 3 series except, they are designed for flat response and lower distortion.  RV

[Ross B.]

2 hours ago, Richard Vandersteen said:

Ross,  Model one series speaker is our entry level product, so I deliberately voiced them a bit hot for the newbies'.  The tweeter is the same as the one used in the Model 3 series except, they are designed for flat response and lower distortion.  RV

Hah! Now you tell me! Thanks for confirming that! They remain the clearest speaker I've ever heard.

[Holmz]

I probably would have suggested 1B, followed by 2C, and then the model 3 could naturally follow as the “3D”… 😎

[Zarf]

This forum is a pleasure.

My first set of Vandersteens was a 1B.  I like to tell the story that I bought them for cash in a parking lot, out of the back of a fellow's car, as he'd intended to move onto a boat. They didn't come with stands/points or packing boxes. At the time, around 2015, I was running Snell E IIs, driven by a Dennis Had Inspire Firebottle. The Snells are decent speakers, and they found a good home with friends in town, so I can visit them and listen now and then.

The 1Bs were clean, full, and had a rightness to them. At that point I had recently returned to the hobby, and would judge systems by how they played familiar music. For me, that was Pink Floyd, with tracks from Division Bell and WYWH. Also, the Bill Evans catalog, and Mahler's 5th. They were easy to drive as I rarely go beyond 80-85 dB. I'd even used them driven by a pair of 300B monoblocks for a while, although that combo ran out of steam playing some live Ben Harper.

The 1B were so good, that when the main system progressed to 2ci, and then 2ce Sigs, I kept the 1B as my AV system's fronts.  I liked the coherency and vocal range of the 1B in particular for the AV system. So I still have those speakers I'd bought unheard. 

Psst, hey buddy.

What a bargain.

[Holmz]

6 hours ago, Zarf said:

This forum is a pleasure.

….

The 1B were so good, that when the main system progressed to 2ci, and then 2ce Sigs, I kept the 1B as my AV system's fronts.  I liked the coherency and vocal range of the 1B in particular for the AV system. So I still have those speakers I'd bought unheard. 

…

Do you have a picture of that system that you would be willing to share?

[Oregon]

"What first attracted you to the Vandersteen?"

...Internet reputation/reports, plus, the minimal baffle...

 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Oregon

[Zarf]

I do read a bit, across multiple fora, and gather a consensus. I use this to decide what to try  next, or to track down for a listen.

Holmz, I have a picture of the AV system, with the 1B, and then the 2ce Sig system. I have since added a Salamander Archetype to the 2nd one, along with a pair of dedicated 20A outlets.

[Zarf]

There's other rigs in the house. This is upstairs, but isn't Vandersteen based. I have read the opinions that are supportive of the VLR-CT, and would enjoy trying that in the smaller space. This shot was when I was trying out a DR-6. I've been enjoying a tour of preamps for several years, and that one was on the bucket list.  I am checking out an Aleph Ono for a phono pre at the moment. I should take some more photos.

[Holmz]

4 hours ago, Zarf said:

Holmz, I have a picture of the AV system, with the 1B, and then the 2ce Sig system. I have since added a Salamander Archetype to the 2nd one, along with a pair of dedicated 20A outlets

Just trying to keep you on-board with the rules of posting the picture 😎

 

What is the story with the glass penguins in the last photo?

[JonM]

First attracted me to Vandersteen:

1.  Tomictime, who I worked with and for, recommended them

2.  They are American made by a small independent business

But Brad's question was what about the the sound that first attracted me...

The sound of the high hat on Fleetwood Mac Gold Dust Woman.  It felt like I could touch it.  This was on Jim's model 7s with M7 amps, but the Quatros act the exact same way.

[ctsooner]

Great stories and all different. Keep them coming, especially the newer posters. 
 

Zarf, if you do get the VLR CT’s to audition, I’ll be surprised if you don’t go that direction.  I was shocked at how good they sounded in both Spelt’s and Rutan’s stores. Bob, swears by his too. Smart to audition them. Keep us posted. 

[GdnrBob]

Neat penguins, I thought they were iced drinks at first glance.

B

[Zarf]

Back from a trip around the relatives.  The penguins were a gift given to my wife during a 30 year plus career at the local college.  They also reminded me of the shaped pieces on some of the Totem speakers quite a while back.

[GdnrBob]

What a nice gift. Did they relate to her studies?

B

[SAGNI]

When JR at Audio Connection introduced me to the Quatro Wood CT’s via a Louis and Ella track that i’d heard many times on my single driver speakers/tube amplification—well, I should say that I’d thought I’d heard the song , but in reality I’d only been listening to a facsimile, a vague approximation until Louis and Ella were three dimensionally presented in the room, not just their voices but their bodies, I could feel them physically in the space which is a listening experience I shall not forget. The presentation was not bombastic by any means but it was musically three dimensional, evocative; the emotional expression of Louis Armstrong’s voice as it moved through his body—not just in his throat—  revealed the depth of his personality and his musical history.  This immersive experience repeated despite the type of music as long as it was well recorded—jazz, metal, electronic, rock, the Vandersteen's faithfully convey the emotional depths. There is all this talk lately about holographically recreating dead artists like Michael Jackson and Elvis for “live musical presentations”.  But why go to the trouble when you can just buy a pair of Vandersteen's and bring these legends into your house? 

[GdnrBob]

9 hours ago, SAGNI said:

There is all this talk lately about holographically recreating dead artists like Michael Jackson and Elvis for “live musical presentations”.  But why go to the trouble when you can just buy a pair of Vandersteen's and bring these legends into your house? 

I agree.

For years, many of my non-Audiophile friends thought my love of good sound was a waste of money. But, to me, hearing great music on a great system is something money can't buy. (-Well, it does take some money😝).

B

[Zarf]

Bob, my wife worked at Colby here in Maine for those 3 decades. She'd received a masters from the University of Iowa in piano, but then hung around and got a computer science degree as well.  She worked IT for Hathaway shirts after coming to town. Then within a short time in town she moved to IT at Colby. Her support of the registrar's office led to her becoming the registrar for about a dozen years prior to her retirement. We have two pianos, and there's a quartet that plays eight hands at our house on Mondays.

The penguins were a gift from the registrar before her, who had been her boss while she was working for IT.

Fun story, just to add some color. I had a new system wander through, with our house acting as storage and source of fun these past few days.  It is a Conrad Johnson 17LS2 into a fully restored Yamaha M2, feeding Aerial 10T speakers (mk II). Sources are a Cambridge Azur 851N streamer/dac, and a ProJect DS3 CD player. Loaded with dynamics and offering a big clean sound, filling a 24 x 27 room with ease, all while loafing.

She says, "yeah, but our system sounds better."

So there it is. My musician wife, mistress of discernment and keyboards, likes the 2ce Signatures over the Aerial 10T as currently presented in different rooms. One of my nicknames for her is "the Engineer's Daughter," but there's another story.

 

[Richard Vandersteen]

31 minutes ago, Zarf said:

Bob, my wife worked at Colby here in Maine for those 3 decades. She'd received a masters from the University of Iowa in piano, but then hung around and got a computer science degree as well.  She worked IT for Hathaway shirts after coming to town. Then within a short time in town she moved to IT at Colby. Her support of the registrar's office led to her becoming the registrar for about a dozen years prior to her retirement. We have two pianos, and there's a quartet that plays eight hands at our house on Mondays.

The penguins were a gift from the registrar before her, who had been her boss while she was working for IT.

Fun story, just to add some color. I had a new system wander through, with our house acting as storage and source of fun these past few days.  It is a Conrad Johnson 17LS2 into a fully restored Yamaha M2, feeding Aerial 10T speakers (mk II). Sources are a Cambridge Azur 851N streamer/dac, and a ProJect DS3 CD player. Loaded with dynamics and offering a big clean sound, filling a 24 x 27 room with ease, all while loafing.

She says, "yeah, but our system sounds better."

So there it is. My musician wife, mistress of discernment and keyboards, likes the 2ce Signatures over the Aerial 10T as currently presented in different rooms. One of my nicknames for her is "the Engineer's Daughter," but there's another story.

 

Zarf, a pair of Quatro CTs would work very well in that space and you would have a happy wife,..................life.  RV

[Zarf]

Thank you, Richard. 

A road trip for some listening sessions might be in order.

[ctsooner]

Zarf, I'm not sure, but I think Audio Connection in Verona, NJ (Rutan) is the closest store.  It may be worth the road trip like so many of us have done. It's why I have Quatro's, lol.....  I have always enjoyed those speakers when I've heard them (Aerials), but that was many years ago and I hadn't heard Vandersteen 5's at that point due to a couple of dealers who didn't care to set them up properly to listen to them. 😉.