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New Quatro CTs from Santa

Bruskie
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Bruskie Community Regular

Bruskie

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Hi Everyone,

Santa  (Rick Duplisea from Audio Alternative in Ft. Collins)  delivered my new Quatro CTs Thursday. They replaced my 21yr. old Thiel CS2.3s to upgrade my system as follows:

Torus Isolation Transformer > Linn Klimax  LP12 w/ Harban plinth > Pass XP-22 > Pass X-250.8  > Quatro CT.

I am using Audioquest Hurricane PC on all the front end components w/ Chord Sarum T Analogue RCA from the LP12's  internal Urika phono stage into the preamp. I'm using Mogami W2549 balanced microphone cables between the preamp and amp. The amp and speakers are plugged directly into the wall using stock PCs. For now I am using a 20' long set of mid-level (Chord Epic) speaker cables with jumpers as I get ready to demo some bi-wire cables. My room is 14' x 16' x 8' ceiling. The back wall is only 6' high and opens  to another room on a split level with a 16' ceiling above my listening room. So, although my room is small, it opens up in the back eliminating many standing waves. The speakers are 26" from the front wall and 29" from the side walls with a slight toe-in. They are 8' apart (along the short front wall of the room) and I am seated approximately 10' from the speaker grill cloths. 

I am streaming music through them 24/7 for the next week as they break in. However, even at this point I feel like I have a new system. The upgrade is phenomenal, so much more musical !!!  These Quatro's have revealed so much more of the music down in the grooves of my records that my Thiel's were masking. My non-audiophile (audio cluelessness) wife returned from work and walked into the darkened room Thursday night unaware that the Quatros were delivered that afternoon. She immediately commented on how "beautiful" and "live" the music sounded, thinking I was playing some kind of "special" record I just bought  😂.

I will update with a much more thorough review after they break in a little and I try some minor position changes over the next week or so.  But for now, I am ecstatic !!!

Bruce

 

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Bruskie Community Regular

Bruskie

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Below are a couple pics of how the 6' high back wall in our den/listing room opens to another room (split level) with 16' high ceilings. The 8' ceiling in the den ends about 3' before the back wall and opens to the 16' ceiling in the room above. The listening room, even though small in size, seems to be working very well due to this "opening up" into another level. Similar to opening windows/doors to the outside to minimize reflections.

Bruce

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DrumTemp Rookie

DrumTemp

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Congrats on the new speakers!

I'm a BIG fan of Pass Labs, and found the X250,8 a wonderful amp with the Quatros. If you're up for a little experimentation, try Canare 4S11 speaker cable. Double runs for each speaker for true bi-wire connection. Your total cost (with Audioquest spade lugs, flexible shrink wrap & expandable braid sleeving) ~ $250.

Enjoy!

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Bruskie Community Regular

Bruskie

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Thanks everyone.Had my hip replaced yesterday so they have pretty much just breaking in on their own. Right now they are making beautiful background music as the sound spills over into our kitchen. One thing for sure is that these Quatros are more musical than my old Thiels. Deeper rhythms and much sweeter highs. Those Thiels tended to be sparkly. and sometimes just plain harsh. Of course, I did have a lower end model - CS2.3.  I'll check back later as I get some serious listening time this week.

Thanks for all the greetings.

Bruce

 

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  • 5 weeks later...
Bruskie Community Regular

Bruskie

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A Belated Happy New Year Everyone !!

So let's see;   Got a new hip. Then our older daughter brought an unwelcome holiday guest with her - COVID.  Quaranteened for few days and then my wife and I came down with it. Then all the dry coughing caused me to blow out a disk in my back. However, the saving grace through all this chaos has been the Quatro's. 

In many ways I feel as though I am at a loss for words in trying to describe the music coming out of my system.. For so many years I was in the Linn camp of "source first".  After all it makes sense, garbage in - garbage out.  So, all of my front-end to back-end upgrades through the last 20+ yrs have been with the hopes that these changes would synergistically improve the music coming from my speakers. If I had it to do over I would do the exact opposite. Purchase the speakers for the room, the amp for the speakers and evolve from there. Then I would have appreciated much more the incremental improvements to my system that such a revealing speaker can demonstrate. That said, here is my take on my newly broken in Quatros.

Having a background in science and technology I can appreciate and understand the basics of sound, phase, standing waves and so on. What I have had a hard time understanding is the concept of the "coherence of the sound coming out of the speaker."  I'm NOT talking about a speaker design calculation showing the phase relationship of all the frequencies arriving at the listeners ear. I'm talking about what "coherent sound" really sounds like.

Jim Thiel used to put Coherent Source Loudspeaker in large print on his speaker boxes.  But Richard does it better !!!!  The best description I can come up with is that it just "sounds right." Live acoustic music also "sounds right". The timbre of the instruments; those fundamental frequencies, overtones, mechanical resonances, room reverb etc. It all combines to sound right.  Well, that's the best I can do to describe my Quatros. When I turn down the lights and close my eyes, I have my own little house concert going on . When I am in the next room and hear the Quatros playing, they are always inviting me in to listen.  All of those individual frequencies coming out of the speakers combine in such a way so as to sound so real. They sound so right.

Forgive my rambling, I hope this makes some sense,

Bruce

 

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Steve Edwards Community Regular

Steve Edwards

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Bruce, to a certain degree, we're all ramblers; born out of passion for this wonderful hobby / lifestyle.  

First off, BEST wishes for you and your wife's recovery; you have been through the mill!  My 91 year old stepmom came down with Covid Dec 4.  We've had her at our house since Dec 11.  She is free of the virus, but still so weak and frail that she's barely able to stand.  If you're still under the weather, please be patient; it's a long recovery for many folks.

I have been engaged in audio for 40 plus years and like you, I was always in the same source first and then down the line camp, though I've owned Vandersteen speakers since the mid 80's.  It is a real pleasure to hear how much joy the new Quatros are bringing you.  I think most folks will agree; they are the sweet spot in the Vandersteen line up, particularly the CT version!  I also have an LP12 - currently in the shop being serviced and a new cartridge installed.

May the new year bring you and your family renewed health and many new musical discoveries!

Play on

Steve

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bkeske Proficient

bkeske

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16 hours ago, Bruskie said:

A Belated Happy New Year Everyone !!

So let's see;   Got a new hip. Then our older daughter brought an unwelcome holiday guest with her - COVID.  Quaranteened for few days and then my wife and I came down with it. Then all the dry coughing caused me to blow out a disk in my back. However, the saving grace through all this chaos has been the Quatro's. 

Spoken like a true audiophile 😁

First off, Happy New Year back, and good to hear you got through all that without it being worse. Challenging times.

I had not been ‘back into the game’ prior to my current system for many years. Other life priorities took over, and was still stuck on the equipment and manufacturers I became enamored with back in the early 80’s. When beginning my re-journey, I stayed with those manufacturers speaker brand-wise, but quickly realized, they were not now what they once were. So, a pair of 1C’s became available and out of curiosity I took a chance. Glad I did. They had the timber, tone, and natural presentation that just said ‘home’ to my ears. Soon after, the 2CE Sigs, and they have even more so. And now recently, the Treo’s, and well, a big step up, that also included much better coherence you speak to.

During that time I then looked for equipment that had the same sound quality as my Vandy’s. Vinyl once again became a primary source, first time since the early 80’s as well. Now, albeit not an uber expensive set-up, my system is much better than I have ever had, and am now quite pleased. But, looking back, yes, the Vandersteen’s have been a constant while changing out and improving the front and back end. A bit more ways to go, always, but pretty satisfied right now.

Sounds like you are too Bruce.

Enjoy the music, and those Quatro’s! Here is to good health to all in the coming year.
 

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TomicTime Mentor

TomicTime

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ah yes, life events get in the way while we are busy making other plans.. First a wish for good health and recovery to all. I know thru my own medical adventures that great music played back on a emotionally engaging system has proven to be an essential part of my recovery. 

I don’t want to bog things down too much but a coherent wave launch with time and phase correct filters and drivers are essential. Then adding in low diffraction minimum baffle, pistonic drivers, low backwave reflection drivers and cabinets ( aerodynamic frame and magnet structure patent )… etc… volumes could be written, a lifetime of work for Richard… We benefit 😉

On the Linn philosophy… the logic starts well enough… The Table / arm / cartridge comprise a transducer system.  Changing one form of energy into another is difficult, is relatively high distortion and always involves losses. So the table / arm / cartridge have a super difficult job. Let’s be generous and say it’s 95% good. Modern tube or SS electronics are 99% good. Speakers IF not pistonic are less than 95% good. So you can create a system math model that shows invest in the transducers ! This has been my philosophy for  nearly 45 years, has served me well. Best to all.

Jim

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ctsooner Veteran

ctsooner

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Thanks for sharing. We all have our life issues and medical issues. Glad you are in the mend. I’ve been using music for years to escape and reset my mental well being. It’s why I love the music threads on this forum. Always something new and with listening too. Steaming Dave Koz right now. 

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ctsooner Veteran

ctsooner

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I have had to learn that by using mindful mediation and mentally dealing with ongoing pain daily and cannabis, I'm able to manage the pain for the most part.  I was on very strong opioids for years and then just stopped as I hated taking them (side effects).  I finally decided to try pot a couple of years ago as the pain was just too much to deal with without something.  

Music has always helped me deal with the pain.  I just stream whatever I need as different types of music help my mindset. :). 

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