Treo to Quatro CT

[ctsooner]

What a difference this move made.  The Quatro is in a different league in my system.  It's taken everything to levels above what the Tree did. It's not just the ease of placement with the variable bass.  It's much more than that.  There isn't one thing that the Quatro doesn't do better from imaging to staging etc...  It's a true full range speaker.  I heard less truncation in the rear when listening for tympani drums etc...  Even the decay in my room is better, which is saying something as the Treo's were a champ here.  The tonality of the Vandersteen speakers from top to bottom are the best I've heard from any line of speakers.  

There are plenty of other brands I could own and love.  Heck, I could live with plenty of speakers that are out there, but once I heard the realism and tonality of the Vandersteen Treo's (first in his upper line I heard some years ago), I was hooked.  I'd die fo the new Kènto's, but that's more of a pipe dream for me.  You CAN get high end sound from the Treo and Quatro.  

[andrewtgt]

Recently upgraded from 2CE Sig II to Quatro Wood and am slowly going through my music collection. The Quatros really are in a different league, all those additional design features add up without really taking anything away. This also goes for literally, after solo carrying Quatro boxes up the stairs, the 2s feel like nothing 🙂.

Still love my 2CEs, but had the option to upgrade so why not. All I wished for was for the bass to go a little lower and the male vocals to be a little clearer and more upfront. But actually got a lot more. The bass now fully covers down to what my ears can still hear and its quality has improved, even before I trimmed the EQ pots. Whole lower midrange is noticeably improved also, the different mid-woofer and higher crossover point does its magic. My ears aren't very precise so I'm speculating here, but I think I don't hear any cabinet resonance. At all. Everything sounds clearer.

Still getting used to so much more bass, I've actually trimmed it down a little. 

The only acoustic downside I can think of for now is that around the 5kHz point there is a slight harshness perceived by my brain. I don't know if it is just the default tweeter level being too high for my ears, or if it has anything to do with the crossover. Our ears are very sensitive at that frequency. After I EQ-ed it down a little it's been fine.

All in all it's been a great upgrade. I get a positive emotional response from music when it's played by any decent loudspeakers, but with Quatros it goes further. During some songs I get actual goosebumps and that's something that my body usually reserves only for live music. The Quatros are really up there.

 

 

 

[Eric Neff]

I also went from Treo CT's to the Quatro CT's It is a big leap in capability. That additional lower register really completes the sound.

[DrumTemp]

I went from 3A Sig's to Quatro Wood CT. As all have said, this was a big upgrade as well. Bass, yes, but also greater clarity with the Quatros.

[Eric Neff]

You cannot beat the Carbon Tweeter!

[ctsooner]

The carbon drivers that Richard designed and produces, was truly voiced when choosing the correct CF weave. I will never forget Richard seeing my walking sticks (I'll usually use these when in a store I know instead of my rollator).  They use a specific weave that is identical to what Richard chose to use.  It's of course, the most expensive of the CF rolls, lol.  

[GPick]

I'm very interested in the Vandersteen speakers and was curious as to what type of music you listen to. I know everyone says the speakers just pass along what they are given. But do some types of music seem to sound  better to you  with these speakers( especially the Quatro CT)?  I've heard the Quatro and thought they sounded amazing.

GP

[andrewtgt]

Properly set up Quatros really do pass along what they're given. Some of the criticisms of Vandersteens that were somewhat true for older models, have been eliminated with the Quatros. 

I listen to a variety of music, but mostly rock. With very revealing speakers such as these and my listening room full of bass traps and other acoustic treatment, it becomes obvious that some of my favorite old school rock songs are quite lacking in recording quality 😁. But I just accept it for what it is, they're still a pleasure to listen to.

But I do admit that some classic hip hop songs, let's say from Biggie or Tupac, are better left being played on my headphones since the poorly recorded bass just doesn't sound right. However, newer hip hop songs sound great.

If you can tell us more about where you're coming from and what you're looking for GPick, we can probably help you out since people in this forum have a lot of experience with all kinds of gear.

[GPick]

Thanks andrewgt for the response. I'm new to the ,what i call high end audio. I have always listened to music but with lower quality equipment..... 70's ESS speakers , pioneer TT,  to 90's PSB speakers ,Nad receiver, Cary CD player. With family years and career behind me now I am looking to dive into higher quality audio. I need all new equipment, so I'm thinking  this a perfect chance to purchase piece by piece gear that will compliment each other for the best sound. My thought is to purchase the speakers first and then the amp etc. down the road.Hopefully a shorter rather than longer road. I've heard the Treo CT,and the Quatro CT and both sounded very good but the Quatro really blew me away with the fullness of the sound. If I go with the Quatro i need a amp to at least bring out it's qualities. FYI-  I listen to classic rock, progressive jazz,  blues, reggae, and moving toward anything with a full quality sound.

[andrewtgt]

Ok, so we're on a similar page when it comes to experiencing sound. Welcome to the magical world of high end audio GPick.

Like you said, the greatness of Quatro is that it goes from the very bottom of frequencies to the very top, all the while producing clear and natural sound. It's a complete package. It does take some time to set them up correctly, but it's way less complicated than having to correctly integrate separate subwoofers with your main speakers. 

I've purchased Quatro first and then slowly upgraded the front end and it played out great. I'm on the younger side of audiophiles and thus more budget conscious, so I regularly checked hifishark.com for used Ayre amps and Audioquest cables until I found great deals.

 

The key in choosing gear is to avoid taking reviewers too seriously and trusting your own ears and intuition. A common high end audio trap is to get entangled with gear instead of  enjoying the music. 

Try listening to different brands and models of speakers, and consciously relaxing yourself while  you do. The analytical mind does much, but the irrational side of brain that tells you how you feel, picks up extremely small nuances in sound. So it makes a lot of sense to focus on how sound from different speakers makes you feel. For instance speakers that reproduce natural sounding vocals will often invoke instinctual response. Some people get tingles in their spine, some get goosebumps, I myself get a warm feeling inside my chest.

Also, great speakers will feel more like drawing you in instead of shouting at you.

I hope any of this aids you in your search, have fun on your journey! ☮️

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2020 by andrewtgt

[ctsooner]

Great thread.  I went from Treo to Quatro a couple of years ago.  As folks who have followed me know, I LOVE my music as much as the gear. I listen to literally anything.  The reality is that ANY great speaker will sound great on all genre's.  Too much marketing by companies as well as some reviewers seem to think that a speaker with great bass is best for rock or that others can't properly play jazz or choral or orchestral or rap or.....  Just ask Richard or any other designer and they will tell you that any speaker is a compromise.  It's HOW they implement that compromise that allows us to hear what they want us to hear.  

Richard is a genius and it's why we are here on this forum.  It's about putting a true system together.  You can cobble the BEST products in each category, but they won't necessarily sound best together.  I too find picking the speaker first is the way to go if you are able to.  Then look to see what else the dealers are showing with it.  They will be zero feedback design and most probably balanced as that's why Aesthetix, Ayre, VAC and Audio Research are.  Those seem to be the main lines that dealers carry with Vandersteen's as the match ups are just superb.  I run an Ayre AX5/20 integrated wiht my Quatro's.  I had Ayre build the crossover directly into the amp so I don't need an external crossover, plus I know that they matched each component to be identical and they used the best components that they use in their reference series gear.  It was very kind of them.  I'll be selling that unit in the next couple of months as I'm upgrading to Richard mono blocks sometime this fall.  I like the integrated as it's so detailed, fast, tuneful, slamming etc..  The kids aren't 'lush', but they are accurate and I love how the system sounds.  

 

Mimas is a GREAT match up too, but not close to the detail or speed of an Ayre, but Ayre also costs much more.  I've never heard the AR integrated amps as most folks go for their separates.  The Quatro scales and can handle some great amps.  The 30k AR amps aren't out of place in a Quatro based system.  I personally feel Richards new amp sounds better on the Quatro's.  It's a personal thing, but for the price they are that good.

[Eric Neff]

I am running all the flagship PS Audio electronics. I had the Treo's before and the Quatro's also pair beautifully with the PS Audio gear.

[GPick]

Thanks for all the personal advice . It's good to hear this advice from the people that have been through the journey with the audio gear. I think CTSooner and Eric answered my follow up question........ Every time I research Treo's and Quatro's when an amp is mentioned ,the amp most often mentioned is Ayre. It's nice to know that there are other choices at different price points. With the initial cost of the Quatro's  I probably will have to compromise on an amp initially. Great insight guys, lots to ponder and research.

[ctsooner]

As I said, I'm selling my AX5/20 with built in crossover as soon as my amps from Richard are ready (hopefully this fall).  Feel free to reach out ;).  

[MNSki]

Ctsooner, do you know the distance of your quatros from the front and side walls? I know all rooms are different, but I’m curious where others have settled. 

[ctsooner]

Johnny Rutan put them right in the corners. 8” from each wall in the corner. Not totally sold on it, but no suck out in the middle and it throws a large large stage. 

[MNSki]

Thank you for sharing. I’ve been hesitant to try them tight in corners per the manual’s instructions to avoid  getting too close on odd line placement between the room dimension’s front to back and side to side measurements. It’s good to know that it is worth trying. I’m sure the bass adjustments make the typical placement guidelines more flexible. What are your hesitancies with your current placement?

[ctsooner]

The only one is that it's strange to put them in the corners.  It sure helps with the look of the room for the family.  They are safer there also.  The soundstage is very large or intimate if that's recorded.  I"ve kept these here since day one.  I'm also going to keep them there when I get them raised onto the granite.  Try it there and see what you think.

[andrewtgt]

I'm not one to tell others how to enjoy their setup, but think about what happens to the sound wave if you go that near side walls without using absorber panels on them. Of course it all depends on the placement options available, but having the first reflection points so near the drivers introduces a lot of distortion and thus negates the time-aligned design aspect of our speakers.

[ctsooner]

Interesting.  I'll ask Richard on that. I do have absorption there, but I've been wanting to try them where my Treo's used to be once my buddy can come do it.  I can't lift or move the speakers since the MS.  Thanks for sharing that as I never thought about it.  It will be interesting to hear what Richard says. 

[Next8]

Really enjoying this tread and thought I’d jump in.  My dealer got me started with Treo CT’s using Linn ADSM and Linn A4200 amp in 2017.  Originally, I was leaning toward some Linn speakers but heard the Treos in his shop and stopped me in my tracks.  I’ve been very happy with this simple set up since.  About two months ago, my dealer told me he decided to retire after more then 3 decades in the HiFi business and everything in his shop will be sold on large discounts.  That’s trouble I said.  The first day of the sale was a mad house with customers coming out of the wood work.  I grabbed him and said to put sold stickies on the quartos, and M5 hfa’s, which them went to cables and interconnects, etc.  I love the Quattro/M5 set up.  So rich and amazing sound.    I kept the Treo’s and added the Ayre VX-5 twenty.   It is the old saying, I may be broke but look how much money I saved.  I don’t see any more tweaking to either system and take lots of deep breaths.  A major jump in all respects for a newbe.  But all good.  Oh, and there was also a Linn TT involved in the purchase but can’t bring myself to talk about it yet.  

[Eric Neff]

Wow, what an opportunity! Congrats on getting great gear for a bargain.

[ctsooner]

Wow, that's awesome stuff right there.  Which dealer retired?  

[Steve Edwards]

Next8, you were definitely in the right place at the right time.

[Next8]

sorry about the delay.  I didn't see the notification.  The dealer was The Gifted Listener in Chantilly, VA.  A great shop.