What a busy weekend... it didnt all go according to plan but I still got some quality listening time in. I went back to audition the Kanta's again but this time I also got to hear the Spora 2's which is where I started.
First off my thoughts on the Sopras... they are pretty big and the increased driver size was definitely noticeable. They extended low and punched deep but never seemed to sound "boomy". I feel like there was more room in the high end and they just never seemed to quite reach that upper ceiling to give them that sense of a truly dynamic sound. Im not really knocking them, they were incredibly clean and produced a full sound but they seemed more geared towards modern bass forward music. I also felt that the mid levels, especially percussion, kind of took a back seat. They were driven with McIntosh tubes which may have played a role in their overall sound. What was really interesting was after listening to the Sopras I went to the back and listened to the Kanta/Naim combo I had fallen in love with.... To my surprise that gushy feeling they gave me was gone... The Kanta's sounded much more forced and almost bright. I listened at the same levels I had previously and they almost felt fatiguing, they were still punchy and dynamic and lively but I found myself wanting to back them down, not push them forward as I had before. Im not sure if that is a result of listening to the Sopra first but it definitely made me scratch my head. I spent about 45 minutes listening to all kinds of content and I just couldnt back to that place they took me to when I first heard them.
Saturday I got a late start and wasnt able to get out to Silverdale to hear the Legacy's but I did make it to Tacoma for a good audition of the Vandersteens. All I can say is WOW, what a totally different speaker and experience. They had recently shuffled their demo room around and only had an Anthem AVR driving Treo's, so we listened to several CDs through an OPPPO unit. Even with the minimal setup these speakers still came alive. Their sound is incredibly unique, they made the music we listened to come alive. The separation was unreal, they created and presented a truly LIVE sound stage. At first he put on Dave Mathews and I asked him if it was one of their live albums, to my shock and surprise it was just the studio version of Under the Table and Dreaming. The way the Vandersteens isolated each instrument and element of the recordings was phenomenal, the speakers just disappeared. The sound was rich, it was full, and it had an airiness to it. I wouldnt say the sound was fragile but it had a definite delicateness to it. Looking back and comparing them to the Focals the best way I can describe my impression is this, the Focal's were like an electric guitar, plugged in and turned up to 11, where as the Vandersteen's were like an acoustic guitar with a richer more intimate and soulful sound. They really are that different. One thing that was really refreshing about the audition was the room had absolutely zero treatment so in theory I got to hear them in basically a "home" type of environment.
Im still no closer to a decision and if anything I am even more torn, its like loving ice cream and having to choose between chocolate or vanilla. They are so different but at the same time both so good. A consideration that I am realizing is I need to take into account my space. The room itself is big, but its awkward. After rearranging my furniture orientation I will be seated about 6 ft from the speakers and at best I will be able to position them 7.5 ft apart. If I had to be pressed into a choice today I think I would have to give the nod to the Vandersteen's. I really want to love the Kanta's but I just cant get the taste of their last listening out of my mouth, Im afraid that they will end up just being dominating in my home. I still have plenty of time before I have to decide and I no doubt will spend several hours with both speakers again. Im also going to try and get some time with the Revel's and Paradigms.
