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B&W vs Vandersteen?

After a long search and lots of auditions I narrowed my options down to 2 very different yet excellent brands. I know they sound very different but still. For my 50 sq.meter living room with 5 meters between the wall and the sofa (something like 3,7 meters between the speakers and my ears) and approx. 2,4 meters distance between the centers of the speakers I'm choosing between B&W and Vandersteen at the moment. Each option has something going for and against it.

Vandersteen 3A Signature is

much cheaper than even 802, not to mention 801 and 800 and is not as difficult to drive. I can buy it right now.

It has glorious musical midrange and highs and sounds big.

Since Vandies are not as deep as B&W I can give them more space between the speakers and the wall - up to 1 meter (maximum 60 - 70 cm in case of B&W)

But I'm not sure if it can be as open and dyamic or as fast and tight with heavy metal and other modern rock music. Also I'm not sure it's perfect for movies because of the same PRAT issues.

And most likely I'll have to move away from the well known McIntosh line (I'm a Mac guy for many years now) since Mac and Vandersteen is not a perfect match and get back on audiophile treadmill of choosing amps etc.

The weird small-spades connections make any audition of cables almost impossible since I can only use cables specially made for Vandies.

B&W 800 or 801 or 802?

sound absolutely neutral and equally great with Carpenters and Celtic Frost.

The can be cranked up as high as possible without becoming shouty. Their speed must be perfect for HT use.

I can stay with Macs since they are a classic combo.

Demand huge and highly expensive amps.

Are much more expensive themselves. The only model from the old 800D line still available is 802 so unless I can find a good deal on used 801 and 802 I'll have to settle for 802s or start saving for new 800 Diamonds which I'll be able to afford by the end of this year with good luck...

What do you guys think? I know some would say - audition both at home and choose for yourself. Not possible at the moment and anyway I'm interested in your opinions!
__________________
antonkk
60 responses Add your response
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
Budt

I concur that the ATC midrange is unimpeded, the music just flies out of those things. Active 50 is what I heard...

Antonkk it sounds like you have made up your mind, I believe a good stereo is one that sounds good to you, period. The rest does not matter...

good luck and enjoy
budt
157 posts
 
If you think the 802D is fast and dynamic then I can only conclude you have never lived with a really dynamic speaker. There is no mistaking the compression of the 802D for those who have.I am simply telling it like it is.
Why has B&W went changed magnet motor assembley in the new range? Why have the also changed the magnet assembly?
Is it simply marketing or are they trying to correct a problem?
I guess time will tell.

I would encourage you to audition a well regarded active speaker( maybe ATC or PMC). Then you will realize just how compressed the 802Ds really are.
Incidently my current up-stream components are a Bryston bp26 pre, Bryston 4b sst amp.So I don't think these are the cause of the sluggish performance of the 802Ds.
antonkk OP
137 posts
 
Hmmm, I auditioned 802D 3 times allready and each time they seeemed excellent with the highs and not slow or compressed by any means - quiete on the contrary.
fin1bxn
140 posts
 
Budt - What were your other B&W's. WHat electronics are you using and the size of your room. It will help others who are looking at buying them, know what comparisons you are refering too.
budt
157 posts
 
Well, I have always been a fan of B&W but I have to eat crow now.I have the 802D, I bought them blind because I wasn't able to audition them. I have owned many B+W speakers and the 802D are the second I am not happy with.They are SLOW/compressed.They seem to have a real problem in the lower portion of the high frequency( 3-5 khz region). I am guessing the tweeter mass is simply too great for the drive unit.The woofers are also slow.Maybe the motor assembly isn't up to par or the crossover is simply soaking up too much power.At the price point of the 802D these problems shouldn't be so blatant. Unless these significant problems are adressed in the new line this will be the end of the road for me with B&W.
From a sonic aspect John Bowers would be ashamed of these speakers. B&W, get your act together and start producing the speakers we know you are capable of.
rrog
1,958 posts
 
I have owned both and I can say from experience the B&W is the better speaker especially if you are considering the 801 or 802. The signature series Vandersteens have better matched drivers and crossover parts like the speakers Richard Vandersteen used to send to reviewers until the word got out, hence the Signature Series. Although I have had incredible sound with Vandersteens driven by Audio Research and Audioquest cables. Vandersteen was a big fan of Audio Research and Audioquest used Vandersteen speakers to evaluate their wire. The Vandersteens would be too warm with your Mac gear, but B&W speakers are much more neutral and may sound just right with the Mac depending on the vintage of the Mac.
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
fwiw a friend had a 802D/MAC combo (401 and I forget the pre) and I thought the midrange was colored, too warm and the sound seemed to stick around the speaker instead of flowing out and forming a big soundstage, the high end was terrific and without character though so that part was nice.

This was in a big one room type cabin.

I am not a B&W person so I lean toward the Vandys...
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Between these two, it would be an easy choice for me; the Vandy's. YMMV, to each his own, etc..
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
sorry...keep playin' the maggies....you're so 'there' it isn't funny.
macdadtexas
1,794 posts
 
if you jump up to the Vandy Quatro or 5a (used) then you are in the same league. I think the B & W is a better speaker for rock music and in a high end home theater.

For everything else, I would choose the Vandy's they are just sublime. Also, they do rock music very well, but the phase and time coherence of them don't put the music "forward" like the big B & W's do, which gives you some huge impact on rock music.

Both are great speaker lines, I love Mac gear with B & W, always sounds stellar. I have never heard Mac gear with Vandys, but I have heard it with VTL and ARC gear where it was about as good as it gets.

good luck
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