Yyz, thanks for the info. Either way it sounded good. Jay, I'm in the condo's on Silver Lake in Berlin. email me. |
Very cool. congrats on the purchase and I wish you nothing but fun listening. I really do think that mid/high unit is one of the best I've heard |
I've been listening to a ton of speakers lately as I'm selling off everything and moving up. It's going to take awhile as I have a few full systems to sell before I can go forward. I've heard all the famous names as well as a ton of the newer companies. I had never heard the Legacy line, but found there was a local dealer here in CT. I hear the last versions of the Heil air mover and it was way too hot for my ears. Part of it was the amplification, but I heard the Aeris with all Classe stuff and was pretty impressed. It did most things right. I have three sets of Proacs , but have been most impressed recently by Vandy Treo's on up. The 7's are the best I've ever heard and that includes the 100,000 plus exotics I've heard. I like the Vandy 5CT better, but they are 8k more. Not sure that matters in this range, but they are substantially more. I like the Quattro CT better also as they are more musical and coherent. I think part of it was that I heard the Vandy's with both CJ, AR and Ayre electronics. I'd love to hear the Legacy's with the Ayreor AR electronics. |
dragon I'm not sure if I understand your reply. |
They are in New Haven now. Great guys. They carry Hegel, but didn't have it in stock. It was the Aeris and top line Classe. It sounded really nice, but not in the Ayre Vandy league for my ears. Not even close when you listen carefully. I listened to the Vandy's for hours and never got tired. I liked the Legacy's, but hated last years HF driver unit. Hated it. Way too much energy on top. The new one sounds really nice, but I didn't feel it integrated perfectly with the bottom end. The Focus's were paired with Rotel separates and they were nasty. I couldn't listen as my ears were bleeding. I love NAD for that range I guess. Marantz too. HATED Rotel. I used to love it, but no more, wow. I've heard them on B&W's too and hated them. I heard the Diamond B7W there and they were ok. Nothing special, especially for the price. I think you can get way more for your money with a smooth top end and everything else a speaker should do. I think the Vandy Treo/quatro and 5's blow all the Legacy's out of the water for my ear. Ayre is the most tube like from the mid's up with controlled bass that I've heard in a solid state unit.
Liking those AQ cables too. |
Thanks Dragon. Yes, my ears are sensitive to the high end. I like a relaxed natural sound. I have had proacs for years now, so staging and imaging are very important. When I heard the top line Vandy's, I got most of the staging and imaging, but it was much more musical. I just wanted to sit down and keep listening. Now that I have Ayre on my Proac Supertowers, I'm loving them. It's like a new speaker. I still want the Vandy's, but it really is amazing at how every change can make a huge difference. |
Dont' think there's a driver on the bottom. The grill is on the side as it's an open design. Kind of like Dalquest and Vandersteen. It's a great speaker. I'd love to hear them vs the Vandy Quatro carbon that are about 6k less I think. I have heard both a fair amount but with different electronics in different rooms. I have loved the Vandy's with all Ayre gear. I heard the AERIS with Classe as I stated above. They have a similar sound, but the Vandy's just get it right. I loved the piano on heard on the Vandy's better than any speaker I've listened to. |
Very cool on your new speakers. You'll really enjoy them I'm sure. They have the Aeris on the Classe equipment. It sounded really great. I just hate the top end of the new Rotel stuff. Have you been to their new place in that factory?
I made a post yesterday that didn't seem to get posted for some reason.
I'm in Berlin, CT in the town houses on Silver Lake. Where in CT are the rest of you? I was told there is a club up here, but I never heard back from them. |
Jay, info sent in an email to you. Look out for it. Cool on your speakers. I build furniture and love working with Sepelle. It's ribboning is beautiful and it gives a deep 3D kind of look. Post pics when you get them set up. |
the pair I heard didn't lack for tuneful and tight bass at all. Bass is so subjective. I hear folks talk about it all the time and let's face facts, for the most part the extra thousands we all spend 'upgrading' usually is all about the bass. I have posted that I like the Vandy's much better and it's due to their bass. They just get it. They are also a bit more coherent and all drivers meld better I feel. that takes NOTHING away from the Legacy's though. I do wish I had more time with them. What I really would like to hear is their 6k speakers vs the Treo's. I really was impressed by that mid/high unit and would love to see how they make it work with their less expensive speakers They are the only ones I have found musical in the way the Vandy's are. If I had heard the Legacy's when I originally called Audio Etc, I never would have driven down to NJ to meet John at Audio Connection listened to the Vandy's. It's ironic as I will now spend well over 10k to upgrade my complete system when the local guys could have had all my business if they had just answered a message I left them asking them their hours since they weren't open the couple of times I stopped by when they were supposed to be open. I was going to give them one more try after I finally got in to listen, but they didn't have the Hegel integrateds/DAC's as they were on order. I gave them all my contact info after a great conversation and they said they'd call me once the Hegel's came in. That was a long time ago and I'm not going to hold my breath waiting. I already got an Ayre integrated and am headed down next week to get a DAC from John along with new AQ cables. John has gone out of his way, while the local guys are just nice guys who obviously don't have any desire to earn my business.
Sorry to drone on, but it pisses me off big time. The fortune really is in the follow up. |
Follw up. I spoke with John at Audio Connection yesterday and when I got off the phone, I had ordered the Music Hall 25.3 DAC and a high end balanced cable that costs much much more than the DAC itself since it will make THAT much difference. I've now spent around 4k since my last and only visit to the local shops. I trust John implicitly and I was a 'free agent' who would have spent that 4k plus locally if they had just asked some questions and followed up. I spent an afternoon in Florence MA at Spirit too (I've gotten many items here over the years and sent lot's of friends there for systems too), but the guy never made me feel totally comfortable. I think too many dealers treat people like they are tire kickers, when in fact many of us aren't. Stop judging the book by it's cover as I am disabled and I never dress up and don't always shave. If they watch me park the car, it's a BMW 5 series. I really can afford to purchase mid level high end equipment if I chose to. I now know why so many shops are having a hard time keeping the doors open. One good vender told me that it's too late for him to do anything else, so he just keeps the shop open and hopes to make a living. He was the dealer who told me I HAD to get an integrated that had HDMI or I wouldn't be able to use it in my 2.0 system without lip sync issues. I didn't want to purchase the NAD 3900 all in one digital integrated/DAC. I didn't love how it sounded and he only let me hear it with Paradigm Sig 2's. Funny as he had Focal's and that's what they let me hear the NAD stuff with at Spearit Audio and it sounded much better. They also had the NAD Dac, which I really liked and I realized that it had the HDMI option. I just didn't like the Focal's, lol.
That's when I expanded my search to include Audio Connection. I had originally told everyone that my budget was 3k or so on speakers and about 3k for a DAC and integrated. John stayed in those parameters, however I asked to hear Vandy's as he was so excited about them. All of a sudden my budget went from 6k to me selling off all my audio gear to get the 6k Vandy Treo's, the Ayre AX-7, The Music Hall DAC and top of the line Audioquest cables. Funny how that worked out. I don't mean to drone on, but I really like this site and all of you posters. How many of you have gone down this same road in the past (or currently)? When I find a dealer I trust and respect I will do everything to steer business their way. I've always been THAT guy and this is no different. I get nothing in return, but have learned that when someone is bad the word gets out quickly, but when folks do things the right way, most folks forget to share.
I'm sharing, lol. If you are looking for anything, you may want to hit up John as he has a ton of pre owned stuff too. I'm even letting him sell all my gear as I think folks would rather buy via credit card and from a real brick and mortar dealer where they have recourse if they don't like it. Hope others feel similarly. I've taken this thread all over the place, sorry, lol. |
Aeris and Vandy 5ct are the best under 30k speakers I've heard and that's with various amps/cables. As for Stereo Shop, I've done business with Nic over the years, but mostly with his dad when he owned it. They are family with Gordon Gow of Tributaries and formerly of Mac. I've had various experiences there. Some good and some not so good. I know of some poor business practices with them, so I won't spend money there, plus I don't love B&W ;)....and Mac doesn't do it for me either. But that's just me. Glad you had a good experience though as that's what it's all about. The Audio Store in Newington on the Berlin Tpk is a great place to get stuff. I've done business with them over the years too and I like how they are. Good guys just trying to make a living. They have a nice blend of quality stuff and don't try to over sell you. I like Bernie there a lot. I still go all the way to NJ to do business with John at Audio Connection for so many reasons. He just LOVES the music and it comes out. That's when I have fun, when the owner comes in to listen WITH you and just keeps putting music on. Not selling product, as it sells itself. JMHO |
Like I said, the Legacy was my second choice, but to ME, I didn't like it as much as I like the Vandy at a similar or less price point. I won't do the DSP thing right now. I hated the last gen driver the Legacy used. I heard it set up at a dealer in a couple of their speakers and it made my ears bleed. The set up was the way the dealer wanted it be shown as they are trying to sell it. The new one sounded great, but that's just me I guess. I was always about cables just sending the music along with way ti's recorded and getting components that don't need taming. IT's just the way I was brought up in audio. I also was taught not to spend too much money on tweeks as I could probably guy the next step up and get more for my money. The thing that pushed the Vandy over the Legacy was how natural the Vandy presentation has become in their new speakers. I'm blown away at how great they do all music and how easy they are to drive overall.
Again, not taking anything away from the NEW Legacy's, but I'm talking about them vs the Treo's.....The Whispers are 18k or so aren't they? You're into the Quattro or even Vandy 5A money and at that point, you've got one heck of a battle on your hands. I'd love to hear them side by side set up properly. That would be an interesting battle for sure. |
Zephyr, where do you live? Who's' your local dealer? |
