Met Richard Vandersteen today

Wow I wish I would have know he was in NC :-(. What five speakers are time aligned?

I have met Mr. Vandersteen many years ago, a straight shooter and a gentleman. How ever I do believe there are more than 5 time aligned speakers.

Richard was a truck driver prior to becoming a full time audio designer / manufacturer. As such, his working class background and "average joe" approach to conversation is still quite evident. Too many folks forget their roots and leave the "little people" behind when they hit it big. What Richard lacks in "finesse" he more than makes up for in character and honesty.

As to the 5 time aligned speakers, doesn't Richard have five different full range models in his product line ??? : ) Sean
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Richard Vandersteen makes wonderful speakers. You were lucky to have this opportunity.

To the list, I would add ACI/Dzurko, Eggleston, Legend, Meadowlark, Sequerra, and Wilson. Several Acarian, B & W, JMlabs, and Tannoy models are also time aligned. The Joseph Pearls are. The Sony ES SS line is. Myriad European mini monitors are time aligned.

In the past, are my Coincident Digital Masters(one reason they are no longer in production being it costs more/takes more time to produce a cabinet). Also in the past were some Frieds, Iris, JSE, and Near.

I am sure I can come up with more, but off the top of my head...

The Wilsons, Egglestons, and most listed above are not time
aligned. Pretty sure the JM Labs are not either.
RV is probably correct, although he would argue
than time alignment is a necessary but not sufficient condition to good sound. My guesses are Dunlavy, Quad,
Thiel, Vandersteen, and ?

Thanks to all who replied. As to the answers Richard gave: Spica, Meadowlark Audio, Dunlavy,Thiel, and I think he mentioned Quad. He also said of the Spica that it is the TC-50 not the 60 that is time aligned. Truly a nice afternoon.

Meadowlark,Spica,any cross-overless single driver design(?).

You are correct, skull, JMLabs speakers are not time aligned.

If DCM out of Michigan is still in business they had time aligned speakers. "Time Windows"

I'm not sure about this but I believe the "Time Windows" had "stepped" driver arrangement, but not the appropriate crossovers to be truly time aligned.

Let's not forget the speaker that started it all, the Dahlquist DQ-10. Don

Again, I'm not sure about his but I believe the "Dahlquist"
had a "stepped" driver arrangement, but not the appropriate cross-overs to be truely time aligned. How about panels, such as Yankee and Martin Logan CL?

Actually I believe Vandersteen spkrs are the only time aligned without baffles. I mentioned the Meadowlark spkrs at the question and answer session and was told they were similar but had the baffle. I think the time aligned procedure has something to do with the sloping of drivers. In the case of the Meadowlarks the baffles are designed this way. The design of the Vandersteens without the baffle is what makes them so transparent. Of course these are my thoughts and opinions. I'm sure his web page will clarify any mistakes I have made.

I don't believe the frames of the Quads are that much bigger than the posts used to support the grilles on the Vandersteens, as such they might be able to make the same claim. Not that it really matters, but if want want the right answers, you need to ask the right questions.

Green Mountain Audio Speakers are also time aligned. Their designed Roy (last name escapes me) is also very clear about the fact that there are FEW truly time-aligned speakers. In conversation he mentioned Spica, Vandersteen and Thiel although I'm sure there are others and certainly more than five.

Just ran across your posting; Interesting. Glad you enjoyed meeting Richard. I am the shop owner where you met him. I have no idea who you are. Most everyone at the meeting was there by invitation except for a few who saw the notice in Stereophile or on the Vandersteen website.

I wish we had had more time to listen. I had a number of different amps warmed up but due to the large turnout and having to split the group into two sessions, there just wasn't time to do much listening.

Come back and visit sometime.

RT - Taylor House

A year ago ,when I knew literally nothing about high-end audio but had listened to Vandersteen speakers and was floored by their sound , I called his company to ask a few questions. To my amazement ,Vandersteen himself answered the phone and proceded to patiently explain without any attitude why I'd be wasting my time and money buying 15 year old V. speakers. The next day I went out and plunked down $1812.(w.CAL sales tax) for Model2 Signatures and my audiophile journey had begun.A very straight shootin' guy with a voice like Jim Backus.

Vandersteen speakers are TIME AND PHASE Coherent. There are dozens of speakers that are time aligned, and can be found at all price points.
There are only 5 widely available transducers that are time and phase coherent: Von Schweikert, Meadowlark, Dunlavy, Vandersteen, Thiel.
If you are spending alot of doe ray mee, you deserve to audition one of the above. You will buy them, and only replace them to acquire the next level up from one of the above brilliant engineer/designers.
You owe it to yourself, and your hobby, to get further info. on Richard Hardesty's audioperfectionist,com

I recently attended a seminar from Meadowlark designer Pat McGinty, and he says that the sloped baffle isn't all that maintains time-alignment. The slope is to keep the sound-originating (ok, so I can't recall his exact words) points of each driver on the same plane, so they're equi-distant from the listener's ears.
From my understanding, the simplicity of the 1st-order crossover is the major contributor to the time alignment. For more info, check meadowlarkaudio.com

Don't forget the Dahlquist DQ-10 - 1973(or was it '78?) & Jon Dahlquist comes up with a 5 way dynamic speaker. And it worked quite well, too.

The Spica TC-50's were time and phase aligned, if I remember correctly.