2. amps-preamps
  3. 1284606968

mid-fi to hi-fi evolution...power questions

current:
vandy 2ce sigs in a treated room. love 'em. might add a sub.
acurus rl-11 preamp. totally under-rated. after a ken ealey massage, a giant killer at just $1k.
cal cl-10
magnum ft-101a
music hall mmf-5 & acurus p10
power has been acurus A250, then Bryston 3B-ST, currently PS Audio 200C

despite the barely mid-fi rep, i liked the acurus power amp with the vandys quite a lot actually. they are fairly inefficient (~85dB/1w/1m), 6ohm, and in a big room...they liked the big power and tamed the harsh reputation a bit.

the 3B was installed with perhaps too high expectations, and was underwhelming. underpowered? i did see the clip indicators a bit too regularly. the 4B would have been a better choice i think.

the current (25 year old!) 200C is also excellent...the best of the bunch. has the low end grunt & control of the acurus, with more refined mid/upper registers...but it's a bit long in the tooth and i worry about its longevity.

but the real truth is, i just have an itch to try something different (power, and possibly pre). budget ~$2k, maybe a touch more. i'm thinking actual (not rated) power at 8ohms of ~200wpc. that's the background...

tightwad (er, 'smart shopper') in me says 'definitely buying used'. auditioning all the varieties of used gear is impossible of course. cosmetics are not so important, but reliability is.

i have a local deal on a conrad johnson pair that is quite intriguing...very clean 17LS pre & MF2500 SS power at ~$3k. is that fair? a steal? it's a bigger fish than i though i was looking to fry, but if it's a give-away, i might bite. beyond that, it's the usual suspects...

given my fondness for the mondial (acurus) sound (really did seem to match well with the vandys), i'm thinking aragon. 8008BB @ ~$1k?

up from there, maybe a krell KSA-150? the age and the heat give me pause however. $1.5k? should i skip the KSA and move on to the FBP? that prototype FBP-200 has my eye...

the rational side of me says '4B-ST is an almost unanimously regarded amp', but given my disappointment with the 3, i'm inclined to look elsewhere, especially at $1.5k. mistake?

what else have i bookmarked? BAT VT-220? belles 150A? threshold s/500? halo a21? so many choices!

what would you add? thx...
dookie1

Showing 2 responses by rrog

rrog
1,958 posts
 
I have always known Vandersteen Model 2 speakers to be very easy to drive. Based on Vandersteen Audio specs the impedance is 7 ohms nominal with a minimum of 4 ohms. Efficiency is 86db 1 watt 1 meter. Recommended amplification is 40 to 160 watts per channel into 8 ohms.

I personally have had success driving Vandersteen Model 2 speakers with a high quality 60 watt per channel solid state amplifier. I have also had great success with two Audio Research Classic 30 amplifiers vertically biamped and combined with a Vandersteen 2W subwoofer. Richard Vandersteen used this method himself at shows.

Vandersteen speakers have been known to develope problems with various components when they are played at high volume for extended periods of time. You can test your speakers by bringing the speakers to the center of the room and placing them side by side. Set your preamp to mono and while playing pink noise rotate the balance control from left to right. Listen carefully for any differences between the two speakers. If the left speaker does not sound identical to the right speaker you may have a problem. If so, contact Vandersteen Audio.

You may want to contact Vandersteen Audio anyway regarding power amplifiers and how Vandersteen speakers can be damaged with too much power.
rrog
1,958 posts
 
Chazz, More likely to damage tweeters with too little power and damage everything else with too much. I am a long time Vandersteen fan and as I mentioned earlier and in previous posts, crossover parts are easily damaged due to over heating from too much power. The speakers will still play, but the sound will be degraded. Some models of Vandersteen speakers have LEDs that flash to warn the user of potential damage.

Dookie, Buying bigger and bigger amplifiers is not the answer with Vandersteen 2Cs whether you have cathedral ceilings or not. It could very well be the 2C is not suited for your application and you need a more efficient speaker or the speaker is already damaged.

The Vandersteen is one of those speakers that hits a brick wall and will not play any lounder regardless of power. Instead the sound becomes compressed. Adding more power will not overcome this.

Clipping your Bryston is an indication you are playing your speakers at high volume for long periods of time.

You don't have to take my advice. Call Vandersteen Audio. They know more about their speakers than anyone here.
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