New Speaker Conundrum - Vandy's, Spendors, Salk, Ascend - Mainstream or ID

awesome stuff.  So glad you are all loving your music.

@ctsooner - apols haven’t been on this thread for a bit but your choice with words is spot on - scaling. My brother was over - moonlights as a musician otherwise a partner at McKinsey - keep teasing him about that - but he was bowled over - good enough for me :).

HEy guys, thanks.  Life is great. lol...;).  I get to listen to awesome audio and that's all that matters.  

I was thinking about what tech goes into my Quatro's.  I have heard a few speakers in the under 40k range recently and was left lacking. Brand names that we all toss around daily on AG and others.    I started to realize that there are a few speaker that get me emotionally involved.  

The two that stand out from top to bottom are Vandersteen's and Harbeth's.  I looked into the drivers that Vandy uses and am amazed.  Folks never talk about his cabinet inside a cabinet designs, but it's there.  I have handmade carbon fiber cones.  I have yet to hear a tweeter sound as realistic and enjoyable as these drivers.  

Some speaker lines that go up to 750k are still using paper cones that break up something fierce on anything. You just can't have coherent sound when the driver is breaking up and out of phase. 

Yes, I'm a Vandersteen fan, but I love good music.  Harbeth isn't the only one that makes a really nice speaker, but it's one that I think gets it right and isn't worried about talking about aluminum cabinets or special polymers or whatever.  You can make a great speaker using some of those things, but you can also keep to basics to make a nice enjoyable speaker.  

That all said, I notice my Quatro's scaling with better anything and many others not being able to.  If I was looking for speakers again in my range of 15k, I'd still go with Quatro's.  

@OP, 
Congrats, and enjoy. Heck, join the club.
I hope to see Pete soon and help him with some marble plinths.
Bob

Pete is a Saint and a true warrior, hope he is doing better.

glad you are enjoying the system - there is a lot of synergy and power amps can shine being free of the demands of powered bass. 
Enjoy the music !!!!!!! And the Nightbird set him FREE

@ctsooner hope you are doing better mate - you, @tomic601 and @gdnrbob got me onto the Quatros.

So it has been over a couple of months with the Quatro CTs and all I can say is I just brought my hearing experience at Audio Connection to my living room - it is all that and much more.

I do have to say equal credit goes to the Rogue Audio RP-7/M-180s which power them.

Late to the party.  Been down hard with the MS stuff.  

Bob bought my Treo's. I still LOVE them.  They are a special speaker to say the least for many reasons. I moved to the Quatro's and won't look back.  I have heard most of the speakers in this thread and was a 20 year Proac guy and loved them.  

I heard the Harbeth's a few months ago and enjoyed them, but they lacked the dynamics that the Vandy's have.  To my ears, the Vandy's are making the best compromise in speakers right now.  They aren't trying to be anything other than being musical.  

@photomax you got it! Advanced in Tacoma is owned by Definitive but carries some different gear - notably for me Vandersteen. You definitely owe yourself a visit and Eric at GHA always has something interesting cooking, anyway have fun and enjoy your search!

^^ I did get to listen to the Spendor D7s, some active ATCs and a pair of Audio Physics at Hawthorne. The Spendors sounded awesome.

Across the street at a Definitive Audio you can check out B&W, Linn, Sonas Fabers and really expensive Wilson’s...

@tomic601 .
Wow, that sounds like a great plan.
Bob

@photomax try Hawthorne Stereo in Univ District, then  make a day of it by visiting Advanced audio in Tacoma, then Gig Harbor Audio  in GH, get a cold beverage and Halibut burger at Tides Tavern

Spendors, ATC, ProAcs - quite a few solid British brands - 

I am in Seattle. I read about several British speakers that sound intriguing but there is no place to listen to them. The Kudos Titan line for example...

I keep hearing the splendors come up in conversation - only heard good things about them however haven’t heard them in person. 

I had a dealer audition with Spendor D7s via a high end Naim system the other day. Very impressive...

Thanks Soix. Just got the Quatros installed. Happy to take you up on the meet option though :).

Since you’re in the NYC area and if you have the time I’d highly recommend going to hear the new Joseph Audio Perspective 2 and the Boenicke W11 (both have dealers in Manhattan I believe). Just for some added, er, perspective if nothing else. Hell I’d even meet you there if you want as I’d like to hear both of them too!  In any event, I think hearing these speakers would be well worth your while, and best of luck in your search.

Sounds like a plan Jim. And 100% agree re: offloading sub 120Hz - talks to a well thought out design.

I think I will give this a couple of months to settle in then will work with JohnnyR on the cable swaps (ICs and speakers).

Spent last evening listening to Ana Popovic, Heather Gillis, Southern Ave and Joanne Shaw Taylor - wow!

11 bands of analog EQ below 120 hz and freeing up your amp from heavy lifting is not something ya get when changing brands, but I certainly understand the need for experiencing something different - fun

that single malt is sounding great !!! Thanks for the invite and of course a reciprocal offer should you find yourself on the left coast!!! 

Thanks Bob. You were able to articulate it better than I was - it is refinement which persists even if you crank up the volume. Separate across high range and low range frequencies - it is like more of the same imaging but just louder - it does not smear (if that is an audio term :)). Just relentless unfatiguing listening - could not ask for more.

@OP, 

I was speaking with another Audiogon member who is contemplating the DIs and I really do not want him to be swayed by my comments.

I completely get what you are saying. But, when it comes down to it, I think letting the other member read what you wrote about the Vandy's  would be helpful to them as well.

Pls don’t get me wrong Tektons were phenomenal but Quatros are (completely personal opinion) in a different league.

I think what you wrote captured the essence of what make the Vandy's so beloved.
I tried Zu speakers for a while, thinking full range drivers might be the way to go, but in the end, Vandy speakers offer a subtle, but noticeable refinement that the Zu's aren't able to reproduce.

Good move in considering new cables. I know Johnny will get you set in the right direction.
Bob 

cptkaos, thank you for the kind words. The differences you are hearing could be realized to a lesser degree with any of the other optional speakers you were ogling. Even between dynamic speakers there can be surprising differences in performance parameters. The gap does get much larger, typically, between genres of speakers such as panel, horn, etc. 

I am very blessed to be able to hear the variety of gear that I do. There is 25+ years of background, consistent effort and money budgeted annually to achieve my goals. 

PS. @douglas_schroeder  - I wanted to add that I am uber jealous that you are able to experience amazing gear on a daily basis :).

@douglas_schroeder 
I was speaking with another Audiogon member who is contemplating the DIs and I really do not want him to be swayed by my comments. To your point - having a new experience - swayed me completely. And I do not have anything negative to say about DIs - they are good. The key thing for me was whether the improved listening experience (multiple times) at Audioconnection and the Quatros would translate over when I bring them in home and they did and queued me to what I was missing (as you said completely different designs).

The best way I can capture this (please forgive my ignorance as I am barely an amateur in this hobby) is that the DI makes for a great presentation for short duration listening sessions. It could get quite trying (for me personally) if I listen for an extended period of time. Caveat being the experience could be completely opposite for somebody else.

We are lucky to have the options in this hobby :) with new radical designs out all the time.

cptkaos, congrats on the nice new speakers! I have not been following the thread, but saw your comment, "It is setup just the way I like it and I cannot believe what I was missing from the Tekton DIs. Pls don’t get me wrong Tektons were phenomenal but Quatros are (completely personal opinion) in a different league. "

Most persons who do not have a straight up comparison between two speakers of such radically different design/technology do not have the capacity to understand how they differ so much sonically. One speaker can sound oh, so precise - until you hear a different design such as the Vandy in direct comparison.

I had a similar experience in a brief time frame at AXPONA, hearing first the Tekton monitor, then the Ryan bookshelf, speaker in the span of about half an hour, one after the other. The differences in characteristics were striking, and I much preferred the precision of the Ryan monitor. Apart from a direct (or temporally brief span) comparison one really has no clue as to how precise a speaker is.

I have such experiences regularly, as I work with quasi-line source arrays, etc. and dynamic speakers, and the differences in detail, dimension, scale, tonality, and perceived "perfection" of various attributes are stunningly different between them. Even differences between traditional dynamic speakers having BMT versus full range hybrids can be striking. It’s a ludicrous statement when someone declares that a particular speaker is "better" in a blanket sense without discussion of the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the design, and without any room for a "YMMV". :)

It’s also fun to see people’s opinions shift quickly upon having new experiences. Funny how something that was "all that" suddenly becomes qualified.

Jim,

Yup - Nightbird - I have it on digital, CD and looking to get a Vinyl pressing as well.

I am going to let it settle in and work with JohnnyR on a good IC/Speaker cables combination.

Whenever you are in town - let me know - would love to have you over for a listening session - good bourbon, single malts and beer :).

OP was chatting w Johnny and he shared how happy you are ;-) Fun !!!! enjoy the music. They will just keep getting better and better. Do you have nightbird by Eva ? It’s fantastic.
great system you have.
best

Jim

JohnnyR and Samir were over from Audioconnection to install the Quatro Wood CTs. One word MINDBLOWN!!!!

It is setup just the way I like it and I cannot believe what I was missing from the Tekton DIs. Pls don’t get me wrong Tektons were phenomenal but Quatros are (completely personal opinion) in a different league. Could just be my taste in music - listening to Eva Cassidy as we speak - mesmerizing, immersive and non-fatiguing.

I could see myself listening all night. Thanks to all who helped me down this journey.

Heh - more a take on the alter ego mechanic from the cannonball run :)

Is cptkaos an acronym for cupcakes? :-)

At first, I thought it was a Core Power Technology reference, but now I think it is a reference to Butters' superhero on South Park.
B

Is cptkaos an acronym for cupcakes? :-)

Thanks @mr_m. Cannot wait. I am going to say it again - this thread has been super helpful to me.

Congrats cptkais on staying with the Vandersteen fold. Lots of good audiophiles with this group.

@cptkais I understand that.  If you are near northern NJ let me know and I can show you a few preamps and amps that will work with the Vandersteens.  It will amaze you how different each sounds but they all provide an amazing sound.  Happy Listening.

Thanks @bigkidz - I was thinking about that option but just fell in love with the CT in the Quatros.

I think before we all get sidetracked with a pissing match between dealers, perhaps we can agree that both are competent and that in the OP case he has a very long running happy relationship with Johnny at Audio Connection.

@kuppe38 - apologies I meant John Rutan of Audio Connection in Verona, NJ.

Hi gbnrbob,

I do not know many audio salons here in the greater NYC. You praise "Johnny" who I do not know. In what respect is he better than the Audio Doctor? Please elaborate! What product lines does he represent? Where is he located?

Thanks!

@OP, 
Congrats on a great choice.
B

Enjoy your new speakers.

@cptkaos   where are you located, in NJ?  I can invite you to come over to listen to my Vandersteen 5As.  IMO I would buy a good pair of Vandersteen 5As used in the $6K range and you won't have to use any subs, etc.  Just a good power amp and source and you will be very happy.

Happy Listening.

Thanks @kuppe38. Johnny has been through pretty much all my hifi journey so far except for the tektons- so made a lot of sense to me to have him help me out. Not saying audiodoctor is not awesome but the amount of times Johnny has been over to my place to adjust my setup and just plain listening - made a huge diff to me. But you do have a point re:A/B comparison.

Audiodoctor compared to Johnny?
Sorry, No comparison.

Bob

Hi cptkaos,

For future auditions you might want to consider the "audiodoctor" in Jersey City, NJ,  as he has a good selection of speakers in his showroom for A/B comparison. Lots of speakers for every wallet! 

Glad you found something so fast!

@ebm :) - all set - put in the order yesterday.

Wow what a problem.Make a choice already!!

Thank you so much @revrob 

@tomic601 - I am going with basic black to match with the rest of my gear and the rest of the room. Thanks again.

Ya man ! Good for you
johnny r will set them up right and teach you how to do it, bend the bass to the room :-)
and yes audiogon full of passionate and music loving audiophiles 

what wood?????