Mine are just about two weeks old and are still breaking in but already I am very pleased with them.
They just replaced a pair of Merlin TMMX, and a pair of Tannoy Ardens, and I don't feel that I made the wrong decision.
I have been an electrostat fan for years, having owned the Acoustat 3, Quad 63,stacked Quad 57's, Martin Logan Sequel, and 2 pair of Martin Logan CLS11z.
Other cone speakers that I have owned were Mirage M3si,Rogers LS3/5a,Mission 770, Meadowlark Heron i,original VR4.
I really do believe the Grand Veena has all of the previously mentioned speakers virtues and none of their flaws.
I use an Audio Valve Eclipse pre amp and Red Dragon Leviathan mono blocks, and the matchup with the speakers is very good.
I need better speaker wires and need some input please.
Final thought,get to a dealer and have a listen to his best most expensive speakers,then have a listen to the Grand Veena. |
FLA the stacked Quads did somethings very well,but other things not so well.
They were a system that drew you into the music.
I had different amplification then(Atmasphere MP3, S30)so I can't compare .
What I can say is that in the same room where so many speakers have held court, the GV aren't just contenders.
They have more virtues than faults, and they aren't yet broken in.I need another 100 or so hours.
A similarity to the stacked 57, is in coherence,and mid range clarity.
Detail, but not harsh or sharply edged.
No sign of strain,just effortless sound as did the Quads sound on most light jazz and folk, rock.
Vocals are spotlit ,much like I remeber the Quads did.
If anything, the GV ,with some music sounds very similar to a good stat, and I have had plenty of those.
I have never liked multi driver coned systems, when I tried them,I eventually let go of the increased dydnamics, infavour if the wholeness of a good panel speaker.
The GV get very close to that panel sound,and then go a bit further in other areas that count.
I am very pleased,because I know I could not afford the speakers that deliver similar sound. |
Still waiting for the magic moment when my GV break in.
I have done some experimenting with speaker wires and so far the speakers are very revealing of differences.
I experimented with placement and have been quite satisfied with a wider separation and radical toe in so that the image is well in front of the listening seat.
I also have them 5 feet out from the wall and I sit 14 feet away.
I have found this sounds better than close spacing and minor toe in as reccommended by manufacturer.
The image is stable, tight and well focused and the room is taken out of the equation somewhat. |
I would like to know how to distinguish between the newest improved version and the original ones.
Do the serial numbers give a clue? |
I believe the screws are brass, painted black on tweeter and mid.Super tweeter is brass, woofers aren't painted,so they appear to be reg non brass screws.Also different screw heads.
The speakers have spikes,and they are black/grey,I can't tell if they are brass, but they don't seem like cones.No floor pads.
The speakers came with Cardas solid copper jumpers,not wires.
The binding posts are 5 way, with clear plastic I can't tell what they are made of.
Maybe I should check out the internal wiring and see what is inside.
I believe the improved wiring sheath is supposed to be clear?
I seem to have 6 of one and half dozen of the other |
Thanks for the help.
The descriptions of what's new and not are most welcomed.
My only concern is that I ordered the latest improved model yet some of the descriptors don't match what I received.
The screws to the mid and tweeter do look to be painted , a bit of brass shine in spots.So if the screws are brass, then it's the new model?
However,the speaker was supplied with spikes not cones and it came with Cardas solid copper strip jumpers two per speaker.Not copper wire jumpers.
So I guess I am left with the chore of taking the rear panel off and examining the wiring. |
They do, but Ipaid this years money I want this years speaker.
If it is old stock it , it should be priced accordingly. |
I have been reassured that any GV speakers built after May 2009 are the latest revised units.
I would be 100% reassured if there was a date of manufacture somewhere on the speakers.
Anyone with the latest version that would like to chat PM me. |
The Grand Veena,reminds me of a few electrostats that I have owned.
The speakers are revealing of tweaks and mods elsewhere in the chain, yet they aren't fatiguing or hyper detailed.
They don't thump like some cone speakers do, but they do go deep.Perhaps it's a speed thing.I find the GV speakers to be fast, but still warm.
Proper room placement is a must.
I have mine set up in my room in a diagonal configuration, and this works to make a small room less of an influence.
In fact I like the sound in the small, sound treated room better than in the large untreated room.
They also sound very good with the 2 watt DecWare ZenSelect.
They lack for nothing paired with this amp. |
The only direct comparison that I've had with the Grand Veenas were the Vandersteen model 5 speakers at the same dealers.
The grand Veenas shared some characteristics with the big Vandie, and truth be told, if money wasn't a factor I would have gone with the Vandy 5.
But for a lot less money, it wasn't that much of a let down.
At least the differences are ones that I can live with.
I think the GV for the price ,performs close to speakers that cost more.It gives you a feel for what those costly speakers can do.
I've owned lots of stats, so I've a preference for speakers that sound like good electrostats, which is fast and free of boxy colourations.
For me the Grand Veena comes close to electrostat speed and clarity.
If I ever feel the need for more bass I'll just use my Depth sub. |
Here's the amps I've auditioned with my Grand Veenas-
Mac 275,Pass Aleph3, AtmaSphere S30, Bell 2418 18 watt tube integrated from 1961,,Grant Lumley tube integrated,Art Audio Carissa,Red DragonnLeviathan signature mono blocks.
All these amps worked well on the speakers.
I chose the DecWare,because for me it had less of a sonic signature than the other amps did.
I have found in my room(21, x 11 x 8)that setting the speakers up on the diagonal works best.
I don't toe them in , and they are about 98 inches from my listening chair and the speakers have 52 inches between them at the moment.
Perhaps not ideal, but it works for me.
I also replaced the spikes with BDR cones,and my room has a mix of absorption panels and some live surfaces.
The Grand Veenas are no different than any other speaker that sounds good just about where ever you place it.
The difference is that they can sound much better than most speakers, when you take the time to place them correctly.
And they can be driven more than adequately with the 2 watt DecWare ZenSelect, the amp I chose over all the others that I tried.
There is no lack for anything with this combination of amp and speaker, in my room. |
Yes, indeed a few years ago when I was using 1000 watts on the speakers I too would have had my doubts about what a single 2 watt amp could do.
I also read about the synergy og the Grand Veena with tubes, so that's why I set out to listen to as mant different kinds of tube amps, and one good class A solid state amp, just to shake things up a bit.
The DecWare came with a 30 day trial offer.
I was just looking for a tube amp for the winter months.
The DecWare met and surpassed all my expectations of the sound I was looking for.
There is a certain rightness in a SET design that I find pleasing to my ears.
Now as far as gain goes.
The amp has a volume control, but because I run the Steelhead using it's variable volume control knob, I run the amp at near max or unity gain.
The DecWare give you the choice to run with or without a pre amp, and sounds great either way.
Using the Steelhead to also control my cd player is a bonus.Two inputs compared to the DecWare's one at a time set up.
Just lazy, but I feel it's a pain in the but to wait for the wires to settle after they been unplugged.
Now the volume on the Steelhead is at 12 o'clock, or mid way.
The gain is at the lowest setting of 55.
In my room I don't need it any louder, and the sound level is the same as when I was using(or underusing) the 1000 watts of the draggons.
In other words the lack of wattage does not mean there is a lack of volume.
Or tone, or bass.
All I could say that is lacking is that I can't tell you what type of tube I am listening to.The el 84 derivatives, really don't have any tube sonic that I can put my finger at and say "that is the sound of a 300B".
The grand Veenas will let you know what tubes you are using to drive them with.
They do not make all amps sound the same.
But in the same breath they don't seem to be a finicky speaker that need mega watts of hot and nasty to make them sing.
To sum up, I liked the sound of the DecWare so much, I didn't send it back, it became my main all season amp. |
