Roland,
Sorry to hear that you've had shipping problems but if you like the Dunlavy, I wouldn't give up because of shipping problems. Obviously I'm biased as I have a pair of Alethas, an SM-I and a pair of SCI-AVs. The Alethas ship in crates, not cardboard so I'd imagine the bigger SC series do as well. I would have thought they could handle the shipping.
I also own a pair of Vandersteen 2C's. In fact, the Alethas replaced the 2C's in my house (the Vandersteens have been relegated to my lake home). To me, the Aletha's were a huge step up from the 2C's. Before I bought the Alethas, I auditioned the Vandersteen Model 3. In my opinion, the Model 3 is better than the Model 2 but was no match for the Aletha. I felt the Aletha imaged much better than the Vandersteen and conveyed a better sense of dynamics. (I can understand Ejlif's comments about the AvanteGarde as nothing compares to the dynamics of a horn.) I did get to hear the Model 5 but I would be surprised if it sounded much better than the Model 3 in the mids/highs, as I believe the Model 5 is basically the same as the Model 3 but augmented with the built-in subwoofer.
I don't know where you live but there are a fair number of Dunlavy speakers being shopped around. If you're looking at the SC-V, they are massive and will cost a bundle to ship. If it were me and I really wanted the Dunlavy, I'd look to find a pair within a day's driving distance and pick them up myself. It may cost a few dollars more than straight shipping, but that's incremental when compared to the cost of the speakers. (There's 2 pair for sale here on the 'Gon right now; one in Colorado the other in Georgia.)
I'm not knocking Vandersteen. I have tremendous respect for Vandersteen, their cost/performance, and like I said I'm an owner of them. In fact, I'm toying with selling my Velodyne sub in favor of a pair of Vandersteen 2wQ subs. (My wife doesn't like the black Velodyne, so I'm thinking I have a window of opportunity here!) Good luck whatever you decide.
Best regards,
Dave
Sorry to hear that you've had shipping problems but if you like the Dunlavy, I wouldn't give up because of shipping problems. Obviously I'm biased as I have a pair of Alethas, an SM-I and a pair of SCI-AVs. The Alethas ship in crates, not cardboard so I'd imagine the bigger SC series do as well. I would have thought they could handle the shipping.
I also own a pair of Vandersteen 2C's. In fact, the Alethas replaced the 2C's in my house (the Vandersteens have been relegated to my lake home). To me, the Aletha's were a huge step up from the 2C's. Before I bought the Alethas, I auditioned the Vandersteen Model 3. In my opinion, the Model 3 is better than the Model 2 but was no match for the Aletha. I felt the Aletha imaged much better than the Vandersteen and conveyed a better sense of dynamics. (I can understand Ejlif's comments about the AvanteGarde as nothing compares to the dynamics of a horn.) I did get to hear the Model 5 but I would be surprised if it sounded much better than the Model 3 in the mids/highs, as I believe the Model 5 is basically the same as the Model 3 but augmented with the built-in subwoofer.
I don't know where you live but there are a fair number of Dunlavy speakers being shopped around. If you're looking at the SC-V, they are massive and will cost a bundle to ship. If it were me and I really wanted the Dunlavy, I'd look to find a pair within a day's driving distance and pick them up myself. It may cost a few dollars more than straight shipping, but that's incremental when compared to the cost of the speakers. (There's 2 pair for sale here on the 'Gon right now; one in Colorado the other in Georgia.)
I'm not knocking Vandersteen. I have tremendous respect for Vandersteen, their cost/performance, and like I said I'm an owner of them. In fact, I'm toying with selling my Velodyne sub in favor of a pair of Vandersteen 2wQ subs. (My wife doesn't like the black Velodyne, so I'm thinking I have a window of opportunity here!) Good luck whatever you decide.
Best regards,
Dave