Transmission line speakers!

My Vandersteen 1C’s are transmission line. The ‘port’ is a wide thin opening at the rear bottom. Now used in my bedroom system. Was laying in bed streaming last night before going to sleep, and never ceases to amaze the *quality* of bass those speakers are capable of. Are they as good as my 2CE Sigs or Treo’s in quantity of bass? No, but pretty good for what they are.

@roxy54

bkeske,

I don’t think that Vandersteen ever called any of his speakers transmission lines, and having a slot vent doesn’t make them one.

Sure they have. It’s right on their web site, and in many reviews of the 1C’s over the years as well.

From Vandersteen’s web site regarding the current 1C’s (the basic design has not changed), and also include a ‘cut-thru’ photo as well, albeit not very detailed :

The Model 1Ci’s transmission-line port extends bass response while operating much closer to the ideal than any of the more conventional ported or passive designs.

@roxy54

bkeske,

I’m not sure of how a transmission line port differs from any other port, but that is only part of what a transmission line is

And logically, it would be hard to have a transmission line port without a transmission line behind it.

I grant you, I’ve never seen a good clear cut-thru image of the ‘transmission line’ to show what your rightly question, but Richard does use that verbiage when describing the bass design of the 1’s. And that lower cabinet does exist below the 8” driver. Is Richard misusing the term? Possible, but he is a pretty smart guy, so there must be a reason he has and is still using the term. Perhaps you could contact Richard directly, I’m sure he would respond.

Or, perhaps @tomic601 could clarify as he has had wide ranging discussions with Richard over the years, and this may have been one.