Hi, I currently have the spendor and have come across a pair of the Vandersteens locally, they are mint and I think a good deal at 1200.00 I don't really want to put the guy through the hassles of packing them up and trying them in my room, but I just may. I am hoping that some of you have tried these great speakers and can magically tell me which one I would like best. As that may be hard, I would settle for which ones you liked best. I have a sub with the Spendors and don't feel I am missing any bass, but sometimes I think they could be a bit more detailed? Any impressions or comparisons would be greatly appreciated.
Tvad is correct, I tried both taps and prefered the 8ohm taps for the stated reasons. Mike I was constantly moving my 3's around. Three feet from back wall no toe in, toe in, 4-7' w/no toe in then toe in, very tweaky speakers like you stated. Fun for awhile then I put them in one place and left them for my sanity and so I could "just" listen to music!!!! You'll learn a ton with Vandies, have you played with the rake yet? The set up manual is just a starting place so you have a feel for RV's recommendations!!!
Damn, I just lost my post. Quick update. Tried them out and like them, I almost gave up and packed them back up, but after I tossed the set-up manual and toed them in lots, they sound great, I think better in almost every way, no complaints yet, but I told him I would decide by tomorrow. Thanks for all the help, and thanks John for the Spendors, they are great speakers. I may hold on to them for a while if I can. One last question, my amplifier has 1,2,4,and 8 ohm taps. The speakers are 6 ohm. Should I hook them up to 4 or 8?
I tried one sub with the 3A Sigs it wasn't as good as the 3A Sigs alone! Go on the Vandersteen website and download the set up instructions then use homemade shims to adjust the rake of the speakers for temporary set up.
I would also suggest when you install the Vandersteens you read the manual get the tilt back correct and remove the sub out of the room as it will act as a sponge on the music. Cheers JohnnyR
Hey Guys, the room is 25 x 18 with 20ft peak ceilings. The couch is just in the middle of the room with lots of other crap. As far as the Jolida goes, old pictures, went to Cary and now maybe a mc2500, not sure. I found out they are not the signature model, oh well. I am going to pick them up tomorrow morning and try them out for a few days, I think it should be a pretty quick decision though, I am hoping the differences will be obvious. Not having as much luck with the sub intergration with the mac. Although the with the extra power of the Mcintosh, I don't feel as much need for one. Cool.
After posting, I looked up your system and noted you have a Jolida integrated amp. Just to let you know, the Vandy's do like plenty of power (either tubes or SS). If your room is small, the Jolida MAY be just enough (depending on your listening habits and music choice) but I think more juice would be even better.
I am in a unique position in that I changed from Spendor SP-1/2E's to Vandy 3A Sigs a couple of years ago. It was a very positive change. The Spendor's have wonderful midrange and highs (as do the Vandy's) but I was not happy with the low end. I listen to lots of large orchestral music and the Spendor's just were to reticent in the bottom octave. I never could get a subwoofer to integrate properly so I made the move to the 3A Sigs and don't regret it for one second. The 3A's have the low end that the Spendor's lack coupled with an excllent, natural sounding mids and highs. The flexibility of having adjustment pots for the mids and highs on the Vandy's allows one to really dial in the right sound for one's room. Contrary to Jaybo's opinion, I do not miss the Spendors.
BTW, The Sigs have Richard Vandersteen's signature on the back plate.
Thanks for the replies, I think I am just going to have to get the guy to bring them over for a while. How do I tell if they are the 3a or the 3a signature? Do they look the same?
Vandersteen 3As are a great speaker and they reproduce whats in front of them. It should be another level from what you have now. the SP 100 is more of a comparison with the Vandy 3A Cheers John
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