Vandersteen-like "In-between" speakers

I love how people think you can improve so much over the 3A Signatures with more money or whatever. What are you improving on. Just because something sounds "Different" doesn't mean it is "Better." The 3A Signatures are a proven accurate speaker. You will not find a more accurate speaker at anywhere near this price period! Slam me all you want---but you want! Of course some want the colorations of something else that better suits them which is fine. No, the Vandersteen's aren't perfect but they are not going to be a speaker you will want to unload in a few months. The time aligned and phase correct design allows these speakers to invite you into the music, not have it thrown at you.
I will agree with the above poster, add a pair of Vandersteen 2Wq subs to the 3A Signatures. It will run you about $6500.
Richard Hardesty in the "Audioperfectionist Journal" described the 3A Signatures as a $8000 speaker in plain wrapping. No fancy cabinet (the main cost of high priced speakers) but with the finest internal parts available.
Here is a man that could own whatever he wanted and chose Vandersteen 3A Signatures with the 2Wq subs as his reference. Doug Blackburn uses the same system over on Soundstage. Both have stated that the Vandersteen 5's offer about a 10% improvement over this combo. The 3A Sig uses the same tweeter and midrange but the 5's drivers are "Cherry picked" from the best of the lot.
Where are you going to get a speaker that has a full frequency spectrum from 30hz-20khz + or - 1.2db, 26hz-30khz + or - 3db and is matched at 6 different frequencies within + or - 0.1db with the reference model in the lab and within 0.1 db of each other in the matched pair(as sold)? And that is just the beginning. Look at the waterfall plot, time domain and any other relevent spec. you want and then tell me these speakers aren't accurate.
But, you know, some people aren't blown away by accurate because an accurate speaker has a tendency not to impress unless you live with them a while.
One last note, I believe the new Vandersteen speaker is going to be a monitor. He has shown it at shows for a while now.

The 3 sounds closer to the 2Ce where the 3A Sigs are closer to the model 5's. They are considerably more transparent, sound stage better and seem to open up so much better. Look at the Sounstage review by Doug Blackburn. He has a pair of 3A's he compared to the 3A Sigs. The 3 would be a ways behind the 3A in my opinion. In fact, I rather have the 2Ce Signature than the 3. Blackburn's review sums up my feelings. For once, a reviewer I agree with on a lot of issues!

Vandersteen has reportedly made the statement that the Quatro is NOT the equivalent of the 3A Sigs and 2wq's. How could it be in the bottom especially? The 2wq uses 3-8" drivers, the Quatro uses 1-8" driver. No way are you going to move the same amount of air.

Vedric, according to Soundstage, the driver compliment is a 1" tweeter, 4 1/2" midrange, a 6 1/2" woofer and a 8" sub. If this is incorrect, then I stand corrected.
I spoke to a friend that was at the CES show who had talked to Richard about the system. I am repeating what he said. My friend also uses the 3A Sigs and 2wq subs as I do.
According to Richard, this speaker was just to satisfy wives who didn't like the "Sock" approach. The cost is due to the "Cabinet" approach. Even being smaller, it is more costly to produce than the 3A design. That was the beauty of the 3A Sig.---an $8000 speaker in a plain wrapper.
I suppose at some point we will find the truth. I would be very excited also if the top portion was the higher grade drivers (cherry picked). However, since the 3A signature uses the exact same tweeter and basically the same midrange out of the Model 5, I honestly don't think it will be different. The difference in the Model 5's tweeter and midrange is that the 5's drivers are "Cherry picked" from the best of the lot. The others go into the 3A Sig.

Vedric, Well, let us hope for the best. It sure would fit my room better and the pair of 2wq's is overkill. Is the woofer on the front of the speaker that Soundstage said was 6-1/2" actually an 8"? I was wondering where a 6-1/2" came from. I have not known V to use this driver before.
Guess we'll wait and see.

Thanks Zargon. Where did he put 2-8" subs as mentioned above? I honestly figured one sub in each speaker.

Thank you Zargon. I'll be looking forward to their official release. They certainly sound interesting especially the bass integration.
I listened to the model 5's in Raleigh, NC a while back driven by Musical Fidelities 308 series. The room acoustics weren't the best so it was really hard to tell anything. They sounded very similiar to the 3A Sigs + 2wq combo but with a better low end and slightly more resolution, transparency and soundstaging. Not a giant leap but better non the less. I'm sure better room acoustics would have provided better performance. There was also a room resonance that seemed to affect the transition from mid to low bass somewhat.
I also listened to them in Atlanta but they were so poorly setup you couldn't tell anything. I'd bet the bass was 10db up over the midrange. To bad dealers for the most part don't set up such fine speakers properly.
Now I'd really like to hear the 5A's!