Vandersteen Mod 5 vs Coincident Tech Total Eclipse

I have owned the Vandy Fives for over 3 years and agree with all of the above comments. They work great in my 14.5x22x11 sound-room, I would not want to go much smaller, and I have done a lot of experimentation with accoustic room treatment. I power them with Rowland Model Twelves. Tried the Model 10, but it lacked a certain degree of control over the 8' woofer, so the above comments regarding power seem right on.

I would not trade the Fives for anything. I don't ever bother to listen to other speakers. Assuming that you are willing to mate them with a quality system and spend a fair amount of tweeking, they are unbelievable. I grow more attached to them as time goes on.

Having said all that, I have never heard the Coincident speakers, so I can offer no comparison. I strongly concur with the above advice regarding the need for extensive auditioning before you buy.

Oh, one other thing. Don't even consider the Fives if you are not willing to bi-wire. That additional cost should be taken into account.

Trelja:

Interesting comment on the 2001 New York show. Richard has told me he prefers Cary electronics, but primarily because they are hard wired and easy to tweek. Don't know if the NY room was that of a dealer or Richard's own room, but if it was his, the Cary units he was using may not have been stock units.

Despite the fact that I used solid state with my Fives (I have my own personal quirks that led me to abandon tubes a long time ago for reasons having nothing to do with sonics), it does seem that the Fives are usually mated with tube electronics. One of Richard Hartley's recommended systems a while back included the Fives with ARC 100s (although he did suggest that one of the higher power ARC models might be preferable).

As I said above, I've never heard the Coincident speakers. But as I reflect on the comments above, it occurs to me that while the Vandies and the Coincidents have different sonic signatures (I hope we all agree that every speaker made has a unique sonic signature and that there is no such thing as a perfectly neutral, accurate speaker), they do share at least two things in common.

First, they are both the results of designers who are passionately committed to constantly pushing the envelope with their respective design philosophies, while maintain price points that relate to the real world.

Secondly, both speakers share almost universal respect, even if some may choose other speakers that better suit their particular systems and tastes.