The high end dealer in my town that I deal with primarily is a big believer in Vandersteen. I spent an hour or two with my own music on a thumb drive auditioning different speakers and I could just never quite get there with the Quattros. They were in a relatively small room powered by really excellent electronics but to my ears just didn’t sound right. I play almost exclusively classical music. I ended up with Magnepan 20.7s. Prior to the maggies, I’ve owned Thiels (my second favorite after the Magnepans), big Soundlabs, Acoustats, Celestion and others. I have lusted after a pair of Harbeths -- interesting that you mention them -- primarily for a second system. One of the problems with Vandys for me is I’ve watched them climb in price higher and higher and having seen that progression from regular money to significant investment its hard to swallow their current pricing for me. But I have a feeling I’ve never heard the Quattros truly properly setup "right-sized" to a good room. At the end of the day I find the big Maggie 20.7’s the best reproducers of classical I’ve ever heard. I attend symphony concerts regularly year round so I know what music sounds like. You have to go to the 20.7’s to get decent bass however. The 20.7’s are less expensive than a pair of quattros. The other thing I found about Magnepans with classical music is they they respond extremely well to tubes, specifically ARC. There is a delicacy and presence that is truly remarkable with the right electronics and Magnepans.
Vandersteen Quatro CT *beginner* questions
I started a search for speakers months ago and then all hell broke loose; the search is on pause until I can start auditioning again. I had initially decided against the Vandys (cost, distance to Audio Connection) but I keep reading wonderful things about them. I have a few VERY basic questions for y'all.
--The reviews make them sound like very balanced speakers, good at everything, but I'm still curious if they're known for shining with certain kinds of music (like Harbeths are for the human voice). Although I like to crank tunes every so often, I'm particularly interested in a speaker for chamber and orchestral music. My standard is not the sax or voice or shredding guitar but the cello. I'm also interested in a speaker that can do its thing at low and moderate volumes. I read somewhere that the Quatros like to go big; can they "go small"?
--I've read that they're relatively forgiving about placement. I know the bass can be "tuned" but I've also read that they're more agreeable about proximity to walls than many speakers. Is that true? (I've owned Maggies and suffer a bit from speaker-placement PTSD, especially around the distance from the back wall.)
--I can see they require external crossovers. Are those included in the (gulp) $15+k price?
Thank you all. Of course I hear great things about John Rutan and I know he's accessible, but I thought I'd run these preliminary questions by this forum. And ... thank you!
--The reviews make them sound like very balanced speakers, good at everything, but I'm still curious if they're known for shining with certain kinds of music (like Harbeths are for the human voice). Although I like to crank tunes every so often, I'm particularly interested in a speaker for chamber and orchestral music. My standard is not the sax or voice or shredding guitar but the cello. I'm also interested in a speaker that can do its thing at low and moderate volumes. I read somewhere that the Quatros like to go big; can they "go small"?
--I've read that they're relatively forgiving about placement. I know the bass can be "tuned" but I've also read that they're more agreeable about proximity to walls than many speakers. Is that true? (I've owned Maggies and suffer a bit from speaker-placement PTSD, especially around the distance from the back wall.)
--I can see they require external crossovers. Are those included in the (gulp) $15+k price?
Thank you all. Of course I hear great things about John Rutan and I know he's accessible, but I thought I'd run these preliminary questions by this forum. And ... thank you!