Sounds like I need to listen to a pair and hopefully arrange an in home demo. I had 2 ci's former many years and even had a Model 5 for a year. I could never get the 5 to sound as good as I thought they should. I had bought the 5 off Agon and probably needed a dealer to help get them set up.
Right now I'm really happy with the Legacy Focus SE sound. My only grip with them is their size! They really dominate the room. Which makes me think the Quatro CT might be the way to go. Can't affort the 5 CT. |
I live in south eastern Michigan. |
I'm a Packer fan, grew up I'm WI. Don't care for the Lions. Excited that my local university team just hired a new coach from the NFL... |
I moved to Ann Arbor in 2001. Overture did not carry Vandersteens then, I drove out to Royal Oak to listen to them (Audio Dimensions). I'll clarify the timelines with Overture if I ever have time to audition the Quatros! I'll report back! |
Thanks Tomryan! I had no idea Overture was carrying Vandersteen. I will check them out and try to get a demo.
One of my buddies had Thiel 3.6 powered by Jef Rowland electronics when I had my Vandy 2Ci's. Never wanted to listen too much to the Thiels as in his system they were too bright. Made me miss his Spica Angelus!
I have not listened to latest (last?) generation Thiels with the coincedent drivers.
Thanks for the link John.
-Karl |
Yeah Tomryan, I contacted them yesterday. Keith told me they have been a Vandersteen dealer for a year and a half. I have not been to their new location. I was pretty turned off to Overture after an experience I had there trying to buy a Linn Akurate DS. But I need to re-engage. Having a local dealer could be a big advantage when it come to setting up speakers.
I will get to the new store soon to listen to the Quatros. I think they should match well with the Pass XA 30.5 I use, but I might have to haul that amp in as well!
Thanks again for the heads up. |
Here's an update. Bought a pair of demo Quatro (not-CT) from a dealer in OH. They are getting settled in and already sound great. I'll use the Vandertones test files and my SPL meter to adjust the subs.
Wonder if Vandersteen will offer an upgrade path for Quatro Wood to Quatro Wood CT? |
Agreed nrenter.
I started this post with the typical fever of someone looking to get a new piece of gear. I ended up finding a pair of almost new Quattro Wood (non-CT) in Ebony about 12 months ago. I've been really enjoying them. I really liked my previous speakers, Legacy Audio Focus SE but they were too big looking. Shallow? Perhaps but it was like having two soldiers standing guard in the room. The Quattros are so much more discreet, even five feet our from the front wall. Like the Focus, I am driving the Quattros with a Pass XA 30.5, the difference being 94 db efficiency for the Focus SE vs upper 80's for the Quattros. It does take a little more dB's for the Quattros to really open up compared to the Focus SE. But I don't think they are a more difficult load for the XA 30.5 due to the reduction in low frequency duties.
One thing that was surprising was the different nature of the the low bass between the two speakers. The Focus have 48" of woofer staring at you (2 x 12" per speaker) and you just assume it can do anything in the lower frequencies. But with the Quattros, the bass is bigger! Much more forceful feeling. Nice impact without sounding unnatural. The Focus never locked into the room like the Quattros. I'm sure that some listeners would prefer one presentation over the other but for me the Quattros are better.
The only aspect I miss about the Legacy Focus sound is the tweeter. Those ribbons really sounded great in my room. Not that the Quattro is a slouch but it is not the same level of clean, crisp, natural sounding as the Focus SE. Which is why I still think about the Quattro Wood CT! Would it match or surpass those AMT ribbons?
|
What do you experienced Vandy aficionados hear in the Quatro CT that is different than the Quatro Wood? Better imaging? Less grain? What? |
|
I had a pair of Vandersteen 2ci's as my first pair of "hifi" speakers. Then went to some more accurate sounding kit speakers (North Creek) then some used Vandy 5's and then Legacy Focus SE. I returned to Vandersteen Quatro woods when I had the opportunity and I'm glad I did. The other speakers had their strengths (the North Creeks were magical driven by a BAT VK-75SE) but I just couldn't get them synchronized with my room (even the Vandy 5's). You would think that the larger and more efficient Legacy's would be able to do a better job on the low end but there is no doubt that the Quatro's give me better (deeper, more controlled, higher impact) bass in my room with my electronics.
Still need to go out and listen to the Quatro Wood CT. I would love to liquify things a bit more on the top.
I wonder how many current Vandersteen owners have come back after trying other speakers only to realize that they were "chasing their tails."
-Karl |
Good news CT. Listened for a couple hours this morning. Some 60's Miles and the new Dirty Projectors vinyl. Even the non Carbon version sounds great! |
I have a Pass XA-30.5. No way I'm leaving that beast on all the time! But it warms up pretty fast. |
Thanks tomic601! I would love to listen to a set of Ayre mono locks in my system too. On the tube side, I think a pair of Atma-sphere MA-1s would be interesting to listen too as well. The quatro has low efficiency but a steady 8 ohms across the frequencies might make up for that with an OTL. Unfortunately, I think my dog might be too interested in an exposed tube amp to be safe. So for now, I'll continue to enjoy the Pass.
-Karl |
Vandersteen owners unite! |
I've had three different Vandersteen pairs in my main rig. Started the hifi journey with a pair of 2ci's in the early 90's, then went to a pair of kit speakers (North Creek), then to a 5A's (which were the only Vandy's I could never get to sound right), to Legacy Focus SE (which were pretty great) and then to Quatro Wood's Sigs. Have to say that the Quatro Woods are my favorite and I plan to keep throwing music at them for many years. |
Hi all. Wanted to revive this thread. I still have the Quatro Wood (non-CT) but the upstream has evolved into higher end Pass Labs gear. I use a Pass Labs XP-27 phono - XP-22 Pre and the good ol XA 30.5 to power the Quatro. Balanced M5 boxes.
Two things recently elevated the performance of the Vandersteen's in my room. First was the addition of Isoacoustic Gaia I footers. I was pretty skeptical about using these as Vandersteen designs to couple the speakers to the floor. These footers are supposed to decouple. But I felt is was worth trying because the speakers are positioned on a suspended wooden floor above a storage area in my house. I had to use the more expensive Gaia I because the 110 lb Quatro has to be supported with just 3 footers. Also, I had to buy 8 not 6 footers. It was not difficult to maintain the appropriate tilt angle by adjusting the footers. Be aware that the rear spike threads are different than the front. After many weeks of use, I think they are a significant improvement. The quality of the imaging and the tonal richness of the midrange expanded to my ears. More palpable presence in the room, better separation of instruments so that you can hear into the recording better. The bass quality changed almost like adjusting the Q. The bass may be a little less high impact and certainly less is transmitted into the floor, but overall bass better integrated into the music.
The second change was the addition of an HRS platform under the Pass XA 30.5. This is the only component of the system that is near the speakers and in the high acoustic energy zone. Improvements in detail and clarity were not subtle. Very impressed!
So, fellow audiogoners, what might be the next steps for me? I hear good things about Vandersteen M5 HPA mono's. This would eliminate the M5 boxes and the Pass XA 30.5. Anyone with experience want to share? I would also consider updating to the Quatro CT if that would be a similar jump in performance. Going to have to try both of those in my room sometime this summer. |
Well, probably better to start a new one. |
