Vandersteen VLR Wood ..any love for these?


are there any owners out here. setup tips , wire, amps. thanks Greg
128x128drumsgreg
see the very popular thread titled .7 Vandersteen.....
lots of love for them......
tomic601, just got a pair on the way used, just looking for tips, and things like that. i own a pair of 2ce Signatures MKII that i bought from  dealer in Atlanta, GA, also have a pair of 2WQ . 
The main thing about the VLR's is that they need to be as close to the wall as possible. They also work surprisingly well in a bookcase.

I used Audioquest Rocket 88 speaker cables with mine. They need an amp with good drive as well. I had good luck with the Belles Aria Integrated amplifier and also with a Peachtree nova 220SE.

Good Luck, for the money they are hard to beat.
thanks Joey54, i plan on using these in my bed you system, for now i will use them with my main rig down stairs, schiit audio Freya, vidar mono blocks , Vandersteen 2wq two of them. i will pull them away from the wall to see how they do as well. Greg
(((I will pull them away from the wall to see how they do as well. Greg)))

 If you can read the manual as Joey was trying to tell you
((((The main thing about the VLR's is that they need to be as close to the wall as possible)))).
they need the wall
 for proper power response.
 This is there intended design position,
 Up against the wall and straight out no toe in.
 Try and make a triangle with you at or 1,25 out of it.
 AQ wire works
 Best JohnnyR
 
the toe in advice also important, but how cool that you can experiment.....

IF ( probably more accurately when ) I get a third pair of Vandersteen, will most likely be VLR

find me a small box that is flat to like 47 HZ that size that can also image...ha

big fun


well , these speakers came in Friday, man alive , these are fantastic sounding speakers. i can't believe the bass you can get out of them, up against the wall, pointing straight forward they image very well . i am glad i bought them.
gcknapp, i have them on 24 inch stand that i bought from Ascend Acoustic for another pair of monitor i had. i use them with and without the Vandersteen 2wq sub. for most of the jazz that i have , these do fine, they cover the standup bass very well, with some Fusion i use the sub, but was just as please without them too. if i had a small to medium room, these would have been great. Richard said on his site that they sell a lot of VLR Woods with the 2WQ sub as a 2.1 system.
What size are the top plates on the stand?  I have a nice pair of Skylan stands that I would use.  6” wide by 9.5” deep.
gcknapp, the stands are 7.5 wide 10.5 deep 24 tall with out the spikes, dry sand or cat litter can be used to fill them.
I have mine filled with rice, seems very inert.  Are your first impressions of the VLRs still holding?  Currently have a pair of Silverline Minuet Supreme Plus that I will be replacing.
still holds, i really like them a lot , now trying  to work my Vandersteen 2WQ with them. these are the speaker i would get if room was paramount, they do sound awesome by themselves with the music i listen to. they really sound like the go lower than the specs say. i am a pro drummer, the tone of the kick comes thru nicely on them, cymbals have the right amount of decay and shimmer, the snare drum , you can tell if its a metal or wood drum very easy. i really do like them...a lot

Do you guys know what the difference is between the 'wood' version and the older VLR? They look totally different. I have a beat on the older version that looks like a box with the stocking around it. Are these any good for the same type of setup? Close to the rear wall?  Anyone compare the newer VLR wood to the prior VLR?  
Unless they are super cheap (under $500), I would wait for a pair of VLR wood.Mr. V. constantly upgrades the innards, so the more recent edition will have the most current sound (compared to new).
B
Older pair is in the VCC type cloth wrap design discontinued over 5 years ago a nice pair of speakers for cabinet mounting but mostly needs a woofer.

 The Newer Wood finish VLRs are the ones to find as they can be used by many without a Sub with close wall positioning, on a stand, bookshelf or in cabinet works well in both applications.

 Where VLR design excels is its lighter mass faster drivers,
 Time coherence allows the music to feel more the way we hear in nature disappearing into the room while preserving the overtones. Its percussive shots are more meaningful with live music lending a sense of realness rarely found in this range.

Its also quickly apparent how this design wisely avoids the typical, amazing bass bump, Wow man is there a sub in the system that robs the listener of the musics midrange richness and sophistication so typically found with other smaller box designs with their bass bump, mid-suck out and bleached squeaky clean approach that the average guy accepts as clarity.

I remember a 4 K pair of ATCs coming in on trade for the Wood VLRs with the comparison playing Sonny Rollins Sax and later Nina Simone's voice with AQ, an Ayre or Belles integrated just very seamless.
 Many Kef 50 owners after hearing the VLRs mention wish they had heard these first.
 Take a listen....
 Best JohnnyR
 
Interesting; looks like MusicDirect has the VLRs so with their return policy, if they don't work for my room, I could swap for something else.

Do the VLRs have the laid back Vandersteen sound signature? I auditioned the KEF 50s for about 5 minutes and they were too analytical and in your face for me.  But I've always like the Vandersteen floor stander's sound 


@kansas400 ....I was in your boat not long ago.  I had the Kefs.  Couldn’t resist the temptation to hear what all the buzz was about.  They were ok, but as Johnny R stated, there was that bass bump creeping into the midrange.

I ended up selling them for little loss, thank goodness.  Guess what I ended up buying?  Vandersteen VLR!  Couldn’t be happier.  Even Steven...no bass bump, very balanced, transparent and good tight bass that doesn’t encroach on the all too important midrange.  If by laid back, you mean musical/unfatiguing, that they are.  They draw you in instead of shouting at you.  Definitely worth a try imo.  MD has a great return policy/audition period.

Listen to Senor Rutan, many times I wish I had.  Now, time for a Belles Aria to mate with them.  Best to you!
all i know is i wished i would have heard these much sooner, they are by far the best small loudspeaker I've ever heard, lots of detail, very dynamic, image like there nobody`s business. Some speakers just speak to the heart with the way they portray music to you. i listen to mostly small jazz groups and powerful fusion groups and i have not been disappointed yet in their performance at all. i would take these over the Magnepan .7 any day of the week,ive owned a few, mmg, 1.6, 1.7i, mini maggies with two dwms..these just work. great speaker!
@drumsgreg ...totally agree with you.  These VLRs are just music.  Best...
Have you guys (drumsgreg and carmenc) used a sub with the VLRs, or just close to the wall and no sub?  I would think the vandy sub would work well but not sure if you need a sub. With the older model VLR, those definitely needed a sub, so just curious about these newer VLR Woods? 
Hi kansas400.  Currently I’m using mine sans sub in a small room.  I have them about six inches from the wall behind them.  I have them on 24” high Skylan two post stands.  I feel like I’m getting plenty of bass this way.  There is plenty “meat on the bones” and a real good solid foundation to the music.  I thought about a sub, but given my size room I’ll refrain from doing so.  If I was in a larger room, I’d consider it.  Yes, I would think the Vandy sub would be the way to go.  A Rel also.

These “Lil Vandys” just continue to put a smile on my face.  I’ve passed on opportunities to get larger Vandersteen.  I’m glad I finally stayed committed to the VLR.  I’ve ordered a Belles Aria integrated amp.  This should make for a very synergistic system from all I’ve read and with the help of John Rutan.

Hope this helps some.  I would just start with the VLR set up similar to mine and go from there after you’ve had a chance to acclimate yourself to them.  Then perhaps consider a sub.  Get yourself some Audioquest cabling eventually as well.  There is a reason why so many Vandy owners use AQ.  Just sounds right together!

Best of luck and keep us posted on your journey.  Let me know if I can help further.  Best.....
Hi Carmenc - what are the dimensions of your room and do you have the VLRs on the long wall or short wall? 
Kansas400, i do have Vandersteen 2WQ and the M-5HPB crossovers, i tried it, but really love them without the 2WQ`S. I do however the love the 2WQ`S with my Vandersteen 2CE Signatures MKII better for some reason. i actually bought the VLR Woods for my bed room setup, i just tried them in my big rig in my  drum room first. Mine are set right up against the back wall facing straight ahead. My room  is 13 x 19, i have them setup on the short wall. These should be on everyones very short list for speakers under 2000.00 and anyone who has limited space to put speakers in their homes. My wife and i just shake ours heads , they are that good. Greg
kansas400...hello.  I have my VLR in an office that is 11’ x 11’.  Certainly not a good room acoustically due to it being square.  Like Greg, I have them firing straight ahead...no toe in.  They are approximately 5’ apart.  Greg is spot on with these being ideal for people with limited space or prefer a more discreet setup.  Sound wise, I rank these right up there with little ProAcs, only easier to position and cheaper price wise.  I’m also a Tannoy fan, so they occupy my living room.  They’re both relatively modest systems, but I get to enjoy the best of both worlds.  Vandersteen and Tannoy.....doesn’t get any better for me anyways.

Best and keep us posted.  Take care.
David


Carmenc,  
i have a pair of skylan two post stands as well.  What are the dimensions of your top plates on the stand?  Do the VLRs fit nicely?
thanks,
Gary
Gary, my top plate is 8” wide by 10” deep.  The VLR sit on them very nicely.  Just right for me.  I’m sure there are “better stands”, but I really like the Skylan.  Great bang for the buck I believe.  I have the two posts filled with kitty litter.  Yes, I inherited my mom’s 🐱 lol.  Looks nice too.  Keep us posted.

Regards,
David
Hi Drumsgreg - that is interesting you have both VLR and 2CE sig II. I don't have any issues with wife factor since the potential speakers would go in my man cave which is 12 by 20 ft or so.  So I could find a used pair of 2 CE sig 2 for under $2,000 or new VLRs with stands for about under $2,000 as well - so same price point. 

Given no issues with WAF or size limitations, if you had to pick either the VLRs or the 2CE in your drum room (your larger room) which would you pick? 


Yes Gary.....I think yours may look even better as you’ll have some overhang of the speaker’s bottom.  I think they’ll work great.  Got my Lil Vandys in Cherry....open box with full warranty.  Saved some $ this way.  If you’ve no local dealer, look to Audio Connection or Music Direct.  No relationship with either.  Just happy customer of both........  What electronics will you use?

Regards,
David
dont forget the mighty 1ci
i bought a returned pair ( customer upgraded to Treo CT ) for my “ therapy”  room aka hunting/fishing work room....

i did listen hard to the VLR and it is a tough choice....i store a bunch of radial diffusers ( aka fishing rods ) in the corners and did not want stands to tip over....

i am still tweaking the setup but so far settling in

Denon table w Grado Ref Sonata into Dynavector P75 mk4 into McIntosh MX-110Z into McIntosh MC240 out to Audioquest Type 6 shotgun...

the alternate is NAIM Atom as preamp with a Synology NAS serving up CD quality wav files....

pretty fine...

pretty fine...


Hegel H80 integrated amplifier with Kimber Kable PK10 power cable. Kimber 8TC speaker cables. Using Airport Express digital out to the Hegel. Skylan guy can make a new top plate as necessary. Going to market my Silverlines and REL T-Zero sub next week.
Kansas, the 2CE Signatures are a much better speaker in every way, better bass, mids to die for, the cymbals have just the right amount of decay to them that no other speaker in that category has, this was very importance to me. Space was the main issue for me, i gave up about 3 and half feet in the room with my 2ce, but less than 10 inches with VLR Woods. the VLR Woods had enough meat on the bone as carmenc mention and imaged very well for the music, ill move the 2CE out to the living room and them there.
David,
Where did you get your VLRs?  I’m shooting for a demo or return pair, at or below $1000.
Greg,
Going to go with John Rutan.  He has provided great feedback and answers to my queries.  Hope he still has a demo pair by the time my Silverline and REL sells.  Thanks so much.

gcknapp.....great choice going with Senor Rutan’s advice.  I got mine from Music Direct.  Open box/demo pair.  If I was closer to John, no brainer.  Either will take good care of you.  Best and keep us posted.  PM me if you want.

Regards,
David

Good read on the VLRs.. thank you... 
How do the VLRs a foot away from walls in terms of bass, are you missing a lot under 100hz? and are they directional like something like magnepan or do they have good dispersion?
Thanks... 
Vandersteen rep at AXPONA said to expect a forthcoming VLR Signature model with carbon tweeter like the Treo.  May wait for upgrade model to a/b before final purchase decision.  Significant increase in price, however.
i bet that a pair of the new VLR with carbon tweeter on Sound Anchor stands and flat to 4 somthing cycles will be giant killers.....
ha
big fun

gcknapp, did the rep say when theses would be ready and did they have a pair at AXPONA?
No and no.  Going to check with Mr. Vandersteen on release date.  I’ll let you know when he responds.
Vandersteen advises pricing and release date tbd.  Should have info early next month.

i sent an email to them and i received the same reply, no info until a month or so from now.